Schieber says sorry

Borussia Dortmund new-boy Julian Schieber has apologised to supporters of his hometown team Stuttgart after leaving the club.

Striker begs for understanding from fans of former team

Borussia Dortmund new-boy Julian Schieber has apologised to supporters of his hometown team Stuttgart after leaving the club. Injuries plagued the early career of the highly-rated young striker who found the net five times in seven games for Germany at Under 21 level. But he proved his fitness during a successful year at Nurnberg before returning to his local club for the start of the 2011/12 season where he scored three times in 18 appearances. But fans of Stuttgart were unhappy that their local hero decided to join champions Dortmund on a four-year-deal prompting the 23-year-old to post grovelling messages on Facebook. "Borussia Dortmund has become the measure of all things in recent years," he wrote. "Moving there was a chance no one gets that often in his career. "Dortmund has got a bright future and now I have got a chance to be a part of that. "Anyway, Stuttgart and the local area are very much part of my heart. I am keeping you in the best of memories. And I hope you also have happy memories of me too." Joining Schieber at Dortmund is 29-year-old Oliver Kirch from relegated side Kaiserslautern on a two-year deal after the clubs agreed a £250,000 deal to the delight of general manager Michael Zorc. "Oliver Kirch is a truly versatile player for midfield as well as defence," he told Deutsche Presseagentur. "He has played a lot of games over the years and has got a lot of experience."