A game between OGC Nice and a team from the other side of the Rhine will always bring up references to the global footballing monument that is Dante. Alexis Menuge, a sports journalist who has collaborated with several media outlets – including L’Équipe and RTL, to name but a few – is one of France’s biggest specialists in German football. So, for OGCNICE.com, Menuge put pen to paper to give us the German view of Dante in tribute to our captain, who is expected to miss out on tomorrow’s game at home to SC Freiburg, which kicks off at 18:45 CET. 

This is Dante’s 10th season at OGC Nice, and despite the passing of time, the Brazilian defender still commands as much respect as ever and often even the admiration of those involved in German football. Of course, we have to mention that he spent seven seasons in the Bundesliga at Borussia Mönchengladbach (2009–2012), Bayern Munich (2012–2015) and VfL Wolfsburg (2015–2016), notably enjoying a dream season with Bayern in 2012–2013, when he won the treble – namely the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal and the UEFA Champions League – while playing a leading role alongside the likes of Franck Ribéry, Arjen Robben and Manuel Neuer. “Dante made a mark during his time in Germany because he quickly realised what attributes were needed in order to establish yourself in the Bundesliga in the long term,” reminisces Lothar Matthäus, who earned 150 caps for Germany. “He was able to adapt in a very short space of time by learning German and by understanding the local customs. As a defender, his style is more German than Brazilian in the sense that he stays tight to his man, doesn’t give up and is very aggressive in his interventions while still keeping them clean. Above all, he hated losing. In any case, seeing him still plying his trade in Ligue 1 at 42 years old is amazing and shows his extraordinary level of professionalism.”

“Dante is one of the best signings that we’ve made in the last 20 years, in terms of both the player and the person,” summarises Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who was the chairman of Bayern’s executive board between 2002 and 2021. “In terms of his personality, he was always a delight to have in the dressing room, with his contagious good mood and his natural kindness. He was liked by everyone. As a player, he never let us down, and he had an excellent sense of positioning as well as an irreproachable mindset. He never gives up and never admits defeat. With a mindset like that, he became indispensable for Bayern.”

Dante experienced indescribable joy in December 2013, when he scored the only goal in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup against Raja Casablanca. “Whenever I get the chance, I watch Dante’s games for Nice because I think that we should enjoy every performance by a player with such exceptional longevity,” admits Jupp Heynckes, one of the Brazilian’s former managers in Munich.

“Deep down, I’m not really surprised that he’s still playing at the highest level in 2025–2026 because he’s always had an exemplary approach to his job by leaving nothing to chance and by maintaining an impeccable lifestyle.”

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Alexis Menuge