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A Chelsea legend has called time on her career this week, with Melanie Leupolz taking to social media to announce her retirement from professional football.
Leupolz played for Chelsea between 2020 and 2024 where she became a serial winner with the Blues, winning nine trophies over the space of four years.
The Blues were simply unstoppable under Emma Hayes while Leupolz was in the WSL and they won the league in every season (4 titles) that the German played.
Chelsea also had plenty of success in domestic cups over the four year period, as they were crowned Women’s FA Cup champions three times and Women’s League Cup winners twice.
Before Chelsea, Leupolz played for Freiburg and Bayern Munich in Germany over the space of 10 years where she built up an impressive profile.
Retiring as a European, domestic & Olympic champion 🏆
Wishing the best of luck to German footballing icon Melanie Leupolz, who has taken the decision to retire after a trophy-filled 15-year career. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for her 🤝 pic.twitter.com/aNlEKS2oF8
— PFA (@PFA) June 13, 2025
After saying an emotional farewell to London in 2024, the German international left for Real Madrid where she played just one season before announcing her retirement.
In 2024/25 Leupolz struggled with an injury that kept her out for most of the season, with the 31-year-old’s career beginning to wind down.
Melanie Leupolz announces retirement
Leupolz announced her retirement on social media this week, saying: “After many intense and emotional years in professional football, I have made a difficult decision to retire this summer. It hasn’t been an easy decision; football has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I fell in love with the game when I was a little girl and it soon became my passion.
“I’ve had the privilege to play at the highest level for many years, representing amazing clubs alongside my country, winning many titles, creating unforgettable memories and meeting incredible people along the way.
“Thank you to everyone who was a part of this journey. Thank you football.”
Leupolz will go down as a Chelsea icon having played a crucial role in the Blues’ dynasty under Emma Hayes.
The German also made 79 appearances for Germany throughout her career, winning a gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games as well as at the Euros in 2013 to complete an impressive trophy cabinet.
