Arminia Bielefeld loses its captain Mael Corboz. The 31-year-old joins French second-tier club Grenoble Foot 38.

What happened?

Corboz had extended his contract with Arminia just last summer, but now he's making a U-turn - for family reasons. The US-born Corboz also holds French citizenship, and his parents and siblings live in France.

Why is this important for Arminia Bielefeld?

Corboz had joined Bielefeld from SC Verl in winter 2023 and received the most playing time of all pros under former head coach Mitch Kniat. In his 101 competitive games for Arminia, Corboz celebrated the second-tier promotion in the 2024/2025 season and the DFB Cup final in 2025.

What comes next?

Bielefeld's sports director Michael Mutzel said: «We have spent a challenging but successful time together over the past two and a half years. Mael has always been a leader». Arminia currently stands 13th in the 2. Bundesliga, with 31 points from 29 games and a recent form of LWLDL. Most recently, Arminia won 6-1 against Hertha BSC on May 17, 2026.