Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka has taken hit after hit over the past year.
First, he was unceremoniously stripped of a starting role by former Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel, before ultimately rising back up the depth chart to show his worth and regian the role.
The damage, however, was done to Goretzka’s reputation and he was omitted from the German national team’s squad for the EURO 2024 competition. Now, Goretzka is not even dressing for games in Bavaria, as the coaching staff and front office made the decision to move on from him before he even had a chance to fight for a position on the team.
If Goretzka wants to have any chance of playing for Germany in the 2026 World Cup, DFB sporting director Rudi Völler knows what he should do.
“He logically still has the quality to be part of the 2026 World Cup. It probably makes sense for him to move if he still has these aspirations. It makes sense to play somewhere else again. But in the end he has to decide for himself.” Völler said during an appearance on Sport1-Doppelpass (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).
Völler is correct — for as much as Goretzka might love Bayern Munich as a club, he needs to leave to keep his career progressing. The midfielder is in his prime and wasting valuable days rotting away in the stands, when he should be on the pitch.
It might not be the choice he wants to make, but leaving Bayern Munich is the decision that he needs to make.
Looking for more thoughts and analysis on Bayern Munich’s dominant 4-0 win over SSV Ulm in the DFB-Pokal? Good, then we have you covered with our Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show where we break down the starting XI, the scoring and subs, who stood out vs. who fell short, the Leon Goretzka situation, and a whole lot more. Check out the podcast on Patreon, Spotify, or below:
