Former Bayern Munich star and current Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Mario Götze will always be remembered as the player who scored the World Cup winning goal in 2014. Before that, in the early 2010s, he was lighting up the world at Borussia Dortmund.
Götze recently reflected upon his move in the book “Stimmen der Eintracht.” Per @DIEZEIT via @iMiaSanMia, in a letter Götze wrote to himself, he mentioned the following about how his fascination with Barcelona influenced his move to Bayern: “When Pep Guardiola, the legendary coach of FC Barcelona, went to Munich and I received an offer from Bayern in the winter of 2012, my decision was also influenced by my fascination with FC Barcelona, which I had since my youth. I loved Barça football. I wanted to play that football, too.”
His proximity to Bayern helped too as well as the place Bayern occupied in his heart: “With Pep, and memories of my early childhood also played a role, growing up in the Allgäu, my proximity to FC Bayern, my favourite club at the time. All sorts of clubs wanted me back then. Barcelona, Bayern, I could have gone anywhere.”
However, perhaps, Götze would have done things differently today: “I know you don’t think much of it when I tell you: stay in Dortmund a bit longer. It will be good for you and your development.”
Plenty of fans can agree with Götze’s view of the situation. Very few can forget watching Bayern play Dortmund in the Champions League final in 2013 with an injured Götze in the stands. That transfer captured the imagination as Bayern basically reigned supreme over BVB on and off the pitch. Götze’s career in Munich never quite took off and he returned to Dortmund after three seasons.
