Mario Götze: Is it time to move on from Dortmund?

Chuck Smith
Apr 12, 2018
4 min read

Mario Götze was the toast of Germany and the world, frankly, after scoring his phenomenal and legendary extra-time goal against Argentina in the World Cup final in 2014. What has transpired over the last four years, however, is sad tale with the lingering focus on what might have been.

It is not as if Götze, himself, is totally at fault for the roller coaster period that has transpired since that monumental day in July of 2014, but health, roster logjams, and many other factors have stagnated what was once one of the most promising careers in soccer.

The Breakthrough

Already a known commodity in Germany, Götze burst on to the global scene when the 2014 World Cup opened. Named to the starting line-up against Portugal in the team's opening match, Götze drilled a penalty kick for Germany's opening goal in his World Cup debut. Little did he know at that point, but his life was going to change dramatically in a few short weeks.

Gotze continued his hot play by scoring the opening goal and being named the Man of the Match in a 2–2 draw with Ghana. Joachim Löw, however, pulled back the reigns on Götze and demanded a more complete effort. In the following three games, Götze played just 66 minutes combined, with Löw opting instead for his experienced core of veterans. Many perceived that Löw's decision to keep Götze benched in Germany's famous 7-1 rout of Brazil as a death knell on Götze's chances for playing again in the tourney.

In the final, however, Löw brought on Götze for Miroslav Klose after 88 minutes. Löw famously told Götze, "Show the world you are better than Messi and can decide the World Cup." Götze subsequently scored the only goal of the match in the 113th minute after playing André Schürrle's cross off his chest and volleying the ball into the net to give Germany its fourth World Cup.

The Aftermath

After gaining worldwide fame via his World Cup-winning goal, Götze returned to Bayern Munich with his eyes set on domestic dominance. Despite some impressive performances over the 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 seasons, things never fully clicked for Götze on the loaded Bayern roster.

In July 2016, Götze returned to Dortmund, on a four-year contract and stated that he regretted his decision to join Bayern Munich in 2013. Success, though, did not come instantly. Götze struggled to find his form at Dortmund before finally being diagnosed by a metabolic illness that caused him to suffer through chronic fatigue and weight gain - which was likely the cause of less-than-stellar play and inconsistent performance over his final months in Munich. In a lot of ways the diagnosis was a blessing for Götze, who had also gotten a, perhaps undeserved, reputation for poor fitness during his time with Bayern and upon his return to Dortmund.

The condition sidelined Götze for most of the the first half of 2017 before he returned to the field in July of that year. Since that point, Götze has been a regular for Dortmund, but with only limited production. Though his performances seemed to spike upon the return of Marco Reus to the BVB lineup in January 2018, Götze has just two goals in 19 Bundesliga appearances. With that, Götze has simply not done enough to lock down a featured spot in the starting XI, especially with the cast of young talents that Dortmund has waiting in the wings.

The Future

What lies ahead for Götze is tricky. Dortmund's growing pool of young players could be a sign the club is ready to move on from players like Götze and Schürrle, which is both ironic and a bit sad given their historic connection. Götze has shown enough this season, however, for other clubs to determine his value and to also see that he still has some proverbial gas left in the tank.

Still only 25, Götze still has plenty to give back to the game. But where does a player like this go? Aside of Bayern, where Götze would have no consistent role, many Bundesliga clubs are in the midst of significant youth movements such as Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig. Götze could be an impact player for teams like Eintracht Frankfurt, Hoffenheim, Borussia Monchengladbach, or Schalke, while also playing a significant role in helping the clubs take the next step to being perennial contenders for European competition.

Or maybe a role as an offensive focal point for clubs like Wolfsburg, Stuttgart, or SC Freiburg where he could have players built around him would be appealing?

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of his last four years for Götze, however, is that a call-up to Die Mannschaft by Löw is no longer guaranteed, but looking increasingly more unlikely. If Götze cannot fight his way on to the Germany roster, he will need to take a long and introspective look at how to best revive his career.

Unfortunately for the Bundesliga and its fans, the domestic destinations listed above may not even present the best environment for Götze to initiate his career revival. Götze ultimately may have to explore his options abroad to put his career back on track. Perhaps a stint with a Serie A (Italy) or Ligue 1 (France) would be a spot where he could rejuvenate his career outside the intense spotlight of Germany.

With a contract that runs until June 2020, it is not a sure thing that Götze will move on any time soon, but it may be the next logical step to revive his career and get consistent field time. More than anything, Götze just needs to get the opportunity to show that he still has the foundation of talent that made him one of the world's brightest stars in 2014.