Mario Götze had a real career alternative with Jürgen Klopp.
The only thing he wasn't really sure about was the exact role.
"It's true, we played a game of paddle. I don't know whether he wanted to sign me as a paddle player or as a football player," said Götze about a private duel of the tennis variant on Mallorca.
You just get along well, the 30-year-old reported on his relationship with the current Liverpool coach, who once trained him at Borussia Dortmund. Götze's grin revealed that one is at peace with himself and his football life.
Götze sees ups and downs as a challenge
Hansi Flick's squad is on the way to the home European Championship in upheaval. And Götze does not play a leading role on the lawn again. But the winning goal scorer in the 2014 World Cup final is no longer an extra or even an outsider, as in the years of professional suffering.
His summary of the Qatar World Cup, which was disappointing for him with only 37 joker minutes, sounds like a fundamental interim conclusion of his career. "It would be nice if everything went straight and upwards," he said of life planning. But: "It's not bad to have challenges."
challenge So challenges. Whoever listens to Götze is generally well advised to understand English word inserts. He recently chatted with the social media stars Lisa and Lena on the DFB campus. His wife Ann-Kathrin is also an influencer. He doesn't have to look at the tricks of freestyle footballer Marcel Gurk on Tiktok. The ball artist also paid a visit to Götze in person. "The background is to build synergies with younger players, people, especially on the platforms, to be a role model for the younger generation," said Götze.
Götze as an experienced role model in the DFB team
The more analogous national coach Flick (58) still thinks highly of the footballing qualities of the offensive artist from Eintracht Frankfurt. He brought him back to the DFB team before the World Cup and also nominated him for the new start towards the 2024 European Championship. Götze, currently the oldest field player, should be a role model and exert influence on the half-dozen A -Selection of fetched talents.
When Götze played his first of 65 international matches in November 2010, newcomers like Josha Vagnoman (22), Malick Thiaw and Kevin Schade (both 21) were still in elementary school. It was cold back then, with a terribly boring 0-0 draw in Gothenburg, Götze recalled. It was still a "highlight" for him.
With all due respect, Flick has not yet found a proper place for Götze on the pitch. He can classify his qualities himself. "I'm not a target player, I'm more of a hanging point," he reports. A change to a system with two tips that Flick is considering would therefore not be advantageous for him. Götze doesn't sound worried about that. Even the rather mediocre record with Frankfurt since the World Cup break doesn't make him uneasy. In the direction of the EM you have to do everything "step by step" anyway.
