The forward has endured a series of false dawns since scoring that goal against Argentina and has yet been unable to reclaim his tag as Dortmund darling.Higher-ups at Bayern Munich were bemused this summer when Mario Gotze put out a statement pledging his desire stay and fight for a place under Carlo Ancelotti. The decision to offload Gotze was taken a long time before that and the player himself knew it. There was no future to fight for but Gotze had a hard time accepting that he’d been squeezed out.
Ancelotti’s new way forward allowed no place for the playmaker but that did not stop him muddying the waters by stating his wish - publically - to stay. Gotze was defiant but his situation was hopeless. A transfer back to Borussia Dortmund was the best outcome available to him as Bayern effectively gave up on the one-time boy wonder. His three seasons at Bayern – bringing three league titles – were not as bad as you might think. His first campaign – in particular – was actually very good. He played 29 matches, scored 10 times and assisted nine more as Bayern got to grips with life under Pep Guardiola. He played even more minutes the second season and started well after scoring the winner for Germany in the World Cup final. He looked to be coming of age but faded towards the end of the campaign.
He was unable to make an impact in Bayern’s biggest matches, and although Guardiola and Matthias Sammer spoke highly of his ability in the press he simply could not get picked. He was in one sense hampered by circumstance. Guardiola biographer Marti Perarnau has revealed that the trainer spent more time thinking about integrating Gotze in his lineups than any other player. Pep usually preferred two wingers and a central striker with a couple of ‘number 8s’ behind that. None of those five positions truly suited Gotze and so he was edged out of all significant selections. He was utilised as an attacking midfielder, winger and false nine all to no great effect. When the time came for the big matches – he was simply ignored. It’s a well-documented fact that Guardiola lost three times in a row at the semi-final stage of the Champions League while in charge at Bayern. What might have escaped your notice was that Gotze started none of the six legs against Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. When push came to shove, Guardiola didn’t trust him.
Although the Catalan was leaving for Manchester City, it was made abundantly clear to Gotze that he would have no part to play under his successor either. Bayern are no worse off for having dispensed with Gotze but the player is clearly damaged. Long spells on the sidelines with injury at Bayern have disrupted his match rhythm and he is clearly a slower, more deliberate player than the chubby-cheeked teenager who exploded onto the scene under Jurgen Klopp. He has done adequately since coming back – no more – but has yet to convince the doubters in the Yellow Wall who didn’t want him back in the first place.
The general consensus is Gotze is lacking confidence. Here is a World Cup winner, a five-time Bundesliga champion, a man who helped his Dortmund qualify for the Champions League final in 2013, who nonetheless must be gently coaxed back to effectiveness. But there is widespread belief around Dortmund that this current version of Mario Gotze is too slow – physically and mentally – to play the kind of football demanded by Thomas Tuchel. The goal against Argentina thrust him into the limelight; celebrity and fame soon followed. It’s not that Gotze cannot deal with it – indeed those at Bayern have paid testament to his commitment and professionalism – but it’s just that he’s incapable of matching that heroism. He is cursed by it.
