3) Mario Gotze: Bayern Munich → Borussia Dortmund
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Mario Gotze has been deemed one of Germany’s rising talents. The midfielder’s World Cup winning goal in 2014 only seemed to confirm these affirmations. But fast forward two years, Germany’s star boy spent his days sitting on Bayern Munich’s bench.
Many blame Gotze’s stagnation on his transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Munich. At Dortmund, Gotze made a name for himself and established himself as an exciting young prospect. He scored goals and bagged assists, and looked extremely comfortable. But then Bayern Munich swooped in, enticing the young German with money and trophies.
This is an experience Dortmund fans know all too well. They were angered at his betrayal, especially due to the fact that Gotze was raised and nurtured at Dortmund. He started off well at the Allianz Arena but soon fell down the pecking order on Pep Guardiola’s list of midfielders. When he returned to the Signal Iduna Park, he was received by a chorus of boos and verbal abuse- it seemed that he had burned his bridges with the fans of Dortmund.
At 24 years of age, Gotze needs playing time to achieve his huge amounts of potential. It was clear that, despite the appointment of Carlo Ancelotti and the departure of Guardiola, he would receive limited game time due to Bayern’s stacked midfield.
But a move to Borussia Dortmund shocked everyone. While it made sense for Gotze to move to the club where he could play freely and his talent could develop, the apparent harboured hatred for the attacking midfielder from the fans seemed to prevent a move like this from ever happening.
But, perhaps surprisingly, Gotze was actually well received at the Signal Iduna Park. Now, along with Dortmund’s star-studded attacking line-up, super Mario can flourish once again. I’m glad this story has a happy ending.
