The painful past has been forgiven at Westfalen when Mario Gotze returned eight years ago. They welcomed back the prodigal son and gave him another chance. But forgetting how he betrayed them? That’s something they haven’t, and likely never will do. Nor has the man who was once the darling of the Yellow Wall until he turned his back on Borussia Dortmund. Now, he deeply regrets the decisions that caused shockwaves in Germany.When it mattered the most, he betrayed Borussia Dortmund — right before the Champions League final. He had already reached an agreement with Bayern Munich. The manner of his departure, especially the timing, was unforgivable. For many, it still is. Not all fans view him the same way, as he broke their hearts. Today, he admits it was a mistake.Dortmund eager to let out their frustrations – Bochum beware!So many years have passed, more than a decade, though it doesn’t feel like it. Time flies, but sins don’t expire. In a letter he wrote to his 17-year-old self for Die Zeit, Mario Gotze reflects on how he would have acted differently and offers advice to others so they wouldn’t make the same mistakes as him.”They tell you to stay in Dortmund longer, that it will be good for you and your development. I’m telling you the same thing. I know you won’t think much about it… I didn’t pay attention to that advice either,” Mario Gotze began as he walked down ‘memory lane’.”You only see yourself, your career. I didn’t encounter resistance, everything was going well. I lacked perspective.”So, clearly: leaving Borussia Dortmund for Bayern Munich was a mistake. A huge one. The ungrateful son, or the sold soul, regrets it. Judas — that’s what Dortmund fans called him.”I was blinded, I was blind to everything. I was ambitious. We won the Bundesliga twice, once we secured the double. But that didn’t change anything. I had the transfer in my head. I don’t know who could have convinced me to change my mind, to stop me from doing it.”Mario Götze wrote a letter to his younger self, asking him to think long and hard before leaving Dortmund for 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… pic.twitter.com/K8paVRCipV— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) September 25, 2024 He also talked about the reasons behind the switch, what led him to make such a move.Even before the transfer bomb exploded, there were reports that Pep Guardiola would be taking over at Bayern. Gotze admired him, he idealized him. He wanted to be a part of that machine.”I loved the football Barcelona played. That was the football I wanted to play. With Pep.”His wish came true — they worked together, but it was unsuccessful. His value plummeted, and his career took a downturn. That was the price he paid for leaving Jürgen Klopp. It turns out that Pep Guardiola’s touch doesn’t always turn everything to gold. Sometimes, things get ruined.Klopp & Gotze back in 2012 (©AFP)Gotze desperately wanted to work with the Spaniard, but after so many years, he realized one thing…”I thought every coach would be like Jürgen Klopp.”Another mistake. It wasn’t like that.In fact, he kept going from one mistake to another. Even his return to Westfalen didn’t redeem his sins. He was never the same again. Health problems arose, he struggled with a metabolic disorder. He overcame that, continued at PSV Eindhoven, and eventually landed at Eintracht Frankfurt.A fine career, but it will always be remembered for one thing — his betrayal. And the goal that won the World Cup. At 32 years old, Mario Götze would act differently if he were younger. But that’s hindsight, and there’s no going back…##NAJAVA_MECA_8370643##
