7M - Why Gotze gets lost in Westfalenstadion?

Posted Sunday, March 12, 2017 by 7M Sport

Mario Gotze is widely regarded as a prodigy of German football. He quickly rose to fame when he grabbed 2 Bundesliga titles with Borussia Dortmund. The European Golden Boy Award in 2011 was a tribute to his excellent performance.

Although his decision to join Dortmund's biggest rivals Bayern Munich was condemned by the fans, Gotze's extra time winner in 2014 World Cup final made him a hero again.

With much expectation from the supporters, Gotze returned to the Bumblebees in the summer of 2016. After an unsuccessful spell in Bayern, Gotze certainly wanted to kick back into shape in Westfalenstadion, his most familiar stadium.

However, Gotze has only earned 16 appearances this season in all events for Dortmund, and his record of 2 goals and 2 assists surely is far from satisfactory. Gotze seemingly loses his talents in Dortmund.

Thomas Tuchel has experimented with several formations this season, and Gotze also has played in different positions. However, no matter as a left winger or as an attacking midfielder, Gotze fails to fit in the tactical system. Moreover, Gotze's pace has slowed down, and his pass is not as accurate as before. Does Gotze not dedicate himself in the games?

Some legends also question Gotze's devotion during the matches. Lothar Matthaus has criticized Gotze and even advised him to go to China because no other clubs in Europe want to sign him. Oliver Bierhoff, on the other hand, once warned Gotze not to get lost in the life off the pitch.

However, Dortmund have denied the above speculations and stressed that Gotze works very hard in daily trainings. Besides, he is also on a diet to keep his weight. But these measures cannot stop him from suffering a slide in form.

Then what is the reason for Gotze's declining performance on the pitch? These days Gotze has undergone a thorough examination and the answer seems to be found. Dortmund have announced that Gotze will be out of action for an unspecified period due to "metabolic disorders". This disease will affect the operation of muscle. Looking back to Gotze's career, we can find that he has been struggling with muscular problems, which prevents him from regaining his best form. This can also explain why Gotze is so slow in the movements.

Gotze's return date to the pitch is still uncertain, but luckily the reason is finally found out and BVB will give him full support in the treatment. He has been backed by teammates and even players who have never worked with him. Tuchel also believes Gotze will be an important player for Dortmund again.

At an age of just 24, we believe that Gotze still has time to turn things around. He has such an incredible talent and has potential to do everything with the ball. Hopefully the World Cup hero can overcome this disease and return to the pitch as soon as possible.

(7M / Oliver)