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Mario Gotze in a recent publication has reveled that he missed out on ‘special journey’ with Jurgen Klopp.
Mario Gotze, once heralded as one of the brightest talents in world football, knows all about highs and lows.
The German midfielder rose to fame under Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund.
Between 2010 and 2013, Mario Gotze helped Dortmund win two Bundesliga titles and reach a UEFA Champions League final.
His dazzling performances earned him a big move to Bayern Munich, where he added three more league titles to his resume.
But despite the trophies, Gotze struggled to find his rhythm.
He returned to Dortmund in 2016, hoping to recapture his spark.
Now playing for Eintracht Frankfurt, Gotze continues to showcase his talent.
However, looking back, the midfielder admits there is one opportunity he wishes he had taken—teaming up with Klopp again, but this time at Liverpool.
Mario Gotze speaks on Jurgen Klopp and joining Liverpool
In a candid reflection via his column on The Player’s Tribune titled “A Letter To My Children”, Gotze shared how close he came to joining Klopp at Liverpool in 2016.
Klopp had moved to Anfield and wanted Gotze to join him on the journey.
Gotze said, “In 2016, I nearly went to a famous team in England called Liverpool.”
“The coach there was a man named Jürgen Klopp.”
He recalled their heartfelt meeting saying, “I went to his house in Liverpool.
We sat down together in the living room with our wives.”
“What makes Jürgen special is that he sees Mario the person.
He asked me about life in general.”
“He said something like, ‘Look, Mario, you’ll play a lot, and you’ll have fun here.
Have a think about it.’”
Despite Klopp’s sincerity, Gotze chose Dortmund.
He admitted, “I also wanted to win things right away.
But I do feel that I missed out on a special journey with Jurgen.”
Reflecting now, Gotze laments his impatience, “I didn’t understand that he needed time to build a great team at Liverpool.”
“There was not really any need for me to play in the Champions League right away.”
Liverpool went on to achieve incredible success under Klopp, winning the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020.
Gotze’s story is a reminder of what might have been.
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