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Frankfurt: German playmaker Mario Gotze has returned to the German Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt, following a two-year stint in the Netherlands, at PSV Eindhoven. Initially on a deal until 2022, PSV had extended his contract until 2024, although had inserted a €4m release clause in his contract. According to respected journalist Fabrizio Romano, Portuguese club SL Benfica and recently formed American club Inter Miami of the MLS, owned by David Beckham, were both also very interested in the German. However, he wanted to go back to Germany, hence chose Europa League champions Eintracht Frankfurt as his new club.
The German maestro said: “I am really looking forward to joining Eintracht Frankfurt. The club has a great foundation. The stadium, the supporters, the city, everything just suits me. I am incredibly excited to my return to the Bundesliga”.
What does Mario Gotze bring?
Of course, off the pitch, Gotze will bring a huge amount of experience to a Frankfurt team with an average age of just 25. He has won 63 caps for Germany, scoring 17, including one of the most famous in the country’s history, his 113th minute World Cup winning goal versus Argentina. He has also played for the likes of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, where he won 12 trophies, including the FIFA Club World Cup. But on the pitch, he can offer versatility, able to play in central midfield, attacking midfield, down both wings, and at centre forward. Gotze brings vision and playmaking ability to Frankfurt, having completed 88% of his passes for PSV last season. He loves to drift into open space, regularly dropping as deep as a conventional defensive midfielder to receive the ball and move his team up the pitch. Despite his age, he likes to press opponents in a bid to win back possession. The technically gifted German isn’t afraid to make tackles if required, making an average of 1.4 tackles a game last season.
Where does he fall back?
Being relatively short at 5’9, Gotze is certainly not a dominating aerial presence, not winning many duels against taller opponents. Additionally, as an attacking player, scoring only 4 league goals last season is pitiful. He has had an average of 1 shot on target per league game, pointing to a clear issue, his finishing. Another major issue is his inconsistency, occasionally putting in top performances, occasionally going missing.
Will “Super Mario” light up Frankfurt? We’ll have to wait and see. He is definitely one to watch out for this season.
Written by Purv Ashar
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