PSV Eindhoven playmaker Mario Gotze has admitted that he made the wrong decision by turning down Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool in 2016.
Speaking to Daily Mail, PSV Eindhoven star Mario Gotze has opened up on his relationship with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp while admitting that he made a mistake by turning down the Reds in 2016.
The 29-year-old burst onto the scenes at Borussia Dortmund over a decade ago when Klopp was the manager. The German tactician handed Gotze his first-team debut at the age of just 17, and he quickly became one of the brightest young prospects in the game. He joined Bayern Munich in 2013 but had a difficult stint in Bavaria before making his way back to Dortmund in 2016.
However, it could have turned out very differently for Gotze as he could have joined forces with Klopp again, as there was a chance for him to sign for Liverpool before he returned to Dortmund in 2016. However, the playmaker turned down the opportunity, which he now admits might have been a mistake in hindsight.
“We are still in touch and we spoke back then about me coming to Liverpool. But I wasn’t in a state of mind where I could consider it, that’s why it didn’t happen. Do I regret it? It’s always difficult to look back but if you ask me now then yeah, I should have joined Liverpool for sure. I just made a wrong decision but it’s not a regret,” he said.
? Mario Gotze on if he regrets not joining #Liverpool:
“Do I regret it? [not joining Liverpool]. It’s always difficult to look back but if you ask me now then yeah, I should have joined Liverpool for sure. I just made a wrong decision but it’s not a regret." pic.twitter.com/KTrdnemHEa
— LFC Transfer Room (@LFCTransferRoom) April 7, 2022
“Klopp probably made the biggest impact on my career. He can be very demanding – he can be your friend but also very harsh at the same time. It pushes you to great performances. That’s what happened with me back then, and it’s happened with Liverpool now.”
Further elaborating on working with the German tactician, Gotze added, “He is a manager not just for the players but everyone at the club, and then one-on-one he can be a friend as well as a boss. Can I imagine working with him again? I can imagine that, yes – we’ll see. He’s a good coach, for sure. He and Pep Guardiola are the most important coaches and characters I had in my career.”
Upon returning to Dortmund for a second stint, Gotze found it tough with health issues hampering him from reaching his full potential. The 29-year-old left the club as a free agent in 2020, signing for PSV Eindhoven, where he has found form. The German has 11 goals and ten assists from 45 matches in all competitions this term and is hoping to earn a place in the German national team for the World Cup this year.
