Mario Götze reflects on mentorship role and the evolution of football

Mario Götze spoke about his career in depth in an exclusive interview with the Bundesliga. The 34-year-old has a contract until 2028 with his third Bundesliga club, Eintracht Frankfurt.

“I would say I’m very happy right now,” Götze said when he was asked whether he starts thinking about the final chapter of his career. “I don’t plan too much about the future because, in the end, a career is so short. I’ve already been playing professional football for 15 or 16 years.

“I just want to enjoy it. I want to enjoy the little things: the sessions, the training. It’s really the small things, like going out on the pitch, training in nice weather. That’s just the case here.”

The former Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern midfielder has only started one game so far in the Bundesliga, which happened to come in Eintracht Frankfurt’s solitary defeat so far under Adi Hütter.

“I would say I’d not necessarily demand to start every game,” Götze conceded to his new role. “In the end, I’m an athlete. I want to compete and play, but I also know that we have a good squad and the team is more important. I think it’s a good mix of giving the team the best I can either when I start or contribute later.”

A World Cup winner at 22, Götze made his Bundesliga debut back in 2009 when he was 17. Nearly two decades later, he’s still going strong as he played over 20 games in each of his first four seasons in Frankfurt.

“Of course, the game always develops over time. You can’t compare 20 years ago to now,” Götze told the Bundesliga. “I think it got way faster, way more physical. And I think it will continue like that in the coming years.

“And, at the same time, you have that media attention, more games, more tournaments. I think the highlight culture is totally different from when I started, but also due to how everybody consumes sports nowadays with social media. I think these two are probably the biggest changes over the last 15 to 20 years.”

There was also a change of playing position for the gifted midfielder as he played in a deeper role under the new coach Hütter. Although he has played in attacking roles throughout his career, Götze welcomes the recent changes as he explained the coach’s decision.

“I think – especially as you get older and maybe don’t have the energy of an 18, 19 or 20-year-old – you tend to get more defensive. But, in general, I’m very happy to play in the center. It always depends on the system, of course. But I’m very happy with that.”

18-year-old midfielder Love Arrhov recently reflected on Götze’s mentorship role for the young members of the Frankfurt squad. The Swedish youth international said the legend who represented Germany on the global stage looks out for him and the other young players.

“I think this comes naturally over time,” Götze preferred to stay humble in his interview with the Bundesliga. “Of course, I’ve been in the game for 15-16 years. I try to be a role model for the younger players. And if they need help, they can always reach out. I try to do my best here, and they can try to learn from that and take what’s important for them and for their career.”