Mario Gotze started off as an youngster in Borussia Dortmund. However, his switch to Bayern Munich saw him temporarily burn off bridges.
“It was the hardest decision of my life,” he told the Players’ Tribune. “But it was not something done overnight.
“Bayern approached me the previous year and I decided not to go. But when Pep Guardiola was announced as manager, I didn’t know what to do.
“You have to understand how a 20-year-old thinks. I felt like I needed a change, and that playing under Pep would help me to evolve as a player.
“I made the decision to go but I didn’t understand the consequences. We even had police staying outside my parents’ house for protection.
“I don’t know who leaked it. It certainly was not me – that was the last thing I wanted! But obviously, the timing was terrible.
“Two days before we played Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final, the news came out that I was leaving in the summer.
“I understand the reaction now,” the 24-year-old added. “For a lot of people, football is more than a game.
“At the time, it was shocking. The whistles and the banners from our own fans … I could deal with that, personally.
“But my younger brother was 14 at the time, and he was being confronted in school. People were saying things to my mother.
“There were threats made to my family on the internet. That was really difficult to live through, especially because this was our home.
“I got to move away in the summer, but my family had to stay and live in Dortmund so it was worse for them.
“It was the most difficult time in our lives, but it’s hard to say that I regret it.”
The player has returned to Dortmund since and it seems all has been forgiven by the fans.
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