Mario Gotze has hailed Bayern Munich as the best team in the world after completing his 37 million euros move from Borussia Dortmund, reports Soccernet.
Gotze, 20, has already won two Bundesliga titles, the DFB-Pokal and reached the Champions League final during his time at Dortmund but he is confident of stepping up a level after arriving in Bavaria with Treble winners Bayern.
‘It’s the complete package, team, coach, philosophy and perspective,’ he told the club’s official website. ‘I play for the best club in the world now – what a challenge!’
Gotze’s arrival follows hot on the heels of new manager Pep Guardiola, who has already begun to make a positive impression around the club.
‘He seems very easy-going and is very friendly to the players,’ Gotze added. ‘He will push us very far.’
A hamstring injury ruled Gotze out of the Champions League final and he hasn’t been able to return to training yet. As such he has not even been able to consider what role he will play as Bayern prepare to defend their three titles.
‘I have to get in shape first and start training,’ he said. ‘Everything else is a decision of the coach, which he will take later on.
‘I’ve only been here for a couple of days now and could not take part in team training yet. But I am looking forward to the day I can really start.’
That day could still be two weeks away, with the young Germany international planning his rehabilitation on a day-to-day basis.
‘The muscle feels a lot better now’ he said. ‘We decide on a daily basis what I am able to do, at the moment I am working on the bicycle ergometer’.
He added: ‘[I hope] to start running in the next two weeks and to return to team training another two weeks later.’
Leaving for Bayern was a controversial move which shocked the Dortmund players, fans and management, but Gotze insists it was the right move for his career.
He said: ‘I grew up there and played all the youth teams at Borussia. I had to leave a lot of friends and family behind.’
But he is looking forward to the new experiences ahead. ‘I made this move out of conviction,’ Gotze makes clear, ‘I want to make the next step in my career at FC Bayern.’
-With New Age input
