The calls for Mario Götze, the hero of Rio 2014 to be included in this summer’s German World Cup squad are increasing with every top performance and those performances are coming thick and fast right now.
The latest display of his talent came in Eintracht Frankfurt’s 3-1 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach with Lothar Matthäus an admirer. “Hansi Flick saw Mario Götze in outstanding form today” the 1990 World Cup winning captain told Sky after the weekend win at the Borussia Park.
“I could imagine that he has a huge chance of making the squad. He has outstanding skills and has shown once again that he belongs to the national team.”
Reports in Bild say that Bundestrainer Hansi Flick wanted to call the 30-year-old up to the German squad to face Hungary and England in the recent Nations Cup ties with Leon Goretzka and Julian Brandt withdrawing. However, after a conversation with Götze it was decided that he would not be utilised. Whether that has any long-term implications remains to be seen.
Götze’s last appearance for the Nationalmannschaft (his 63rd cap) came against France in November 2017. He ha scored 17 goals for his country- the most important of which secured the World Cup triumph in 2014 against Argentina.
With 26 players in the World Cup squads permitted for Qatar, Flick has a little more leeway with picking players and the ‘luxury’ of picking Götze would be less of a risk. The arguments for his inclusion are growing (much like Niclas Füllkrug) and the prospect of the hero of Rio making a shock comeback sounds less audacious.
