By Oliver Trust
BERLIN, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The return of Mario Goetze, who was out of game for five months, is boosting the hopes of the 2017 German cup winner Borussia Dortmund which started their preparations for the 2017/2018 season on Friday.
Dortmund's new coach Peter Bosz is happy at Goetze's comeback as the Dutchman is facing a string of serious problems.
The possible departure of star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a never-ending story and seven key figures will miss the first training session for various reasons. While Julian Weigl, Marco Reus, Shinji Kagawa and Raphael Guerreiro are sidelined due to injury, Mahmoud Dahoud, Maximilian Philipp and Mikel Merino are still on vacation after their triumph at the U-21 European Championships in Poland. Midfielder Weigl is expected to return in September, Reus not before the start of 2018 but Kagawa might be back within the next weeks.
So it is up to Goetze to generate optimism when coach Bosz starts his mission as successor to Thomas Tuchel who had to leave Dortmund after only two years due to irreconcilable differences with the club' s leaders like CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke and managing director Michael Zorc.
For Goetze it is akin to a re-start as he was only fit for four league games last season and also had his troubles with Tuchel. After playing his last game back in January 2017, Goetze had to go through an intense recuperation and rehab program in Germany and Los Angeles in the US.
Goetze and BVB announced that the striker will be a full part of the squad from the first day on. However it will take some time before Goetze is fully fit to play the full 90 minutes. But the man, who scored the winning goal for Germany at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and had three unhappy years at Bayern Munich, will go on Dortmund' s 2017 Asia tour which includes games in Japan and on July 18 in Guangzhou against the Italians AC Milan as part of the International Champions Cup.
Although Goetze has a long way to go to become match fit, his support for the team will be more than moral support. Now on the third stage of his road back, he sees himself as being on the right track and told fans via the social media channels that he is looking forward to returning to action and playing again in Dortmund's arena.
Goetze expressed his gratitude to the fans for their support during the difficult period. Millions of followers were able to watch his engagement to his girl-friend Ann-Kathrin Boemmel which has, along with the support, given him a lot of energy. His is almost seen as being Dortmund's fifth newcomer for the new season.
Now five weeks, eight pre-season games and the German Super cup final on August 5 against Bayern Munich will give Goetze the opportunity to gain lost ground. Latest reports speak about him getting in better shape every day. Dortmund hopes that Goetze will be fully fit for the club's league season curtain raiser against VfL Wolfsburg on Aug. 19.
Club CEO Watzke warned that people should not expect too much of Goetze but that the difficult months are over. Club and fans are happy to have the player back as he is a vital part in the plans of coach Bosz who favors a fast attacking style of football. The style of Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola and Dutch football legend Johan Cruyff are examples to follow for Bosz he admitted before signing a two year contract in Dortmund. Bosz demands that his team to re-gain the ball after losing it within five seconds.
After Bosz reached the Europa League final with his last club Ajax Amsterdam, the job in Dortmund is his first one in the German Bundesliga. Employing Bosz is seen by many pundits as a risk for Dortmund as he has no experience in German football. Dortmund at first unsuccessfully tried to hire Lucien Favre (Nice) and is said to have made several attempts to entice a top European coach like Atletico Madrid' s coach Diego Simeone.
Watzke and Zorc emphasized that Bosz is perfect for Dortmund' s football philosophy of football as he is a team player and emphasizes tactical flexibility. Watzke mentioned that the club sees the upcoming season as an intermediary year as the team and coaching staff will have to get used to each other.
After finished third in the league last season, Dortmund has qualified for the Champions League. The club's aim in the future is to secure a place in Europe's top club competition said Watzke, and to win the German championship again soon. Looking at the challenges ahead, it seems as if Goetze's return is coming at just the right time.
