Gotze’s Bayern decision is good for Germany

Oliver Bierhoff has welcomed Mario Gotze’s decision to commit his future to Bayern Munich, insisting it can help the playmaker focus going into the European Championship Finals.

Gotze scored the extra-time winner for Germany when they won the World Cup in Brazil two-years ago against Argentina.

Things have stalled somewhat for the 23-year-old since however and injuries have stifled his progress and he found himself out of favour under Pep Guardiola at the Allianz Arena.

The Spaniard is now gone but there was intense speculation that Gotze would join his former Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool this summer. The news that Gotze had split with his agent helped fuel the speculation but he attempted to quash the rumours this week in suggesting he is keen to impress incoming Bayern boss Carlo Ancelotti in the new season.

Bierhoff is part of Joachim Low’s backroom team with Germany and he says the news that Gotze appears to have decided he will stay in Munich is a positive thing for the national team. “This is, for me, a very good decision to commit to Bayern as early as possible,” Bierhoff told Bild.

“As a result, Mario can settle and gain his focus for the Euros and concentrate completely on it.” Like Gotze, Bierhoff knows what it feels like to score a tournament-winning goal for Germany, having netted the ‘golden goal’ at Wembley that won Euro ’96.

Bierhoff insists that scoring the winning goal does not take away from the team ethos and that Germany must face into Euro 2016 as a unit. “I can only talk about my own experience of 1996 – it is difficult to predict,” he added.

“The World Cup win in 2014 stands for the team. Also at the European Championship, there will not just be one hero, we are all one team.” Germany are 4.50 to win Euro 2016 and they can be backed at 2.93 to win all three group games against Poland, Northern Ireland and Ukraine.