Goetze admits he regretted leaving Dortmund for Bayern

Former Germany international Mario Goetze admitted in a letter to "his 17-year-old self" in a book by journalist Michael Horeni that it was a mistake to leave Borussia Dortmund in 2023 to join Bayern.

"I know, you won't make a big deal out of it if I tell you to stay longer at Borussia Dortmund, that it would be good for you and your development. I didn't pay attention to that advice either," Goetze says in the letter published on Wednesday by the weekly 'Die Zeit' as part of Horeni's book.

"You only see yourself, your career. You have experienced no resistance, no failures. Everything has gone well, always well. You lack perspective," he added.

Goetze also recalls the reasons that led him to make the decision he retrospectively sees as wrong. "I was blinded. I was ambitious. We had won the Bundesliga twice, once the double. But that didn't change anything. I had put the transfer in my head. I don't know who could have convinced me to change my decision," he continued.

Added to Bayern's offer was the announcement that Pep Guardiola would take over as coach at the Bavarian club the following season. "I loved Barcelona's football. It was the football I wanted to play. With Pep Guardiola," he said.

Goetze left for Bayern for the 2013/14 season, taking advantage of a termination clause in his contract. His transfer became the German sports news of the moment just before Borussia Dortmund played the Champions League final against the Bavarian club.

He then returned to Dortmund in 2016 and, after a spell at PSV Eindhoven, now plays for Eintracht.