“They are very aggressive”
© Imago
Transfer negotiations can be tough, lengthy and full of stumbling blocks. Professionals sometimes want to force their change to their desired club and accept plenty of trouble with their current employer, gamble away from the fans or worries with their superiors. Transfer market looks at transfers of the past that were characterized by loud background noises. Niko Kovac’s change from Hamburger SV to FC Bayern in summer 2001 was such a case, as well as Heiko Herrlich’s transfer from Borussia Mönchengladbach to Borussia Dortmund in 1995, Andreas Möllers Baitiger Weg from BVB to Schalke 2000, the change of Brazilian França to Hannover 96 in the winter break in 2012/13 HSV storm talent Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting for 1. FC Köln. This time the focus is on Mario Götze’s presentation at FC Bayern in July 2013 – and a shirt that caused great mood.
When Mario Götze’s change from Borussia Dortmund to FC Bayern leaked in April 2013, not only the fans of the black and yellow were shaken, but also sports director Michael Zorc. Götze consultant Volker Struth (Sports360 GmbH) revealed the exchange with the BVB leadership team in his book “My moves”: “Michael, I have to tell you something. Mario has decided to move to Munich in summer. We will pull the exit clause.” After five minutes of shocking and blowing through, Zorc called back at the time. “He threw all the insults to my head that the German language produced, one after the other, minutes.”
The great trouble was smoky on July 2, as a vertical starter Götze, who still had to recover from the consequences of a muscle bundle tear in the thigh, spoke his first words as a new addition to the microphones on Säbener Strasse. The 37 million man, who would shoot the gateway to the World Cup title in Rio a year later, caused plenty of vertebrae on the part of the Munich. It was not his words that caused a sensation as part of his presentation at Bayern, but the grip on the wrong gap.
The eagerly awaited Bayern shopping wore a striking white top of Nike, with a large logo, to overlook anyone. The attacker happily held his Bayern jersey with number 19 in the cameras, next to him the satisfied sports director Matthias Sammer. Just stupid that the FCB is traditionally linked to Adidas for decades. There is practically no sheet of paper between both partners. By the end of the contract in 2030, 60 million to 70 million euros per season will flow today. Together with Allianz and Audi, the sporting goods manufacturer holds 8.33 percent of the shares in FC Bayern AG. No wonder that the company from Herzogenaurach near Nuremberg did not like the Malheur Götzes at all and is said to have even understood as a provocation. “The pictures of the press conference with Mario Götze surprised us negatively. Of course, this is not permitted because it is an official date of the Adidas partner FC Bayern. We have already discussed this with FC Bayern Munich,” explained Adidas spokesman Oliver Brüggen.
FC Bayern apologized to Adidas – Götzes Privatdeal with Nike
After the “unfortunate story” with Götze’s presentation in unauthorized clothing, Bavaria’s media director Markus Hörwick followed an apology to Adidas, such an action would “not occur”, the loyal partner was assured. In the general hustle and bustle, the shirt of the newcomer “went through, that annoys us and we very much regret it”. Hörwick told the “evening newspaper”: “Mario Götze is entitled to carry their soccer shoes in the game through his contract with Nike, but of course he has to meet the requirements of our supplier on official dates, such as the performance.”
July 2013: Bayern Stadium spokesman Stephan Lehmann (in white) introduces the newcomers Mario Götze (front left) and Jan Kirchhoff (front right) to the Munich fans
FC Bayern not only went through Götze’s top, Jan Kirchhoff, who was signed from Mainz, also appeared in Nike, albeit much more subtle than his new prominent teammate. So a double misfortune. The “Süddeutsche Zeitung” wrote from the “Guerilla Coup with the smuggled shirt”. “The first winner of the Götze era at Bayern is Nike,” commented “Focus Online”. At that time, the boss was Herbert Hainer at Adidas. The 71-year-old has been President and Supervisory Board of FCB since the end of 2019 and has been sitting in the control committee of the German record champion since 2003.
Götze had completed a private supplier deal with Nike by 2022, which allegedly brought him EUR 1.5 million a year. Such contracts have not been unusual since the beginning of the 2000: players can usually appear in the soccer shoes of their preferred brand – provided such partnerships are coordinated with the association. On official occasions, Götze and his teammates were absolutely bound to the equipment of Adidas. After the apology and crisis communication, Götze’s consultant Struth also saw the relationships as “very relaxed”. The player with his agency had asked Adidas to forgive by email, reached out in addition to the listener and also expressed his regret with Bayern boss Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
The “SZ” said Götze in 2015: “Before the press conference, I thought more about my statements than about my outfit.” For him, Portugal’s superstar was a role model. “I had previously seen that Cristiano Ronaldo was also sitting in the Nike shirt in the press conference at the Adidas Club Real Madrid. And that’s why I didn’t worry when my outfits put my shirt in hand.” Götze admitted “his own mistake” in the interview, but also pointed out that in two years he had to endure a lot of things “that were twisted”. As is well known, it should not be a permanent success story between Bavaria and Götze. The same applies to the bond with defensive man Kirchhoff, who was quoted on the one hand to have worn the Nike shirt “without careful” and “at the behest of my sponsor”, on the other hand there was talk of the “first shirt” after which he had grown.
The two young professionals couldn’t avoid a punishment. Just like attacker Mario Gómez, who wore a Nike cap when I arrived in the summer training camp on Lake Garda, Götze and Kirchhoff were fertile to the shoot on Säbener Straße, according to “Bild”, which should be used for a five-digit fine, which should be useful to the victims of the flood disaster at the time. Hörwick confirmed the sanction without commenting on the exact sum.
Bayern captain Lahm took Götze and Kirchhoff under protection
A few days after the presentation PK, Bayern captain Philipp Lahm indirectly criticized Nike’s approach via “Sport Bild” and took Götze and Kirchhoff protected. “I don’t want to assume Mario or Jan an evil intention, but think that the two players were instructed by their sponsor to wear the T-shirts. They have met this request without considering great thoughts that they and the event were used for foreign purposes.” The Lahm, self -collapsing with Adidas, also said: “This type of marketing contradicts the contract with our long -time partner Adidas and is also not in the sense of FC Bayern. It is normal that it always takes some time before a new player is familiar with all the processes and connections between a club. I am convinced that both players will critically question the intentions of their supporters in the future.”
November 2012: Mario Götze, then at BVB, in exchange with his consultant Volker Struth
Has even a wrong game played with Götze? It was rumored that a different shirt was given to him shortly before his presentation by a Nike employee. Hörwick said that Götze was “surprised” by his private supplier: “They are very aggressive.” According to the version of the media director, the ex-dortmund assumed that “that is coordinated with us. This is how it happened.”
The morality of the history ‘: As a player, it is better not to sit in the shirt of the wrong supplier when presenting. “That never happens to us. I will now check before every PK and have a replacement shirt with me,” Bayern’s media director assured according to “T-Online”.
Part 1 | Niko Kovac’s switch from HSV to Bayern 2001
Part 2 | Heiko Herrlich’s transfer from Borussia M’Gladbach to BVB 1995
Part 3 | Andreas Möller’s brave way from BVB to Schalke 2000
Part 4 | The change of the smaller frança to Hannover 96 in winter 2013
Part 5 | As a fax choupo-moting transfer to 1. FC Köln prevented