The fact that Gotze was going to transfer to Bayern Munich after the Champions League final had already dominated most of the stories that were circling around the big event, but now there is another wrinkle that has changed a lot of how the stories are perceived. Although the initial bulk of the storylines were focused on how the Gotze transfer had negatively affected BVB around the semi-final, now, with Gotze’s injury, the stories are actually dependent on the result of the final.
If Bayern Munich wins, then there will be a massive contingent of the footballing world that will wonder if Gotze’s injury cost BVB the title. Their run has already been historic, but missing out on the final prize will really lessen the historic impact on world football and within the club’s record books. There will also be a large group that wonders if Gotze’s injury is actually serious enough for him to really miss the most important match of the season. No player would want their final act to be seen as preventing their future club from grabbing the biggest silverware in Europe and, if Gotze had played for a victorious BVB, it may have seriously affected how he was accepted at Bayern.
However, if BVB win without Gotze then a transfer that was initially seen as conceding the Bundesliga to Bayern may give BVB some confidence going into the next season. BVB will need this victory in order to have them retain any idea of maintaining their season form into 2013-14. Bayern have already taken Gotze and their strength only seems to be growing, and BVB may also lose their other prized attacker in Lewandowski. If BVB hope to mount some semblance of Champions League success or even stay close to the Pep Guardiola in the next season, it may all rest on a victory at Wembley.
The Champions League final will still be a great affair. Every time that a major European final is contested by two teams from the same league, it takes on a special meaning and it is always a fantastic game. The Gotze issue will only add to the atmosphere that the fans and players will provide. If you needed any more reason to enjoy the CL final, then there may never be a football fixture that you will enjoy, because this game has so much going for it. Perhaps it will go down as one of the greatest finals in history; with one of the main factors being a player that will never even make it onto the field…I love football…
No Comments