Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has suggested Mario Gotze is facing a critical season at the club after a disappointing 2017-18 campaign saw him miss out on the World Cup with Germany.
"I think that Mario is a smart lad," Watzke told Bild, as translated by ESPN's Stephan Uersfeld. "He knows what's at stake and he must know this will be a very crucial season for him.
"I think that (new Dortmund coach Lucien) Favre now will try to massively help him, but Mario must take care of the rest. It's not that he does not want it. He's very professional. He does everything and, still, you just get the impression that something is missing, and only the player can solve this in cooperation with the coach."
Once the golden boy of Westfalenstadion, Gotze's reputation has slid in recent times, due in part to a metabolic illness. The 26-year-old has managed only 34 Bundesliga appearances, with three goals and four assists, since returning to Dortmund from Bayern Munich in 2016.
His poor form saw him miss out on a spot in Die Mannschaft's World Cup squad just four years after he scored the winner in extra time of the 2014 final in Brazil.
