The retirement decision was considered by Gomez after taking VfB Stuttgart promotion back to the Bundesliga next season.
Former German and Bayern Munich forward Mario Gomez opens the possibility to retire after helping VfB Stuttgart get promotion back to the Bundesliga.
Stuttgart’s return to Germany’s top competition was confirmed on Sunday (28/6) despite their 3-1 defeat to Darmstadt in the final match of the season, while Heidenheim’s defeat of champion Arimina Bielefeld made Pellegrino Matarazzo’s landing team come out as runner-up.
Gomez was Stuttgart’s goalscorer in Sunday’s defeat to bring his season’s total to seven out of 24 appearances. The 34-year-old striker is in his second term at the Mercedes-Benz Arena after returning to his childhood club in January 2018.
After being relegated last season, Gomez is determined to help his team return to the top division before he leaves. With the mission now complete, the striker claims to be ready to end his playing career.
“It is my absolute goal to say goodbye here as a first division player,” Gomez said SID.
“I was convinced at the start of the season that we would go up. So I decided that this would be my last year at Stuttgart, in Germany and maybe as a footballer.”
Stuttgart’s sporting director Thomas Hitzlsperger added that he was ready to offer Gomez the role of coach at the club if the former German international decided to end his playing career.
“I think we owe it to him as a club and I would be happy if someone with such experience and charisma helps Stuttgart again,” said the former Aston Villa midfielder.
Gomez is a favorite among Stuttgart fans thanks to his very successful five years at the club at the beginning of his career.
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He scored 87 goals in 156 appearances, helped the club win the Bundesliga title for the fifth time in history in 2006/07 and was named the German Footballer of the Year.
His sharpness made him move to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2009, where he won seven major trophies including two Bundesliga titles and the Champions League in 2013. He left Bayern to move to Fiorentina in the summer of 2013 and also briefly played for Beskitas and Wolfsburg before returning to Stuttgart.
Not to forget, Gomez scored 31 goals in 78 appearances for the German national team, representing Die Mannschaft in two World Cups and three Euro events.
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