The former soccer player Mario Gomez ended his career with VfB Stuttgart after promotion to the Bundesliga. “It was my last mission after we screwed it up last year,” said the 34-year-old. He would like to keep the Swabian, however.
Mario Gomez fulfilled his last mission with the promotion of the Bundesliga at VfB Stuttgart and ended his career as a professional footballer. “I am grateful for the time at VfB. It has always been my dream to end my career here. It is all the better that it has now happened with this terrific success this year,” said the 34-year-old at Sky.
Despite the 1: 3 against SV Darmstadt 98, the Swabians had made the return to the Bundesliga perfect. “I had a few moments today with a little Pippi in our eyes. We lost, that’s a bit stupid,” said the striker. “But at the end of the day we went up. That was my last mission for VfB after we screwed it up last year. It was my big wish to go with it.”
Working in a different role in football is “no question” for Gomez, VfB is his first point of contact. The CEO Thomas Hitzlsperger can also imagine another engagement with the club: “I think we owe it to him as an association and I would be glad that someone with his experience and charisma helps VfB Stuttgart again.”
The perfect soccer romance
Gomez made his Bundesliga debut for VfB on May 8, 2004. With VfB, Gomez was 2007 champion and Germany’s footballer of the year. With FC Bayern, he won the championship cup and the DFB Cup twice, and even the Champions League in 2013. He scored 170 goals in 328 Bundesliga games, becoming champion and top scorer with Besiktas Istanbul in Turkey.
Only his time in the national team remained uncrowned. Of all people, Gomez missed the successful World Cup 2014 because he hadn’t got fit in time. “It has always been my concern as a player to show people that there is still a certain romance in football for me. For me, the romance was to stop here where it all started,” said Gomez.
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