Leon Goretzka has extended his contract until 2026. With fans able to look forward to seeing his name on the Bayern shirt for a while longer, fcbayern.com explains just what it stands for.
G for Goalgetter
Although Goretzka plays in central midfield, he is a big threat in front of goal. The 26-year-old has already played 118 competitive games for Bayern, scoring an impressive 25 goals - including some very important ones. He equalised in the 2020 UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla. Last season he ensured a 1-0 away win and essentially wrapped up the title race with his goal in Leipzig. Overall, he has scored the important first goal ten times. Goretzka is difficult to defend against, because he scores with his left foot, his right and his head. He can strike with force or hit technically demanding shots like in the 5-0 win in January 2020 against Schalke.
O for Organiser
Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich have formed the essential midfield core at FC Bayern for some time now. The two Germany internationals ensure the right balance between attack and defence and coach their teammates loudly. Like Goretzka, Kimmich recently extended his contract. So the duo will be at the heart of FCB for a long time to come.
R for Righteous
Leon Goretzka met 99-year-old Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer in Berlin in November 2020: "I will never forget the conversation for the rest of my life."
To see Goretzka just as a footballer is not enough. Born in Bochum, he is committed to many social projects. Shortly after the start of the coronavirus pandemic, he and Kimmich founded the WeKickCorona initiative, whose donations are used to support social institutions. In addition, Goretzka repeatedly takes a stand on political and social issues. When asked about racism, he said at a national team press conference in October 2019: "I'm a child from the Ruhr area. The answer to the question of nationality is Schalke, Dortmund or Bochum."
E for Exceptional
2020 was Goretzka's most successful year, winning the sextuple with FC Bayern.
Although only 26 years old, Goretzka's trophy cabinet is substantial. The midfielder has already collected three Bundesliga titles, two DFB Cups, the DFL Supercup, the Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup. In 2020, he and FC Bayern won all six possible titles within one year. With the Germany national team, Goretzka celebrated triumph at the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2017 and was the second-best goalscorer of the tournament (three goals). He also won a silver medal with Germany at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
T for Team player
Goretzka inspires the fans with important and beautiful goals, and also with an eye for the man next to him. In addition to his 25 goals, he has set up many more and is often unselfish. Mutual success is of paramount importance.
Z for Zealous
He puts his heart and soul into everything for this success. Not only is Goretzka a good footballer and a fine technician, he is not afraid to get stuck into tackles, and always ensures important wins of possession.
K for Knockout
His stature, which he has been working hard on in recent years, is of course helpful to him. When the coronavirus break ended, many fans were amazed. Goretzka used the time at home for strength training and impressed with a muscular and impressive body.
A for Athletic
Goretzka is often referred to as a box-to-box player. His coaches use it to describe his ability to get the ball quickly from defence into the opposing penalty area. Thanks to his height of 1.89m, he leaves the midfield behind with long strides. "He wins the ball a lot, he can bridge the midfield with his speed and dynamism, and he creates opportunities for himself", raved Hansi Flick about Goretzka's abilities.
All the information about Leon Goretzka's contract extension can be found here:
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