Borussia Dortmund bade farewell to Mario Götze at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK prior to the Bundesliga clash with TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.

There was to be no final appearance in Black & Yellow for the midfielder against Hoffenheim. He was not able to complete the two coronavirus tests required by the DFL hygiene concept due to the birth of his son and the hospital visits he has been making as a result. In total, Götze made 217 appearances for Borussia Dortmund in all competitions and scored 45 goals. He won two Bundesliga titles and two DFB Cups during his time with the club.

Mario Götze joined the renowned youth academy at Hombrucher SV at the age of six and then moved to the Borussia Dortmund youth setup three years later, in 2001. He made his Bundesliga debut on 21 November 2009 at the age of 17 years and 171 days as the Black & Yellows played out a goalless draw against Mainz 05, and made his first senior international appearance on 17 November 2010. Götze moved to Bayern Munich in 2013 and returned to BVB in the summer of 2016. He will now be leaving the club for the second time following the expiration of his contract.

The 28-year-old has made 21 appearances in all competitions for the Black & Yellows this season, scoring three goals. "He has played rarely of late in part due to the new system, but he is and will continue to be a fantastic player," said coach Lucien Favre of his soon-to-be former player. "He's one of the most intelligent players that I've seen." (cr)