Leon Goretzka provided one of the most emotional moments of the day at FC Bayern’s championship celebrations on Munich’s Rathausbalkon. The midfielder bid farewell to the fans with moving words – and also spoke openly about the pain of missing out on the Champions League title
Wearing sunglasses and visibly marked by a long night of partying, Goretzka appeared in front of the thousands of Bayern fans on Marienplatz on Sunday afternoon
Presenter Stephan Lehmann handed the 31-year-old the microphone – and the midfielder used the moment for an emotional speech
The semi-final exit against Paris Saint-Germain in particular is clearly still bothering the Bayern star. „We all had the feeling that we could win the Champions League this season – that really hurts,“ Goretzka explained honestly
The statement showed just how much the missed opportunity to win the treble is still bothering the team
At the same time, the midfielder looked directly to the future, calling out to the fans with an eye on the DFB Cup final against VfB Stuttgart: „Let’s go!“
Emotional farewell after eight years
For Goretzka, the weekend as a whole was characterized by many emotional moments. After eight years at FC Bayern, his time in Munich will come to an end in the summer
Before the last Bundesliga match against Cologne, the fans had already celebrated the midfielder with a huge banner in the south curve: „Bochum boy in red and white – thanks for eight years, Leon,“ it read
Herbert Grönemeyer’s song „Bochum“ was also played again on the town hall balcony – a clear tribute to the Bochum native
The scene at the official championship ceremony in the Allianz Arena was obviously also particularly moving for Goretzka. Captain Manuel Neuer was the first player to present him with the championship trophy. „Today is kind of my day,“ Goretzka said later on Sky, visibly moved
He had actually resisted it at first: „The championship trophy is for the whole season and belongs to the captain,“ he explained
The fact that Neuer still gave him this special moment made a deep impression on the international
„It also shows what kind of guy Manu is. I’m very grateful to him for that,“ Goretzka emphasized
Italy rumors persist
It remains to be seen what will happen to Goretzka after the summer. The hottest lead currently leads to AC Milan. The Italian top club is said to be very interested in signing him on a free transfer
However, Goretzka responded to questions on the sidelines of the celebrations in his usual relaxed manner, joking that he had not yet learned Italian
Before his future is discussed, however, there is one last big goal in a Bayern shirt: the double by winning the DFB Cup.