Leon Goretzka has reflected on his journey at Bayern Munich, recalling the emotions surrounding his arrival in 2018 and admitting that even he did not expect his time at the club to last as long or be as successful as it ultimately became.
Speaking in a farewell interview with the club’s magazine Säbener51, the German midfielder looked back on his first days in Munich and the ambitions that drove him from the very beginning.
Goretzka joined Bayern Munich during a challenging period for German football, arriving shortly after Germany’s disappointing exit from the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Despite the difficult backdrop, he explained that his personal excitement about joining the Bundesliga giants never faded, and he approached the move with determination and belief.
“At the time, we’d just had a pretty disastrous World Cup,” Goretzka said. “Nevertheless, I came to Säbener Straße full of anticipation. I already knew a lot of the guys from the national team, but of course I was still a bit nervous on the first day — but more eager to finally get started.”
The midfielder described the mixture of nerves and excitement that accompanied his first training sessions and early media appearances. He admitted that while he felt confident in his ability, he also sensed skepticism from some observers when he spoke openly about his ambitions.
“I can still remember my first press conference, someone asked me what my ambitions are — and I said I saw myself being in the starting line-up soon,” he recalled. “There were a few grins in the room, but I managed it fairly quickly.”
Looking back, Goretzka acknowledged that even he underestimated how long he would remain at Bayern Munich and how much success he would achieve during his tenure. His journey from a new signing with bold ambitions to a long-serving and decorated member of the squad highlights both his development and his importance to the team over the years.
“However, even I wouldn’t have thought that I’d stay here for so long and be so successful,” he added.
