Mario Götze and the long fight back

Mario Götze hasn't been in Eintracht's starting eleven for almost six months. The attacking all-rounder has played just 77 minutes this season. Nevertheless, the 33-year-old currently seems completely relaxed – including regarding his contract extension.

When Mario Götze grabbed his thigh in pain almost half a year ago, in April's Europa League quarterfinal against Tottenham, it was not foreseeable that he would be out of the starting lineup for so long. Even in mid-October, it's unclear when the attacking all-rounder will be back in the starting lineup. The 33-year-old has repeatedly struggled with leg muscle problems.

Götze has played just 61 minutes in the Bundesliga and 16 minutes in the Champions League this season, after being a key player and pacesetter for Eintracht Frankfurt in the second half of the season. However, the 2014 World Cup winner isn't putting himself under any pressure and, as he stated in a club interview, wants to focus on "small steps."

"Being healthy, training, and if you can still be somewhat successful, like in the last three years here in Frankfurt, then I'm super happy," said Götze. Despite the limited playing time, the midfielder is relaxed and easygoing. The times in his life when he put too much pressure on himself didn't do him any good. Götze never wants that to happen again.

From this experience, he also knows what pressure can do to a team. How difficult it is to repeat successes. "That's the big challenge, especially for Champions League teams: achieving consistency." A consistency that the very young Eintracht Frankfurt team is currently lacking. A Götze in top form, like in the second half of last season, would certainly help. Someone who can keep an overview when the pressure from the opposition becomes too great.

But Götze can't (yet) do that again. So far, the season hasn't really been a real treat for him. He's always stepped up when things were going south for Eintracht. He played in the away game at Gladbach, when Eintracht conceded four goals in the second half , when they were 2-0 down against a completely dominant Bayern , and also in the Champions League in Madrid when the score was 4-1. Rather thankless appearances. The question remains: What's next for him?

His current contract runs until the end of the season. Sporting director Markus Krösche recently praised Götze highly , and coach Dino Toppmöller has openly expressed his support for a contract extension – but neither Götze nor Eintracht Frankfurt currently feel any pressure to finalize the deal. It's likely that the 33-year-old will stick around for another year in Frankfurt at a lower salary, as Götze and his family feel perfectly at home in the city on the Main River. However, this isn't certain.

Both sides want to address the matter in winter at the earliest, perhaps even in spring. "We will sit down together calmly in the second half of the season," said sporting director Timmo Hardung in a recent press conference . One thing is clear: Götze's calmness and experience are important for the Eintracht dressing room, especially for the younger players.

Götze is working on ensuring his skills will soon be evident on the pitch again. The 33-year-old has participated in virtually every training session in recent weeks and, when the team had a day off, has also gone to the weight room. "He's back in full training," Hardung confirmed. Götze, like all non-national players, is currently off.

Eintracht will return to team training on Wednesday; many international players aren't expected back from their travels until Thursday or Friday. Eintracht will play at SC Freiburg on Sunday (3:30 p.m.). Perhaps Mario Götze will get a few more minutes then.

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