Mario Gomez is a well-known German football player who currently plays for FC Bayern Munich as a striker. Gomez joined the Bayern team after spending six years playing for Stuttgart. At the time of his transfer, the fee paid in order for Bayern to retain his services was the highest ever paid in the Bundesliga. Gomez won a championship with Stuttgart in the 2006-07 season, scoring 14 goals in the process. For his efforts, he was named the German footballer of the year.
Gomez was born in July of 1985 in Riedlingen, West Germany. He is of both Spanish and German descent, but he made the decision to play for the German national team at the age of 17. His debut for the team was in a match against Switzerland which took place in February of 2007. Since then, he has been a regular contributor to his national team.
Gomez‘ club career in the Bundesliga began on the 8th of May, 2004. His play improved steadily as his minutes increased until the 2006-07 season, during which he became one of the top scorers in the league. During the season, he suffered a setback in the form of a broken hand, but he was able to make a confident return in May, coming off the bench to make an immediate score. Playing for VfB Stuttgart, Gomez became a German Champion; however, his team lost to top-ranked Nuremburg in the DFB-Pokal. After the season finished, Gomez was named his country’s top player, and he signed a contract with Stuttgart that was to run through the 2012 season.
Subsequent seasons with Stuttgart saw Gomez continue to play at a very high level, but his team was unable to regain the glory of the 2006-07 season. During this time, he became a highly valued prospect for other interested teams, leading to his transfer to Bayern Munich prior to the start of the 2009-10 season. During his first season with Bayern, Gomez did not play explosively well, but he was able to get acquainted with his new team and its players.
Gomez was able to regain his earlier form, and now is a starter and key contributor to the Bayern club. He has helped his team earn many victories, and has consistently performed as one of the league’s top scorers. Though a championship with Bayern has eluded him, his reliable and consistent play has earned him respect among other footballers as well as the football fan community.
As a member of the German national team, success has been somewhat harder to achieve for Gomez on an individual level. The 2010 World Cup saw Germany earn a third place finish, but Gomez failed to score a goal. He is now a captain of the German Euro 2012 team, and in qualifying matches, he was the oldest starting player on the team at age 26. His team is one of sixteen qualified for the tournament, and it is expected that Germany should perform well. The Euro 2012 is scheduled to take place between June 8th and July 1st, 2012.
