Mario Gotze Champions League Rumours Denied by Karl-Heinz Rummenigge

Bayern Munich have rejected reports claiming Mario Gotze would not be included in the Champions League squad next season if he decides to stay at the Bundesliga club. 

In a club statement, chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge rubbished the claims as false: "This is complete fiction. It remains the case that we will resolutely defend ourselves against all false or even malicious reporting using all legal means available to us."

Gotze, 24, has been regularly linked with a summer departure from the Allianz Arena, with Liverpool reported as one of many interested clubs, per the Guardian.

Bild (via the Guardian's report), though, relayed quotes from the winger himself saying he had decided to stay at Bayern and work under new manager Carlo Ancelotti: "I look forward to the new season in Munich and will do everything possible to be in top shape for my first training session under [Ancelotti]."

The Italian manager has been appointed as Pep Guardiola's successor at Bayern, with the Spaniard departing to take the helm at Manchester City.

Under Guardiola, Gotze did not enjoy much first-team football, starting only 11 Bundesliga matches during the 2015-16 season, per WhoScored.com.

Indeed, the Germany international has not advanced as many suspected he would following his high-profile move from Borussia Dortmund to Bayern in 2013, and he is still struggling to make good on his enormous potential.

For Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe, though, Gotze remains a world-class talent who could flourish away from Bayern, particularly in the Premier League:

Given the 2014 World Cup winner's quality, it seemed highly unlikely that Bayern would look to force him out, especially in such an overtly manipulative way, and Rummenigge's comments confirmed there is no truth to the story.