Bundesliga
Original Bayer Müller extends until 2025: “M im Mia san Mia”
Has been playing for FC Bayern since 2000: Thomas Müller. photo
© Sven Hoppe/dpa
FC Bayern without Thomas Müller? Unthinkable. The fan favorite is extending his contract for another year. The goal is a special finale at home.
“I’m happy that my journey at FC Bayern is continuing. I want to do my part to ensure that we remain successful – as a team and as an entire club. It’s important to me to be a building block and to help the team in the right direction to steer,” Müller explained on Tuesday. “I want to inspire our fans with goals, goal participation, my love for the game, my passion for football – and hopefully with many more titles.”
Apart from seven years as a child at TSV Pähl, Müller only played for the German industry leader. Most recently, the national player, who moved to Bayern in 2000, was often just a substitute under coach Thomas Tuchel. The “Müller always plays” saying of his former sponsor Louis van Gaal no longer applies. The prospect of the 2025 Champions League final in Munich is very tempting for Müller in any role.
Manuel Neuer and Sven Ulreich recently extended their contracts, which expired at the end of the season. “There is no one who has internalized FC Bayern like that. We know what we have in him,” Bayern’s sporting director Christoph Freund recently said about Müller. “Thomas Müller simply belongs to Bayern Munich,” said captain Neuer.
Hainer: “There will never be someone like Thomas Müller again.”
“I am convinced that Müller will play for another club from the summer onwards will not happen,” said club president Herbert Hainer recently. Rather, the club’s wish is to retain an icon like Müller in some capacity at the club beyond his professional career.
“Thomas Müller belongs to FC Bayern like the Frauenkirche to Munich. He was born just outside the city, grew up in this club and became a legend during his playing days – very few can do that,” said club president Hainer after the recent signing of the contract . “His path into the history books is paved with records. FC Bayern has been shaped by many personalities and there will never be a player like Thomas Müller again.”
Thoughts of farewell vanished
Müller did have thoughts of saying goodbye during his Bayern era. Van Gaal once wanted to bring him to Manchester United. In 2019, Müller was tempted again when he was often just a substitute under then coach Niko Kovac. After the coach was released, his status suddenly improved under successor Hansi Flick.
FC Bayern last extended Müller’s contract in May 2022. At that time, the original Bavarian posed sitting on a mattress surrounded by Bayern bed linen and fan posters on the wall. Müller recreated a photo from his childhood when he was still wearing goalkeeper gloves and looked expectantly into the camera.
“For FC Bayern he is unique as a player, personality and identification figure. Someone who never hides, even when it hurts and who always moves forward with high motivation. He is also a great communicator who always has a good saying on his lips and a sense of fun the work,” explained CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen. “Müller remains the ‘M’ in ‘Mia san Mia’. We wish him not only an extremely successful time at FC Bayern, but also in the national team.”