Thomas Müller will leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season, but not by his own choice.
| Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images |
In a statement on his website, the 35-year-old has opened up about his impending departure, stating that he would have preferred to stay beyond the summer.
“Hi Bayern fans. There has been a lot of speculation about me recently, so I thought I would take this opportunity to clear the air. Even after all these years, regardless of my playing time, I still enjoy being on the pitch with the boys and fighting for our colors. I could have easily seen myself in the same role next year,” Müller stated and continued:
“However, the club made a conscious decision not to negotiate a new contract with me for next season. Although this was not in line with my personal wishes, it is important that the club follow their convictions. I respect this decision, which I am sure was not taken lightly by the board of directors and the supervisory board.
“Understandably, I did not like the back and forth in public over the past weeks and months. But I feel the same way about this as I do about my football: it wasn’t always characterised by perfection, but rather by thinking positively about the next action. After a bad pass, you have to get the ball back with team unity. We have managed to do that over the past few days through trusting discussions.
“I can feel the appreciation of everyone involved for my long time at FC Bayern and the deep joy of having played for my favorite club for 25 incredibly intense years. I will forever be connected to FC Bayern and to you through so many great moments together.
“Now I am fully focused on our sporting goals for this season. It would be a dream come true for me to bring the (Champions League) trophy back home and reach the long-awaited final at the end of May. I will give it my all! Thank you for everything that has been and for everything that is yet to come. All the way FC Bayern!
Your Thomas.”
