Former Bundesliga professional and today’s TV expert Steffen Freund had a haunted appeal to FC Bayern in an exclusive conversation with RTL/NTV and Sport.de. His message to the bosses: put a turning turn down and still extends with Thomas Müller!
When FC Bayern on Tuesday evening (9 p.m. in sport.de-Live ticker) In the quarter-final first game of the Champions League against Inter Milan, all eyes will be directed to Thomas Müller.
On the shoulders of the veteran, whose announced farewell caused a sensation in summer, all hopes on the offensive rest after the injury -related failure of Shootingstar Jamal Musiala. A mentally very heavy burden for Müller, like Steffen Freund in an exclusive interview with RTL/NTV and sport.de made clear. But the TV expert continued and directed a flaming Appel to the top bosses around sports director Max Eberl and the club-Granden Uli Hoeneß and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
Mr. Freund, on Tuesday evening Bayern have to go against Inter Milan in the Allianz Arena. How do you see the starting position?
Steffen Freund: Bayern Munich is the favorite. But last I took a closer look at Inter. At the weekend they played a draw in Parma. You are first playing for the championship. But they are also under pressure from Napoli and therefore have to offer the best players.
When I look at the team: Lautaro Martínez and Marcus Thuram are the two strikers in front, Inter likes to play in 3-5-2, i.e. for Bavaria’s Eric and Minjae Kim, often one-on-one situations. Here it will be difficult to get that. This is negative in quotation marks.
Positive, of course, from a Bavaria perspective when you play with a chain of three: that you always get in the one with your foreign strikers-Michael Olise or Leroy Sané-and have rooms or even no opponent at all when Inter has moved up. From a tactical point of view, this becomes super interesting and I believe that Bayern can really present something good at home.
Can Bayern achieve their season goals despite the precarious personnel situation and the unrest in the area?
Yes, you can. I know that from my own experience. If you get into the final phase of the season that is about everything, and you have injuries, then you get a little closer together. The central defenders will have all support. That is clear. Of course you will miss Dayot Upamecano and Hiroki Ito, but I think you will miss Jamal Musiala much more.
Friend: Decision against Müller extension was wrong!
And this is exactly where the jumping point is for me. Replacing him will be difficult. And who should do it: Thomas Müller! And here I’m more positive again. Because Thomas Müller will always leave his heart on the pitch. And Vincent Kompany has to solve his mental situation with him. He must be very ready to go to the border. Because the situation of no longer being at Bayern in the next season not to get a contract extension can also have mental effects and suddenly the legs no longer work. I also know that from my own situation, I once had that in Tottenham.
How do you rate the dealings with Thomas Müller?
As a player, I experienced it myself. I am on the player side in this regard. As a trainer, I can understand the overall situation in the club. But what is totally amazed that you want to get a balance. That Max Eberl apologizes how it went.
No, that wasn’t just a mistake. I go one step further: this decision was wrong. Thomas Müller showed this season: first game against Ulm, player of the game, three scorer points. It is normal for him to play a few less games during the age, at 35, or are hardly used. At the same time, however, he has proven that he was behind the club behind the club behind the entire task.
He has to extend another year without ifs and buts. Everything else makes no sense. That is the wrong decision! And that is exactly why Musiala has been injured now – you can think what you want – so that Müller has to play now.
How does Thomas Müller continue: does he end his career after the season or does he continue to do it?
Max Eberl, Uli Hoeneß, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge: Please extend the contract of Thomas Müller! Everything else is wrong. I know it won’t fall on your feet. You have already done far too much in football. But this decision is wrong.
How important can Müller become for FC Bayern due to the failure of Musiala?
He has to be now, now the decisive factor comes: If Thomas Müller does not perform now, it is the fault of all those responsible who now say we were sad not to extend with him. Now he has to play, now he is supposed to get the coals out of the fire, now he is supposed to shoot Bayern for the Champions League victory. What he could. But in the situation now it will be very, very difficult.
How firmly does sports director Max Eberl still sit in the saddle from your point of view?
Totally firm. I think he is now feeling the overall situation. To make such a decision for such a big player, it hurts him, I take it all. But in the end I think it is very, very difficult for him to work in the long term in this environment. And the other way around – because I also know him personally – he is one who can definitely do it.