Debücht against Kompany in 2008
© Imago
With his commitment to Mainz 05, Thomas Müller from FC Bayern rose to an elite circle: it was his 500th Bundesliga game-a brand that previously only cracked twelve professionals. In 17 seasons in the upper house, he was accompanied by 13 coaches and set up numerous records. But in summer, the Müller chapter and the Bundesliga will finally close.
Müller celebrated his debut in August 2008 under Jürgen Klinsmann in a 2-2 against Hamburger SV. In the 79th minute he came into the game for Miroslav Klose, a good half an hour earlier his current coach Vincent Kompany was substituted with the opponent. 6,098 days later, Müller entered the Bundesliga grass for the 500th time and thus ranked 13th among the professionals with the most missions. Karl-Heinz Körbel with 602 games for Eintracht Frankfurt is at the top of the ranking, and only Manuel Neuer is in front of Müller with 521 games of the active footballers.
According to Gerd Müller (463) and Robert Lewandowski (387), Müller with 361 goal participations is the third best scorer of the Bundesliga history. With 150 goals he took 17th place in the eternal list of top scorer, and the 35-year-old played his most successful season in 2015/16 when he netted 20 times. He is the measure of all things in terms of templates, because the ranking leads the 131-time German international with 211 assists with a clear lead ahead of Franck Ribéry (120). In 13 of his 17 Bundesliga season, Müller was able to prepare two digits, the best seasons were in 2019/20 to 2021/22, when he assisted 21 times.
According to Klinsmann, twelve other coaches Müller were to accompany in his Bundesliga career, including Willy Sagnol, Peter Hermann and Andries Jonker, who took over interim. He made the breakthrough under Louis van Gaal, who was in office from 2009 to 2011 and shaped the quote “Müller always plays”. He completed most of the games under Pep Guardiola. Müller was used 94 times under the Spaniard, scored 46 goals and prepared 33 more. Under Vincent Kompany, “Müller always plays” no longer applies. He was only in the starting eleven nine times, and he also collected the least minutes since 2008/09.
Müller has a historical brand in mind last season at Bayern: the 13th championship. No professional often won the shell than the offensive player born in Weilheim, who will take the next title with ex-chain-united professional Ryan Giggs. Between 1990 and 2014 he won the Premier League 13 times, no footballer often celebrated a triumph in Europe’s top 5 leagues.
Müller’s 17th Bundesliga season will probably be his last. On May 17th he will play in the upper house for the last time at the away game in Hoffenheim, and a week earlier he said goodbye to the Allianz Arena against Gladbach. It is still unclear where Müller will go. There are rumors about AC Florence and an engagement in Brazil or in the USA. But first the club World Cup for the record player of FC Bayern is on the plan.