After his 500th Bundesliga game, Thomas Müller looks ahead of the big farewell. He also comments on his future plans.
Julian Buhl reports from Munich
After the 3-0 victory of FC Bayern against Mainz, the early jubilee failed due to the Leverkusen success against Augsburg (2-0). However, the 75,000 spectators in the sold -out Allianz Arena experienced an emotional highlight. Which one was? Thomas Müller’s change in the 84th minute. When the 35-year-old Bayern icon, which will say goodbye to the club after 25 years in the club at the end of the season, was ready on the sidelines, the fans celebrated him with a standing ovation.
“It was already loud, but of course I also anticipated a bit. That is the more appropriate word than” expected “for the case,” said Müller afterwards in the mixed zone with a wink. That has already been indicated. “People also know what’s going on. And accordingly everyone agreed that Thomas Müller is completely okay and even great. And I think that’s good,” he then explained in his typical way and laughed.
With the substitution by head coach Vincent Kompany, a circle closed for Müller. Müller celebrated his league debut on August 15, 2008 in the 2-2 against Hamburger SV under the then coach Jürgen Klinsmann. The 2014 world champion was substituted for Miroslav Klose almost 17 years ago in the 80th minute. At the time, the HSV played: Company.
With his joker insert, Müller cracked the 500 mark in the Bundesliga as only 13th professional. With this, Müller approaches the top 3 in this category. Karl-Heinz Körbel (602 missions) and Manfred Kaltz (581) invaded Müller-of all people, ex-Bavaria captain Oliver Kahn was missing in his list (557). Müller laughed when he was informed and said grinning: “Ah, who.”
Müller’s knowledge gap was just a further proof that such milestones only play a subordinate role for him
“This is always with the anniversaries: the older you get, the more they come,” he said in a double interview with teammate Serge Gnabry at Sky. There are pictures of him “almost naked with a Bavarian gingerbread heart, there was already 500 on it,” said Müller, “I think that was 500 competitive games. You always look for some numbers to open a barrel.”
He doesn’t play for milestones, explained Müller in the arena catacombs. It is about “what you do on the pitch is fun”. However, Müller admitted that it was something special for him that he was talking about his milestones achieved. “But for myself it was quite normal,” he said at reach. After all, he always thought in small steps in his career. But, according to the 2014 world champion: “If someone had told me that in my youth, I would also have said: You are crazy.”
In two weeks against Borussia Mönchengladbach, his last home game for FC Bayern is scheduled. “I don’t get wistful and not sad either, but it is somehow strange,” said Müller. After all, there are also a few home games with 500 Bundesliga games. “Then this is a normal course for you to the stadium – and next year I will need a ticket.” At this Müller-Gag, Gnabry, to which Müller held the microphone, could no longer hold the laugh back.