The club's emblem, Thomas Müller (36, Bayern Munich), who spent 25 years only at Bayern Munich, is leaving the team quietly, causing growing controversy.

Bayern Munich announced on the 5th (Korea time) that Thomas Müller would leave the team at the end of the 2024-2025 season.

'Sky Sports' reported on the 31st of last month that "the era of Thomas Müller, who has continued his professional career at Bayern Munich for 17 years, is gradually coming to an end," and followed up on the 1st, saying, "The possibility of Müller and Bayern parting ways after the end of the season has grown.

According to reports, Bayern is on the verge of final negotiations with Müller’s side, and the likelihood of both sides going their separate ways after this season is increasing. In particular, the club's leadership has signaled that they will no longer make a contract renewal offer, and the atmosphere suggests that Müller’s future now depends on his decision.

Initially, sports director Max Eberl intended to give Müller the choice of his future, but after internal discussions, the club changed its policy. It is widely believed within the club that "Müller is a diligent and emblematic figure, but the salary burden is high compared to his current playing time."

The 'legend' Müller joined the TSV Pähl youth team in 1993. He later moved to the Bayern youth team in 2000 and made his first-team debut with his first goal in the 2008-2009 UEFA Champions League match against Sporting CP.

Having been chosen by coach Louis van Gaal, Müller became a regular starting player from the 2009-2010 season. In that season, Müller played in 52 games, recording 19 goals and 16 assists. Subsequently, Müller took charge of the team's offense until the 2022-2023 season.

Müller, who has filled roles from attacking midfielder, second striker, left and right midfielder, to center forward, has appeared in 743 official matches for Bayern, scoring 247 goals and providing 273 assists.

743 matches is the highest appearance record in Bayern's history. During this period, he lifted 32 trophies with Bayern. It is not inappropriate to say that Müller is the club's greatest legend.

Although there has been no official announcement, the likelihood of him leaving the team at the end of this season is increasing, and it is being noted that a 'farewell tour' has officially begun. Now, Müller has only 6 Bundesliga matches left and at least 2 (maximum 5) UEFA Champions League matches ahead.

Müller has the desire to play for another year, but Bayern has put his contract renewal on hold. The contract, which amounts to €17 million (approximately 25 billion won), is considered a burden, and the club appears to have already begun planning for a generational change.

Honorary chairman Uli Hoeneß recently made a statement that "it would be better for Müller to leave than to stay on the bench," indirectly evaluating his situation. In this context, AZ pointed out that "Bayern has caused controversy in the past during the parting process of many legends." In reality, the separations from legendary players such as Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller, Lothar Matthäus, and Bastian Schweinsteiger were anything but smooth.

Franz Beckenbauer left for the United States amidst tax issues and personal controversy, while Gerd Müller ended his contract due to conflicts with the club and headed to the U.S. market. In particular, Matthäus even had legal disputes with the club over the revenue sharing from his farewell match.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the farewell match for Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, known as the 'Robbery Duo', was even canceled. Nevertheless, most legends eventually had a dignified farewell through tribute matches or other means, but it remains uncertain whether Müller’s situation will conclude similarly.

In the end, Müller too is leaving Bayern. He reported on his social media that "I could have played well next year, but Bayern informed me that they have no intention to renew my contract," adding, "I had serious discussions with the club, but it ended with the decision not to renew the contract."

Meanwhile, it is reported that Müller is likely to choose to transfer to another club rather than retire. At this point, he dreams of finishing his career not in Saudi Arabia but in Major League Soccer (MLS).

Naturally, the news of Müller’s contract renewal failure has caused significant backlash among Bayern's fandom. In particular, the issue of respect regarding the way legends are being sent off is growing.

However, Chairman Uli Hoeneß directly addressed Müller’s situation, saying, "It’s better to leave than to stay," ultimately leading to the failure of the contract renewal. As Bayern is heavily influenced by Hoeneß, Müller was effectively pushed out.

Bayern has also shown an even more unseemly side. Bayern originally extended the contract for one month until June 31, which ends on May 31, to utilize Müller’s visibility for the Club World Cup. Criticism is growing on social media regarding the poor treatment of the legend.

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