Niko Kovac attributing the language issue to Thomas Müller and Zoff
"Müller will see game time if necessary", stated Niko Kovač during his tenure as FC Bayern's coach. It's history now, as the original Bayern player continues to serve the club. Recently, Kovač discussed the comment that caused a commotion back then.
"Müller remains a regular": That was the rule established by Louis van Gaal at FC Bayern and it held sway for quite some time. Even today, the club's ever-present player is under contract with "his" club and receives playing time under Vincent Kompany. In Bayern's 4-0 victory against VfB Stuttgart last weekend, he played the full 90 minutes, a trend that continued from the break against Eintracht Frankfurt. Previously, he had entered as a substitute, but now Müller, the "space reader", is now 35 years old.
A few years back, the bench was a challenging position for him. At the time, Müller even contemplated leaving FC Bayern. "I may want to play, it's not just about money, but about satisfaction. At that point, I would have been amenable to a little less loyalty to the club," he shared with "Kicker" in 2024, reflecting on Kovač's coaching period from July 2018 to November 2019, when his playing time was limited.
He also received a verbal reprimand: "If necessary, he will surely get his minutes," Kovač had said at the time. Müller as a reserve - this statement sparked controversy. Now, the former Bayern coach clarified on Sky90 that he meant something else by that statement. "I meant if things aren't going well, then he will certainly come on," Kovač clarified. He reiterated that Müller was not the last resort. His explanation for the misunderstanding: "I thought I was quite proficient in German, but I was mistaken there."
"I discussed this with Thomas, and Thomas is fully aware of the situation. In retrospect, Thomas should have played more at the time," Kovač admitted. But at the time, he was also under pressure: "First of all, it must be said that when I arrived in Munich, we had a team that needed rebuilding. And that was also a requirement, to accelerate the generational shift."
Kovač's time at Säbener Straße came to an end in the fall of 2019, but Müller is still a crucial element of FC Bayern. His contract with the 2014 World Cup winner expires at the end of the season. According to Kovaç, Müller still has more to offer. Kovaç also praised Müller, referring to him as an "identification figure, he is FC Bayern Munich". He is like Lothar Matthäus, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Oliver Kahn, or Manuel Neuer - "that's what FC Bayern Munich is about". And if they retain and integrate him into the club after his football career, "they will make the right decision," Kovaç believes.
Despite the controversy caused by Kovač's comment about Müller's potential role as a substitute, the Football League's ever-present player continued to demonstrate his value at FC Bayern. During his tenure, Müller expressed feelings of dissatisfaction with his limited playing time under Kovaç, citing a desire for more game time beyond financial considerations.
