The peculiarly delicate case of Thomas Müller

The peculiarly delicate case of Thomas Müller

The situation at FC Bayern is tricky. Coach Tuchel praises his player Thomas Müller as a "living legend" - but leaves him on the bench for 90 minutes in Cologne. A decision has to be made soon! Hopefully it won't be as dramatic as it was for another Bayern icon.

"Look what my feet look like. And I've stuck my neck out for Bayern, only for them to insult me and throw me away like a piece of scrap metal. I won't be treated like that!" The end of the greatest German striker of all time, world champion Gerd Müller at FC Bayern Munich, was dramatic and painful back in February 1979. But at least it was short. The end of Thomas Müller at the record champions is not yet in sight. It is unlikely to be a short process. Whether it will be dramatic and painful, however, seems increasingly likely.

On February 3, 1979, Gerd Müller was substituted prematurely by his coach Pál Csernai. The first time in his career due to his performance. Although Müller admitted afterwards that he had "played badly", there was something even more serious for the goalscorer: "That was just fine with Csernai. He didn't like me anyway." Müller then asked for his immediate release.

And so, just one week after his substitution on February 10, 1979, the FC Bayern legend took to the pitch for the last time in the Bundesliga. He left for the USA, angry and sad. Even then, Gerd Müller's unhappy end was not worthy of FC Bayern. In retrospect, quite a few people regretted this dramatic farewell full of losers and broken hearts.

A Thomas Müller doesn't always play anymore

Almost 45 years later, Thomas Müller, a deserving professional, a "living legend" and "icon" as Thomas Tuchel calls his player, is once again facing the last few meters of his career at FC Bayern Munich. And the dilemma facing the 2014 world champion and his club is almost identical to the one he faced back in February 1979: Thomas Müller is still willing and able to perform at the highest level on the pitch - but this work is not always needed anymore.

The old maxim of his former coaches - "A Thomas Müller must always play" - no longer applies. In recent weeks and months, the man from Weilheim in Upper Bavaria has had to get used to only playing sporadically. And so his sentence - "I still enjoy being on the pitch - I hope you can see that" - sounds almost wistful and a little desperate. Müller joined the record champions in the summer of 2000 as a D-boy, made his professional debut in 2008 and has long since become one of the greatest players in the club's history.

Sporting director Christoph Freund is still optimistic that everything will turn out well: "We will find a good solution for everyone involved." But the question of what this solution could ultimately look like, so that both Thomas Müller and his club, FC Bayern Munich, can emerge from the tricky situation with a satisfied smile, has yet to be answered in a sustainable and convincing manner.

Tuchel is moderating, but is he also finding a way out?

The current sporting situation is already causing Müller headaches, as Lothar Matthäus is not the only one to correctly point out: "Thomas isn't getting his playing time. I think that's what bothers him the most, although he doesn't let it show on the outside. It burns inside him."

And that's perfectly understandable when you see that his coach Thomas Tuchel had FC Bayern's starting line-up play through to the final whistle for the first time in thirteen years against relegation candidates Cologne last Friday. For once, there was no room for Müller on the pitch for the record champions.

Thomas Tuchel is trying to moderate the tricky situation as best he can - but ultimately, even he has no easy solution to the tricky case of Thomas Müller in this complicated situation. The coach cannot treat his deserving player like the majority of the other players at the record champions, but of course he also has to keep the overall sporting situation of his team in mind and under control.

The prospect of Euro 2024 is likely to play a role

In this context, and after all of Tuchel's months at FC Bayern, it is no longer a secret that he does not see his player Müller in the top and starting eleven of the reigning champions. And so all attempts at moderation are ultimately doomed to failure - even if Tuchel should certainly not be accused of trying to "praise away" Müller with his words of praise.

In February 1979, Gerd Müller decided to leave FC Bayern Munich almost on impulse. Even then, the conflict between him and his coach had presumably been gnawing at the record-breaking striker for some time. The fact that the barrel finally overflowed with his unexpected replacement was probably a relief for Müller. After all, there was no "good solution" for either party in 1979. Even then, the end was already predetermined.

And so in the coming days and weeks, Thomas Müller will probably have to decide whether his new role as a supplementary player in the FC Bayern Munich squad is enough for him or whether he might even - with a view to the 2024 European Championships in his own country - seek a final fresh start at another club before the winter break. Because one thing seems clear after the past few months: He will not progress beyond his current role under coach Thomas Tuchel. And yet FC Bayern will probably not agree to a winter transfer for two reasons: Firstly, it will be difficult to find an equivalent replacement. And secondly, the fans would in all likelihood go on the barricades.

So the only thing left for Müller at the moment is to do the best he can under the given circumstances and bravely hope for the rare chances he gets. In the end, only one person can decide whether this will be a worthy end to the 2014 world champion's great career at FC Bayern Munich: Thomas Müller himself. We can only wish him all the best for this difficult decision!

1. Despite being praised by coach Thomas Tuchel as a "living legend" and a "icon," national soccer team member Thomas Müller has found himself on the bench during crucial games for FC Bayern Munich, leading to transfer and rumor speculations.
2. With FC Bayern Munich dealing with transfers and rumors involving Thomas Müller, it remains to be seen if the coach and the club can find a suitable solution to ensure both parties are satisfied, as was the case with Gerd Müller decades ago.

Source: www.ntv.de