Saying Goodbye to the Legend: Thomas Müller's Emotional Farewell as Bayern Munich claims the Title
Bayern Munich Triumphs in Their Game.
Saying goodbye is never easy, but it's especially tough when the legend is leaving a club he's called home for over two decades. Thomas Müller, the 35-year-old German superstar, said adieu to Bayern Munich on a bittersweet note, as the Bavarians triumphed in their 33rd matchday. This was Thomas Müller's last home game at the Allianz Arena, and he was honored with a final home win and the championship trophy to top it off.
Müller, with 13 championships under his belt, was celebrated by the fans, who gave him a standing ovation when he was subbed off in the 83rd minute. His mother captured the emotional moment as he walked through the player tunnel, bathed in applause and cheers. The home victory came against Borussia Mönchengladbach and secured an early celebration for Bayern, who had earned the title a week prior thanks to a slip-up by pursuing Bayer Leverkusen.
Müller, who came close to scoring a final home goal in the 57th minute, was ultimately thwarted by goalkeeper Jonas Omlin. However, the win was sealed by goals from Harry Kane and Michael Olise. Gladbach's loss means they have no chance of reaching the Europa League.
Farewell, Not collected Honors - Müller's Wish
As Thomas Müller's "team" took to the pitch for warm-up, the fans showed their adoration, donning jerseys bearing his name. The emotional farewell was already apparent, as it was announced by the stadium announcer that it was, indeed, Thomas Müller's team.
Before the match, the officials honored Müller with flowers, photo frames, and a Schafkopf card ("Eichel Ober"). But the emotional Müller wanted to take the focus off himself and get back to the game. With those tears in his eyes, he called out, "Let's play!"
Bayern didn't start the game as they usually do, with Gladbach managing to play forward from their five-man backline. Captain Manuel Neuer, back from injury, showcased his class and helped to defuse a few dangerous attempts from the visitors.
The Munich team struggled to find solutions against Gladbach's well-organized defense in the first half. But in the 31st minute, they finally broke through, with Michael Olise supplying the assist for Harry Kane to head the ball past the goalkeeper.
Unsuccessful Attempts at a Farewell Goal
After the break, the Munich team caught a break when they were awarded a shot from Tim Kleindienst, which narrowly missed the goal. The 1:1 score seemed imminent when Rocco Reitz brought the ball onto the goal with his heel from a corner. But Müller was denied several opportunities to score his farewell goal, much to the disappointment of the fans who chanted, "Come on, Müller, score a goal!"
Source: ntv.de, tsi/sid
- Thomas Müller
- Football
- Bundesliga
- FC Bayern Munich
- Borussia Mönchengladbach
*Note:
Thomas Müller has spent over 14 years with FC Bayern Munich, joining the team in the 2009-10 season, not 25 years as previously stated. Here are his notable career statistics and achievements with FC Bayern Munich up to this point:
Career Statistics
- Bundesliga Matches: 501
- Bundesliga Wins: 360
- Bundesliga Goals: 132
- Bundesliga Assists: 203
- Total Bundesliga Goal Involvements: 335 (132 goals, 203 assists).
Notable Achievements
- DFB-Pokal Titles: 6 (2009/10, 2012/13, 2013/14, 2015/16, 2018/19, 2019/20)
- DFL-Supercup Titles: 8 (2010, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022)
- UEFA Champions League Titles: 2 (2012/13, 2019/20)
- UEFA Super Cup Titles: 2
- FIFA Club World Cup Titles: 2
- Bundesliga Titles: 11
- International Career: 131 appearances for Germany with 45 goals, including third place in the 2010 World Cup and first place in the 2014 World Cup.
Club Records
- Most Bundesliga Wins: Holds the record for the most games won in Bundesliga history (360).
- Most Appearances for Bayern Munich: Over 750 matches across all competitions.
- Most UEFA Champions League Appearances with One Team: Record holder for the most UEFA Champions League appearances with a single team.
- Despite the emotional farewell, Thomas Müller's focus remained on the game, even when he received a Schafkopf card and flowers from the officials.
- Bayern's struggle to score was evident in the first half, but they managed to break Gladbach's defense in the 31st minute with a goal from Harry Kane, assisted by Michael Olise.
- After the break, Müller had several opportunities to score his farewell goal, but was ultimately denied by some unfortunate circumstances, leaving fans disappointed as they chanted for him to score.
- Beyond his football achievements, Thomas Müller has also made significant contributions to the community, with many instances of aid to the steel industry and the overall community throughout his career.
