Damage control.
Bayern Munich’s handling of star Thomas Müller has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons lately — with the legend, who had been consistently praised throughout the season, seemingly headed for an acrimonious split with the only club he’s ever known.
Now, though, there are signs that cooling heads will try to prevail.
According to Sport1, CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen is working hard behind the scenes to resolve the matter. Via @iMiaSanMia:
CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen is now increasingly involved behind the scenes and wants to smooth things over with Thomas Müller. Dreesen is currently trying to mend the situation and find a solution that works for both sides. The CEO is trying—as he has done more often recently—to sort things out in the final stages. Even in the final phase of negotiations with Jamal Musiala, it was Dreesen who was involved and turned many things around for the better [@StefanKumberger, @SPORT1]
BFW Analysis
A calm resolution would be welcome — but what would it look like?
This report notably singles out Dreesen for credit on other recent contract work — like the extension for Jamal Musiala, which late in the game had hit a snag based on reported demands from the player’s camp. Likewise, Joshua Kimmich’s contract talks lit up in the final stages after the club reportedly pulled its offer — something Dreesen himself weighed in to confirm after a Champions League victory over Bayer Leverkusen.
Meanwhile the heat seems to be turning up for executive board member for sport Max Eberl — who, on the Müller matter, stressed that all the work is ongoing “internally.”
But Eberl is also reported to be one of the figures most in Müller’s corner for another year, promising publicly in January that “Thomas is not a back-up” and that any contract talks “will certainly be very short” should Müller want to continue.
And Bayern’s idea of throwing Müller a bone — again, per reports, so take it with a grain of salt — could be no more than a testimonial match in his honor.
Eberl, it should be noted, is supposedly also bumping up against supervisory board constraints on spending, which a new Müller offer would certainly entail. So is it good news that Dreesen is intervening in the Müller case? That depends. Good news for whom?
