Trying to cover up for the board’s misdeeds
It’s no secret that what is happening to Thomas Müller has caused an uproar among the Bayern Munich fans, especially how the club forced the 35-year-old out. There is a perception that the board wanted to cut the wage bill which, in the grand scheme of things, is something they have yet to make significant progress in. Max Eberl then went out and said that the final nail in Müller’s Bayern career was a sporting decision and that it had nothing to do with finances.
“It had nothing to do with the financial aspect,” Eberl said on Sport1-Doppelpass (via @iMiaSanMia). “It was a sporting decision. We sat down with his agent in November and said everything was open. Then the agent immediately said: Let’s meet again in March or April. I then made that statement in January [If Thomas wants to continue then the talks will be very short]. That wasn’t smart of me. I was emotional at the time and couldn’t imagine FC Bayern without Thomas Müller.”
Photo by Sebastian Widmann/Getty Images
“We then saw Thomas’ playing time decline rapidly since January,” Eberl continued. “Then we, the sporting management, considered the matter. At some point, we made a decision and coordinated it with the board. Thomas is no ordinary player. We knew how complex the decision was. It was extremely emotional for me.
“We then spoke with the supervisory board – with Herbert Hainer, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Uli Hoeneß – and there was agreement. We came to this decision based on the overall picture, considering everything we want to do in the summer.”
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The comment made by Eberl wherein he said that Müller’s playing time disappeared is where it gets twisted. Judging the status of a player at the club based on mere minutes played is a real head-scratcher. That was beyond Müller’s control; nothing has changed in how he plays and he is still a stable contributor to the team.
Some will argue that he’s rusty now, well that’s because Vincent Kompany chooses to play players like Leroy Sané and Serge Gnabry over him. Those two earn the same, if not more, than Müller yet the lattermost doesn’t play like he wants the fans to turn on him. That’s what grinds my gears: there are players who should’ve left long ago, and yet when push came to shove, they decided that Müller is the expendable candidate. This is not a hit on Kompany but at the same time the way he handles player minutes is highly questionable and for me has contributed to this decision.
