Bayern Munich chief admits Thomas Muller ‘mistakes’ after messy split with ‘angry’ Germany legend following contract saga

• Bayern Munich have confirmed that Thomas Muller will leave club in the summer
• But the veteran forward’s exit, after 25-years at club, has been far from smooth
• LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Chris Sutton and Ian Ladyman debate the manager of the season awards… who is the best and worst? 

By DAVID KENT

Published: 10:25 BST, 14 April 2025 | Updated: 14:03 BST, 14 April 2025

Bayern Munich’s honorary president Uli Hoeness has opened up about the club’s rift with Thomas Muller and the ‘mistakes’ made over the 35-year-old’s contract.

The 2014 World Cup winner is set to end his 25-year association with the Bavarian giants when his deal expires at the end of the season. 

Bayern have enjoyed a stellar campaign under manager Vincent Kompany and hold a six-point lead at the top of Bundesliga.

Muller, however, has played a bit part role in their success and has made just nine starts in the league with Kompany favouring Bayern’s younger stars over him. Muller earns a reported £14.2million (€17m) per season, making him one of the club’s highest earners.

Mail Sport reported last week that MLS side Cincinnati FC have emerged as leading contenders to sign the Germany legend. 

Muller, who came off the bench to score in last week’s Champions League quarter final first-leg defeat by Inter Milan, will play his final games for Bayern at this summer’s Club World Cup and has been offered a testimonial.

The Germany legend’s split from Bayern has been far from smooth, however. 

Club legend Thomas Muller is set to end his 25-year association with Bayern this summer

Bayern chief Uli Hoeness made headlines in February by urging Muller to end his career

Thomas Muller steers in an equaliser for Bayern Munich in last week’s 2-1 defeat by Inter Milan

In February, Hoeness suggested that a new deal for Muller was still on the table but simultaneously tried to urge him to walk off into the sunset. 

‘As a person and as a member of the team, I would extend his contract anytime,’ he said.

‘But if the situation is such that he is only ever a substitute, I would advise him to retire.

‘It wouldn’t be worthy of his great career to end up on the bench as a substitute. I’d like to spare him that.’

And now, Bayern’s honorary president has conceded that those words may have given Muller false hope when the club had already made up their mind.  

‘I’m incredibly annoyed that I said that becaue I actually wanted to build a bridge for Thomas, because I already knew at that point that his contract would not be renewed,’ Hoeness told Bild. 

‘And it would have been better if he had made the decision and not Bayern. I’ve seen many, many great players retire. Gunter Netzer, Wolfgang Overath, Franz Beckenbauer, and Gerd Muller. All of them ended up falling apart because they simply didn’t want to accept that they were no longer as good as they would have liked to be.

‘We made mistakes by giving Thomas the impression for too long that his contract might be extended. And when the sporting management had the discussions with him, the decision had actually been made not to extend his contract. That was the starting point for a certain amount of unrest. 

Vincent Kompany is set to win the Bundesliga in his first season as manager of Bayern Munich

Muller grabs the first goal in Germany’s 7-1 semi-final win over Brazil at the 2014 World Cup

The 35-year-old has won the Champions League twice, in 2013 and again in 2020 (pictured)

‘Thomas wasn’t prepared for it and was naturally angry.

‘This decision was made jointly by the entire club. And there was not a single person— not a single person —on the committees, including the supervisory board, who had a different opinion. It was poorly communicated. You have to take responsibility for that, otherwise you won’t.’

With the club’s stance now clear, Muller will looking to wrap up his Bayern career with an incredible 13th league title and a third European Cup.

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Bayern Munich chief admits Thomas Muller ‘mistakes’ after messy split with ‘angry’ Germany legend following contract saga

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