Bayern Munich forward Thomas Muller has confirmed he will leave the Bundesliga giants at the end of the current season.
35-year-old Muller made the revelation known on Saturday, calling time on his 25-year association with the Bavarians.
“It’s been an incredible journey, shaped by unique experiences, great encounters and unforgettable triumphs,” the German said. “I feel immense gratitude and joy that I got to make this career with my beloved club. The special connection to the club and our fantastic fans will always remain.”
Muller added, “What I want as a farewell should be clear: titles we can celebrate together, and moments we’ll remember fondly for a long time. We’re going to give our all in the coming weeks to bring the league title back to Munich.”
Club CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen also showered encomiums on Muller: “The most important thing is that we’ve found a mutual solution. Thomas Muller is one of the greatest player personalities this club has produced, and therefore it was important to us to find a fair and amicable agreement.”
Bayern president Herbert Hainer said: “Thomas Muller is the definition of a Bavarian fairytale career. He ranks among the most outstanding personalities in FC Bayern history.”
Sporting director Christoph Freund added: “Thomas Muller: no tricks, no show, just an incredible amount of instinct and extraordinary reading of the game – a pure footballer.”
Freund went on to say, “There’ll never be another one like him, that’s for sure, and he internalised FC Bayern from a young age. This decision was extremely hard, as everyone can understand.”
Muller, who came through the club’s academy, holds the record for the most games in the history of the club with 743, while he is third on their all-time scorer’s list with 247 goals.
He has also won 33 trophies in total including two UEFA Champions League crowns and 12 Bundesliga titles with the Bavarians. He has also featured 24 times for the club in the German Bundesliga this campaign, scoring just once.
Bayern Munich have confirmed they would mark Muller’s departure with a testimonial and his final opportunity to play competitively will come during the FIFA Club World Cup which begins this summer in the USA.