Bayern Munich forward Thomas Muller has confirmed that he will be leaving the club at the end of the season, bringing an end to his 25-year association with the Bavarians.
Muller came through the club’s academy in 2008, and he has gone on to establish himself as a legend of the club, producing impressive performances, and winning numerous trophies.
He has played the most matches in the club’s history with a whopping 743, while being the third goal scorer in their history with 247 goals.
The 35-year-old confirmed on Saturday that he is bringing his affairs with the club to an end at the end of the season.
He said: “It’s been an incredible journey, shaped by unique experiences, great encounters and unforgettable triumphs.
“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.
“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.”
Muller joined the club in 2000, he made his senior debut in 2008 but he has been limited to a limited role this season under Vincent Kompany, but he and the club reached a mutual agreement to end their association at the season.
He said: “Even after all these years, regardless of the minutes I play, I still really enjoy being on the pitch with the lads and fighting for titles together for our team. I could have easily imagined taking on this role next year as well.
“However, the club consciously decided not to negotiate a new contract with me for next season. Even if this wasn’t in line with my personal wishes, it’s important that the club follows its convictions. I respect this step, which the board and supervisory board certainly didn’t take lightly.”
Muller has started just eight Bundesliga matches for Bayern Munich this season.
Bayern Munich CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen also confirmed that the club reached a mutual agreement with Thomas Muller, while praising his incredible career.
He said: “The most important thing is that we’ve found a mutual solution. Thomas Müller 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.
“Now we want to work together to ensure that this incredible career is crowned with hopefully three more trophies. There are few players that fans still rave about decades after their career. Thomas Müller will be one of them.”
Muller won 33 trophies at Bayern Munich including 12 Bundesliga titles, and two Champions League trophies.
He also enjoyed a successful time with the German national team with 45 goals in 131 appearances, he was part of the team that won the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He also won the 2010 World Cup golden boot.
He is the most successful player in the history of the Bundesliga with 12 titles, which is likely to increase to 13 if Bayern Munich ends up as champions this season.
Muller will be hoping to end his final season on a high as Bayern Munich currently sits nine points clear of Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga title race.
They also have a Champions League quarter-final date with Inter Milan next week.
Muller will play his last Bundesliga match for Bayern Munich against Hoffenheim on May 17th.
