"He was just the press spokesman" – Uli Hoeneß on Thomas Müller's last season at Bayern

TL;DR

Thomas Müller left Bayern Munich after 25 years without a new contract. Uli Hoeneß reflected on Müller's final season, noting he became more of a press spokesman than a player before moving to Vancouver Whitecaps.

Key points

Thomas Müller left Bayern Munich after 25 years
Uli Hoeneß commented on Müller's last season
Müller was more of a press spokesman than a player
Müller chose to play for Vancouver Whitecaps in MLS
Hoeneß offered Müller a future role at Bayern

Bayern MunichVancouver WhitecapsManchester United

"He was just the press spokesman" – Uli Hoeneß on Thomas Müller's last season at Bayern Last summer, Thomas Müller left Bayern Munich after 25 years, as he was not offered a new contract by the German giants. In an interview with DAZN, Bayern supervisory board member Uli Hoeneß has now looked back on Müller's final period at the club. “Towards the end, Thomas talked more than he played football. In the end, he was basically just the press spokesman, and I really have no problem with him at all. But he was certainly very clever in how he marketed himself, even at a time when he was already sitting on the bench for us," Hoeneß said. Hoeneß went on to reveal that Thomas Müller was offered the chance to begin working for Bayern Munich after his contract expired. However, the 36-year-old opted to continue his playing career with Vancouver Whitecaps in MLS instead. “I offered him the possibility of taking on a role at the club at some point after he stopped playing. However, I had something quite different in mind. Not directly the Vancouver Whitecaps, but first a six-month break – something like a sabbatical,” Hoeneß said. “During that time, he could have continued his education, because today a football club is no longer a small shop, but a corporation, an entertainment industry. I had imagined him going, for example, six weeks to the NBA, six weeks to MLS, six weeks to the NFL, or also to clubs like Manchester United, which are very well run in terms of marketing.” He added that Müller could still return in the future to take up the offer. “If he had gathered all these impressions, we would then have looked together for the right position for him at the club. That offer still stands,” Hoeneß stated. “He may have considered it at the time, but not anymore. And I can understand that very well, because I was a player myself. If someone told me today there was a fountain of youth somewhere and I had the chance to play for another two years, I would be back in training within ten minutes. The profession of a footballer is simply incomparable.”

Q&A

Why did Thomas Müller leave Bayern Munich?

Thomas Müller left Bayern Munich because he was not offered a new contract after 25 years with the club.

What did Uli Hoeneß say about Thomas Müller's role at Bayern?

Uli Hoeneß remarked that towards the end of his time at Bayern, Müller was more of a press spokesman than an active player.

What opportunity did Uli Hoeneß offer Thomas Müller after his contract expired?

Hoeneß offered Müller a chance to take on a role at Bayern after his playing career, suggesting he could gather experiences from other sports before returning.