A poor decision' - Bayern director concedes error in Müller contract call, detailing how Kompany's staff opted against extending club icon's deal
Bayern Munich’s Max Eberl has acknowledged his January remarks about Müller’s contract situation were ill-advised, conceding: ‘That commentary was premature.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Back in January 2025, with Thomas Müller entering the final six months of his contract, Bayern Munich chief Max Eberl assured: ‘No lengthy talks needed—if he wants to stay, we’ll discuss it directly.’ But the situation has dramatically shifted, with the club legend now confirming his departure after the 2024-25 season, marking the end of an era for the German forward at his boyhood club.
WHAT MAX EBERL SAID
After Thomas Müller revealed his departure, sporting director Max Eberl confessed to Sky Sports Germany his January comments were misguided: ‘I made that statement, and rightly, it’s now under scrutiny. I admit it wasn’t smart—but my emotions took over. The idea of a Bundesliga or FC Bayern without Müller was unthinkable.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The Bayern official added: “What unfortunately happens in sports happened. Thomas’ playing time was still extensive in the first half of the season, but then it dropped rapidly. And then we in the sporting management, together with Christoph Freund and Vincent Kompany, thought about what the squad should look like for the future, how we should deal with players, and whose contracts we wanted to extend. At some point, we in the sporting management made a decision where we said, okay, we don’t want to extend the contract.”
WHAT NEXT FOR THOMAS MULLER?
Müller’s farewell message notably omitted any retirement plans, strongly hinting at continuing his career after Bayern. Speculation now swirls around potential moves to Saudi Arabia or MLS for the German legend. But first, he’s focused on securing a fairytale ending in Bavaria – with Vincent Kompany’s squad still fighting for Bundesliga and Champions League glory.
