At the end of this past season there were numerous rumors about Bastian Schweinsteiger leaving Bayern Munich. Although no offers were made, Manchester United, with head coach Louis van Gaal, never failed to miss an opportunity to praise the German midfielder for his leadership, strength, and ability to control the game.
And although Schweinsteiger himself remained quiet for the most part about Manchester United’s interest in him, one could sense his passion and his will to move to another club, to get another challenge; Schweinsteiger never committed himself to Bayern Munich.
Schweinsteiger was one of the leaders of Bayern Munich, but he was more than that. He was an icon, a legend. He was the heart and soul of the Bavarian team. He went through numerous youth levels there and became a professional in 2002. His personality and character personified the mentality of the winningest team in Bundesliga history. Schweinsteiger was a huge, if not enormous part of the ‘Mia san Mia’. He lived it, played it, spoke it, and loved it.
His decision to leave Bayern Munich was not an easy one, but it was well thought through. Schweinsteiger always wanted to play in another league, preferably England, and one of his childhood dreams was to play for Manchester United.
It is no coincidence that Manchester United expressed such high interest in him this year. Coach Louis van Gaal had an instrumental role to play in his Schweinsteiger’s development. When van Gaal coached Bayern, he took the German international away from the wing and gave him a more central role. Schweinsteiger did not only live up to the position, he became one of the best central and defensive midfielders in the world.
Letting him go to another world-class team did leave many Bayern fans, including me, with a tear in their eye. Bayern lost a key figure, a lovable player, the heart of the team, and a unique character. Rummenigge said ‘Basti’ will always have a home and family in Munich, and he already rose to the level of club legend.
But while many people thought Bayern lost their heart and soul, another club icon is set to step up. His name: Müller, Thomas Müller. The Bavarian attacking midfielder was probably the most celebrated and loved player during Bayern’s recent China trip. With humor, closeness to fans, autographs, selfies, etc. Müller won thousands and thousands of Chinese hearts and made himself the new brand ambassador of Bayern Munich.
His arrival in Beijing was accompanied by ‘Müller, Müller’ chants. Everywhere he went fans waited for him. Every microphone, every phone, every camera was directed at the German star.
But what is it about Müller that makes China and other parts of the world go crazy for him? What makes Thomas Müller so unique and so important for Bayern’s ‘Mia san Mia’ mentality?
First: his character. Thomas Müller has a unique character. He never seems angry and one sees him smile and laugh quite often when he is running around on the pitch. He barely gets yellow cards, despite being aggressive; he always lives for fair play. Müller his highly regarded in Germany for his character and for his will to fight for Bayern and the German national team.
Second: his energy. It is rare to come across a player with as much natural fitness as Thomas Müller. He is not only energetic, but he lives to fight over 90 minutes and more. His will to run, to open space, to be available for passes, and to give his last little bit of energy to score are a unique gift. He made his debut under Louis van Gaal, and over the years he he has become one of the best attacking midfielders in the world.
Third: he is unpredictable. Thomas Müller is a phenomenon. His presence on the field is unprecedented and his ability to score goals is top notch. But Müller is not only a goal scorer, he also provides great assists all season long. He is a perfect team player, selfless and dedicated, and shows it on the field.
No matter the distance and angle, Thomas Müller is somehow always able to score. And in order to score, Müller is not shy of being unorthodox. His presence on the pitch has earned him as reputation as a ‘Raumdeuter,’ somebody who finds the whole in defense, who creates and interprets space, and who goes for a run at any given opportunity.
Fourth: he is versatile. Thomas Müller is the type of player who can play nearly any position on the pitch: attacking midfielder, winger, striker, false nine, etc. His ability to adapt quickly to different positions, and be reliable in each and every role, makes him a world-class player.
Fifth: he is Bavarian. Born in the heart of Bavaria, Müller is not only humorous, he is hilarious. His press conferences are legendary, his talk and explanations unique, and his accent is pure Bavarian. He lives “Mia san Mia” more than any other player in the squad. One remembers his interview, below, after the World Cup victory. In China, he was Bayern’s most wanted, and didn’t shy away from interacting with anyone. His love for the club is huge and his potential to become another club legend is enormous.
Thomas Müller possesses all the needed tools to be the person Bayern is looking for: somebody who lives for the team, who fights for the team, and whose character represents the Bavarian mentality. Bayern is a proud club and a success driven club. Thomas Müller has all these characteristics and more.
Losing Schweinsteiger was a huge blow for Bayern fans. But while many thought they lost the heart and soul of the team, now they will realize that they have a new hero. He already proved himself as a soccer player and right now he is proving himself as the figurehead of the club. And with only 25 years of age, Müller has a lot of time left to become one of the greatest club legends.
