Former Germany forward Lukas Podolski has lamented that Bayern Munich icon Thomas Müller reportedly won't have a future as a player at the club after his contract expires in June.
"In the end it's sad that the club is making this decision for him and not the other way around, that Thomas Müller doesn't have it in his own hands. Because I think he deserved that," the 2014 World Cup champion said on the sidelines of the Baller League matchday on Monday.
Bayern veteran Müller will not receive a contract extension when his deal ends in June and could retire, the Bild newspaper and Kicker magazine reported at the weekend, without naming their sources.
The reports said the 35-year-old had already been informed of the decision following a club meeting two weeks ago. Müller joined Bayern's youth academy in 2000 and made his Bundesliga debut for the club in 2008.
Müller is a player who “has achieved everything with the club and is the face of the club,” Podolski said, and added that deserving players are often not honoured enough.
“If people are only remembered when they are no longer alive, so that you can say, okay, now suddenly a street is being named after them, now suddenly the stadium is being named after them, a grandstand,” he said. ”But sometimes you also underestimate or forget to honour and appreciate players who are currently there too.”
Former Bayern and German captain Philip Lahm said that Müller's departure would be a great loss.
"The club also thrives on role modes. Thomas is an absolute role model - for the club, for the fans and I think for the team as well," the 41-year-old said on the sidelines of the Sepp Herberger Awards ceremony on Monday evening.
Lahm had control of the situation when he decided himself to end his career in 2017.
“Ultimately, the player also has to decide what he wants: whether he wants to continue playing or not,” he said. ”I stopped playing when I was 33. It was my decision. I wanted to stop. But that's something each player has to decide for themselves.”
