Bayern Munich legend Thomas Mueller confirmed on Saturday that the club will not offer him a new contract, bringing an end to his 25-year career with the Bundesliga giants at the end of the campaign.
The 35-year-old, whose contract was set to expire in the summer, said in a post on social media that the decision was made by the club and “not what I would have wished”.
Mueller said he did not like how the contract saga played out “back and forth in public” in recent months, but he “felt the appreciation from everyone involved after my long time with Bayern”.
“The special connection to the club and our fantastic fans will always remain,” he said.
Mueller came through the Bayern junior system and has won two Champions Leagues, along with 12 Bundesliga titles.
His focus was now on “bringing the league title back to Munich” as well as reaching this season’s Champions League final, which will be held in Bayern’s Allianz Arena home.
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Later on Saturday, Bayern issued a statement saying Mueller would be honoured with a testimonial match and that the midfielder would play at the Club World Cup in July.
“Thomas Mueller had the definition of a Bavarian fairytale career,” club president Herbert Hainer said.
Mueller was born in the nearby Bavarian town of Weilheim and joined the club aged 10, making his debut under coach Jurgen Klinsmann in 2008 against a Hamburg side featuring current Bayern coach Vincent Kompany.
A one-club player, Mueller’s 743 matches for Bayern in all competitions is the most in the team’s history. He has registered 247 goals and 273 assists for the club in that time.
In recent seasons, Mueller has started from the bench more regularly, leading to growing speculation that he could leave the club.
The midfielder did not reveal where he would play next season, although German media has speculated he could make a late-career move to the United States of America (USA) to play in the MLS.