In 2017 Thomas Muller was the subject of an £85m bid from Man United. Thomas Muller himself distanced himself from getting involved with the 'big circus' that football has become.
🗣️"Modern day footballers are like commercial goods, no human is worth the absurd fees paid"
Thomas Muller says that having fun on the pitch is his main focus, and refuses to talk about the money side of the game.
🗣️"You are only going to put yourself under a lot of pressure if you start thinking about a high transfer fee"- Thomas Muller in 2017.
In 2019 it was announced by Uli Hoeness that Bayern Munich would be changing it's transfer policy, by integrating a more youthful team for the future.
At this time, Bayern had just broken their transfer record, to bring in Atleti defender Lucas Hernandez, for €80m.
The fee for Hernandez made the Frenchman the second most expensive defender in history, coming in behind Van Dijks move to Liverpool
🗣️" I was surprised our €80m was criticised so much"- Uli Hoeness.
"We believe the time has come for Bayern to put their hard-earned money
On the market to bring back a new, young team to the pitch," Hoeness added.
Current Bayern president Herbert Hainer doesn't understand the role FFP plays in football, in relation to the massive amounts paid out.
🗣️"I'm still trying to understand how that goes along with FFP"
The Bayern president was speaking after PSG announced a deal to sign Lionel Messi, and agreeing to take on his amazing salary.
🗣️"As PSG are currently upgrading, we will take a close look at how that can be reconciled with UEFA rules. We stick to it, and expect others to do so"
Bayern Munich have always put character and values in line with footballing ability, in who they persue. Every player needs to buy into the ethos of the club, it doesn't matter how talented you are, if you don't fit the clubs profile, we don't want you.
For me personally, these are players that will define a club, and make a larger mark on it, because they are at the club for the right reasons. Bayern Munich is one of the few remaining super clubs, who also regard themselves as a close knit family.
A wage cap needs to be implemented in the higher end of football, rules and regulators need to be employed to stop wages and the subsequent failures of them, from getting out of hand.
I am proud that at Bayern Munich, to earn the top wages, you have to earn it on the pitch.
So many youngsters in football are given crazy wages at a very young age, before they've even began to make it in the game. The rise of the so called "super agents" in football are a cancer to the game.
We have players like Erling Haaland who's demands through his agent are into astronomical numbers. Are these players worth being paid upwards of 40m a year. Absolutely not. Now while these are pure speculation numbers, clubs like PSG etc would happily pay it, to appear relevant.
Back in 2017 the England manager Gareth Southgate spoke out about high wages in football, saying that too much too soon can kill motivation.
🗣️"They are intrinsically unmotivated , they lose a bit of an edge. The biggest problem is we reward them before they've won anything"
Paying players salarys into the tens of millions too early, can make some players lose the spark that makes them the players they are.
I want a team where my players are paid based on their performances on the pitch, and like in every job, you are rewarded for consistency.
Bayern Munich are a club who go about these things the right way, it is why we have such a family atmosphere, and a group of hugely motivated youngsters, eager to impress and earn their places at the pantheon of Die Roten.
Wages are crippling the game that we love, and if it continues on the path it's currently on, then I fear what may happen. We at Bayern though, will never bend to these demands, the clubs values and morals are worth more than publicity through massive wages.
Javi Martinez recently left the club after nearly 10 years at the Allianz, and he knows how special Bayerns philosophy is.
🗣️"From the very first day, I felt the ‘Mia san mia’ and the special nature of FC Bayern. I lived for this club, always gave everything for it"
MiaSanMia and MiaSanFamilie are what makes this club unique. To play for Bayern Munich is an honour in itself, and if you play well, you know you'll have earned the mantle of club legend.
“He is an absolute world class player. It was a privilege for me to have worked with him”; Jupp Heynckes
[APPRECIATION THREAD]
Robert Lewandowski has been one of the most consistent strikers over the past 10 years. Let’s get to know the Polish hit man a little closer. And why he deserves to be talked about as a true great of the game.
Named Robert, by his parents, so it would be easy for foreigners to pronounce when he became an international star.
Some bold forward thinking by the pair, who were sports personal themselves. His father a Polish Judo champion, his mother, a professional volleyball player.
When you look at the best players in the world over the last decade or two.
Messi
Ronaldo
Lahm
Zidane
Cafu
Iniesta
They have all won either individual awards, or the biggest trophies in the game. Being a world class player demands you to win the big awards and trophies.
Now I know the hallmark of any player who can be called the best itw, isn’t just about what they win. Sometimes players can attach themselves to the right clubs, and win Champions Leagues etc, but by contributing very little to the teams success.
But imo, the best in the world just collect trophies, individual ones as well. They are at the absolute top of their game for years; they want to keep getting better. It is this desire to be the absolute best, that drive, that gives them that extra 25%.