"Who will lead the team now?" – Bayern legend fears trouble for Bayern | OneFootball

The departure of Thomas Müller has left a significant gap at FC Bayern – not just in terms of sports, but especially regarding leadership qualities. A Bayern legend is concerned.

Bayern legend Klaus Augenthaler has made it clear on SPORT1 that he views the record champion's decision critically, and questions remain about how Munich plans to compensate for the loss.

“My personal opinion was: He will never go to America,” said Augenthaler regarding Müller's move to the Vancouver Whitecaps. “Thomas Müller is not someone who goes to America or Saudi Arabia,” he added – until he was proven wrong by the completion of the deal. “But the decision was made by FC Bayern and Thomas with his advisor.”

That the 34-year-old was allowed to leave Munich at all still surprises Augenthaler: “I don’t know how that happened. He also has a certain age as a footballer, but he is still 100 percent fit.” For the former Bayern captain, this raises the question of how the record champion plans to replace the role of the long-time leader.

“He is a stalwart of FC Bayern Munich, even if he hasn’t played from the start in recent years. We have to wait and see how the team functions,” explained Augenthaler. For him, Müller was indispensable despite reduced playing time: “Müller was very important for the team, even if he only played ten to fifteen minutes because he led the team.”

What’s next without Thomas Müller?

Augenthaler finds it particularly critical that Manuel Neuer will not be guarding Bayern’s goal forever either: “If Manuel Neuer stops now, who has also reached a certain age, and Thomas Müller is gone: Who will lead the team?”

The question of hierarchy within the Bayern team is more pressing than ever. Although the team has players like Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, or newcomer Jonathan Tah who could take on leadership roles, a figure like Müller – according to Augenthaler, the emotional focal point for years – cannot be easily replaced.

While the 2014 World Cup winner is already taking his first steps in his new environment in Vancouver, a significant challenge remains in Munich: Who will step into the role of spokesperson, who will take over the locker room leadership when the last defining figures of the golden Bayern era are gone? The upcoming season will have to provide answers to these questions.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.