MUNICH (AP) — Bayern Munich fans paid tribute to Thomas Müller before, during and after his last home game for the club on Saturday.
“We all knew this moment would come. I knew, too,” Müller told Bayern supporters after a 2-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach. “And I’m very happy about it ... that we got this trophy back in Munich!”
Bayern clinched the Bundesliga title last weekend but had to wait until after Saturday's match to be presented with the trophy. The celebrations were centered on Müller after his 750th game for the Bavarian powerhouse.
Before it, supporters behind one of the goals displayed a huge red and white tifo with pictures of Müller celebrating and lifting trophies, accompanied by his name in giant letters, and a banner above it saying, “For 25 years everything for our colors!”
Club officials also presented the 35-year-old Müller with a picture of himself with all the trophies he won with Bayern.
“Let us play!” he shouted as he brought the picture and a bouquet of flowers to the sideline.
Müller made his 502nd Bundesliga appearance. He played until the 84th minute when he went off to resounding crowd applause. He embraced teammates as he left the field, and blew kisses and waved to the crowd. Bayern substitutes formed a guard of honor for him.
Müller is leaving at the end of the season after winning a record 13 league titles among others with the club.
“I’ll miss it. I loved being the modern gladiator," Müller told the fans. “But I’m not sad. I’m looking forward to what’s to come, even if it’s only half as good as this.”
Bayern announced in April that this season would be Müller's last with the club. He was keen to extend his contract despite limited playing time but Bayern management felt it was more prudent to save his considerable wage packet than offer him a new one.
Müller joined Bayern as a 10-year-old from TSV Pähl, a small Bavarian club based to the southwest of Munich, in the summer of 2000.
He made his Bayern debut under Jürgen Klinsmann in 2008 and his breakthrough under Louis van Gaal the following season. He went on to make more appearances than any other player at Bayern, with more than 200 goals scored and more than 200 set up for other players.
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The Associated Press
