But no resignation – Müller wants to continue playing for the national team
“I’m always available” – Müller excludes resignation from the national team
After the World Cup debacle, Thomas Müller ruled out resigning from the German national soccer team. “As long as I’m a professional, I’ll always be available when I’m needed,” said the 33-year-old.
Immediately after the World Cup in Qatar, Thomas Müller gave an emotional interview on TV. And thus questioned his future in the national team. For the first time since the tournament debacle, he now expresses himself in detail. Now everything sounds completely different.
Es sounded extremely like farewell. Whoever listened to him had to assume that Thomas Müller would end his career in the German national soccer team.
“If that was my last game for Germany, I would like to say a few words to all the German football fans who have been with me over the years,” said the 121-time national player after the 4-2 win against Costa Rica on the ARD microphone in the last group game of the World Cup in Qatar in early December.
Desperate in Qatar: Thomas Müller in a 4-2 win against Costa Rica. Germany was eliminated from the World Cup
Which: pa/SvenSimon/Frank Hoermann/SVEN SIMON
Germany had just been eliminated for the second time in a row after the World Cup preliminary round, a disgrace. “It was an enormous pleasure, dear people,” said Müller at the time. “We experienced great moments. In every game I tried to keep my heart on the pitch.” BILD wrote afterwards: “Müller gives his farewell speech live on TV.”
After the live interview and the shower in the stadium, Müller emphasized that he had just expressed himself very emotionally on television, that he wanted to think everything over calmly and discuss it with his wife Lisa. He has now done so. Müller now sees the future of the national team more positively again.
The offensive star has been preparing for the second half of the season with FC Bayern since last Friday at the training camp in Doha, it is the return to the place of sporting failure with the German selection. On Monday afternoon, Müller spoke at a press conference in the team hotel. And made it clear: I want to help shape the restart of the national team after the World Cup debacle!
“As long as I’m a professional footballer, I’ll always be available in the national team if I’m needed,” said the 33-year-old. “The when, the if and the how – that must of course be decided by the national coach.” But he did not want to stop “artificially” in the national team.
“Transform frustration and pain into energy”
For national coach Hansi Flick and his team, the restart and preparation for the home European Championship in 2024 will begin in March. “We will see what happens before the home European Championship,” said Müller. Could the tournament be a goal for him? “Why not?” says Müller. It can be assumed that Flick will continue to rely on Müller. Both get along well and have won numerous titles with Bayern Munich.
It’s been five and a half weeks since the World Cup ended. Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann has so far deliberately hardly addressed the disgrace in his discussions with the players. “You have to deal with it and the most important thing is that you convert this frustration and pain into energy,” said Müller about the World Cup frustration.
Bayern fans underline criticism of the controversial Qatar sponsorship
FC Bayern flies to the controversial training camp in Doha on Friday. For the last time? Before departure, the fans once again underlined their criticism of the sponsorship by “Qatar Airways”. The partnership currently runs until 2023.
Venues and opponents for the first international matches of the year between March 22nd and 28th have not yet been decided. “The euphoria itself comes from good performance and above all from good results. In the end you have to win, you have to be successful in order to take people with you,” said Müller, who won the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He wanted to wait “very relaxed” if and when the coach needed him.
Müller’s past years in the national team were very eventful. In March 2019, the then national coach Joachim Löw booted him out with Mats Hummels and Jérôme Boateng. After a break of almost two years, he brought him back to the EM 2021. Löw’s successor Flick built on Müller without compromise.
“Basically, regardless of personal details, we have to manage as a common football nation to play successful German men’s football again,” said Müller. “The women did a lot better in the summer.” The women’s national team only lost in the final against European champions England.
