What gives: Potential legacy team disbanding at the first opportunity? (Bayern)

[Fortitude]

Anyone else find it strange that players are looking to leave a Bayern side who look like they could go on to be the next force in Europe? Obviously the final has yet to be played, and they mightn't even win the first, but supposing they do and at that point both Thiago and Alaba make good on their stances and up and leave, when's the last time something like that happened? Two top quality starters just upping and leaving of their own accord before the organic end to their team's potential period of dominance? I suppose Ronaldo's one of the examples of a player ruining what could have been upping and leaving after a single European Cup win.

How do you Bayern fans feel about this? How much do you lose in terms of your first xi if these two do go?

 

[SilentStrike]

Both want a new challenge. Both are at the final stage of their carreer, and if they still want to play for another club, now is the chance for them to do it.

Alaba has been at Bayern since the youth, and Thiago since 2013. I guess at 28 and 29 they still want to challenge themselves once more.

 

[duffer]

Both have a year left on their contract, chance to earn some serious dosh.

 

[SilentWitness]

Both want a new challenge. Both are at the final stage of their carreer, and if they still want to play for another club, now is the chance for them to do it.

Alaba has been at Bayern since the youth, and Thiago since 2013. I guess at 28 and 29 they still want to challenge themselves once more.

This really. I think it would be more surprising if they were players that have only been at the club for a couple of years but they've been at Bayern for 7+ years. If they win this CL then they've achieved everything they possibly could at Bayern in terms of major trophies (Thiago won the CL at Barca but not Bayern). It makes sense that they might be looking at a new project.

 

[Infestissumam]

well for both it's time to cash in one more time ... it's going to be their last big contract. Thiago probably just wants a new challenge, but I personally think Alaba will stay in the end. All about money and respect there I think, he's been a key player there for a long time and he deserves a contract that reflects that.

 

[Lay]

How many more league titles do they want in Germany?

 

[Fortitude]

This really. I think it would be more surprising if they were players that have only been at the club for a couple of years but they've been at Bayern for 7+ years. If they win this CL then they've achieved everything they possibly could at Bayern in terms of major trophies (Thiago won the CL at Barca but not Bayern). It makes sense that they might be looking at a new project.

If Bayern are as good as people think, they have a chance to rack up EC's over the next couple of seasons after this one. I suppose these are pros with one last mega contract in them, but it's interesting to see them walking away from what looks like a serious chance to add top notch silverware to their CV's.

Perhaps fans value these things more than players for [some of] whom maximising their earnings takes precedence.

 

[2ndTouch]

Alaba is pretty likely to stay, Thiago might want to see something new and has lost his starting spot to Kimmch. Still, we might see him for another season in our kit, as I have serious doubts about those FSG cheapskates and their willingness to cough up a decent sum.
If he goes, we'll lose in squad depth of course, as we just won't have anyone to replace Kimmich in case of injury/suspension, and there's very few players out there to match his skillset and even fewer who'd be attainable.
But that's how it is, and a great side should always be able to compensate the loss of a single player anyway. Thiago is a great player, but it's not like he's been carrying this team on his shoulders.

 

[SilentWitness]

If Bayern are as good as people think, they have a chance to rack up EC's over the next couple of seasons after this one. I suppose these are pros with one last mega contract in them, but it's interesting to see them walking away from what looks like a serious chance to add top notch silverware to their CV's.

Perhaps fans value these things more than players for [some of] whom maximising their earnings takes precedence.

That's fair but then you have to think that Thiago has won the Bundesliga every single season since he has been at Bayern. He has 4 German Cups and he'll be hoping he has a CL at Bayern to add to it. The only thing that he would be adding is perhaps another CL but why not try that at another club? If Liverpool are interested then he's going to a club that also have the potential to win another CL in the next few years, plus he has the chance of adding a new trophy to his collection too.

At the end of my career I'd rather be able to say I won La Liga, Bundesliga, and the PL than just two of those leagues.

 

[united_99]

New challenge / more money.
Also - unrelated to their decisions - this “dominating Europe / being the next force in Europe” almost never works out. The only dominant force where people thought they would be dominating Europe and it kind of turned out like this was Barca (if you include their 2015 win you can say they won 3 cups in 7 years).
The more dominant / successful force which actually won 4 cups in 5 seasons wasn’t tipped to this kind of glory at all when they won their first of this series in 2013/14.
Performances and results in Europe always vary from season to season and it’s no surprise that apart from RM no other club has managed to defend the CL in the current (pre COVID) format

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

Bayern will find a way to get big money for them & replace them for a quarter of the price & do just as good of a job.

Wish we were like Bayern.

 

[strongwalker]

Alaba is a favorite of the Kurve, always has been (he is just a very likeable fellow). He's been flirting with offers from other clubs for years now, maybe his girlfriend wants to try out living in Spain can't say I blame her.
I personally think he's going to stay anyway.. KICKER quotes Kahn as having received good vibes in the latest talks which have been ongoing in Portugal.

Thiago on the other hand with all his quality almost always left you with the uneasy feeling that he could be much more with his talent than he showed, sort of an unkept promise. He's definitely going, already sold his house. If he can land the Liverpool spot, good for him. I think he is a bigger part of the team than people realize, but if that's his decision - fine.

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

Bayern will find a way to get big money for them & replace them for a quarter of the price & do just as good of a job.

Wish we were like Bayern.

Yes, it would be very nice to sign a 50 goal a season striker in the prime of his career on a free.

 

[tomaldinho1]

Both getting to last years of their peak - Alaba 28, Thiago 29 - and both can move for a huge payday.

It's worth noting, Bayern never let anyone go they don't want to (maybe a Bayern fan can correct me but every exit seems very planned) and if you're thinking commercially, they will be ecstatic if both are sold this summer. they already have a great squad and both players resale value will only go down. If Liverpool pay £30m for Thiago, City chuck in £50m for Alaba and then they also are getting a huge payday from getting to the CL final (even if they don't win it), they'll be coming out of covid in an immense financial position to pilfer the cash strapped Bundesliga minnows like never before.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Legacy team is a bit much. Weren't Liverpool the next such team last year. Or City billed as that for so long. Let's calm down a tad.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Both getting to last years of their peak - Alaba 28, Thiago 29 - and both can move for a huge payday.

It's worth noting, Bayern never let anyone go they don't want to (maybe a Bayern fan can correct me but every exit seems very planned) and if you're thinking commercially, they will be ecstatic if both are sold this summer. they already have a great squad and both players resale value will only go down. If Liverpool pay £30m for Thiago, City chuck in £50m for Alaba and then they also are getting a huge payday from getting to the CL final (even if they don't win it), they'll be coming out of covid in an immense financial position to pilfer the cash strapped Bundesliga minnows like never before.

Like any top club. But whens the last time Bayern had a truly elite player like Ronaldo/Messi/Mbappe that the biggest clubs just had to have. If they did they'd prolly lose him to Madrid /Barca.

 

[Skills]

Like any top club. But whens the last time Bayern had a truly elite player like Ronaldo/Messi/Mbappe that the biggest clubs just had to have. If they did they'd prolly lose him to Madrid /Barca.

Kroos

 

[Infordin]

Ronaldo/Messi/Mbappe that the biggest clubs just had to have. If they did they'd prolly lose him to Madrid /Barca.

Depends if that star was a German or not

 

[izec]

Alaba will stay, and Thiago is normal, he isn't a Bayern youth player. The other key players, especially German, will stay, as usual.

 

[Infordin]

Kroos

Kroos was willing to stay if he got the same wage as Gotze. Bayern deemed Gotze more valuable (the biggest mistake they have made in this decade).

 

[2ndTouch]

Kroos was willing to stay if he got the same wage as Gotze. Bayern deemed Gotze more valuable (the biggest mistake they have made in this decade).

It was the biggest, most unncessary screw up I've seen in my whole life as a fan, and I'm watching since 1984.

 

[LoneStar]

Bayern will find a way to get big money for them & replace them for a quarter of the price & do just as good of a job.

Wish we were like Bayern.

They always pick the best players from their league. This is kind of what we used to do, but can’t anymore because of too much competition.

They always tend to have a core of German players, and add quality on top.

 

[Zen]

Given the money there is to be made in non-elite leagues.... this 'payday' excuse isn't the full reasoning anymore, Thiago seems set on Liverpool who aren't gonna pay gaudy wages too. Alaba is probably similar mindset, do whatever you want at Bayern... but the German league is still not Spain or England in terms of worldwide appeal, probably means a lot to the players to prove their worth in those leagues.

 

[tomaldinho1]

Like any top club. But whens the last time Bayern had a truly elite player like Ronaldo/Messi/Mbappe that the biggest clubs just had to have. If they did they'd prolly lose him to Madrid /Barca.

It's actually unlike most top clubs - Kroos left because they refused his contract demands, it wasn't like what we deal with at United, Spurs, Liverpool, Chelsea etc with Ronaldo, Bale, Coutinho, Suarez, Courtois type transfers where the player has always wanted to play for a specific club. I also doubt they'd ever be anywhere near huge transfers because their model is too good; they win something domestic every year, usually do well in the CL and then take the best talents in the Bundesliga, usually by unsettling them and getting them to run down contracts, and it's worked a treat for them. I'd also argue they have the best striker in the world, the best LWB in the world, arguably best keeper and then Gnabry, Kimmich, Sane (coming in), Mueller are all top players so whilst none of them are Messi/CR7 they are elite players.

I do get that the league itself for someone like Thiago might not be the most exciting, he's won it every season since he's been there and most players seem to want to be in the PL, LL, or even Serie A above the Bundesliga or L1.

 

[AltiUn]

Bayern sort of wasted a lot of years in the CL, they tip-toed around the latter stages without ever actually troubling the competition. While it looks like the start of a great new team it's really not, this looks to me more like a last hurrah more than the beginning of a dynasty. Muller, Lewandoski, Neuer, Martinez and Boateng are all over 30 so decline will begin to set in soon, if it hasn't already, and two of the generation after themin Thiago and Alaba are looking to leave when they'd usually be the ones to carry the torch until the younger players settle.

After this season I don't foresee Bayern in another final for a few years, but they'll have probably built another CL challenging squad in about 3/4 years time.

 

[Hansinity]

Alaba and Thiago leaving isn't too worrying.

Alaba was LB - > Davies replaced him there. And Süle is back from injury to play CB again( was a starter before )
Boateng back in top form, then you have Lucas Hernandez + a new CB ( in case Alaba leaves )


Thiago leaving makes me kinda sad as he is one of my favourite players to watch , but Kimmich + Goretzka is the starting duo anyway. Then you still have Tolisso +1 new CM in case Thiago leaves.


Only Neuer / Lewandowski leaving would decrease the quality by a lot.

 

[432JuanMata]

They always pick the best players from their league. This is kind of what we used to do, but can’t anymore because of too much competition.

They always tend to have a core of German players, and add quality on top.

It’s what top teams or teams aiming for top do. I agree that they always have quality that is why I have been disappointed with them in the CL over the last few years. Look phenomenal this season to be fair

 

[BayernFan87]

Alaba will probably stay and Thiago wants to see and win something new after 7 years, can't blame him.

As others have said, I don't think that this is the start of some sort of dynasty.
Lewandowski turns 32 tomorrow, Neuer is 34, Müller turns 31 in a month. These three players are absolutely essential for the way we play. And although Lewandowski rather got better and better in recent years, he will start to decline like every other player in this age.

I can see us challenging for the title again in the next two years. But I'm not sure about that if we win on sunday. The spirit and the hunger of all the players is the key to success this season. They wouldn't be the first player to lose a bit of this hunger after the biggest success in their career.

 

[432JuanMata]

Alaba will probably stay and Thiago wants to see and win something new after 7 years, can't blame him.

As others have said, I don't think that this is the start of some sort of dynasty.
Lewandowski turns 32 tomorrow, Neuer is 34, Müller turns 31 in a month. These three players are absolutely essential for the way we play. And although Lewandowski rather got better and better in recent years, he will start to decline like every other player in this age.

I can see us challenging for the title again in the next two years. But I'm not sure about that if we win on sunday. The spirit and the hunger of all the players is the key to success this season. They wouldn't be the first player to lose a bit of this hunger after the biggest success in their career.

While you have top players this Bayern side reminds me of the Germany side from a few years ago they are just a fantastic team. While I feel Bayern have better players than when Germany won the World Cup it has the same kind of togetherness and spirit where they all play as one.

 

[United58]

Ronaldo and Tevez? Owner influence?

 

[BayernFan87]

While you have top players this Bayern side reminds me of the Germany side from a few years ago they are just a fantastic team. While I feel Bayern have better players than when Germany won the World Cup it has the same kind of togetherness and spirit where they all play as one.

I agree, it's a fantastic TEAM.

I don't know how it is in England or other countries but in German pubs all the drunk "pundits" say that they would also be able to coach a bunch of millionaires and that the guy at the sideline is irrelevant.

But if you look at this same Bayern team at the beginning of the season under Kovac and compare it with the team now under Flick, it's like these are two completely different groups of players.

Not only regarding the way we play, but also regarding the fact how every player runs and fights for his teammates.

 

[Hansinity]

Bayern sort of wasted a lot of years in the CL, they tip-toed around the latter stages without ever actually troubling the competition. While it looks like the start of a great new team it's really not, this looks to me more like a last hurrah more than the beginning of a dynasty. Muller, Lewandoski, Neuer, Martinez and Boateng are all over 30 so decline will begin to set in soon, if it hasn't already, and two of the generation after themin Thiago and Alaba are looking to leave when they'd usually be the ones to carry the torch until the younger players settle.

After this season I don't foresee Bayern in another final for a few years, but they'll have probably built another CL challenging squad in about 3/4 years time.

Müller/Lewandowski/ Neuer still have at least 2/3 years to play on top level I am sure. ( Lewandowski probably even more)
Martinez leaving has actually 0 impact ( injured and benched for the last years ).
If Boateng AND Alaba leave it would hurt, but actually is is more likely that both will stay. Alaba + Süle + Hernandez/ Boateng + 1 new CB next season ( I bet my money on Upamecano repalcing Hernandez or Boateng next year )

For CM you have Goretzka + Kimmich+ Tolisso + 1 new singning

Winger: Coman + Sane + Gnabry + Perisic/ new signing


Replacing Neuer and Lewandowski will be the biggest challenges. But looking at some other top teams I think Bayern are one of the better prepared teams for the next years and future.

 

[432JuanMata]

I agree, it's a fantastic TEAM.

I don't know how it is in England or other countries but in German pubs all the drunk "pundits" say that they would also be able to coach a bunch of millionaires and that the guy at the sideline is irrelevant.

But if you look at this same Bayern team at the beginning of the season under Kovac and compare it with the team now under Flick, it's like these are two completely different groups of players.

Not only regarding the way we play, but also regarding the fact how every player runs and fights for his teammates.

That is everywhere it’s the typical armchair fan if it was that easy they wouldn’t have a coach and you can see the difference since the start of the season for Christ sake Bayern are 28 wins and 1 draw since December. They Trashed Chelsea and Barca. I feel the Flick has them motivated and seems that the togetherness is there.

On Sunday the 2 best players(depends how you rate Lewandowski) are playing in attack for PSG yet I feel Bayern will win 3 or 4-1 they just seem more of a team and PSG seem more of individuals

 

[Acrobat7]

Don’t forget that Bayern has been pretty quietly working on getting talent into the club. Tanguy Nianzou being the most promising example.
And as others have said, Alaba will probably stay and Thiago leave. Definitely a loss, but Kimmich, Goretzka, Tolisso, Cuisance are capable for the 6 and 8 roles.

 

[Web of Bissaka]

1. Too many german trophies won already. How many more do you want to win? They also realize they can win CL elsewhere. It's never a guarantee reaching final consistently with Bayern.

2. Seek higher wages elsewhere, retirement planning.
Do Bayern give lucrative deals to older players? doubt it.

3. Slight new challenges in different leagues and city/environments.

 

[Hansinity]

1. Too many german trophies won already. How many more do you want to win? They also realize they can win CL elsewhere. It's never a guarantee reaching final consistently with Bayern.

2. Seek higher wages elsewhere, retirement planning.
Do Bayern give lucrative deals to older players? doubt it.

3. Slight new challenges in different leagues and city/environments.

I agree with every point except Alaba won't earn more in any other club during these times. Bayern is offering him around 300k a week. I am 100% convinced there is no club ready to pay close to transfer fee+ 300k/w +.

 

[TheMagicFoolBus]

Müller/Lewandowski/ Neuer still have at least 2/3 years to play on top level I am sure. ( Lewandowski probably even more)
Martinez leaving has actually 0 impact ( injured and benched for the last years ).
If Boateng AND Alaba leave it would hurt, but actually is is more likely that both will stay. Alaba + Süle + Hernandez/ Boateng + 1 new CB next season ( I bet my money on Upamecano repalcing Hernandez or Boateng next year )

For CM you have Goretzka + Kimmich+ Tolisso + 1 new singning

Winger: Coman + Sane + Gnabry + Perisic/ new signing

Replacing Neuer and Lewandowski will be the biggest challenges. But looking at some other top teams I think Bayern are one of the better prepared teams for the next years and future.

100%. Current players aged 25 or under:

Kouassi (18)
Zirkzee (19)
Davies (19)
Cuisance (21)
Nubel (23)
Sane (24)
Sule (24)
Hernandez (24)
Pavard (24)
Coman (24)
Gnabry (25)
Kimmich (25)
Goretzka (25)

 

[Cheimoon]

Like any top club. But whens the last time Bayern had a truly elite player like Ronaldo/Messi/Mbappe that the biggest clubs just had to have. If they did they'd prolly lose him to Madrid /Barca.

Erm, are you suggesting Bayern has not had genuine top players in the last decade? If you limit it to the genuine world top, then sure - but there are only a handful of those anyway by definition. And even so, Robben has been in that category during his Bayern period. Additionally, how about players like Ribéry, Lewandowsky, Neuer, Müller, or Lahm? Just to name a couple off the top of my head. Also, Davies is one of the hottest prospects in football right now, but is anyone trying to pull him away from Bayern?

 

[charlenefan]

Firstly two players equal a team disbanding?
Secondly it's likely one of those two will actually stay
Thirdly the reasons why those players may leave are obvious - money

 

[432JuanMata]

Erm, are you suggesting Bayern has not had genuine top players in the last decade? If you limit it to the genuine world top, then sure - but there are only a handful of those anyway by definition. And even so, Robben has been in that category during his Bayern period. Additionally, how about players like Ribéry, Lewandowsky, Neuer, Müller, or Lahm? Just to name a couple off the top of my head. Also, Davies is one of the hottest prospects in football right now, but is anyway trying to pull him away from Bayern?

Yeah madness isn’t it. It seems like people only count Ronaldo/Messi level as elite. Sure Neuer was the best GK for years, Lewandowski is one, if not the best 9 in the last 10 years. Robben was elite so was Ribery for a while. Lahm was most definitely elite for a few years