Thomas Müller is still very close to German soccer, even thousands of kilometers away from Munich. The 36-year-old, who plays for Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS, continues to follow the action in the Bundesliga closely. In his newsletter, the 2014 world champion has now revealed which TV pundit he particularly appreciates – and this choice is unlikely to be met with enthusiasm everywhere at Säbener Straße
„In keeping with his spirit, I’m simply going to give Didi Hamann the thumbs up,“ Müller writes. A clear statement – and a highly controversial one, as Hamann has repeatedly attracted attention in recent years with harsh criticism of FC Bayern
Müller nevertheless explains his choice in detail. Although he does not share every opinion of the Sky expert, something else is decisive for him. Hamann presents his arguments coherently, defends his theses with heart and soul and remains authentic. That is exactly what makes good soccer entertainment for him. Experts are allowed to throw out steep theses as long as they do not go below the belt
Permanent spat between Hamann and Bayern
The fact that Müller singles out Hamann, of all people, is certainly explosive, as there have recently been several clashes between the former international and those responsible at the record champions
In October 2024, sporting director Max Eberl was furious following Hamann’s criticism of the €100 million transfer fee for Harry Kane. Eberl publicly compared Hamann to a „tinnitus“ that resurfaces every few days. Sporting director Christoph Freund also clearly contradicted Hamann’s statements about Jamal Musiala, describing them as „absurd“
The dispute with former coach Thomas Tuchel was particularly heated. At the start of 2024, Hamann described him as the „biggest misunderstanding since Jürgen Klinsmann“. He later even had to publicly apologise for making statements that were wrong in terms of content – which Tuchel did not really accept. Honorary President Uli Hoeneß also got involved and vented his anger
Even former managers such as Hasan Salihamidzic had public spats with Hamann, meaning that the tension between the TV pundit and FC Bayern was anything but relaxed
Müller soon at the microphone himself
It is therefore all the more remarkable that Müller is demonstratively backing Hamann. The two are linked by their past at FC Bayern and their Bavarian roots. But Müller’s praise seems like a deliberate signal: controversial opinions are part of the business for him
Ironically, Müller will be appearing as a TV pundit for Magenta TV for the first time at the World Cup in the summer. Will he then be as pointed in his analysis as his favourite? The conditions are certainly in place for an entertaining firework display.