FC Bayern Munich – When FC Zurich didn’t want Thomas Müller to “run like a duck”

Thomas Müller is now an icon of football. FC Zurich once found no use for him – for a curious reason.

For one or the other, Thomas Müller may come across as a rather unconventional professional footballer. The 32-year-old also stands out when it comes to interviews and social media.

Nevertheless – or perhaps because of it – Müller is a cult figure apart from his sporting achievements at FC Bayern Munich.

For example, while Manchester United tried several times to break the original Bavarian from Munich, FC Zurich Müller’s art was once a thorn in the side.

Zurich refused “Ente” Müller: “Yes, I said that”

When Müller ran up for the second representation of the German record champions in the 2008/09 season, the possibility of a loan to Switzerland arose.

“We were offered Müller back then. They wanted him to gain match practice,” Zurich boss Ancillo Canepa later revealed Look kick.

So Canepa, together with Zurich’s then sports director Fredy Bickel, put the youngster under the microscope using a few videos – and finally decided against a deal.

The reason: “I said, ‘He’s so big and walks like a duck’. Yes, I said that,” admitted Canepa.

FC Bayern: Müller is developing into a club icon

Looking back, Canepa explained, the failed move to Switzerland was “a stroke of luck” for Müller. The same applies to FC Bayern. In August 2008 Müller celebrated his professional debut, and in the following season his star really rose in Munich. Since then, the 2014 world champion has played an impressive 599 competitive games for Bayern, scored 220 goals and put on 230 more. Among other things, ten championship titles, six cup wins, two Champions League trophies and two Club World Cup trophies are on Müller’s personal track record.

It is currently unclear whether the success story will continue beyond the end of his contract in 2023. Maybe there will be something with a move abroad after all. In all likelihood, FC Zurich will then no longer play a role.