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Mats Hummels to BVB: The dangerous game of Bayern Munich
On the YouTube channel of FC Bayern, there has been in recent years a popular with the fans series. Under the hashtag #thomats, Thomas Müller and Mats Hummels dueled in blundering duels. Target shooting at an oversized dartboard, for example. Or football golf, with the fewest shots from the back training ground to the clubhouse, all garnished with silly comments. The last episode was a week ago, a tennis challenge with guest star Alexander Zverev.
The fans now have to do without further editions.
With the departure of the center-back, Bayern lose more than just a hobby humorist - but an important pillar, an identification and integration figure. In addition, they lose a very good defender. It is all the more astonishing that the Bayern Hummels have now moved back to Dortmund after three years in Munich.
Upswing in the second half
Mag Hummels may have aged a bit at the age of 30, and just in the first round of last season, deficits in the pace were clear: In the second half, he increased enormously. In the first leg of the first knockout round in Liverpool Hummels was next to Javi Martínez the best Munich and also excelled in other top games such as in the 5-0 against former and new club Dortmund or on the penultimate round in Leipzig. No, Hummels was not great in every game. But too often and especially in too important encounters, than that one could do without him now.
Because despite the transfer fee of 38 million euros, the transfer carries a great risk. It is completely unclear how and whether the defense of a well-established central duo will work in the future. Whether the injured 80-million newcomer Lucas Hernández is fit at the start of the season and in shape. Whether Niklas Süle, for whom Hummels as an assistant was an important stop, harmonized with Hernández. Also, as the other newcomer, the most recent at the relegated VfB Stuttgart is very mixed playing and also as a right-back deployable Benjamin Pavard will present. And above all: whether these three central defenders really enough.
Because the fourth man Jérôme Boateng will stay in Munich is hard to imagine. As unenthusiastic as he recently presented himself around the championship celebrations, and as clearly as he was publicly advised by Bayern President Uli Hoeneß and suggested a change.
It is striking and noteworthy in this context, as the responsible just one player after another frighten: James Rodríguez, incidentally, at the Copa América just with Colombia in the 2-0 against Argentina shone, under Niko Kovac but never felt confidence and usually sat on the bench. And Hummels, who liked to act as internal as well as external critic of the tactics and the game idea of Kovac. And the club bosses now, as you can hear, said bluntly after the cup finals in Berlin that he has no chance in Munich against the set in central defense Süle and Hernández.
"If you would know"
So consistently and unerringly the club just dumped important players in an amazing way, as little as the Bavarians currently seem to know themselves what they want and who they still want. And above all, who else they get. Although Hoeness sounded already in February in a "double pass" at Sport1: "If you knew what we already have everything safe for the upcoming season." That's what you would like to know now. What are the Bavarians still waiting for with the announcement of the supposedly safe new entrants? Or did Hoeneß just say that? Do Bayern even have a plan who they still want?
Hasan Salihamidzic was interviewed last week on the sidelines of a golf tournament in Sardinia. The sports director stood relaxed in front of a camera and said: "We want to do some things in the transfer market, but we have some months to work on it, we have to be patient and wait, we'll see what's possible." To be patient? Wait? If he really meant that seriously, then Bayern are in great danger of missing out on important transfer deals from Pomadigkeit.
For Hummels the way back to BVB is just the right step. Even with an expected little warm welcome from the fans: Hummels knows Dortmund, the environment, above all, coach Lucien Favre will give him exactly the confidence that Kovac denied him: the necessary support for a strengthened self-esteem and top performance on the pitch.
In Munich Hummels will be missing. The team, the fans - and also a Thomas Müller. Because the stuff to a successor of Hummels as a new co-comedians has Bayern Munich none. So #tho has to fool around alone now.