Column: A bearded miller

Up until now, there hasn't been nothing there. But not much either, especially when it comes to soccer. Vancouver. You think of ice hockey. Makes sense, really. The Vancouver Canucks are a franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL). The 2010 Winter Olympics were held in this region. And yes, it's beautiful. I was there 15 years ago. And Vancouver Island! A dream. Mild climate, great art scene. If it weren't so far away and, above all, so expensive: I could imagine living there. Unfortunately, as in many large cities, not everything that glitters is gold in Vancouver. Heaven and hell are just a few streets apart. Thomas Müller, the soccer player for FC Bayern Munich—that's what I'll simply call him, because nothing else will do—has now moved there and likes to pose in front of the skyscrapers on the Westside, where there are also apartments with panoramic views. Müller is now also, in a way, an ambassador for the Canadians and a soccer development aid worker anyway.

I don't know if he's ever been to the Eastside. (He should go sometime, with company.) The accommodations there aren't exactly lucrative. There are sleeping bags, or nothing at all, for the numerous homeless people. Drug overdoses are commonplace. None of those living there in inhumane conditions have ever heard of Müller. Maybe they've seen his picture in the newspaper, the one he used to protect himself from the night's cold. Football isn't for the poor.

Ambassadors and development workers At least Thomas Müller has managed to get us in Europe suddenly more interested in Canadian soccer, which certainly has a rich history. The Canadians were even Olympic champions in soccer once, in 1904 in St. Louis. They've also participated in the World Cup twice, never advancing beyond the group stage. And now they're definitely going to be there next year as a co-host, along with the USA and Mexico.

Thomas Müller has been playing overseas since this summer. © APA / SAM HODDE

Müller chose the perfect time for his move to Canada, and he was able to prepare a little. Alphonso Davis, one of the best left-backs in the Bundesliga, is Canadian. We know Thomas didn't take his wife Lisa with him. 8200 kilometers will initially be bridged by a long-distance relationship. It's doable, even if it sounds terrible. And he had pictures of his teammates sent to him so he always knows who's playing alongside him. In training and especially in matches. And Müller is back where he was for a long time at FC Bayern, especially under Louis von Gaal, who coined the legendary phrase: "Müller always plays." At Bayern, he'd recently spent more time on the bench and was a fringe player. Reserves, in other words. Retirement. Now the world is right again for him. Müller always plays, and I'm also reminded of the other Müller, the one who once set out for the New World. Gerd Müller changed his life even more decisively than Thomas. He opened a steakhouse in Fort Lauderdale (Florida) and was never happy there.

30 percent more viewers Thomas is clearly doing better. Since he joined the Vancouver Whitecaps, attendance figures have improved significantly. An average of 26.000 fans now watch the Whitecaps' games – 30 percent more than before Müller's arrival. And the native of Weilheim (a small town south of Munich) is delivering. Goals, above all. Eight in eight games. He won the Canadian Championship with his new team. It was his 35th title. This put him ahead of players like Toni Kroos, who reached 34. And Thomas Müller isn't finished yet. In the opening game of the Major League Soccer (MSL) playoffs, he scored a penalty in the 3-0 victory against FC Dallas. He received a visit from Bavarian Broadcasting. Amazon dedicated a documentary to him before his departure ("Thomas Müller – One of a Kind"), and Germany's tabloid newspaper broadcasts "Radio Müller." He effortlessly glides past current Bundesliga events and overtakes them. The gap is shrinking and is barely perceptible. Thomas Müller has become a brand. The sporting merit of his performances in Canada is irrelevant. His new image seems to be far more important. And quite calculatedly. He grew a "lumberjack beard." To ensure everything was in order, he had colleagues recommend a barber who would monitor its growth and occasionally trim it. He'll be back at next year's World Cup as well: as a pundit for a TV station. The motto is clear: It's all Müller, or what? Beard or no beard.

About the author: Sigi Heinrich The multi-award-winning sports journalist (winner of the German Television Award and the Bavarian Sports Award, and nominated for the prestigious Grimme Prize), author, physical education teacher, long-time sports editor of the Süddeutsche Zeitung, and commentator for Eurosport since 1989, dedicates his weekly column to the entire spectrum of sports. This also includes forays into unfamiliar territory. Sometimes with a wry smile, sometimes thoughtfully, or even deliberately provocatively. After all, there should be something for everyone.

football

Italy

International leagues

International

hockey

tennis

Winter sports

Learn More

Motorsport

Cycling

Watersports

Favorites

Column: A bearded miller

Our columnist Sigi Heinrich has observed that the great distance since his move to Canada hasn't harmed Thomas Müller. On the contrary: he's more present in his old homeland than he has been in a long time.

Comments (0)