Before the MLS final, Vancouver sporting director Axel Schuster explains why he wouldn’t trade Thomas Müller for any other superstar – not even Lionel Messi, the upcoming opponent.
Three days before the MLS final against Inter Miami and superstar Lionel Messi (Saturday, 8:30 PM live), Vancouver’s sporting director Axel Schuster has emphasized the importance of Thomas Müller – and explained why he prefers the Bayern icon to the Argentinian.
“Müller is preferable to Messi for Vancouver,” Schuster emphasized to Sport Bild . “We know who we are. We are a club that plays in a small market. A lot works for us through cohesion, through identification, also through helping and supporting each other.”
Thomas Müller meets Inter Miami with the Whitecaps in the final
The Whitecaps players are “all not too good to iron out a colleague’s mistake, to stand up for him. That’s what makes us so strong,” the person in charge continued. “For that you also have to sign the right lighthouse player, as I would describe Thomas.”
Vancouver boss raves about Müller
Müller moved to the Canadian west coast in the summer after his contract with FC Bayern expired on a free transfer. Messi has been playing in the MLS since 2023 and also costs his club no transfer fee.
“It’s no use having a superstar who has a completely different approach to the game. That’s why I say: For us, Thomas Müller is the best player in the world,” explained Schuster.
The former Bundesliga official, who had worked for Mainz and Schalke, praised Müller in the highest terms: “He has extraordinary qualities and is also a real team player. He is someone who wants the others next to him to look good and shine.”
MLS: Müller is waving a title bonus
Both Messi and Müller have won numerous trophies in their careers. In contrast to the Argentinian world star, who has been awarded the Ballon d’Or eight times, Müller has hardly won any personal awards. For Schuster, however, it is clear: “I wouldn’t trade Thomas for any other superstar in the world.”
Should Müller actually crown himself champion with the Whitecaps on Saturday, he will receive a championship bonus of around 300,000 euros, according to Sport Bild . In addition, a team bonus, which is divided among the players, would also be due.