Bayern fans unhappy about Schweinsteiger exit

Bayern Munich's fans seem to be the only ones that are not amused by the reported transfer of Bavarian icon Bastian Schweinsteiger.

The 30-year-old midfielder and captain of the German national team is, according to media reports, about to leave the German champions after 17 years and will join Champions League rival Manchester United.

Schweinsteiger will reportedly sign a three-year contract in England and follow his former Bayern coach Louis van Gaal. "Man U" is reportedly paying between 18 and 20 million euros for Schweinsteiger and he will be paid up to 13 million euro per season.

Soon after the German tabloid "Bild" reported on Schweinsteiger's transfer, fans started to express their concern that Bayern Munich would "sell its identity". During the last days blogs popped up like "Schweinsteiger must stay", "football god stay" or "pro Schweinsteiger".

Schweinsteiger is the second German-born midfielder who is leaving Bayern in the era of Spanish coach Pep Guardiola. The 45-year-old was not willing to grant Schweinsteiger a place in the starting eleven. But Schweinsteiger needs to be part of the line-up as he plans to lead the German national team as captain during the 2016 European Championship in France.

Van Gaal, other than Guardiola, is willing to guarantee Schweinsteiger a key role. Before Schweinsteiger, Bayern midfielder Toni Kroos also left Bayern to join Real Madrid.

The exit of Schweinsteiger is regarded as another signal from Bayern's leading figures such as CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in favor of Pep Guardiola. Many around the club see Rummenigge's policy as a risk.

The Munich-based daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung wrote recently: "Bayern Munich depends in his future plans on a coach like they have never done before".

The Munich-based news magazine "Focus" changed the Bayern Munich slogan "Mia san mia" (we are us) into "Mia san Guardiola". Meaning: Bayern is entirely dependent on Guardiola.

Now it is expected that Guardiola is allowed to re-invest the Schweinsteiger transfer money into a new player after Bayern have just signed Brazilian winger Douglas Costa. And that despite the fact that Guardiola has not yet signed a new contract. Rummenigge and Co. however have expressed their wish that he will. Guardiola's current one ends in 2016. With Schweinsteiger leaving, many fear that the Spanish fraction will increase as in Bayern's midfield. Guardiola seems to be favoring a midfield of Alonso, Thiago, Martinez and Costa.

The Spaniard is now under much more pressure than ever before. If he again fails to get into the Champions League final or has to go through a crisis in the Bundesliga, he will be under fire of Bayern's fans. A fact even Rummenigge and Co. can't ignore.

During the last season, the 2014 world champion Schweinsteiger increasingly got the impression he has lost the race for a place in Bayern's midfield as he often was sidelined as soon as the entire squad was ready for action.

To gain more respect and be more accepted as a grown-up player a few years ago, Schweinsteiger actually asked fans and the public not to call him "Schweini" anymore. His nickname "Schweini" was more appropriate to a junior player in the age group teams than the leader of the senior team he wanted to be seen as. A leader like he was in the 2014 World Cup final when he conquered fans hearts as a hero with a bleeding eyebrow.

When Louis van Gaal was coach in Bayern, Schweinsteiger was his man, as he now will be his man in Manchester.

In Munich more and more doubts grew that Bayern does not need Schweinsteiger's abilities as he seemed to lack the needed speed in midfield. The combination Schweinsteiger/Alonso seldom worked well.

On top Schweinsteiger had injury problems and missed 14 games of the last season. Early on Guardiola did send little signs to his club and Schweinsteiger that he prefers more dynamic players like Thiago, Alonso and Lahm, or Alaba and Hoejberg.

Now, the man that seemed to fit to Munich like the "Hofbrauhaus", Munich most famous beer temple, is leaving. For he himself it looks like the chance to convince his critics and find a way back into a more happy life as a footballer.

With the club, he played for nearly two decades, happiness seemed to be far away. Even experienced players like Schweinsteiger need confidence, something Bayern and Guardiola were not willing to give him.

Guardiola and Rummenigge now have to prove that it was right for the sake of a better game to let a man go that was regarded as a vital piece of Bayern's identity, having done 502 games for the club and being part of the Bavarian soul.

Bavarian-born Schweinsteiger's transfers on the other hand means that Guardiola's credit is gone. The Spaniard will have to deliver results now. Enditem