Bayern Munich unveiled their new home kit for the 2015-16 season in front of 68,000 fans at a packed Allianz Arena on Saturday. The Bavarian heroes stood in all their usual glory. The stands were full, a pitch-side stage had been set and triumphant music blasted from the speakers. Yet one thing was missing.
Philipp Lahm was there. As was Robert Lewandowski. Pep Guardiola, Thomas Muller, Mario Gotze... all the big names were present as the players and coaching staff emerged from the tunnel, except one. Bastian Schweinsteiger; a first-team Bayern player for 13 years and essentially a part of the furniture in Munich. Until now.
Amongst the initial fanfare that greeted the news of the Germany international opting to sign for Manchester United, there were a great deal of Bayern fans who chose to instead react to the transfer with a simple, calm acceptance.
*2014-15 Bundesliga stats
Schweinsteiger may be a smart signing for the Premier League giants but his time in Germany was almost certainly coming to an end and, for many around the Allianz Arena, the writing was already on the wall.
At 30-years-old, Schweinsteiger should be in the prime of his career and having only won the World Cup with Germany 12 months ago, there should be very little that can come between the player and his goals next season.
However, while the new Germany captain did indeed play an important role in his country's historic achievement in Brazil last summer, it was a gruelling task from which the central midfielder has never really recovered.
Soon after the summer tournament, Schweinsteiger picked up yet another injury relating to a knee problem that has dogged him for the past two seasons. Four months passed before he would be allowed back on a football pitch in mid-November but, by then, Bayern were already 18 games in to their new season and things had changed in Pep Guardiola's squad.
Perhaps most notably, Xabi Alonso had signed for the German champions over the summer months and had stepped in to Schweinsteiger's role in the heart of Guardiola's midfield without breaking a sweat.
From one game to the next, the former Liverpool and Real Madrid star dictated Bayern's tempo and midfield play. By the time that Schweinsteiger was back fighting fit, his new Spanish colleague had won the hearts of the coaching team and the Munich faithful.
Similarly, Guardiola's continued experimentation with Lahm as a central midfielder alongside David Alaba was making things hard for young hopefuls Sebastian Rode and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, let alone an ageing star who hadn't completed over 30 league games in a single season for Bayern since 2011.
Add to that the talents of Thiago and Javi Martinez, who joined Schweinsteiger on the injury list for the first half of Bayern's season, and it's difficult to argue with the reasoning behind Saturday's major announcement. Guardiola simply had too many central midfielders and somebody had to go.
Although Schweinsteiger's contribution to Bayern's title-winning campaigns throughout the years have never been fully defined by what he has done on the pitch - he is, after all, a very strong personality and leader within any dressing room - it was his performances in games last season which ultimately sealed his departure.
Guardiola and fans alike will have gone into the close-season knowing that Bayern needed new solutions to the problems that dogged them in the Champions League and, at times, the Bundesliga too. And, understandably, at no point was the 30-year-old ever considered as a foundation upon which the club would build for the future.
Although such a move may come back to bite Guardiola - especially if Martinez and Thiago continue to struggle to find consistent good health - it is undoubtedly one that fans seem happy to comprehend in Germany. Bayern were slowly moving on under their Spanish coach and with every passing day it seemed as though Schweinsteiger was being left behind.
As he approaches the final furlong of a glittering career, Schweinsteiger will undoubtedly have more than one eye on Euro 2016 and regular football under Louis van Gaal will ensure he gets his international curtain call.
This is the right time for Schweinsteiger and Bayern to go their separate ways.
Photo Credit- goal.com
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