By DPA
Munich : Mehmet Scholl left the pitch in the 53rd minute to a standing ovation to end 15 years of loyal service to Bayern Munich – and it didn’t really matter what the likes of Lionel Messi or Thierry Henry were doing on the pitch.
The testimonial match – officially the Franz Beckenbauer Cup – between Bayern and a full-strength Barcelona Wednesday was really of secondary importance.
On a warm evening in the Munich Arena, a 69,000 capacity crowd had come to bid farewell to their own star – but one who never acted the star despite a haul of 15 trophies including an unprecedented eight Bundesliga titles and a UEFA Champions League medal.
“In more than 15 years here Mehmet was always a friend of the club who always gave everything,” said Bayern manager Uli Hoeness, leading the plaudits for a midfielder who has always been a favourite among players and fans alike.
Club president Beckenbauer – probably the greatest player to wear a Bayern shirt – was also full of praise for the 36-year-old veteran who officially hung up his boots at the end of last season.
“Mehmet was an exceptional player who could play in any team. He was a player who could decide a game with his technique and speed. The Bundesliga will miss his type of player,” he said.
Scholl plans to take a complete break from the game but Hoeness said there was a “permanent” offer open to him to work for the club in some capacity, perhaps as a youth team coordinator.
Scholl, who made his Bundesliga debut in 1990 at SC Karlsruhe before playing 15 years in Munich until the May 19 season finale, was one of Germany’s most gifted midfielders.
But a series of injuries prevented his career from really taking off, especially at national team level. Scholl never played at the World Cup, his biggest success in 36 caps being the Euro 1996 title.
Scholl chose Barcelona for his farewell rather than have a “fun” game with friends and former pros.
And so the likes of Ronaldinho, Henry, Eto’o and Messi took the field in Barcelona’s last match before the beginning of the Spanish league season.
For the record, Barcelona won 1-0 – thanks to an 85th-minute left-foot volley in off the post from the edge of the area by Messi – but Scholl was not concerned.
“It is a consolation that the goal came when I was no longer on the pitch, and so for me it was goalless while I was playing,” said Scholl after the game.
“These 50 minutes gave me so much and I can now go home satisfied. I have no plans. I will do a lot of things now that I didn’t have time for before,” he added before the post-match farewells began.