According to reports, during Saturday night’s match between Bayern Munich and Borussia Mönchengladbach, a moment occurred that will remain in the memories of Bayern fans for years. When Thomas Müller was substituted in the 84th minute, everyone knew it was the last time they would see their beloved star wearing a Bayern Munich jersey in a match.

All fans at the Allianz Arena stood up and applauded Müller. Many Bayern Munich players, substitutes, and coaching staff entered the pitch to form a guard of honor for Müller.

The German newspaper Bild reported that this event has caused dissatisfaction among other German clubs. They argue that stopping the game and allowing substitutes to enter the pitch without the referee’s permission was against the rules, and it seems the German Football Federation favors Bayern Munich.

Sport1 reported that they have obtained information indicating that Bayern Munich did not coordinate this event with the refereeing team beforehand, and the referees were surprised when they saw Bayern’s actions.

Even before the match, no Bayern official had spoken to the federation, league organization, or refereeing team to obtain permission.

According to Sport1, the referee of the match, Sven Jablonski, and his assistants had no problem with Bayern’s gesture and did not mention it as a violation in their report. The referee told the German website: “There was no problem because we were dealing with a special occasion. We only added a few minutes to stoppage time at the end of the game.”

Under normal circumstances, the German Football League fines clubs that stop games without coordination and allow non-players onto the pitch. However, Thomas Müller’s popularity is such that it is unlikely German clubs will file an official complaint against Bayern Munich or demand penalties for the farewell celebration.