Open letter from Roy Makaay:
To Bayern fans everywhere,
It's been a busy last few days, so I wanted to take this opportunity to bid you farewell for now. After four years in Munich, I'm leaving Bayern and returning to the Netherlands, where I'm joining Feyenoord in Rotterdam. I've had a fantastic and successful time in Munich, and experienced many wonderful things with Bayern. We've won the league and the Cup on two occasions apiece, and I can look back fondly on 102 goals, including the fastest goal in Champions League history.
But the time has come to say goodbye. The club has signed two first-class strikers in Miroslav Klose and Luca Toni, who will obviously be first-choice provided they're fit. Then you have a young German international, Lukas Podolski, who has both the desire and the requirement to make the breakthrough in his second season in Munich. No way am I moving on because I don't fancy the battle for a place, but the fact is I'd be left with the role of third or fourth choice striker.
However, I feel I'm in far too good shape for that. We strikers have to be playing regularly, so I asked the board at an early stage if they would release me in the event all the transfers came off. Bayern have behaved impeccably, and I'm very thankful to the club for that. Naturally, I could have moved within the Bundesliga, and there were offers on the table. But Bayern are very close to my heart nowadays, and I've had such good times here, that it wouldn't have been possible to play against the club in the league and cup.
So now my family and I are off to Rotterdam, where a new, major challenge awaits. Just like at Bayern, last season was not great for Feyenoord, who finished only seventh. I want to help this tradition-rich club celebrate their centenary next season with a return to former glory days. And my kids will live in the Netherlands for the first time, another reason why it was important for everything to be settled quickly and smoothly.
In the words of the song made famous by Franz Beckenbauer, you can't separate good friends. That certainly applies to me and Bayern Munich. I'll be back in Munich very frequently, and I'll drop by and visit the folk at the club. And at Mehmet Scholl's testimonial, I'll say a personal farewell to the crowd at the Allianz Arena. Once again, I'm extremely grateful to the club for making that possible.
Finally, I'd like to give all of you, the fans, deep and warm thanks for your loyalty and support over the years. Who knows? Perhaps we'll meet again when I'm at Feyenoord - preferably in the Champions' League!
Farewell, and see you soon
Roy Makaay
