Dier explains Bayern departure: "At Monaco there were no ifs and buts"

Eric Dier completed his final laps at the Munich Arena on Saturday. IMAGO/RHR-Foto

Eric Dier actually didn't want to play on Saturday. Well, he did play in the Gladbach match , of course. After all, FC Bayern barely has any healthy defenders left. He was more concerned with the proceedings beforehand, when he, as well as Thomas Müller, received a bouquet of flowers and a picture as a farewell gift. And the stadium, while quieter than during Müller's game , was still celebrating loudly enough.

"I thought it was Thomas' day," Dier said later, smiling. "So it was a bit awkward for me," but he still found it nice. "I'm incredibly grateful for this gesture, but also for how the club has treated me the whole time since I've been here."

It's been a year and a half since Dier was brought in from the bench in London as a backup, ultimately becoming a regular starter under both Thomas Tuchel and Vincent Kompany. And because everything at FC Bayern has recently been focused on Thomas Müller or Harry Kane's first title , it almost went unnoticed that Dier also got to hold silverware for the first time on Saturday.

Many people say this is a cliché, but I believe it's true.

Dier on the "journey" with this Bayern team

Dier thought it was better than anyone had described it, and he had great difficulty describing it all. "I wouldn't do it justice," he said, adding two to ten "ums." "The longer you wait, the more you naturally wonder what will happen. And that it finally happened is incredible." He, too, had been close enough with Tottenham, but always only close.

Then on Saturday, when the official championship celebration finally arrived, Dier was overjoyed, raised the trophy, handed out beer, and eagerly snapped pictures with his wife Anna and one-year-old daughter. But those weren't necessarily the moments he'll remember from his first title-winning season, but rather "the journey there, that's the best part."

What followed, for example, a defeat in Barcelona ( a 5-0 win in Bochum ), a defeat in Mainz ( a 5-1 loss against Leipzig ), or the Champions League exit in Milan ( a 4-0 loss in Heidenheim ). "It's not about today, it's about embarking on this journey with a group and achieving something, even if you experience ups and downs. A lot of people say that's a cliché, but I think it's true. It's special to be in a group that can do something like that."

One wonders why he's leaving this group so soon . "We talked about it and had good discussions," Dier reports about the negotiations with Bayern. "We just couldn't agree, so I started looking for what I thought would be the best opportunity for me."

Instead of extending his expiring contract in Munich, he's moving to Monaco this summer. "I'm very excited," says Dier, looking not only at football but also beyond his own horizons. "When you've been in one place for so long and then come here, you're not really aware of everything there is in the world of football and in the different countries. You can learn a lot just by traveling around and getting to know different cultures, different styles of football, and different leagues. I think it will be good for me."

It's also clear that Bayern would have liked to keep Dier, but—as is usually the case in a year and a half—couldn't offer him any prospects as a regular starter. Because Dayot Upamecano and Min-Jae Kim are (still) there; because Hiroki Ito (maybe) will return at some point; because Jonathan Tah might join the team at some point.

That wasn't enough for Dier, who also received a long-term and no less poorly paid contract in the principality. "It was simply the club I had the best discussions with and the one that ultimately made the most effort to sign me," explains Dier. "I really felt like there were no ifs, ands, or buts with them. They really wanted me, and I appreciated that. They went out of their way to get me there."

The transfer wasn't official yet, by the way, but "I'm talking about it, so I guess it's official now." First up is an away game in Sinsheim, and after that, maybe, but only very maybe, the Club World Cup. But only very maybe.