Bayern say goodbye to Leon Goretzka, Raphaël Guerreiro and Nicolas Jackson

Leon Goretzka, Raphaël Guerreiro and Nicolas Jackson were given a send-off ahead of the final home game of the season as the players leave Bayern in the summer and the club thanked them for their services.

Goretzka spent eight years at Bayern, winning 15 trophies, including the historic sextuple in 2020. The 31-year-old was a key figure in midfield during one of the club’s most successful eras. He played in every game at the finals tournament of the 2019/20 Champions League, which was held in Lisbon due to the pandemic, and played a big part in Bayern being crowned champions of Europe for the sixth time.

Prior to Saturday’s game against Köln, Goretzka had made 310 competitive appearances for Bayern, scoring 51 goals and providing 43 assists. Although he hasn’t been such a regular starter in recent years, the midfielder always did his bit for the team. “Leon has always been an important player at Bayern and always showed what it means to be an absolute professional and to fight,” Vincent Kompany said in praise recently.

Guerreiro joined Bayern in summer 2023 and had made 93 appearances (14 goals, seven assists) prior to Matchday 34. The 21-year-old Portugal international has been a versatile member of the squad, playing on either side of defence, in central midfield, on the wings and as a No.10. The all-rounder played wherever he was needed.

According to Kompany last December, Guerreiro is someone who “always helps the team, is a great player and a fantastic professional”. He has won two Bundesliga titles and also the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup in his three years in Munich.

Jackson has been on loan at Bayern from Chelsea this season and will now return to his parent club. The striker was always on hand whenever Harry Kane & Co. needed a rest, scoring 10 goals and providing three assists in 33 competitive outings. That works out at a goal contribution every 101 minutes he was on the pitch, helping the team win the Bundesliga and the Supercup during his nine months in the Bavarian capital.

One more objective together

The trio and the rest of the Bayern squad will get their hands on the Bundesliga Meisterschale after the Köln game, but they then have one more outing in red in next Saturday’s DFB Cup final as they look to crown their already successful time at the club with a domestic double.