Mark van Bommel has revealed that it was a heated row with manager Louis van Gaal that ended his Bayern Munich career. The midfielder was captain at the time and had led Bayern to the 2010 Champions League final, but an argument with Van Gaal later that year saw him gone.
Van Bommel has told Fox Sports how he dared to confront the fearsome boss - who once grabbed striker Luca Toni by his collar for slouching at a team meal - and how he quickly knew he would have to bid an emotional farewell to the club because of it.
"I was Bayern captain, I was Van Gaal's captain - as he puts it - but I also protected the dressing room," the now retired star explained.
"So if he attacked someone who did not deserve that during a team talk, I would open my mouth and protect that player. Louis can deal with a lot of things, but you should not oppose him.
"Things got out of hand in December 2010. I had a difficult and nasty discussion with him. I told him about all the things he could not do and there was some name-calling as well.
"Normally, Louis is the one doing all the talking, but I was having my say for two or three minutes there and told him everything I wanted to say."
Van Bommel, who went on to play for Milan, recalled how he then bumped into the team physio, a person he had a close relationship with: "I immediately told him it was all over. I was so emotional about it all that I was in tears afterwards."
He added, "I had a 30-minute chat with the physio to discuss what I had told Van Gaal and I knew I had to leave then and there. I never shook his hand since."
Van Bommel was on his way to Italy within a matter of weeks.
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