Top striker Marcel Müller uses an exit clause in his contract and leaves the Krefeld Pinguine. He moves to the DEL to the Straubing Tigers. Our editorial team had already reported on the change on Wednesday, which was confirmed by the club the next day.
The 193 centimeter tall attacker, who turned 35 last Monday, came to Krefeld for the third time in the summer of 2022. The national player had signed a three-year contract with the penguins last year when relegation from the DEL was not yet certain. Müller stuck to the agreement last year and aimed for promotion back to the DEL with the black and yellow. It certainly wasn’t his fault that it didn’t work out. Not only was he the Penguins’ top scorer, but he was the outstanding attacker in the league with a total of 84 points (27 goals, 57 assists) in 62 games. Replacing this player should not be easy for those responsible for the penguins around sports director Peter Draisaitl and managing director Peer Schopp.
According to a press release from the club, the sporting management is already exploring the market in order to hire an adequate replacement for the vacant position. “We regret Müller’s decision, but we have to respect his contractual situation. We wish him and his family all the best for the future,” says Managing Director Peer Schopp.
Müller not only impressed with the bare numbers, he was a player who almost always had a solution in tight game situations to lead his team to victory. The opposing teams also had respect when “Malla”, as he is called, came onto the ice.
Incidentally, the change came as a surprise not only for the penguins, but also for Müller himself, as he explains in an interview with our editors: “It all came very suddenly and surprisingly for me too. Last week I got a call and then my thoughts started and I decided to go for it. I already had the ambition to play as high as possible again in my career.”
When he came to the penguins in the summer of 2022, he justified his move by not wanting to be too far from his home in Worringen near Cologne and from his family. “I’m not completely bound here and it’s not a decision against Krefeld, it’s a decision for me,” says Müller, who compares the Straubing Tigers with SC Freiburg in the Bundesliga. “I’ve been more concerned with it now. There is a very good development there. In the past four years, the Tigers have been in the top four four times.” Now he is looking forward to his new team and the challenge in the DEL. “But I’m also sad that I’m leaving Krefeld. But Straubing gives me the chance to play DEL again and the overall package that was offered to me fits. I played with Benedikt Kohl and Stefan Daschner in the junior national team and I’ve already spoken to Marcel Brandt.”
When asked who he first told about his departure from Krefeld, Müller said: “I called Peer Schopp, it wasn’t easy for me and it also went to my heart. Of course he was disappointed too. I also know that it’s not ideal for the penguins, but that’s the way of business. I hope that things will still go well in Krefeld and that the penguins might find a good replacement in the form of a contingent player.”
#Loss #brings #problems #Top #scorer #Marcel #Müller #replaced #Krefeld #Pinguine
