Mark van Bommel leaves Bayern Munich for AC Milan
MUNICH: Netherlands midfielder Mark van Bommel is leaving Bayern Munich for AC Milan in hopes of winning a league title in a fourth country.
The Dutchman's contract was due to expire at the end of the season. Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said on Tuesday that the German champions granted his wish to be released early from his contract because of his services to the club.
Bayern didn't give details of the 33-year-old player's contract with Serie A leader Milan.
Van Bommel joined Bayern from Barcelona in August 2006 and had been the club's captain since the 2008-09 season. Before moving to Spain, he played for PSV Eindhoven.
He played 185 games for Bayern and scored 16 goals. "Mark was always an exemplary professional, an important and successful player for Bayern and, beyond that, a great captain," Rummenigge said on Bayern's website.
Van Bommel said he was leaving Bayern "with a heavy heart, but with my head held high."
"I spent 4 very good and successful years here," he added. Speculation that Van Bommel might move during the winter transfer window had flared again this week, having previously died down after his agent said last month that he would play out his contract.
Bayern, which had a disappointing first half of the season, brought in midfielder Luiz Gustavo from Hoffenheim over the winter break.
The Dutchman's contract was due to expire at the end of the season. Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said on Tuesday that the German champions granted his wish to be released early from his contract because of his services to the club.
Bayern didn't give details of the 33-year-old player's contract with Serie A leader Milan.
Van Bommel joined Bayern from Barcelona in August 2006 and had been the club's captain since the 2008-09 season. Before moving to Spain, he played for PSV Eindhoven.
He played 185 games for Bayern and scored 16 goals. "Mark was always an exemplary professional, an important and successful player for Bayern and, beyond that, a great captain," Rummenigge said on Bayern's website.
Van Bommel said he was leaving Bayern "with a heavy heart, but with my head held high."
"I spent 4 very good and successful years here," he added. Speculation that Van Bommel might move during the winter transfer window had flared again this week, having previously died down after his agent said last month that he would play out his contract.
Bayern, which had a disappointing first half of the season, brought in midfielder Luiz Gustavo from Hoffenheim over the winter break.
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