Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has voiced his disappointment at the way in which club captain Philipp Lahm announced his decision to retire from football at the end of the season.
Lahm, 33, told reporters after Tuesday night's 1-0 DFB-Pokal win over Wolfsburg that this would be his last season as a player, but the announcement caught the club by surprise as they had been expecting to release a joint statement later this week.
A statement from Rummenigge on the club's website said: "FC Bayern Munchen is surprised by the approach of Philipp Lahm and his adviser. Uli Hoeness and I have held open, intensive and constructive talks with Philipp in recent months about a possible position as sporting director of our club.
"At the end of last week, he informed us that he is currently not available for such a position and that he would like an early termination of his player contract, which runs until June 2018, at the end of the current season.
"Until yesterday we assumed that there would be a joint announcement on this decision by Philipp Lahm and FC Bayern Munchen."
However, Rummenigge said the frustration would not change Bayern's regard for the World Cup winner, who has been part of seven Bundesliga titles with his hometown club, having come through the youth ranks.
" Philipp Lahm has been an important player for FC Bayern Munchen for over a decade," the statement added.
"We are convinced that our captain will now concentrate fully with the team on the tough upcoming tasks in the Bundesliga, Champions League and DFB Cup. We would like to make clear that the door will always remain open for Philipp at FC Bayern Munchen."
Reports emerged prior to Tuesday's match that Lahm was considering calling time on his career, and the player himself confirmed it in the evening.
"I'm going to stop playing football at the end of the season," he said.
"More than a year ago I started checking and questioning myself from day to day and week to week. I'm certain I'll maintain peak form through to the end of the season. I can manage that until the end of the campaign, but not beyond it."
On the chance to join the club's backroom staff, he added: "There were talks, and in the end I decided it's not the right time for me to take up a new position at FC Bayern."
Lahm is aiming to win a record eighth Bundesliga title this season.
The Munich-born player has spent his entire club career with Bayern, bar a two-year loan spell at Stuttgart between 2003 and 2005.
He has won seven Bundesliga titles, six DFB-Pokals, the Champions League and the Club World Cup with Bayern.
He captained Germany to World Cup glory in 2014 before announcing his retirement from international football.
Source: PA
