New challenge Makaay agrees move to Feyenoord

New challenge
Makaay agrees move to Feyenoord








Roy Makaay’s penalty to open the scoring on 12 May in Cottbus has taken on historic dimensions as the 32-year-old’s 102nd and last competitive goal in a Bayern shirt. After four prolific seasons, Makaay is returning to his country of birth and the centre-forward slot at Rotterdam giants Feyenoord.

The terms of the transfer were agreed between the clubs on Wednesday evening. Makaay, contracted to Bayern until 30 June 2008, passed a medical in Rotterdam on Thursday before signing a three-year deal with the side who finished seventh in the Dutch Eredivisie last term, and where former Dortmund boss Bert van Marwijk has taken the reins in time for the new campaign.

Looking forward to Feyenoord

“I received a number of good and interesting offers, but I’ve decided to go back to the Netherlands. I’m looking forward to a new challenge in Rotterdam and hope I can help Feyenoord recapture their successful past,” Makaay told fcbayern.de. Roy publicly thanked the Bayern board of directors for “four fantastic years” and for enabling the transfer to proceed smoothly and simply, before his unveiling in Rotterdam together with former Wolfsburg defender and fellow Feyenoord newcomer Kevin Hofland on Thursday.

“On behalf of Bayern Munich football club, I’d like to offer heartfelt thanks to Roy Makaay for four successful years. He has been a very important player for Bayern Munich. He’s expressed a wish to return to his home country, and we wish him and his family all the very best for their future there,” commented Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

Roy’s records

After a protracted transfer saga, Makaay arrived at the Säbener Strasse from Deportivo La Coruna in summer 2003 for the then record fee of €18.75 million. He settled almost immediately to life in the Bundesliga and struck 23 goals in his first season at the club.

Makaay was a vital member of the side coached by Felix Magath to domestic league and Cup doubles in 2004 and 2005. His total of 78 goals in 129 league appearances, an average of 0.60 goals per game, makes him the second-deadliest striker in Bayern’s Bundesliga history behind all-time legend Gerd Müller (0.85).

Roy also bagged 17 goals in 32 Champions League matches, including the fastest-ever goal in the history of Europe’s elite club competition when he opened the scoring after just ten seconds of the first knockout round return at home to Real Madrid last spring.

Official farewell on 15 August

Makaay becomes the seventh player to leave Bayern this summer after Owen Hargreaves, Claudio Pizarro, Hasan Salihamidzic, Mehmet Scholl, Ali Karimi and Andreas Görlitz, the last-named going out on loan to Karlsruhe for a season. The club has brought in eight new faces, including central strikers Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose.

Makaay’s official farewell from Munich will take place on 15 August ahead of the Mehmet Scholl testimonial between Bayern and Barcelona. “It’s great I’ll have the chance to say a personal farewell to the Allianz Arena crowd,” the fans’ favourite declared. On behalf of Bayern fans everywhere, we at fcbayern.de say: Many thanks Roy, and all the best for the future