Tom Bischof will be wearing a different number on his back next season. The 21-year-old will take over Leon Goretzka's vacant number 8 shirt, switching from his number 20 in his debut season at Bayern Munich.
This change not only signals Bischof as the immediate replacement for Goretzka in Bayern's midfield but also emphasises his role and importance to the club moving forward. Generally, numbers from 1-11 in football carry immense gravity, especially 6, 8 and 10 for midfielders, 9 for strikers and 7 and 11 for wingers.
These "prestigious numbers" are presented to players with the highest stature in the club, who could be the stars or the ones with the longest tenures. This is how Joshua Kimmich, Serge Gnabry, and Leon Goretzka inherited the 6, 7, and 8 kits after starring in Bayern Munich's glorious sextuple-winning season and becoming the faces of the club.
For a young player who has only just finished his first season at Bayern like Bischof, this is a big deal.
Bischof admitted he had to ask his best friend, Aleksandar Pavlovic, whether he wanted the takeover, as Pavlovic had been at the club longer than Bischof. Pavlovic said he did not want to change his current number 45, giving Bischof the chance to go for it.
Tom Bischof on choosing the number 8 shirt: "As a kid, you naturally dream of wearing the No. 10 shirt. I always wanted it too. But now I've moved a bit deeper and mainly play as a #6, so the No. 8 suits me perfectly. I waited out of respect for Leon Goretzka. That's not the kind… pic.twitter.com/uyXnJuDvgU
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) July 21, 2026
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