Manuel Neuer: Should he return to the national team?

The term “goalkeeper problem” was a foreign word at the DFB for a long time. If you believe Julian Nagelsmann’s statements, that’s still the case. Before the World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland, the national coach reacted angrily to questions from reporters about the keeper debate. From his point of view, his team has “no goalkeeper issue”. The question is whether he believes that himself.

For the fact that Nagelsmann is supposedly so sure, he played around with the issue quite a bit. Finally, the national coach admitted: He and Manuel Neuer had a “very good relationship” and were in contact, but it was “not always just about football games”. It’s clear.

His predecessor Joachim Löw further fueled the keeper debate. He is sure that Nagelsmann is thinking about Neuer. And: A comeback by the goalkeeper legend after his retirement in the summer of 2024 is “definitely not a risk”.

The fact is: Manuel Neuer is currently in top shape at 39 years old. In four of six Bundesliga games, the veteran left the pitch without conceding a goal. He therefore played a major role in the success of FC Bayern, who are at the top of the table with 18 points. This achievement cannot simply be ignored.

Oliver Baumann, who currently represents the injured Marc-André ter Stegen at the DFB, has not played a single Bundesliga game to zero with TSG Hoffenheim. Baumann is doing well in the national team, but at 35 years old he has no tournament experience. Nagelsmann must be clear: the Hoffenheim player is not an option for the World Cup in the USA next year.

It is currently unclear when regular goalkeeper Ter Stegen will return after his back operation – and what condition he will be in then. In addition, he was pushed out of the goal at FC Barcelona and urgently needs to change clubs in the winter in order to be able to play at all.

There is no guarantee that Ter Stegen will deliver straight away after his return. Things look different with Manuel Neuer. The veteran would work in the DFB goal at the push of a button. Especially since he knows some of FC Bayern’s national players very well. Therefore, a new comeback is the safest and best option.

The “comeback” should have its own entry in the German national team’s glossary. After supposedly ending their careers in the national team, illustrious players have rolled backwards to put on the German jersey again: Paul Breitner, Rudi Völler, Toni Kroos – to name just a few. So why not Manuel Neuer too?

From a sporting perspective, there are very good reasons for this. After a dip in performance a few months ago, in which there were rightly discussions about whether Neuer should also step back at FC Bayern, the 39-year-old has worked his way back up to normal and is as undisputed in Munich as ever. However, all Bayern are undisputed, in the shaky DFB team things can look completely different.

Also: There were reasons for Neuer’s resignation from the national team; it was a “conscious decision”, as he said himself. He recently rigorously ruled out a comeback, at least publicly, and the chapter seems to be over for him. And so he has the chance to be remembered as the best keeper the national team has ever had. When you return there is always the danger of destroying your own monument.

Neuer would be 40 years old at the World Cup next year. This isn’t dramatic for a goalkeeper, but with the first one or two mistakes that Neuer could possibly make, the discussions in football Germany would immediately start again: “The age…” You wouldn’t wish such sentences on him. Bayern coach Vincent Kompany recently said about the pressure-free late phase of Neuer’s career: “At some point it’s this sun you live in. And that’s how it is with Manu at the moment.” You couldn’t ask for anything better as a footballer.

There is also an opportunity for the national team. Neuer and his successor, the currently injured Marc-André ter Stegen, have been part of the team for many years, and the DFB slowly has to think about what to do next after this era. The current number one, Oliver Baumann, who has been strong for years, is also 35 years old. What is good for the association and national coach Julian Nagelsmann is that there are enough potential successors, including Noah Atubolu (23), Finn Dahmen (27) and Jonas Urbig (22). The DFB should draw on this. Especially since there is still some time before the World Cup to get them up to competitive standards.

Because the main argument against Neuer’s comeback is: Germany doesn’t have a goalkeeping problem.

With material from the agencies.