Bayern Munich: Manuel Neuer not considering retirement
It has been a devastating last couple of weeks for Manuel Neuer. He initially suffered disappointment at the World Cup 2022 as Germany was knocked out in the group stage for the second consecutive season. A serious accident while a ski trip piled on Neuer’s misery as he is ruled out for the rest of the season for Bayern Munich due to a broken leg.
The German international is expected to start training again in the summer before the pre-season tour. It is a massive blow for Die Roten since Neuer is a crucial member of the first team. Moreover, he is also the leader on and off the pitch at Bayern.
Breaking a leg at this stage of his career led to speculation about the future of Manuel Neuer in the German and Bayern squads. However, the 36-year-old shot-stopper is determined and hungry for more collective success with both teams.
According to Sport1, Manuel Neuer has no plans to retire from football. The German shot-stopper is eager to continue with the national team and participate in the 2024 Euros in Germany. He is planning to be fit by the start of the next season and make himself available for selection.
Manuel Neuer has been subject to criticism for his performances at the World Cup 2022. Former Bayern defender Lothar Matthaus had called for other goalkeepers to get minutes in the team to provide strong competition to Neuer. It does look like Neuer is confident about contributing at the highest level, so retirement talk has been quickly squashed.
Bayern continues to retain faith in Manuel Neuer. Recently, Die Roten president Oliver Kahn insisted that Neuer can sign more contract extensions at the club. He expects Neuer to play at the top level until the age of 40. It will be intriguing to see how Neuer returns back to his best after recovering from this big injury setback.
Meanwhile, Bayern is looking at possible solutions to cope with Neuer’s absence in the second half of the season. Sven Ulreich has previously done a fine job in the absence of Neuer, so he is a reliable contender for first-choice goalkeeper of Bayern in Ruckrunde.
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Despite Ulreich’s being a capable number two, Bayern is also exploring a deal to break Alexander Nubel’s loan spell with Monaco. The young German goalkeeper is also open to returning to Bavaria in January if he is given assurances over playing time. He also wants to get consistent game time when Neuer recovers from a leg injury.