Bayern Munich: Manuel Neuer looks back at a difficult 2023

Manuel Neuer has enjoyed a very good end to 2023. The German goalkeeper signed another new deal to stay at Bayern Munich at least until 2025. He is steadily improving on the pitch with each passing game and looking back to his best.

While the end of the year was sweet for Neuer, the first half of it was painful. After a serious accident during a ski trip in December 2022, Manuel Neuer suffered a serious leg injury. He was ruled out for the entire second half of the last season. Moreover, there were suggestions that he may not return to his best due to the nature of his injury.

Neuer’s recovery was also not straightforward. He was initially expected to return by the start of the pre-season training. However, Neuer was not fit to train on the pitch in July, and he didn’t travel with the squad to Asia. The German international had to undergo another surgery to remove metal implants from his leg.

The 37-year-old shot-stopper eventually made his much-awaited return at the end of October. Bayern and Tuchel took a cautious approach to his return to avoid further setbacks. While talking to TZ (via iMiaSanMia) this week, Neuer insisted that the injury made the year difficult, but he has still come out as a better person by the end of 2023. It was difficult for him to imagine a positive end to the year during his recovery period.

"“In the following weeks and months, I gave everything and received incredible support from many people. I'm very grateful for that. When I stand in goal today, these people can all see it as a little bit of a personal win. Overall, this year has certainly shaped me more than any before. It was a year of extremes. Looking back, I'm actually grateful for a lot of things.""

- Manuel Neuer

Bayern were heavily linked with several goalkeepers since few reports suggested that Neuer’s return may not be as smooth as previously expected. The German goalkeeper overcame these odds and made a successful return to the first team.

In the final weeks of Hinrunde, Neuer has looked peerless with the ball. He has also pulled off brilliant saves in the past couple of months. Die Roten needed only a few weeks to be sure that Neuer will be their number one for next season. Manuel Neuer is looking to play at the top level, at least until the end of next season.

The former Schalke goalkeeper is also expected to be back in the German national team during the next international break in March. He could be in line to become Germany’s number one during next summer’s Euros. After recovering from such a significant setback, Neuer is hungry to taste more success with club and country.

Bayern and Neuer will start preparing for the second half of the season from Tuesday after a brief winter break. All players will report for training at Sabner Strasse. The Bavarian club will play a friendly game against FC Basel, and a training camp will be held in Portugal.