Talented FC Bayern goalkeeper Max Schmitt is currently experiencing a rapid rise. After winning two major titles with the German U17 team last year, he is now an integral part of the professional training programme at the German record champions.
The year 2023 could hardly have gone better for Max Schmitt. Firstly, he won the European Championship in Hungary with the German U17 national team and impressed with strong performances. This was followed a few months later by triumph at the U17 World Championship in Indonesia.
On Tuesday, however, there was a small drop of bitterness: a slip-up by Schmitt led to Bayern U19s going 1:1 down in their 3:1 quarter-final defeat to Olympiakos Piraeus in the Youth League.
Nevertheless, Schmitt can look back positively on the past year. „Last year was incredibly nice for me,“ said Schmitt in an interview with FC Bayern’s official website: „But sometimes things went by so quickly that I didn’t really realise what was happening around me.“
Training with Manuel Neuer is „surreal“
The Bayern U19 keeper is now allowed to regularly take part in training with the professionals. He is particularly impressed by working with goalkeeping legend Manuel Neuer. „I’ve been a Bayern fan since I was a child and have admired Manuel Neuer ever since. It was an indescribable feeling to go out on the pitch with him for the first time,“ revealed the 18-year-old: „It was surreal to suddenly have my great role model standing next to me, who I was still watching on TV a few years ago.“
„He has something magical about him, stops unstoppable balls and doesn’t really make any mistakes,“ explained Schmitt. In addition, the five-time world goalkeeper is always on hand to give him advice and support: „We talk to each other a lot in training. Together with Sven Ulreich, he gives me lots of tips. Of course, I then try to implement things in the best possible way.“
Unsurprisingly, Schmitt is delighted with his first few months with the Bayern professionals: „It’s a privilege to be able to train with the pros and a legend like Manuel Neuer.“ Schmitt is still under contract with FC Bayern until 2026.
