The future of Manuel Neuer remains one of the most sensitive topics at FC Bayern. CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen has now spoken to BR in detail and made one thing clear above all: a decision should be made in Munich without any time pressure
„Manuel will be 40 years old on 27 March. You wouldn’t believe that if you watched him in the last few games and saw how many incredible saves he has made,“ explained Dreesen, impressively underlining the sporting value of the Bayern captain. Despite his advanced footballing age, the club sees no acute pressure to act. „We spoke to each other early on and he wants to take his time, and we want to give him and ourselves time too,“ said the 57-year-old
A decision on Neuer’s future should therefore be deliberately postponed. „We will discuss things calmly during the season and see how things progress,“ emphasized Dreesen. This leaves open the question of whether the 2014 world champion will remain at the record champions beyond the current season or end his career
Dreesen emphasizes: Neuer has chosen Urbig as his successor
Closely linked to this question is the role of Jonas Urbig. The young goalkeeper is seen internally as a potential successor, but Dreesen avoids definitively naming him as the new number one. Instead, he praised his development and the special relationship with Neuer. „Jonas is doing a great job. The chemistry between him and Manu is excellent, which is particularly important,“ explained the Bayern boss
Particularly noteworthy: Neuer himself is said to be actively involved in Urbig’s development. „I think Manu has set himself the task of developing Jonas as his successor and passing on his experience to him. You can see that in training when they talk to each other,“ said Dreesen, adding: „We’re delighted about that.“
Urbig has also already shown his sporting potential. „Jonas has already shown his great potential in the games he has played. He just needs to gain experience through match practice,“ said Dreesen. Unlike previous Bayern goalkeepers, Urbig has already made many appearances at a high level. „He has played many more games than his predecessors. I hope he continues like this.“
A cautious transition is thus emerging at FC Bayern – without any quick fixes, but with a clear perspective. Whether Manuel Neuer will continue to actively follow this path or hand over the baton completely at some point will be decided at his leisure in the coming months.
