After his gala performance against Real Madrid, Manuel Neuer is once again making headlines, with a surprising report suddenly bringing a possible World Cup comeback back into play
Manuel Neuer once again proved he is in a class of his own in FC Bayern’s 2-1 victory at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. The 40-year-old drove Real Madrid’s attack to despair with several spectacular saves and was one of the decisive factors in the important away win
The national team chapter seemed to be closed for Neuer. National coach Julian Nagelsmann had recently emphasized several times that there was no need for action in the goalkeeping position and that Oliver Baumann was the clear number one for the World Cup. Neuer himself had also made it clear in the past that the issue was closed for him
But according to BILD, there could now be a surprising turn of events
Neuer leaves the door ajar
After his gala in Madrid, Neuer was cautious: „We don’t need to open the subject at all. We’re not talking about the national team now.“ Nevertheless, it was noticeable that his words sounded less definitive than just a few weeks earlier
Back then, he had answered „yes“ to the question of a permanent retirement. Now, at least, the door no longer seems completely closed
Internally, it is clear that if Neuer remains in top form and continues to impress in the decisive games of the season, a rethink could take place. Nagelsmann is also said to have taken note of his performance at the Bernabeu
Several factors decisive
However, according to the report, a possible comeback depends on several conditions. Neuer would have to remain injury-free in the coming weeks and perform consistently at the highest level. At the same time, Nagelsmann would also have to rethink his previous line
Bayern goalkeeping coach Michael Rechner could also play an important role in this. He is considered a close confidant of both Neuer and Nagelsmann and could play a mediating role in the background
Neuer also recently emphasized that his relationship with the national coach was in no way strained: „That’s not true at all. We exchanged ideas back then, he was my coach. I was also goalkeeper under him at the European Championships. We don’t have a bad relationship, we have a good relationship.“
Regardless of this, the situation remains open, with neither Neuer nor Nagelsmann officially wanting to reopen the subject at present
What is clear, however, is that if the Bayern captain confirms his form from the Real game, the topic of the World Cup could suddenly return sooner than expected.