Jonas Urbig is considered a potential goalkeeper of the future at FC Bayern and could also play an important role for the German national team down the road. Manuel Neuer, at any rate, believes his young teammate has what it takes to make the big leap.
At FC Bayern, Jonas Urbig has long been more than just a traditional backup goalkeeper. The Munich club wants to prepare the 22-year-old step by step for bigger responsibilities. In the long run, this isn’t just about succeeding Manuel Neuer at the German record champions. Urbig could also play an important role in the DFB goal in the future.
Neuer himself, in any case, has great confidence in his teammate. In an interview with Sky, the Bayern captain was asked whether Urbig could one day become Germany’s number one.
“I believe you can definitely trust him. He’s shown that in every competition. Whether it’s the Bundesliga, the Cup, or even internationally in the Champions League—playing against the best teams and putting in a good performance—I have a very good feeling about him,” Neuer explained.
Neuer raves about working with Urbig
Since joining FC Bayern, Urbig has continued to develop and has already gained experience at the highest level. His appearances in key matches, in particular, have shown that the coaching staff has high hopes for him.
Neuer, however, doesn’t want to hear anything about a classic rivalry between the veteran and his potential successor. Instead, the 40-year-old emphasizes the close collaboration within the entire goalkeeping group.
“We have a very open relationship. We love our job and try to push each other. We also share the same interests. There’s a lot written about Jonas and me right now, but basically, we’re all equal on the goalkeeping team,” said Neuer.
The Bayern captain also explicitly included Sven Ulreich and the young goalkeepers: “We get along well. We work very hard—with Sven Ulreich, the young goalkeepers who help out with us, and the goalkeeper coaches as well. We all have a great rapport; we simply enjoy training and the games, and we always try to get the best out of the team.”
For Urbig, working alongside Neuer is particularly valuable. After all, the young goalkeeper gets to learn every day from one of the most successful German goalkeepers of all time. At the same time, his own playing time at FC Bayern is set to increase gradually.
Neuer on early World Cup exit: “Very bitter”
It hasn’t yet been definitively decided how much longer Neuer himself will remain between the posts. Most recently, the 2014 World Cup champion made it clear that while retiring at the end of the current season is likely, it’s by no means a 100 percent decision yet.
In any case, following the disappointing early World Cup exit, Neuer is glad to still be able to pursue further athletic goals. “Of course, that was very bitter and disappointing for all of us. At first, you find yourself in a bit of a slump—everyone has to work through that on their own. For me, it turned out to be a very good thing that I didn’t end my career, but that it’s still continuing, that I still have more goals to pursue in professional soccer,” he explained.
He continued: “It would have been really bitter if that had been my last game as a soccer player. And those were the things that kept me going, to some extent, in the soccer business. Now I’m just looking forward to the goals we have together with the team. And yes, that’s what I live for.”