Manuel Neuer once again received a hostile reception upon his return to Gelsenkirchen. Even before kickoff, some Schalke fans made it clear that, even 15 years later, they still haven’t forgiven the former fan favorite for his move to FC Bayern. Neuer himself, however, reacted with remarkable composure to the hostility following the 0-0 draw.
As soon as the 40-year-old stepped onto the field at Veltins Arena to warm up, chants of “We’re Schalke fans, and you’re not” rang out from the North Stand. When the Bayern lineup was announced, a loud chorus of boos followed.
Little changed during the match either. Nearly every time Neuer touched the ball, it was met with boos. For the longtime Bayern captain, however, this is nothing new. Since leaving Gelsenkirchen in 2011, he has been greeted this way time and again during away games with the Munich team.
After the game, Neuer surprised everyone with his take on the reactions.
Neuer takes the boos in stride
“Those are compliments—that’s love,” the Bayern goalkeeper explained after the scoreless draw. Neuer even went a step further: “Every boo, even when I touched the ball, was a compliment.”
In doing so, the 2014 World Cup champion chose to handle the reactions with far greater composure than Max Eberl. After the game, Bayern’s sporting director had specifically criticized the insults directed at Neuer and emphasized that certain “expletives” were out of line.
For Neuer himself, the return was likely filled with many memories, regardless of the boos. The Gelsenkirchen native spent about two decades at Schalke, came up through the youth academy, and developed into one of Germany’s best goalkeepers while with the Royal Blues.
As a young Schalke fan, Neuer himself used to stand in the North Stand. Shortly before his departure, he also celebrated winning the DFB Cup with the Royal Blues in 2011. Shortly thereafter, he transferred to FC Bayern—a decision that some Schalke fans still hold against him to this day.
“It was a very emotional day.”
This return was also special because it could have been Neuer’s final appearance as a player at the Veltins-Arena. His contract with FC Bayern expires at the end of the season, and his future beyond that has not yet been finalized.
Numerous family members also watched the match at the stadium. “My family was there. I was really happy they came. Some of them are happy, but of course I would have preferred to get the three points here,” Neuer explained.
Despite the missed victory and the difficult reception, emotions ran high for the 40-year-old after the final whistle. “I’ve played here for over 20 years. It was a very emotional day and something truly special.”
Whether this was indeed Neuer’s final appearance as a Bundesliga pro between the posts at the Veltins-Arena remains to be seen in the coming months. If this was indeed his farewell to Gelsenkirchen, he certainly put the boos into perspective in his own unique way: as “compliments” and “love.”