How much longer will Manuel Neuer remain the number one goalkeeper at FC Bayern? Following the 40-year-old’s costly blunder in the 2-2 draw against FC Augsburg, the debate over the record champion’s goalkeeping future has flared up once again. Former national team player Steffen Freund is now calling for a clear change of course: Jonas Urbig should be groomed to become the new number one before the end of the current season.
Last Saturday, Neuer made a costly mistake just eight seconds into the game, leading to the fastest goal conceded in Bundesliga history. The Bayern captain didn’t look particularly happy during Augsburg’s second goal either.
Although club officials continue to demonstratively stand behind the veteran, calls for a generational change are growing louder. Urbig, in particular, is increasingly taking center stage.
A change of guard in Bayern’s goal before the end of this season
On the Sky program “Sky90,” European champion Steffen Freund spoke out in favor of making 23-year-old Urbig the new number one as early as the coming months.
The 56-year-old emphasized that he was by no means trying to question Neuer’s achievements. Rather, he said, FC Bayern needs to set the course for the future in a timely manner. “We rightly protect Manuel Neuer because of his achievements, and we all know he could put in another tremendous performance as early as the match against Leipzig, but: This is Manuel’s last year, and after that, Urbig needs to be ready,” Freund explained.
The former national team player therefore assumes that Neuer will end his career after the current season. However, there has been no official decision yet regarding the Bayern captain’s future.
For Freund, however, it is clear that the Munich club should not wait until next summer to make the generational transition.
“In my view, this has to happen during the course of the season, because after that it will be too late. He has shown in all competitions that he can meet the demands required,” emphasized the Sky expert.
Urbig should take on more responsibility
Since his signing, Urbig has been considered the designated successor to Manuel Neuer at FC Bayern. The young goalkeeper is expected to gain significantly more playing time this season and be gradually introduced to the role of starting goalkeeper.
A change between the posts is already on the horizon for Tuesday’s Champions League match against Viking Stavanger. According to the Abendzeitung, Urbig is set to start in Norway.
Freund also sees an early handover as a way to reduce the risk for Munich. “If things don’t work out with Urbig, Neuer would still be there,” explained the 1996 European champion.
His reasoning: If Urbig doesn’t initially live up to the high expectations, Bayern could fall back on their experienced captain again during the current season.
Eberl remains committed to Neuer
However, the club officials at Säbener Straße currently hold a different position. After the Augsburg game, sporting director Max Eberl explicitly emphasized that Neuer’s mistake had no impact on the overall goalkeeper hierarchy.
“There is absolutely no reason to question anything just because Manuel made a mistake,” Eberl clarified to BILD.
At the same time, the 52-year-old praised Urbig’s development, in which Neuer himself has played a major role. “Jonas is developing exceptionally well, and Manu has played a very, very big role in that. He remains our number one,” the sporting director emphasized.
For now, Neuer remains head coach Vincent Kompany’s first choice. Nevertheless, the discussion about the right time for a generational shift is likely to continue at Bayern.