How many times has it been believed that Manuel Neuer was approaching his zenith? Perhaps there were some doubts in 2017, when he suffered two serious injuries that kept him out for over a year, or 2018, when his return coincided with Germany’s disastrous World Cup performance? There were also doubts about him in 2019 before the treble run, leading to the signing of Alexander Nübel. Of course, who could forget that devastating leg break he suffered after his skiing accident around the end of 2022? So, so many people believed it would be impossible for a man in his late thirties to recover from it enough to play at the top level of football anymore.
But it is 2025 and Neuer is still going strong. Having excelled in the early stages of the season, Bayern Munich are again ready to offer the former Schalke 04 goalkeeper a contract extension to keep him beyond 2026 and his 40th birthday. However, according to Sport Bild reporter Tobi Altschäffl (as captured by @iMiaSanMia), the decision of whether to continue is fully down to Neuer:
Manuel Neuer will decide whether he wants to continue his career beyond this season based on his fitness and body. Within Bayern, they assume that he will, but they don’t want to put him under pressure. Neuer definitely wants to wait until Christmas to see if he can get through this period without injuries, when the schedule remains tight and the temperatures drop. Bayern want to offer Neuer a new one-year deal.
At this point, would it be that surprising if Neuer is still going strong for Bayern by 2030? …Well yes, but not nearly as surprising as it was for those who thought Neuer’s decline had started back in 2018.
Bayern Munich is on break and the German national team has taken center stage, but that does not mean we are bereft of topics.
Luckily for all of us, there is much to talk about when it comes to both Bayern Munich, so let’s get to it. This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works Show:
