Manuel Neuer doesn't dismiss the possibility of retiring from the DFB (German Football Association) in the near future.
After Germany's latest European Championship match, Manuel Neuer steps up once more, having been the top goalkeeper for the national team for more than a decade. Before his upcoming record-breaking game against Hungary, Neuer discusses a potential farewell from his DFB jersey.
Neuer doesn't completely shut down the possibility of an early end to his lengthy national team tenure, but he won't make a decision until after the tournament at home. "I ain't spillin' the beans yet. I'll ponder on it after the tourney", said the 38-year-old at the national team press conference in Herzogenaurach when asked about a potential comeback.
As of now, Neuer holds the record for the most significant tournaments as the number one goalkeeper for the DFB since the 2010 World Cup. By Wednesday against Hungary, he will tie the Italian Gianluigi Buffon as the goalkeeper with the most games in European continental tournaments. "That sounds freakin' sweet, doesn't it?", said Neuer. However, team success is what truly matters.
Neuer was deemed the starting goalkeeper for the EM by national coach Julian Nagelsmann in March. Before that, he had to sit out his DFB career for over a year due to a severe leg injury. His return was in the EM warm-up at the beginning of June in Nuremberg against Ukraine. After some errors, questions about his status as number one arose. Backup Marc-André ter Stegen was thought to be the better choice by experts.
Neuer Defends His Hometown
Neuer made his DFB debut in 2009, and a year later, he was the number one at the World Cup in South Africa. In 2014, he secured the World Cup title in Brazil. Despite the tournament failures at the 2018 World Cup, Euro 2021, and World Cup 2022, these were beyond his control. With 120 international appearances, he is the goalkeeper with the most games in the DFB team.
Following criticism from a British TV reporter, Neuer also defended his birthplace, Gelsenkirchen. "I reckon the weather wasn't so hot. When it rains non-stop, it's not exactly pleasant", said the goalkeeper. The English were allegedly familiar with the weather from back home, and Neuer saw it as a fair match: "Perhaps that's why they won against Serbia." Sky journalist Kaveh Solhekol was in Gelsenkirchen for the EM game between England and Serbia on Sunday. "I gotta tread lightly with my words. I don't wanna ruffle the fine folks from Gelsenkirchen's feathers", said Solhekol. The reporter had previously come from Munich, "which is a stellar city", as he said. "But Gelsenkirchen is quite the opposite. Here we are in the industrial heart of Germany, where steelworks and coal mines are no longer there. And there's not much left in Gelsenkirchen."
Read also:
Manuel Neuer, the renowned goalkeeper for Germany's national soccer team, is set to tie Gianluigi Buffon's record for the most games in European continental tournaments with DFB, playing against Hungary in the upcoming match. Despite the potential retirement rumors, Neuer, the DFB's long-standing number one goalkeeper since the 2010 World Cup, remains focused on team success at the European Football Championship 2024.
%20in%20the%20near%20future.){kind=link}