After a ski tour with a broken leg: FC Bayern talks to Neuer about a salary cut

After a ski tour with a broken leg
FC Bayern talks to Neuer about a salary cut

Manuel Neuer should be back on the pitch at Bayern Munich in the summer, but the goalkeeper is still a long way from putting any weight on his leg around six weeks after his serious injury. The record champion is therefore considering reducing Neuer’s salary. However, a contractual clause could stand in the way.

According to a report by “Sport Bild”, FC Bayern Munich wants to talk to Manuel Neuer about a possible waiver of salary because of the serious injury and long downtime. The magazine quoted Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn as saying: “We always discuss such issues with the player himself.” The captain of the record champions and the German national team broke his right lower leg shortly after the World Cup and will be absent at least until the end of the season. It is also said that Neuer could move his leg again at the end of February at the earliest, probably more likely in March.

The unsuccessful ski tour should therefore be viewed critically internally at FC Bayern – and seems to have damaged Neuer’s prominent position on Säbener Straße. At least that is how the plan should be interpreted that the Bayern management would like to talk to the 36-year-old about his salary. Because “Sport Bild” reports that continued payment in the event of illness is actually contractually stipulated: Instead of the usual six weeks, Neuer is guaranteed the full salary “even in the event of an injury for a further four months,” writes the newspaper. The six-week period after the accident on December 9 would have expired last Friday. As it is, however, it would require the goalkeeper’s consent to waive money.

Kahn acknowledged Neuer’s large part in the club’s recent successes, saying “his achievements can hardly be weighed with money” and emphatically stressed that “the decisive thing in the current situation is that he gets healthy and fit again”. But the impression is growing that the serious injury could represent a turning point. According to “Sport Bild”, FC Bayern is assuming a comeback in the summer, but a longer rehab is at least part of the considerations. Neuer will be 37 in March and has had to struggle with injuries in recent years.

In addition, there is the short-term dismissal of goalkeeping coach Toni Tapalovic, Neuer’s probably closest confidante in the club. The 42-year-old is one of the best friends of the 2014 world champion, is his best man, and the two sometimes even go on vacation together. There are said to have been differences between Tapalovic and head coach Julian Nagelsmann for a long time, which have now become irreconcilable. In addition, Yann Sommer’s medium-term commitment (contract until 2025) is an indication that the Neuer era in Munich is nearing its end. Especially since the rumored eight million euros transfer fee to Borussia Mönchengladbach and possible bonus payments could have been used elsewhere to improve or expand the squad.

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