Goalkeeper debate dismissed
Neuer also dispels the last ter Stegen argument
By Sebastian Schneider, Herzogenaurach
17.06.2024, 22:13
Despite all the debates: Manuel Neuer is the number one in the German national football team. The brief goalkeeper debate before the European Championships at home has been put to rest for now, and the 38-year-old explains his view of things.
You don’t need much imagination to imagine how Marc-André ter Stegen must be feeling. On Friday evening in the basement of Munich’s Allianz Arena, a tiny window opened into the 32-year-old’s emotional world. The substitute goalkeeper was one of the first to find his way onto the team bus, his facial expression contrasting with the general joy of the other DFB stars after the successful 5-1 start to the European Championship against Scotland.
There could be all sorts of reasons for this, or perhaps his mind was simply elsewhere, but: Ter Stegen really doesn’t have it easy in the national team and his story is told again before every tournament. In 99 out of 100 teams, the world-class goalkeeper would have a regular place in goal. The stupid thing is that the DFB team is the one team in which he is only number two. The FC Barcelona support will also be watching this home European Championship from a seat, alongside the other substitutes. None of his 40 international matches were at a major tournament (the 2017 Confederations Cup does not count).
The reason why this statistic is unlikely to change any time soon comes a little late to the press conference at the DFB headquarters in the early afternoon. Manuel Neuer (international matches in eight tournaments) first clears his throat and then talks about how nice it was to watch the other European Championship teams after the furious 5:1 opening. A little slowing down, a little relaxed training before the match against Hungary on Wednesday.
“Messi with gloves”
The European Championship opener against Scotland could not have gone much better for him. Neuer did not have a single shot on goal, only an own goal by DFB central defender Antonio Rüdiger. The 38-year-old only touched the ball 15 times during the entire game, and 90 percent of his passes were successful. It did not provide any new insights for a possible goalkeeper debate – neither positive nor negative.
In the run-up to the European Championships at home, there had been discussions about the goalkeeper for the first time in a long time. Neuer surprisingly returned after breaking his leg. But, especially in the final stretch of the season, his performances at FC Bayern and in the national team left several question marks. Although he kept making world-class saves, here was a strange non-save against Hoffenheim, there was a botched chip ball against Ukraine. Against Greece, he missed the target, and his mistake also resulted in the team going behind. Unusual for Neuer, who has been observed with a little tension since then.
Neuer himself says that he has also observed the debate, which is mainly being conducted from the outside, from that perspective: “more from the outside.” “I haven’t read anything,” explains the 38-year-old. Instead, he did the usual: he did the analysis with those responsible, looked at pictures. And together they found that there was still trust between the team, the coaches and himself.
And yet, normally the wobbles would have been enough arguments for at least a small goalkeeper debate – especially when the second goalkeeper is called ter Stegen. The substitute is undisputed at FC Barcelona, where he was once dubbed “Messi with gloves”. In 2023 he was named Spain’s Footballer of the Year – not Goalkeeper of the Year, but Footballer of the Year. His statistical values were better than those of Manuel Neuer last season. In the league, that means: a higher percentage of intercepted crosses, more blocked shots, a better pass rate.
Statistics don’t matter either
In a football world where everything is measured and statistics now play a role even on the coaching benches, that could at least be an argument, right? Not surprisingly, Neuer doesn’t see it that way, quite the opposite in fact. “For me, the images are exciting and not the statistics, because each situation has to be assessed individually,” he says. And: “That’s why I don’t think you can use the statistics as a yardstick for evaluating a goalkeeper.” Bang, the last ter Stegen argument is also shattered.
He, on the other hand, accepts his role with gritted teeth. At the beginning of the preparations for the European Championship, ter Stegen explained that it was not a pleasant situation. “But the coach has made a decision. I respect and accept it, even if I disagree,” said ter Stegen. The relationship between the goalkeepers is good, he continued. “It has nothing to do with Manu, we have the same position. But on a personal level it has nothing to do with him. We have a good relationship. Even if we are fighting for the same goal, it doesn’t mean that I don’t like him.”
But apart from ter Stegen, there is no one in the DFB camp who is even remotely considering a serious goalkeeper debate. National coach Julian Nagelsmann was clear early on in his decision, and national team director Rudi Völler also intervened to end any debate. Neuer does actually have one advantage: his reputation among the players and the coaching team. In games, you can see him running to Nagelsmann again and again and arguing with him when the ball is out of play for a while. Even if the captain is now İlkay Gündoğan after his injury, Neuer’s word is still important.
And so ter Stegen really only has one hope. Neuer is now 38 years old, so the question of whether the home European Championship will be his last tournament is quite natural. The Bayern goalkeeper left the answer open, saying he would still think about it. At the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico he would then be 40 years old, it would then be his ninth tournament and ter Stegen would still have zero. Before that, however, there are still a few games at the home European Championship, perhaps these will provide new insights into the goalkeeper debate.