Goalkeeper duel at FC Bayern
Neuer returns, Peretz is hot for competition
08/28/2023, 5:00 p.m
Almost nine months after breaking his leg, Manuel Neuer is back training with his fellow keepers from FC Bayern. Also new to the goalkeeping team: Daniel Peretz. The Israeli is particularly looking forward to a team-mate and is making claims. For another, it could be his last days in Munich.
National goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has taken the next important step on his way back to Bayern Munich’s number 1 goal. As the German soccer record champion announced, the 37-year-old captain completed a session with his goalkeeper colleagues on Monday for the first time since his serious skiing accident in December. So far, Neuer had worked individually on his comeback after breaking his leg. Bayern’s CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen had previously spoken of a “significantly advanced recovery” at Neuer.
After the departure of Yann Sommer, Bayern initially looked for a suitable replacement for Neuer after his comeback seemed to be delayed indefinitely. Shortly before the start of the season, the club management decided to start the season with Sven Ulreich as number 1. On Friday, Munich signed Israeli Daniel Peretz from Maccabi Tel Aviv as backup, who trained with his idol Neuer for the first time after his official presentation at the beginning of the week.
Peretz does not shy away from the competition with his more experienced teammates Manuel Neuer and Sven Ulreich. “I’m looking forward to the challenge. Of course I want to play. I want to prove myself,” announced the Israeli aggressively at his official presentation. It is a great honor to play for the German record champions. “I’ve been a fan since I was a kid,” the 23-year-old continued. The goalkeeper signed a five-year contract until the summer of 2028. The provisional number 2 behind Ulreich is seen as a man of the future and should learn from Ulreich and Neuer.
Musiala back, Pavard before farewell
Bayern boss Jan-Christian Dreesen described Peretz as “prospects for the future. With Daniel it was 100 percent clear. He has a lot of potential. I’m sure that we can plan a bit of the future with Daniel. As a goalkeeper you have a long time Athlete’s life,” said Dreesen and, after the transfer poker for a new Bayern keeper, spoke of a “happy ending” with many twists and turns.
There was also good news from Munich’s point of view at the beginning of the week from offensive player Jamal Musiala. The German international, who missed the 3-1 win against FC Augsburg due to a torn thigh muscle, completed a running session on Säbener Straße.
For the first time in several days, Frenchman Benjamin Pavard, who was willing to change, was back on the pitch with his colleagues. The 2018 world champion was recently absent because of “stomach ache and back problems,” as Dreesen reported. Pavard, who can be used both as a central defender and as a right-wing defender, definitely wants to leave Munich for Inter Milan by the end of the transfer period on Friday.