It is very likely that nothing will change in FC Bayern Munich’s goalkeeping hierarchy next season. This is how you can understand the message that the German football champions published late on Tuesday afternoon: In it, the club communicated that both the contract of the regular goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, 37 years old, and that of his deputy Sven Ulreich, 35 years old, are valid until June 30th. June 2025 have been extended.
“We are very happy to have Manuel and Sven with us beyond the current season. Together with Daniel Peretz, they form a goalkeeping team that is second to none.” These are the words Christoph Freund, FC Bayern’s sporting director, said in the statement.
Past debates
But because the goalkeeper debates that have also been held by the Säbener Straße managers in recent months are not reflected in his words or in the words of CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen, they should be remembered here.
There has been repeated discussion about whether FC Bayern should bring in a permanent challenger for Neuer, since he was so seriously injured in December 2022 (broken tibia and fibula) that he was only able to play again for the first time in October 2023.
And even if Freund now speaks enthusiastically about the goalkeeping team, it should be noted that both the coach Julian Nagelsmann and the coach Thomas Tuchel wanted to strengthen the same goalkeeping team in view of Neuer’s injury at the time: Under the coach Nagelsmann, the Swiss Yann Sommer became signed, who left the club this summer.
This summer, under coach Tuchel, the Spaniard Kepa Arrizabalaga was almost signed, but he ended up choosing Real Madrid. Which also says something about how the two coaches assess goalkeeper Sven Ulreich.
In the first weeks and months of this season, Ulreich was allowed to play – and you could rarely complain. But the difference that Neuer made in his first games was immediately noticeable. Which is why you have to ask yourself what would happen if he were missing again. That’s a big question.
Daniel Theweleit, Cologne Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 1 Daniel Theweleit, Dortmund Published/Updated: Published/Updated: Recommendations: 15
But the big question of who will be the next number after Manuel Neuer has been postponed by FC Bayern’s sporting leadership. Because the decision in favor of the duo Neuer/Ulreich indicates that the challenger who could become the successor will not exist next season either. Because it won’t be Ulreich, the loyal second goalkeeper. And neither does Daniel Peretz, currently the third goalkeeper in Munich.
