Following EURO 2024, longtime captain and number one goalkeeper Manuel Neuer announced his retirement from international play. The Bayern Munich legend will be considered irreplaceable but according to the rules, German head coach Julian Nagelsmann has to play somebody at the position.
In an interview leading up to the international break (via @iMiaSanMia), Nagelsmann said, “Marc-André (ter Stegen) is the new number one. He has been captain in Barcelona for several years and is the clear number one there. He’s the same with us. I don’t want to artificially heat up the competition behind him. Oliver Baumann played very well last season and also made a good impression during the European Championship. Alexander Nübel also performed well in Stuttgart last year. The battle behind him is open, including with Kevin Trapp and Bernd Leno. The important thing is that the number one is decided.”
Marc-André ter Stegen has been the number two goalkeeper for Germany for a number of years behind Neuer, so it’s logical that he gets the first crack at the job. But Nagelsmann wisely listed Bayern loanee Nübel, along with Baumann, Trapp, and Leno as potential options moving forward.
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