Manuel Neuer to make long-awaited comeback for Bayern Munich
In a momentous development for Bayern Munich, their captain Manuel Neuer is set to make his long-awaited comeback in today's home Bundesliga clash against Darmstadt.
Manuel Neuer is a German goalkeeper who plays for and captains Bayern Munich and the German national team. Previously, he starred for Schalke 04, having come through their youth system.
Neuer was in goal for Germany when they won the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He has also won the UEFA Champions League with Bayern Munich in 2012/13 and 2019/20, as well as Bundesliga titles in 2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20.
Bayern signed Neuer from Schalke 04 on June 1, 2011. The transfer fee was around €20million.
Initially, some supporters were unhappy with the club for signing the Schalke goalkeeper, with the animosity reportedly stemming from Neuer having mocked legendary Bayern stopper Oliver Kahn's title celebration.
Bayern subsequently responded to this, releasing a statement via their board of directors on the club's official website which said: "FC Bayern Munich disassociates itself both from the anti-Manuel Neuer banner and the persons in this small group.
"We would further advise that the group in question is extremely small and not registered with FC Bayern.
Manuel Neuer celebrates after Bayern scored against their biggest rivals, Borussia Dortmund, March 6, 2021
Animosity died down, but Neuer's first Bayern season ended in heartbreak as they finished second to Jurgen Klopp's Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, were defeated in the DFB-Pokal final 5-2 by the same team, and lost the UEFA Champions League final on penalties to Chelsea following a 1-1 draw.
Bayern were victorious again in 2018/19 with Neuer between the sticks. Then, in 2019/20, after a poor start to the season under Niko Kovac, the Bavarians recovered following the appointment of Hans-Dieter Flick. Bayern and Neuer once again won the treble of the Bundesliga, UEFA Champions League and DFB-Pokal titles.
Bayern beat Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the Champions League final, having demolished Chelsea and Barcelona among others en route.
Neuer made his debut for the German national team on June 2, 2009, against the United Arab Emirates. Following the tragic death of Robert Enke in November 2009, Neuer became Germany's second choice goalkeeper behind Rene Adler.
After Adler was injured, Neuer became Joachim Low's first choice for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Neuer played all of Germany's World Cup matches apart from the third-place playoff against Uruguay, in which Hans-Jorg Butt featured instead. Germany finished in third place.
There would be more disappointment for Neuer in German colours at Euro 2012, as he was a key player in qualifying and the tournament itself, but Die Mannschaft were eliminated in the semi-finals.
Manuel Neuer lifts the World Cup trophy after German's win over Argentina in the final of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil
Neuer finally picked up silverware with Germany at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, where they beat Argentina 1-0 in the final. Neuer won the Golden Glove award for the tournament's best goalkeeper.
"He was a big reason why Bayern won the Champions League. Even in the semi-finals, he made two or three big saves. Bayern could have been 1-0 down or pegged back to 1-1 without him against Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain.
A known Catholic, Neuer sees his religious beliefs and charity work as two sides of the same coin. He has a charity foundation for children called the Manuel Neuer Kids Foundation.
Midway through the 2011/12 season, Neuer won €500,000 for charity in a special celebrity edition of Wer wird Millionar?, the German version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Neuer's precise net worth is unclear, but his gross annual earnings are reported to be in the region of €18million.
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