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The president of Bayern Munich, Herbert Hainer, has insisted the club will not follow Manchester United’s lead and terminate Manuel Neuer’s contract following a series of bombshell interviews.
Neuer, 36, gave interviews to The Athletic and German outlet Suddeutsche Zeitung outlining his disappointment in the club’s decision to part ways with goalkeeper coach Toni Tapalovic, who was accused of leaking chats to players and as a result sacked.
The outspoken goalkeeper’s comments has led to an array of Bayern Munich legends to criticise him, with Lothar Matthaus calling into question his future as captain of the club while Oliver Kahn, the CEO, said they would be speaking to Neuer about his comments.
His decision to speak to some of the media in such an openly critical way has reminded observers of Cristiano Ronaldo’s bombshell interview on the eve of the World Cup last November, when he criticised various aspects of Manchester United. The English giants swiftly saw to terminate Ronaldo’s contract.
However, it has been clarified by Hainer that Neuer will not face the same fate as the Portuguese.
Bayern Munich reportedly sacked goalkeeper coach Toni Tapalovic (right) after he leaked chats between staff to the players – via his close friend Manuel Neuer
It sparked speculation that the club could terminate his deal – but Herbert Hainer (R) clarified that they will not be doing such
‘No, not at all,’ Hainer told BR24 Sport when asked if the goalkeeper would have his deal terminated like United did with Ronaldo.
‘That’s why we are FC Bayern Munich,’ he added. ‘At FC Bayern Munich we will always clarify such things internally. Such things make FC Bayern strong and special.’
Having returned from a second consecutive World Cup group stage exit with Germany, Neuer was afforded an extended period of time off by Bayern Munich but it all went wrong when he broke his leg on a mid-season ski trip.
Neuer was left devastated by the club’s decision and expressed as much in two interviews
As a result, he will miss the remainder of the season, with Bayern Munich having been forced to sign Yann Sommer in January as a replacement.
Reflecting on problems at Bayern Munich, Neuer spoke extensively about the club’s decision to sack the goalkeeper coach – and the best man at his wedding – Tapalovic.
‘That blow hit me extremely hard,’ he told The Athletic. ‘I was told by the club officials. It came out of nowhere. For Toni too. I didn’t understand that at all. It really knocked me down.
‘Toni was always a team player with us, everyone saw it that way. He wasn’t working for me for eleven and a half years, but for the entire goalkeeper group, for the coaching staff and for the club. We were always able to separate work and private life.
Club icon Lothar Matthaus slammed his comments, saying he should be stripped of the captaincy
‘I understand that it might sound like I’m not being objective or not believable, but I can really tell the difference. For me, that was a blow — when I was already down on the ground. I felt like my heart was being ripped out. It was the most brutal thing I’ve experienced in my career. And I’ve experienced a lot.’
Neuer’s comments sparked a wave of criticism from those connected to the club, both employees and former employees.
‘What Manuel said in parts of these two interviews in connection with Toni Tapalovic’s release does neither do justice to him as captain nor to the values of FC Bayern,’ Kahn told the German Press Agency.
Cristiano Ronaldo gave a bombshell interview to Piers Morgan in which he roundly criticised Manchester United
Bayern Munich CEO Oliver Kahn has slammed Manuel Neuer for his public comments
‘In addition, his statements are untimely because we are facing very important games.’
Meanwhile, Matthaus referenced Neuer’s skiing accident in his criticism of the goalkeeper, alluding to the player needing to show more contrition in his decision to criticise the club.
‘Manuel Neuer is no longer acceptable as Bayern captain!’ Matthaus wrote in his column for Sky Sports Germany.
‘He skied negligently and is now giving an unauthorised interview in which he vehemently attacks the club. Hadn’t he said a few weeks ago that no one was above the club? And now this.’
Neuer fractured his tibia and fibula following a skiing accident after Germany’s World Cup exit
While Julian Nagelsmann, who is under increasing pressure with the club locked in a title race in the Bundesliga, said Neuer’s comments did not help calm the situation around the club amid a difficult season.
‘I wouldn’t have given the interview,’ Nagelsmann told DAZN. ‘We have important weeks ahead. It doesn’t help calm things down.
‘Oliver Kahn made a very, very good statement. Some time ago I had a good conversation with Manuel in private, where we discussed many things.
‘I told him the reasons why the separation happened, I didn’t want to make it public, which was the right decision in my opinion. My doors are always open, even though I would have chosen a different path [than the interview].’
