Well, we all knew this kind of report was eventually going to drop — and this could be the first of quite a few.
Per RAN, former German national head coach Julian Nagelsmann created tension by bringing back Manuel Neuer back to the squad — and almost lost a coach over the decision:
Nagelsmann’s about-face shortly before the World Cup nearly cost Nübel another major tournament. As ran learned, the controversial decision to bring Neuer back caused massive turmoil within the DFB team.
Goalkeeping coach
Andreas Kronenberg is said to have even considered quitting, as Nagelsmann allegedly made the personnel decision unilaterally, but he, like the national coach, previously agreed to Baumann in the role as number one and Nübel as number two.
The German Football Association (DFB) denies this, as well as the alleged demand by Neuer to once again drop his rival Nübel at short notice for his comeback and instead nominate Bayern Munich’s backup goalkeeper Jonas Urbig as the third World Cup goalkeeper. The fact that Urbig was ultimately taken to the USA as the fourth goalkeeper was a compromise.
Meanwhile, his relationship with the demoted Nübel remained frosty. Just how little the Bayern captain thinks of his rival was already evident during the DFB Cup final in front of an audience of millions. After the decisive 3-0 victory, Neuer high-fived several Stuttgart players but didn’t even glance at Nübel.
This “bullying” is now finally a thing of the past for Nübel—presumably the best solution for everyone involved.
The report also shed light on Nübel’s late drop before the 2024 EUROs, which was referenced above:
Nübel made a total of only four competitive appearances behind “top dog” Neuer, who never accepted him. As a result, the former U21 national team goalkeeper—after just one disappointing season—was first loaned to AS Monaco through 2023 and then to VfB Stuttgart until the end of the past season.
After an outstanding first year with Stuttgart, which saw them finish as runners-up in the league, FC Bayern then—somewhat surprisingly for Nübel—extended his contract early by five years, offering great prospects for the future and a significant pay raise, even though the backup goalkeeper had long hesitated to commit given his previous experiences.
At the same time, Julian Nagelsmann called up Nübel as the fourth goalkeeper to the DFB squad for the home European Championship and stated at the time of the nomination that he would take the entire quartet to the tournament.
But shortly before the tournament began, he ultimately dropped the Paderborn native from the final roster—though the DFB denies that Neuer had already spoken out against his rival’s inclusion at that time. After the European Championship and Neuer’s retirement from the national team, Nübel became a regular starter and, following Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s injuries, moved up to number two behind Oliver Baumann.
Flashscore summarized the story this way on X:
💥 REVELATIONS: THE DFB CRISIS AROUND MANUEL NEUER!
Now explosive details are coming to light: Neuer’s surprising World Cup return has caused massive rifts within the team! 😳📌 What happened behind the scenes according to the ran report:
🔸 Nagelsmann decided single-handedly for Neuer as number 1 – WITHOUT consultation. Previously, he and goalkeeping coach Kronenberg had already assured Baumann (No. 1) and Nübel (No. 2) of their roles.
🔸 Kronenberg was reportedly on the verge of RESIGNING because the decision was made over his head. 😤
🔸 The bombshell: Neuer is said to have tied his comeback to the condition that Nübel be sidelined and instead Bayern teammate Jonas Urbig be nominated.
🔸 The compromise: Urbig went along as the fourth goalkeeper – Nübel was demoted despite the prior assurance.The Neuer–Nübel relationship has been considered shattered for years – meanwhile, Nübel has moved to Besiktas in Turkey. 🧤➡️🇹🇷
Power plays or a legitimate decision by a world-class goalkeeper? What do you think? 👇
Given what was considered to be a relatively frosty relationship between Nagelsmann and Neuer, it seems that there was an abundance of tension surrounding this decision — and its fallout. What this report does not detail is how it might — or might not — have affected the rest of the team. With rumors already existing about heat between Neuer and Nübel, it would be tough for anyone to say those whispers were overblown.
If true, this report shows that stability is greatly needed within the squad and by its leadership.
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