For Marc-André ter Stegen, being one of the best goalkeepers in the world came with an unfortunate complication: having to compete with Manuel Neuer for Germany’s No. 1 shirt. The Barcelona goalkeeper has often found himself playing second fiddle to the Bayern Munich legend, despite his own outstanding performances at the club level.
In an interview with Sport Bild, Ter Stegen acknowledged Neuer’s extraordinary standing in football while admitting that there were moments when he struggled to accept
his lack of opportunities with the national team.
“The reality is that Manuel Neuer is not just a great goalkeeper. Let’s not kid ourselves: he is probably one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. He also enjoyed huge respect within the national team, and rightly so. However, he was also held back by injuries. And who knows better than I do, unfortunately, what that’s like. Nevertheless, I believe that a certain level of competition pushes the goalkeeper who gets to play to improve,” Ter Stegen said (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “That’s how it was for us. Of course, the question inevitably remains: would I have preferred to play? Absolutely! But the coaches we had with the national team chose Manu. You have to respect that, and I have to accept it.
“That’s simply part of football. Were there times when I had to bite my tongue and keep my frustration to myself? Did I sometimes swear under my breath when nobody was listening? Absolutely! There were also moments when I felt that perhaps I had deserved more of a chance.”
Asked specifically about the 2018 World Cup, when Neuer returned from an eight-month injury absence and immediately reclaimed the starting position without any competitive match practice, Ter Stegen admitted that it remained his most painful experience.
“That was the most bitter moment for me, but I don’t want to revisit it. At the end of the day, the coach makes the decision. You can get as frustrated as you like, but that won’t change anything,” said Ter Stegen.
There is certainly no shortage of sympathy for Ter Stegen, but competing with Neuer was an unenviable assignment for any goalkeeper. Few players in football history have made the position look quite so different, or quite so extraordinary, as the Bayern legend.
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