During his time at Bayern Munich working together with Pep Guardiola, innovation was never just a buzzword for goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
Tactical experiments, positional rotations, and bold interpretations
of possession football defined that era. Few players embodied that spirit more than Neuer, whose sweeping, ball-playing goalkeeping fundamentally reshaped expectations for the position.
So when Bayern Munich club legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge revealed that Guardiola had once toyed with the idea of deploying Neuer in midfield, the story felt less like fantasy and more like the natural extension of Guardiola’s imagination—and Neuer’s unique skill set.
Neuer recently reflected on that period.
“I could have played [outfield] at a lower level. In a possession-based team in the Third Division, for example, it would have been possible. I probably would have lacked a bit of pace, but I could have played at a good level. I don’t know if I would have been a center-back or a defensive midfielder, a bit like Javi Martinez. It could have been interesting. But I’m extremely happy with what I’ve shown as a goalkeeper,” Neuer told L’Equipe (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).
Neuer doesn’t dismiss the idea outright. After all, his technical quality, vision, and composure on the ball often resembled that of an outfield player. Guardiola’s Bayern Munich frequently relied on him as an auxiliary defender in buildup, effectively creating numerical superiority in possession long before such structures became mainstream across Europe.
The comparison he makes to Javi Martínez is telling — a cerebral, physical, defensively aware presence capable of controlling space and tempo. In the end, Guardiola’s thought experiment says as much about Neuer’s extraordinary football intelligence as it does about tactical creativity in Munich. And while fans may wonder how it might have looked, Bayern Munich supporters surely will not complain about the superstar staying in net.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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