A goalkeeping transition is usually very difficult. Just look at Bayern Munich’s post-Oliver Kahn and pre-Manuel Neuer days, in which Bayern enjoyed little stability and consistency in the goalkeeping department. Fortunately for the Bavarians, in Neuer they landed on a goalkeeper that would stay with them for the next 15 years, define a generation and arguably establish himself of the best goalkeeper of all times.
But now Neuer’s end at Bayern is approaching. Bayern have already tried to replace him
once through Alexander Nübel, who has been banished out on loan for the last five years, and tried again with the signing of Jonas Urbig in January of 2025. Unlike the signing of Nübel, however, Neuer was apparently told of the signing of the former FC Köln goalkeeper and agreed to sit out some games for the youngster.
That he has done, sitting out Bundesliga games against Borussia Mönchengladbach and VFB Stuttgart to allow Urbig to get a turn. Bild reports that, as captured by @iMiaSanMia, he has received praise from the club:
Manuel Neuer has been praised internally for accepting the decisions professionally, like sitting on the bench against Gladbach so that Jonas Urbig could get match practice before the Pokal game against Köln, and also recently against Stuttgart. The captain is putting the team first, ahead of his own interests.
Fans have, however, been clamoring for Urbig to get more game time. Urbig has racked up a fair amount of minutes for the Bavarians over his year at the club but, outside of injuries and suspensions, the aforementioned Bundesliga games are the only games Neuer has sat out for the youngster. How much praise can the former Schalke 04 goalkeeper get for sitting out two games in a year? At the end of the day, everyone will have their own answer to that question
