Following the less than ideal performances of the German national team, there has been quite some buzz about Manuel Neuer potentially walking back on his international retirement. As one of the biggest flaws of the national team have been linked to lack of leadership, it is only natural that Neuer, who has more national team experience than the entire rest of the team combined, would be welcomed with open arms.
However, Neuer himself put an end to those rumors after the 5-0 home win against Hamburger
SV. When asked about the topic, Neuer said “The fact is that I’ve decided not to play for the national team anymore.” And to the follow-up question about whether the decision was definitive, he replied with a simple “yes.”
This leaves the goalkeeper race in the national team wide open. With Marc-André ter Stegen injured, Oliver Baumann is currently the No. 1, and is doing a decent job. However, it remains to be seen if he will maintain his spot permanently.
Of course, this does not have mean that the door is completely shut – Neuer’s old teammate Toni Kroos, for instance, came out of retirement for one last hurrah with the national team. However, as of now, one can safely assume that Neuer will not be wearing the federal eagle on his chest any time soon.
Neuer retired from the national team last summer following the conclusion of Euro 2024.
Bayern Munich returned to action in the Bundesliga by hosting Hamburger SV and just crushed the visitors.
The Bavarians took home a 5-0 victory in a game that was never close. Bayern Munich was dominant from the outset and wasted little time in giving Hamburg a not so friendly welcome back to Germany’s top flight.
Let get into how it all played out! This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show:
- A look at the starting XI, which was exactly what most people expected.
- A rundown of the scoring and substitutions.
- How a quick and relentless start just decimated Hamburger SV.
- Some final thoughts and takeaways on the match.
Also, be sure to stay tuned to Bavarian Podcast Works for all of your up to date coverage on Bayern Munich and Germany. Check us out on Patreon and follow us on Twitter @BavarianFBWorks, @BavarianPodcast @TheBarrelBlog, @BFWCyler, @2012nonexistent, @TommyAdams71 and more.
