“My future as a footballer was in jeopardy”
Neuer writes touching letter to Germany!
Manuel Neuer will never be in goal for the national team again
Tom Weller/dpa
August 24, 2024 at 09:29
“Goodbye Germany”
Since Wednesday it has been clear that Manuel Neuer (38) will never again be in the German goal after his retirement from the national team. The home European Championship was his last big DFB highlight. In an emotional letter, the world-class goalkeeper now explains his departure.
“A small miracle!”
“Dear Germany,” he begins his long and detailed farewell letter to the DFB team. Leaving the national team seems to be a turning point not only for him, which is why he wants to write more than just an Instagram post. “I don’t usually do things like this. I’m a very private guy. But now that I’ve finished my national team career, I want to write more than just an Instagram post. I want to explain to you what Germany means to me. What football means to me,” he explains on the portal “The Players Tribune”. Neuer describes the last few months and his return to the pitch after breaking his leg in December 2022 in detail and touchingly.
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“Just 18 months ago, I wondered if I would ever play football again. When I broke my leg, I initially thought it was no big deal. But when I got to the hospital, I quickly realised that it was no normal fracture. My future as a footballer was in jeopardy.” He thought about the fact that his greatest “passion” could be taken away from him.
Rückblick: Shortly after the sobering 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Neuer broke his left tibia and fibula on a skiing trip. FC Bayern Munich’s number 1 worked for almost a year on his return to the pitch. In October 2023, the time had come. Seven months before the home European Championship, Neuer was back in Bayern’s goal. A time that shaped him! “When I was included in the tournament squad, it was one of the achievements of my life that I am most proud of.” He describes the nomination for the European Championship as “a small miracle”.
“Torn”
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A miracle, yes, but also a warning shot. After the European Championship, Neuer is “torn”. The “emotional” part of him wants to carry on. Nevertheless, he realizes that he would already be 40 by the time of the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada. Physically, the goalkeeper is feeling really good again, but “you can’t look into the future,” he writes.
He also became a father for the first time five months ago. “When I spoke to my family and friends about it, the decision was clear,” he writes. In 2009 he stood in the DFB goal for the first time, and in 2014 he played a huge part in the World Cup title in Brazil. At the European Championships on home soil he showed his critics once again. “I will miss you.” He ends his letter with these lines.
And football Germany will miss him after reading these lines! (tli)
