After being under the shadow of the legendary Manuel Neuer in the The German national team for years, Barcelona captain Marc-Andre to Stegen set to achieve No. 1 status by The team.
This is because Neuer, 38, retired from international football today.
The Bayern Munich and the German legend was expected to play for the national team and fight for a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
However, following in the footsteps of the Barcelona midfielder Ilkay GundoganNeuer has decided to retire from national team duty with Germany.
Ter Stegen will get his chance
As mentioned earlier, Ter Stegen has had to play second fiddle to Neuer at national team level throughout his career.
Since making his debut back in 2012, the 32-year-old has made just 40 appearances for Germany. In the past, the Barcelona captain did not make his anxieties about the situation a secret either.
“It’s not a pleasant situation,” he said in Juneheading to UEFA Euro 2024 in his home country.
“At the end of the day, you owe it to the organization to help where I can.”
“I told the national coach that one thing is sport and another human thing, I want everyone to be able to trust me,” he said more.
Ter Stegen also clarified that he has no problem with Neuer, saying: “It’s nothing to do with him on a personal level either, we have a great relationship.”
Now with Neuer retiring from the national team for good, Ter Stegen is the No. 1 spot in the German squad.
With the likes of Neuer, Gundogan, Thomas Mullerand Toni Kroos all retiring from international football, Ter Stegen also became one of the highest members of the German national team.
With the new responsibility to be placed on his shoulders, the Barcelona captain must step up to the plate and help Germany reach great heights after their recent decline at international level.
2024-08-21 18:51:44
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