Manuel Neuer interview about memorable European nights

Bayern’s 2025/26 Champions League adventure has reached its crucial stage. But how do you prepare for such big European nights? Manuel Neuer sat down with members’ magazine ‘51’ to talk about pressure, memories and how big teams prevail in these big fixtures.

Interview with Manuel Neuer

Manuel, your first Champions League final was in 2004 as a ball boy – Monaco against José Mourinho’s Porto. What’s your memory of that evening?
“I was living at Schalke’s academy at the time and looked straight out at the stadium every day. Of course, as a teenager I had big dreams, but a final like that seemed almost out of reach. I played with so many guys back then, and a year later some of them were already gone, because so many are weeded out in the youth ranks. During that match, I was assigned as a ball boy at the corner flag of the south stand. It was a special experience, even if the match itself wasn’t perhaps one of the most spectacular finals and there have certainly been louder nights in Gelsenkirchen.”

You’ve played in many special matches during your career: Champions League finals, big knockout ties, tournament finals. How does preparing for a night like that differ from a normal match?
“I’m a firm believer in maintaining as much normality as possible. Of course, there are external requirements in a final – fixed times for press conferences, joint appearances with the opposition. But the biggest difference is in the atmosphere – more family and friends in attendance, often a match abroad, just this one final, no home and away legs. The media attention is enormous; you’re more exposed to it all in your private life too, and you’re thinking about it weeks in advance. The routine remains similar, but the scale is different.”

There are matches and evenings that really stick in your memory. 2012 is certainly one of them – your first Champions League final. How vivid are those memories now?
“We had to take a lot of knocks. First of all, we had to come to terms with the defeat and draw strength from it to turn things around. We managed that brilliantly, with the fans behind us too. You still remember the images, how we were lying on the ground at the Allianz Arena and then had to walk up the steps to collect the silver medals. You don’t forget moments like that.”

Speaking about the final the following year at Wembley, Philipp Lahm said that you and Javi Martínez kept the team in the game during the opening stages. How do you manage to stay composed during periods of pressure in such big matches, especially after the experience of the previous year?
“Dortmund had won the league and the cup the previous season. An all-German final – that was a completely different kind of pressure. When you play against Manchester United, Real Madrid or Barcelona, it’s a 50-50 contest. Against Dortmund, many saw us as favourites. So you tell yourself we can’t afford to lose this one. That’s how we started the match. We weren’t quite on the ball at the start, didn’t find our rhythm. It was crucial that Javi played his best game in a Bayern shirt and that I got into the game well in the first half.”

In 2020, you captained a team in a Champions League final for the first time. What does it mean to wear the armband in a match like that?
“It’s definitely a great feeling. But as a goalkeeper, you’re a natural leader anyway; you’re supposed to provide support for your team. But obviously it’s a special moment when you get to lift the trophy for the team as captain.”

After the final whistle in 2020, you said, “It was a relief.” In big games like that, is relief often stronger than euphoria in the moments after the final whistle?
“Yes, absolutely. I’ve felt that way before – not just with the first treble, but also at the 2014 World Cup. When the referee blows the whistle, the first thing you feel is a huge sense of relief. Against PSG, we had to weather a lot of periods of pressure; they had good chances. It was brilliant that we were able to settle the game with Kingsley’s [Coman] header and secure a 1-0 win. But at the moment the final whistle blows, the overriding feeling is that we’ve done it. It takes a moment for that to turn into genuine euphoria.”

What mementos have you kept from big matches? And what do such souvenirs mean to you?
“From the 2013 and 2020 Champions League finals, I took pieces of the nets home with me. They’re currently still neatly stored away at my house, along with the exchanged shirts. Once my career is over, I’ll take the time to think about how and where to display these mementos. Obviously I hope a few more special items will be added to the collection.”

This interview appeared in the April edition of members’ magazine ‘51’, as well as an interview with Real Madrid legend Emilio Butragueño: