Sven Ulreich on Neuer, Tapalović and his return

After one year away, Sven Ulreich is back at FC Bayern. As he did in his first spell between 2015 and 2020, the 32-year-old is taking up the role as the No. 2 goalkeeper behind Manuel Neuer. In a 1:1 talk with FC Bayern TV LIVE, he revealed how he gets on with the Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper and how he finds the sessions with goalkeeper coach Toni Tapalović. We’ve rounded up the best statements for you.

1. Sven Ulreich on his return to Munich:

“It’s not just the proximity to the mountains, the beautiful city and the Isar that you have here. Above all, there is a great football club in Munich. That’s why I’m happy to be back here. The club has become like a family to me in recent years. I had one or two other options, but as soon as Bayern came up, it was quickly clear to me that I wanted to do it. I’m glad the return has worked out and hope to be as successful as last time. The family is also pleased to be back in Munich.”

2. Sven Ulreich on his relationship with Manuel Neuer:

“Manu and I quicky established that we’re on the same wavelength. Manu noticed that I always give everything in training but don’t taunt him from behind, so we quickly got on really well. Manu attaches a lot of importance to humanity and fair cooperation in the team. That's what distinguishes him as a captain and as a person. That fits very well with my notion of a team.”

3. Sven Ulreich on training with Toni Tapalović:

“Tapa does brilliant goalkeeper training. When I came to Munich from Stuttgart, I often said to my wife that I can’t execute what he was demanding from me. But over the years it developed and got continuously better. Through that I’ve realised how much depends on goalkeeper training. At Hamburg I went a year without Tapa’s exercises and now I needed one or two weeks to get used to it again. He’s a top goalkeeper coach, which you can also see in Manu’s development. Tapa raised me to another level. It’s important for the goalkeeping team to get along, and that’s the case with us.”

4. Sven Ulreich on new coach Julian Nagelsmann:

“The way he talks is very clear. He has a lot of good ideas. He can take the players to an even higher level. I’m very optimistic that the future is bright.”

5. Sven Ulreich on the return of fans in the stadium:

“We’ve missed the fans for the last year and a half. Football lives off fans, which we’ve noticed more than ever. At the European Championship we saw that when a goal is scored or something happens and the stadium reacts, it’s a beautiful thing. It pushes you. Every match is special when the fans are there. Without them, it felt as if you went to the stadium, did your job and went back home. Hopefully with the fans back, it will be something special again. I hope that doesn’t change again and from now we’ll always be playing in front of crowds again.”

Relive the best moments from Sven Ulreich's first spell at Bayern: