Interview with Manuel Neuer: 'We’ve got the right spirit in the team'

Manuel Neuer has played for FC Bayern since 2011 and made 597 competitive appearances for the German record champions to date; he's won the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup twice and is a 13-time Bundesliga winner. And that's not all - there are six DFB Cup triumphs and eight DFL Supercup wins too. The 40-year-old has also made 124 appearances for Germany, won the World Cup in 2014, been voted World Goalkeeper of the Year/Best FIFA Goalkeeper five times and Footballer of the Year twice. Neuer has now extended his contract, which was due to expire, by another year. The team captain told fcbayern.com he still feels in top form, adding that he enjoys life at Säbener Straße and sees this squad, along with Vincent Kompany’s coaching staff, as a great opportunity to win every title once again.

Manuel Neuer – The interview

Manuel, it’s now official: you’ve extended your contract with FC Bayern by a year. How pleased are you?
“I’m absolutely delighted! It took me a while to make up my mind – I just wanted to take my time with this, because it’s a very important decision, first and foremost for me, but of course also for the club and for our team. Now I’m convinced it's the right decision.”

Take us back to last year: how did the decision-making process go?
”I had a very good Club World Cup; that intensive pre-season last summer did me a world of good. I was also able to make time for my physical well-being and my health on a regular basis. Then we got off to a good start by winning the Supercup and had a very good first half of the season. We’ve grown even closer as a team. Right from the start, everything has really clicked this season. The same goes for the coaching staff: what we do on the pitch every day, what we experience in the dressing room, the motivation and energy we have in the team – all of that has led to us having a successful season, playing good football, and me really enjoying going to Säbener Straße every day. And that’s how the decision finally came about.”

When did you first find yourself thinking: "Actually, I could carry on for another year"?
"I wanted to wait until the second half of the season, to really listen to my body during this crucial period – with the matches against Atalanta or at Borussia Dortmund – to get a sense of whether I was closer to making a decision by the end of March or early April. That’s why it was doubly frustrating that I got injured at precisely that stage. As a result, I missed out on those matches and, with them, the clarity I’d already been hoping for at that point. So I had to wait until April to see how the matches went, how I felt, and whether I still enjoyed coming to training every day. And, of course, whether I was still capable of performing at the required level.”

Was it all too good to stop now?
"It always comes down to whether I’m living up to my own standards and can demonstrate that in training every day. For me, the key thing is that I can perform in daily training at Säbener Straße exactly the way I expect myself to. I feel really good. The big games, like the away match in Madrid, certain moments in Leverkusen, or even against PSG in the second leg, have given me further confidence. That’s why I’ve decided I want to carry on for another year. I’m convinced I can keep performing at this level.”

What role does the goalkeeping team with Jonas Urbig and Sven Ulreich play in this?
"We get on really well on the pitch – and off it too, of course. We work for each other. Everyone is happy when the others perform well – whether it’s Ulle playing in Leverkusen, for example, or Jona putting in a good performance, or me. We meet up after every training session, have a chat, coach each other and try to help one another. Ulle and I are guiding Jonas through his development and preparing him for the future. Goalkeeping training is great fun. We’re grateful that our goalkeeping team sticks together so well, and we try to keep raising the bar to push each other and prepare ourselves as best we can for the matches.”

What role do the coaching staff play in your game?
"Vincent Kompany has ensured that we’ve become a team again, that we work for one another, and that everyone knows what to do on the pitch – both defensively and in attack. We’ve got the right spirit in the team. Everyone enjoys going to training; we always feel confident and at ease on the pitch, and we’ve seen often enough that we can beat any team. Things didn’t go our way against PSG – but that also means our main goal for next season is to go for it again. With this squad and this coaching staff, anything is possible! We’ve consistently made progress under Vincent Kompany so far – and we want to keep that going.”

How did the contract negotiations with the club's management go?
“We’ve always had a good, open dialogue; I just had to ask for a bit of time to make this decision, as I said. I simply needed those moments – the big games – to be able to say with absolute certainty: ‘Yes, I can handle the pressure, stand up to it and deliver.’”

How did the team react to the news that you’re staying on?
“I’m really delighted that the team also wanted me to stay on for another year. I’ve always felt that support. That’s a lovely endorsement for me.”

Many people make a list when faced with such important decisions – the pros and cons of extending the contract...
"I downloaded an app, similar to those traffic light-style ratings you see at motorway service stations – red, amber and green. Then I ticked a box each time: training performance, match performance, how I was feeling, whether I was happy... It was like a sort of diary, and I have to say that in the end, 90 per cent of it was green. So it wasn’t just a gut feeling anymore, but really a long process during which I collated a lot of information. Sure, minor injuries are part and parcel of professional football, but they didn’t play a major role. I always trained well and performed well.”

When did you finally make the decision?
“I knew one hundred per cent two weeks ago that I wanted to carry on. Even a few weeks ago, I already had a feeling that I’d be staying on. We just had such important matches coming up, and those were my priority. Now, ahead of the final match against Köln, which will be followed by the presentation of the Meisterschale, the timing is perfect – and next week we’ve got another crucial match in Berlin against Stuttgart. The target is the double.”

After such a long season, how much are you looking forward to the cup final in Berlin?
“I’ve really missed Berlin! Some of the players have never experienced it before, but those who have know just how special it all is. It’s one of the best matches a footballer can play in in Germany. I love this competition, this final, and I’m hoping we'll be in good form on the day and secure the win.”

If you were to sum it all up: why has Manuel Neuer extended his contract with FC Bayern for another year?
“Because everything’s just right for me: we’ve got a brilliant coaching team and a fantastic squad. I’ve been able to prove my worth once again. And we’ve got the ability to beat any opponent, even at the very highest level.”

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