MUNICH — Manuel Neuer isn't done yet. The 40-year-old Bayern Munich captain has extended his contract by another year, ensuring he'll remain at the club where he's spent 15 years and chase a milestone that only four others in club history have reached.
The Numbers Keep Climbing
Neuer has logged 597 appearances for Bayern. Five more will make him the fifth player ever to hit 600 for the club. That's not bad for a goalkeeper who joined as a teenager and somehow made the sweeper-keeper role his own invention.
Despite dealing with fitness issues throughout this season, Neuer still delivered the kind of performances in the Champions League that reminded everyone why he's still the first name on the team sheet at 40.
Mentoring the Heir Apparent
Jonas Urbig is being groomed as Neuer's long-term successor and has increasingly seen game time this season. The arrangement seems straightforward: Neuer plays, Urbig learns, and somewhere in the background Sven Ulreich continues doing what Sven Ulreich does.
Board member Max Eberl put it plainly: Neuer and Ulreich will continue supporting Urbig's development. The phrasing suggests everyone understands the timeline here, even if nobody's eager to write it down.
The announcement dropped on Friday — one day before Bayern's final Bundesliga home game of the season against Cologne. Coincidence? Probably.
Still Chasing Trophies
Neuer secured his 13th German league title a month ago. Next up: a German Cup final against Stuttgart on May 23. Win that, and it's Bayern's first domestic double since 2020. Not bad for a man who could legally rent a car in most countries with out the premium surcharge.