MUNICH (AP) — Manuel Neuer has extended his contract at Bayern Munich for another year, keeping the 40-year-old goalkeeping great at the German champion as he mentors his long-term successor.
Neuer will head into his 15th season at Bayern and remains the captain and first-choice goalkeeper after impressive performances in the Champions League despite fitness issues this season. He has played 597 times for the club and is set to become the fifth player in Bayern history to reach 600 appearances.
Backup Jonas Urbig is increasingly considered Neuer's successor and has been given more game time this season. The veteran has taken on a mentoring role with the younger keeper.
There is something quietly unusual about a 40-year-old captain still playing first-string while officially mentoring his replacement — the hierarchy is clear but the timeline is not.
The announcement came Friday ahead of Bayern's final Bundesliga game of the season Saturday at home to Cologne. Long-time understudy Sven Ulreich has also signed on for another year.
"Manuel and Sven will continue to support Jonas on his path to becoming the future of FC Bayern," board member for sport Max Eberl said in a statement.
Neuer won his 13th German league title with Bayern a month ago and could add a domestic double if Bayern beats Stuttgart in the German Cup final on May 23.
The number almost speaks for itself
Neuer's 597 appearances have been earned across more than a decade of dominance. The fifth player to hit 600 for Bayern does not need the milestone explained — the list itself tells you everything about what he has meant to the club. That he is still first-choice at 40, while helping ready his heir, says more about his longevity than any headline could.