The Game Turned Late
MUNICH — Manuel Neuer is staying put. The Bayern captain has signed a one-year extension, keeping the 40-year-old goalkeeper at the club where he has spent 15 years and where he remains the first-choice.
Neuer has played 597 times for Bayern and is now targeting his 600th appearance — a milestone only four other players in club history have reached. The timing works: he recently clinched his 13th German league title with Bayern and could add a domestic double if Bayern beats Stuttgart in the German Cup final on May 23.
The matchup already has enough history; the job is to keep the reading list shorter than the tension.
The Small Details Added Up
Behind him, the club has also secured backup Jonas Urbig for the long term. Neuer's new role includes mentoring Urbig, the player Bayern sees as the future. Sven Ulreich, the longtime understudy, has also extended.
"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.
The Table Looks Different
That a 40-year-old is still the future's mentor says something about the present. Bayern could have pushed harder for a younger reset. They chose not to.