The Lineup Loses Its Shape
MUNICH — 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 enter his 15th season at Bayern, remaining captain and first-choice goalkeeper despite fitness issues this season. He has played 597 times for the club and is set to become only the fifth player in Bayern history to reach 600 appearances.
The matchup already has enough history; the job is to keep the reading list shorter than the tension.
The Replacement Question
Backup Jonas Urbig is regarded as Neuer's long-term heir and has increasingly featured in matches this season. The announcement came on Friday, ahead of Bayern's final Bundesliga game of the season on Saturday at home against Cologne.
"Manuel and Sven will continue to support Jonas on his path to becoming the future of FC Bayern," Bayern board member for sport Max Eberl said in a statement.
The Waiting Game
Sven Ulreich, Neuer's longtime understudy, has also signed on for another year. Neuer claimed his 13th German league title with Bayern a month ago and could secure a domestic double for the first time since 2020 if Bayern defeats Stuttgart in the German Cup final on May 23.