After injury to Ter Stegen
DFB legend demands goalkeeper surprise
Updated on July 28th, 2025 – 5:48 p.m.Reading time: 3 min.
The difficult situation of Marc-André Ter Stegen also plunges national coach Julian Nagelsmann into a dilemma. Sepp Maier recommends a spectacular solution to him at T-Online.
National coach Julian Nagelsmann has also plunged into a dilemma, the new difficult setback for national goalkeeper Marc-André Ter Stegen, who will now be out again for months due to back operation. Because Ter Stegen, whom Nagelsmann had declared his number one for the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico in the coming year, continues to experience difficult times.
At first a serious knee injury put him out of action for almost a complete year. After finally fought back onto the pitch and goal of the national team after his patella tendon tear in June, he was degraded at FC Barcelona. And now it fails again for at least three months – possibly longer. Ter Stegen will definitely miss the start of the World Cup year and the World Cup qualification in September.
When and in what constitution the 34-year-old will return to the square is completely unclear. On the way to the 2026 World Cup, the national coach inevitably threatens unrest and debates about his number one. So does Germany now have a goalkeeper problem?
Torverwartikone Sepp Maier does not see the situation quite as critically. “We always had and have good goalkeepers in Germany. That’s why we don’t have to worry at all,” said Maier to T-Online and provided the reason right away: “Because if all the rope tear, we can still ask Manuel new ones whether he wants to play for the national team again. It’s very simple.”
Even more. For the former goalkeeper of the German national team and FC Bayern, it is certain: “Julian Nagelsmann must now be thinking about Manuel Neuer.” The 39-year-old captain of FC Bayern and world champion in 2014 had actually resigned from the national team last summer after the home European Championship.
After the next injury to Ter Stegen, Maier national coach Nagelsmann now expressed an unmistakable recommendation. “I would definitely call Manuel Neuer and talk to him about whether he would help the national team again in this situation,” said Maier. “It would only be up to the World Cup, and after the tournament, Neuer can stop again.” But he does not know “whether the Manuel still wants it,” said Maier and joked: “He is freshly married and in love. You don’t know whether he is still allowed to go to the national team.” The latter is of course “just fun,” emphasized the 81-year-old.
Neuer himself had left at least one back door open when he resigned, which could lead him back to the national team. You should “never rule out something like this, and I won’t do that either,” said Neuer at the time.
Maier emphasized that Nagelsmann also had “other good goalkeepers in the squad”. He also trusts ter Stegens current deputies Oliver Baumann (35) and Alexander Nübel (28) “definitely” to go to the World Cup as possible. “They are checked every week and have to write their Abitur every week.” Sometimes with a one, sometimes with a two, sometimes with a three, “said Maier with a wink. And what overall grade does he give his successor in the DFB goal?