Jonas Urbig was once again in goal for FC Bayern on Saturday evening and represented regular goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in the Bundesliga classic against BVB (3:2). For Bayern’s goalkeeping legend Sepp Maier, the 22-year-old has long been the first choice when it comes to the permanent successor solution for FCB captain Neuer.
The 1974 world champion undoubtedly trusts Jonas Urbig to follow in Manuel Neuer’s huge footsteps at FC Bayern: “You should give him a chance and be patient with him. Urbig has the prerequisites to be able to follow Manuel Neuer,” said Sepp Maier in an interview with the “Donaukurier”.
At the same time, the German goalkeeping icon warns against excessive expectations: “It’s not enough at FC Bayern if you play seven or eight good games. You have to play well the whole season. And if Urbig is unlucky, it could be that FC Bayern buys someone again for 100 million. I have confidence in them.”
Maier believes Neuer’s career is over
It is still unclear whether Neuer will continue his career beyond the summer.
Video: Expert expects “clear victory” in the classic
Maier doesn’t believe that the 39-year-old will stay with the German record champions for another year: “I don’t think he’ll do that. He’s pretty sick around each other. When you get older and have to deal with this stress in training every day, you don’t recover as quickly. Manuel is sensible enough to make the right jump.”
The 1974 world champion also commented on the national team. Oliver Baumann from TSG Hoffenheim could definitely be number one at the World Cup.
“He always played well in the national team and also at Hoffenheim, otherwise they wouldn’t be in third place. It’s important that the coach speaks out in favor of a number one. Not like Klinsmann, who swapped goalkeepers two months before the World Cup. But Nagelsmann won’t do that. He will decide in the next few weeks,” said Maier about national coach Julian Nagelsmann.
