Caught on the wrong foot
Nagelsmann forgets Manuel Neuer’s birthday
Updated March 28, 2026 – 10:59 amReading time: 2 minutes
Julian Nagelsmann got off to a successful start to the World Cup year with the DFB team. The national coach doesn’t succeed in everything – he forgets the birthday of an important companion.
While Bayern fans in particular have Manuel Neuer’s birthday on their radar due to his future decision, national coach Julian Nagelsmann has apparently forgotten his former goalkeeper’s special day.
In the RTL interview after the 4-3 win over Switzerland, presenter Laura Wontorra concluded the conversation by saying: “A very deserving German national player turned 40 today. Did you congratulate?” There was a short, awkward pause before Wontorra even followed up: “Do you know who it is?”
Nagelsmann replied curtly that he didn’t know. After Wontorra explained to the 38-year-old about Neuer’s birthday, he only replied with a long “Ohhhhh” and added: “No, I haven’t congratulated you yet, to be honest.” However, at the time of the interview around 11 p.m., Nagelsmann still had around an hour to catch up on his congratulations.
“I think,” Nagelsmann began, “you can forgive me for having my head a little somewhere else today, at least during the day, and having a game to prepare.” At the same time, he emphasized that he has a very successful team management, “which has certainly already written on my cell phone that it is Manuel’s birthday.”
