After his red card against Bayer Leverkusen in the DFB Cup, Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is negotiating his own suspension. The negotiations in Frankfurt also deal directly with his sporting future.
Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer remains suspended for two games in the DFB Cup after his red card against Bayer Leverkusen. As DFB sports court chairman Stephan Oberholz announced after a 45-minute hearing in Frankfurt am Main, Neuer’s objection was rejected.
The former world champion was sent off with a red card last week in the 0-1 defeat in the cup round of 16 against champions Leverkusen because of an emergency stop on Jeremie Frimpong. The DFB sports court then banned the goalkeeper for two cup games. Neuer suffered a broken rib during the action and was therefore only able to join a video conference in Frankfurt via cell phone.
This led to some strange scenes. The sports court headed by Chairman Oberholz did not get through to Neuer, who initially had problems with the internet connection, for several minutes. “I think the picture is frozen – or he’s staying very still. Hello, Mr. Neuer,” Oberholz called out – a short time later the 38-year-old took his headphones out of his ear and was involved in the conversation from then on.
Red in the DFB Cup: Bayern keeper Neuer defends himself
“I tried to run for the ball. I realized it was going to be a tight affair, I couldn’t get there anymore,” said Neuer, describing the scene. Since referee Harm Osmers blew the whistle straight away, “we don’t know what would have resulted from the situation,” added Neuer.
Osmers justified his decision. He was sent off because he thwarted a clear scoring opportunity, not because of rough play. “The VAR confirmed relatively quickly that the expulsion was in order,” said Osmers, who was connected from San Sebastián in Spain before his international assignment in the evening.
For Neuer it was the first dismissal in 867 games as a professional footballer. It is unclear whether the length of the ban matters at all. After all, Neuer has an expiring contract with Bayern, who were eliminated in the cup. “He could also move somewhere else where he might also want to play in the cup,” explained Bayern’s sports director Max Eberl.
Oberholz even poked Neuer about this. “Is it clear what your future career will be like?” the chairman asked the Bayern captain. With a smile he took a look into the hearing room with a total of eleven people present and said: “My future career? I don’t think that has much to do with the proceedings.”