Borussia Mönchengladbach’s sporting director Roland Virkus questions the future of Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer in goal for the German national soccer team.
Manuel Neuer has now been the undisputed number one goalkeeper for the German national team for 13 years.
However, because of his broken tibia and fibula and the associated month-long break, it is now being questioned whether the FC Bayern captain will ever return to the DFB goal as a regular goalkeeper.
Roland Virkus is one of the clear advocates of a change between the posts in the goal of the DFB team.
The sporting director of Borussia Mönchengladbach, who ironically lost his previous goalkeeper Yann Sommer to FC Bayern in January, initially showed Neuer his great respect in a press conference on Thursday.
“You have to say very clearly that Manuel Neuer did a good job until his injury. He’s definitely one of the best goalkeepers in the world and he’s proven that for years,” said Virkus.
Clear statements from Gladbach sports director Roland Virkus
At the same time, the Gladbach sports director also spoke out unequivocally in favor of promoting his former protégé Marc-André ter Stegen, who has been under contract with FC Barcelona since 2014, to the new German goalkeeper.
“Marc-André delivers top performances in Barcelona. I have no problem trusting him to become number one in Germany,” said the Gladbach manager, who clearly formulated his personal opinion: “It’s about time, there too to make a change.”
In his international career so far, Ter Stegen has only played 30 senior internationals.
“Manuel Neuer is an outstanding goalkeeper, no question about it. But I believe that Marc-André also deserves to be number one,” added Virkus in his plea for Gladbach’s own growth, which was in Virkus’ time as Head of the youth performance center passed through the “Fohlenstall” on the Lower Rhine.
In a recent interview with rtl/ntv and sport.de, Ter Stegen himself continued to be ambitious about getting off to a good start in the DFB team.
“Of course I have the right to be number one in the national team. I’ve said that for years,” said the Barca keeper.