Nuremberg (AP) – The former national goalkeeper coach Andreas Köpke thinks it is quite possible that national soccer goalkeeper Manuel Neuer will also tackle the following home European Championship after a fourth World Cup participation in Qatar at the end of the year.
At the tournament in the summer of 2024, the long-standing number 1 of the DFB selection would then be 38 years old. “When you see Manu’s achievements, his age is secondary,” Koepke told the German Press Agency before his 60th birthday this Saturday about the Bayern Munich captain. “It’s all about performance. And as long as he enjoys his job and performs, he’s untouchable,” says Köpke. “And of course a European Championship in your own country is another highlight,” he added.
Köpke accompanied Neuer in more than 100 international matches from his debut in June 2009 until his own retirement as goalkeeping coach after the European Championship last year. The shared highlight was winning the 2014 World Cup title in Brazil. When he left the DFB, he said to Neuer: “Manu, I actually wanted to stop with you, but you play for so long, my bones can’t take it anymore.”
Neuer lost a year in goal due to his long-term foot injury before the 2018 World Cup in Russia. “He’ll definitely be at the back,” said Köpke: “I think it’s important for Manu to make the right jump – especially with the national team. But he has to decide for himself when that time has come. There no one can talk him into it.”
Köpke is skeptical about the time after the current DFB keeper Neuer (35), Marc-André ter Stegen (29), Kevin Trapp (31) and Bernd Leno (30). “You have to think about it,” warns Köpke: “My boys are all getting to the age where one, two, three goalkeepers should move up. You don’t see them at the moment. There could be a gap there,” said the 1996 European champion.