Before Neuer’s approaching comeback
Shortly before Manuel Neuer’s approaching comeback at FC Bayern Munich, Marc-André ter Stegen confirmed his ambitions to be in goal for the German national team at the home European Championships next year. “It is one of the biggest events you can have in your own country and for which you are responsible. I will do everything to ensure that I am in the best shape for the tournament at the end,” said the FC Barcelona keeper in a “Sky“Interview before the international match of the DFB selection on Saturday (9 p.m./RTL) in Hartford against hosts USA.
By the time of the home tournament next June, the current number one hopes “that I have shown good performances and also bring this self-image with me. In every game, in every second. Every footballer has ups and downs. But I hope that I can work my way there over the season and that I can always keep my focus in the end.”
The 31-year-old ter Stegen does not want to be distracted by Neuer’s impending return after a serious fracture of his lower leg: “I never make my own achievements dependent on others.” The Mönchengladbach native sees himself in a good position: “I believe that I have the “I’ve always played at a very high level in recent years.” With a market value of 35 million euros, he is one of the ten most valuable goalkeepers in the world and is therefore clearly ahead of Neuer and his 7 million euros, who, however, has the goalkeeper ranking in the over-34 age group leads.
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DFB keeper ter Stegen enjoys “support from the team and the coach”
For ter Stegen, what counts is “the here and now,” said the keeper in Foxborough, where the DFB team is preparing for the two games against the USA and then in Philadelphia against Mexico under the new national coach and ex-Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann. “I enjoy having this support from the team and the coach. I believe I absolutely repay that. That’s what I focus on the most: playing good games and always being in complete balance with myself.”
Ter Stegen has been in the DFB goal 36 times so far, but never at a World Cup or European Championship. Competitor Neuer, who has 117 international matches and has therefore been used more often than any other German goalkeeper before him, has played as number one in all major tournaments since the 2010 World Cup finals. The long-time DFB captain broke his leg on a ski tour after the early World Cup exit in Qatar in December last year.
After a long rehab, he now seems ready to be back in the Bayern goal after the international break. He never gave up hope of a DFB comeback and participation in the European Championship in 2024 during the long downtime. It remains to be seen whether his former Munich coach Nagelsmann will rely on him again as a national goalkeeper. When he was introduced, Nagelsmann explained that he wanted to give Neuer the time he needed to get healthy and regain 100 percent performance. “If the situation arises, then we will evaluate it.” Bayern, with then coach Nagelsmann, parted ways with his goalkeeping coach Toni Tapalovic at the beginning of the year, much to Neuer’s disappointment. Since then, the relationship has been strained.
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