On the occasion of the new ranking of the football magazine “Kicker” about the best goalkeepers in the Bundesliga, former goalkeeper Toni Schumacher was surprised that hardly any German keepers are represented and at the same time criticized Alexander Nübel from VfB Stuttgart.
The Bundesliga season 2024/25 has ended, time for the “kicker” to publish its popular rankings. With the goalkeepers, none of the German football upper house made it into the “World Class” category this summer.
In the “International Class” there are at least three final men: Peter Gulacsi from RB Leipzig, Gregor Kobel from BVB and Nikola Vasilj from FC St. Pauli.
The first German keeper can only be found in the “national class”, it is Manuel Neuer (FC Bayern) in fourth place. A fact that Toni Schumacher, European champion from 1980 and double German champion (with Cologne and BVB) is worried.
“The situation of the German goalkeepers has not improved, the opposite is the case. We are no longer a goalkeeper country,” stated the former national goalkeeper in the “kicker”. “Keeper ranked at the very front that are not eligible to play for the DFB.”
From the last time the Germans were new in the “world class” category, but that was a long time ago, in the winter ranking list 2020/21 this was the case.
Schumacher is surprised about the lack of Baumann
“At the moment we are as far away as rare,” Schumacher wondered and puts his finger in the wound: “The fact that the kicker still classifies the world champion of 2014 as the best German goalkeeper speaks.”
Behind the 39-year-old new one can then be found, “who are able to shine here and there,” said Schumacher and aimed at Finn Dahmen (FC Augsburg, P5), Robin Zentner (Mainz 05, P6), Noah Atubolu (SC Freiburg, P7) and Alexander Nübel (VfB Stuttgart, P8), “but they don’t get the consistency there”.
Nübel in particular is one who lacks the Constance in question. The Stuttgart is his “prime example,” emphasized Schumacher. Nübel is “a keeper with potential that remains too often below his possibilities,” criticized the 71-year-old from FC Bayern to the Swabians.
“Oliver Baumann is completely out, I would have seen it in the ranking,” Schumacher wondered about the non-consideration of the Hoffenheimer, who is also active in the DFB team, in the ranking. “He demonstrated against Italy on an international parquet. And behind the holey defense in Hoffenheim you are often lost,” he said.