Gerland calls for Neuer’s return: “If Germany want to achieve anything…” | OneFootball

Hermann Gerland publicly advocates for Manuel Neuer's comeback to the national team. The former Bayern coach makes a clear appeal to Julian Nagelsmann.

In the ZDF sports studio, the 71-year-old didn't mince words. For him, it's clear that Manuel Neuer is still the clear number one in Germany at 39 years old – and should remain so for the 2026 World Cup. "Manuel Neuer will play for a few more years. And if Germany wants to achieve something, Julian Nagelsmann has to put the best player on the field. And that's Manuel Neuer."

Gerland's assessment gains additional explosiveness due to the current situation. According to BILD, DFB sports director Rudi Völler has already approached the Bayern captain about a possible return. The background is the unclear situation around Marc-André ter Stegen, who will be out for months due to a back operation and was recently only the third choice at FC Barcelona.

Neuer wants to wait and see

The veteran himself has not ruled out a comeback in the national team so far. He wants to wait and see the development until March 2026 and then decide whether a return is possible, according to BILD. The topic is already being intensively discussed within the DFB team – not least because no other goalkeeper has played more international matches for Germany than Neuer.

Neuer is also providing arguments on the pitch. Especially in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart, the goalkeeper convinced with a strong performance. When asked about a return to the DFB team, he said on Sat.1: "No. I'm thinking about our team, about FC Bayern, and I'm thinking about playing as well as possible, helping the team, and being successful."

Neuer also receives support from Lothar Matthäus. The record national player stated in kicker: "Manu has shown at the Club World Cup that he hasn't lost any of his skills. He and ter Stegen are our outstanding goalkeepers. The others are good, but that's not enough for the World Cup title."

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.