"Time for others: Kahn rules out Germany return for Neuer" | OneFootball

The discussion about a possible return of Manuel Neuer to the German national team is gaining momentum again after his outstanding performances for FC Bayern Munich. However, Oliver Kahn urges caution. The former Bayern CEO and DFB goalkeeper believes the time has come to place trust in the next generation.

In the Sky talk show “Triple – der Hagedorn-Fußballtalk”, Kahn first expressed great appreciation for the 39-year-old, who recently delivered a world-class performance in the 2-1 victory against Paris Saint-Germain: “There’s as little need to discuss Manuel Neuer’s qualities as there is to discuss Leroy Sané’s qualities – that was evident against Paris Saint-Germain as well. He has the experience to perform in matches at the highest level.”

Nevertheless, Kahn advises against hastily reopening the door for a return to the DFB team: “Julian Nagelsmann has made it clear that Marc-André ter Stegen is the number one when he’s fit again. For the national coach, it’s not so easy to backtrack on that.”

“Not Always Clinging to the Past”

Photo: IMAGO/Eibner

Instead of speculating about a comeback from retirement, Kahn calls for a clear generational change between the posts: “I’m a fan of giving the new, younger generation a chance to build something – and not always making the mistake of thinking that what worked well in the past is needed again.”

Kahn emphasized that Neuer remains absolute world-class in sporting terms, but the DFB team needs to think long-term.

Neuer, who has shown himself to be in absolute top form in recent months, is once again at the peak of his abilities at Bayern. His gala performance against PSG not only earned him the “Man of the Match” award, but also renewed calls for a World Cup comeback.

Kahn sees it differently: for him, now is the time to establish a new hierarchy in the DFB goal – even if the discussion about Neuer is hardly avoidable after such performances.

Julian Nagelsmann has also recently spoken out very clearly against a return of Neuer. The national coach continues to stand by the injured Marc-André ter Stegen from FC Barcelona.

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