Overview
- Coach Vincent Kompany confirmed Manuel Neuer will start the DFB-Pokal last-16 tie at Union Berlin, noting young keeper Jonas Urbig will still be integrated with further minutes this season.
- After Bayern’s 3-1 win over St. Pauli, Neuer said he retired from the national team on purpose and that his focus remains firmly on the club.
- Neuer’s contract expires in the summer, and he said he will gauge how he feels in the second half of the season before deciding, while sporting director Christoph Freund signaled talks will begin in the new year.
- Bayern executive Max Eberl endorsed the idea of Neuer going to the 2026 World Cup, later stressing it was his personal view delivered with a wink.
- Speculation about a Germany return continues because Marc-André ter Stegen is injured and Oliver Baumann is starting, even as Neuer’s recent errors have drawn scrutiny from analysts.