Questions after ter Stegen’s drama: And what if Manuel Neuer takes over again?

Questions about ter Stegen’s drama
And what if Manuel Neuer takes over again?

By Tobias Nordmann
23.09.2024, 09:50

Marc-André ter Stegen suffered a serious injury at the most inopportune time. The season is probably over for the 32-year-old, but it was supposed to be a big one for him. He not only wanted to rise again with FC Barcelona, ​​but also to shine for Germany. Now big questions arise.

Immediately after Marc-André ter Stegen had kept his FC Barcelona in the lead with a gigantic save, in the manner of an ice hockey goalie, before the 2:2 equaliser in La Liga against Villarreal (final score 5:1 for Barça), there was a big drama before half-time. The German goalkeeper confidently caught a corner kick from the hosts that had been kicked too long out of the air, but he only landed on one leg, screamed and it was immediately clear: something bad has happened here.

His teammates called for medical attention, and the referee wasted no time in signaling that help should come as soon as possible. The 32-year-old was substituted amid cries of pain and will not be seen on the pitch for a very long time. Presumably not at all this season. “We have to wait. It will be a serious injury. You could see that immediately when he was lying on the field,” Barcelona coach Hansi Flick stressed. At halftime, she said to herself: “We're playing for Marc now.” Spanish media speculated that it was the right patellar tendon in his knee again. He had already had it operated on before 2020 and 2021.

For Flick, the super coach, the drama surrounding the number one is the second piece of bad news in his young tenure. Just a few weeks ago, the super talent Marc Bernal was injured so badly that he too can no longer play this season. However, Flick and his team can compensate for the loss of the 17-year-old much better than the gap that ter Stegen now leaves, despite a few wobbles recently. Among other things, in the Champions League, when he put teammate Eric Garcia under so much pressure with a fatal back pass that he pulled the emergency brake. Barcelona then played 80 minutes with fewer players and lost the game at AS Monaco 1:2.

Neuer has just left

For the time being, the Catalans' goal will be guarded by Inaki Pena. The 25-year-old is a homegrown player and the clear number two in the squad. Things are unlikely to change until the winter break. But then the club could be active on the transfer market. Recently, a wild rumor had been circulating that Brigthon's keeper Bart Verbruggen had become the focus of Barça, partly because of the German's wobbly performances.

To begin with, a long phase of waiting and recovery begins. And if ever an injury came at the most inopportune time, it is this one. Because ter Stegen's great time should finally have begun. He no longer wanted to just be a big name in Spain, but also to finally shoulder the burden of the DFB team. He wanted to step out of Manuel Neuer's shadow, in which he had been trapped for years. Every now and then he was in the spotlight, but when it was important he was pushed back hard. Until now: Neuer has ended his DFB career and for ter Stegen his mission to win the 2026 World Cup has begun. The keeper was more relieved than ever in his first press conference with his new, number one status.

And if you want to find something good in the goalkeeper's disaster, then perhaps it is the timing of the injury. If he does not return until next summer, he still has a year to fulfil his dream of playing in his first tournament as number one in the national team. And it is his eternal rival Neuer who is showing him the way. He too fought back from a serious injury sustained while skiing after the World Cup debacle in Qatar, got back into strong form and became number one. Despite a challenger as strong as ter Stegen, who had to accept it with his fist in his pocket.

Nübel, Baumann, Trapp – or Neuer?

The good news for ter Stegen: There is currently no challenger like him in sight. That is why the injury is also bitter news for national coach Julian Nagelsmann. And the question is: who will be the temporary number one? The most logical answer would be Alexander Nübel. He has matured into a top man at VfB Stuttgart and has been the only goalkeeper for 27 years who embodies something like the future for Germany.

In the land of goalkeepers, things are looking rather bleak behind the old guard. Oliver Baumann is in a deep sporting crisis with TSG Hoffenheim, but is still one of the best. Kevin Trapp is currently injured and is under pressure at Eintracht Frankfurt from his young replacement Kaua Santos. And Bernd Leno? Yes, exactly, it feels like we haven't heard from him in an eternity. Former U21 keeper Noah Atubolu from SC Freiburg was also considered a beacon of hope, but the 22-year-old was not consistent enough for a long time. Time and again, he had bitter lapses after strong games. He sometimes had to listen to harsh criticism from fans. Former coach Christian Streich was particularly outraged on social media at the time, prompting a general reckoning with the culture on the networks.

If you look further around the U21 national team, you will also find names for a longer future. For a time after 2026. With Jonas Urbig from 1. FC Köln and Tjark Ernst from Hertha BSC there are two other very interesting candidates, both of whom are number one in their respective clubs in the 2. Bundesliga. The fourth man is Felix Gebhardt from SSV Jahn Regensburg, whose club is currently stuck deep in the relegation battle and the balls are currently flying around his ears.

Is there still a chance of Manuel Neuer making a comeback? Sounds crazy, but why not? After his retirement, he wrote an emotional letter via the “Players Tribune” and did not close the back door to the national team: “At the moment I feel very good in my body, but no one can see into the future,” Neuer wrote. In conversations with friends and family, his decision became clearer: “This is the right time.” Now times have changed and the national coach has already surprised everyone when he persuaded Toni Kroos to return. Yes, it would really be crazy if Neuer were to take over for ter Stegen now of all times.