National team
Neuer’s claim, ter Stegen’s hope: who will be the European Championship goalkeeper?
The duel between Marc-André ter Stegen (l) and Manuel Neuer has been a part of the national team’s history for years. photo
© Marcus Brandt/dpa
There can only be one. The national coach also knows that. Neuer or ter Stegen? The decision as to who will be in goal for the national team at the European Championships is looming. With a clear trend.
Julian Nagelsmann could be sure of one thing during the German national soccer team’s first practice session of the European Championship year. He has no problem at all in the goalkeeper position. Or is it? The national coach has to decide on a number one for the home tournament and thus snub a world-class goalkeeper – and the decision could be made soon, even before the upcoming test matches against France and the Netherlands.
Duels have been going on for years
“We’ll have a conversation with both of them, I’m not making any predictions. First and foremost are the players, then the media. I have a goalkeeper coach who has his opinion, has his arguments, and has a much better overview of it than I do. We will have the discussions and then decide what approach we will use in the two games,” said Nagelsmann before the test games on Saturday in Lyon and three days later in Frankfurt. It is clear that Nagelsmann will also apply his principle of role distribution for all positions with a regular and a backup to the goalkeepers.
Neuer against Ter Stegen, this duel has been running through the national team’s history for years. And there was always no questioning Neuer’s status when it became important. He was in the DFB goal at four World Cups and three European Championships. Only when the then national coach Joachim Löw traveled to Russia with a promising squad for the 2017 Confederations Cup was the eternal deputy ter Stegen allowed to appear as number one at a tournament and lift the winner’s trophy.
Experts: New in the European Championship opening game
The overwhelming majority of experts are now also certain: Neuer will be number one in the DFB goal in the opening game of the European Championship against Scotland in Munich on June 14th. And that would be particularly bitter for Ter Stegen, who is a leader at FC Barcelona and has been playing at the top level for years. When Neuer took a break from the entire 2023 international season because of his broken leg, he finally felt like Germany’s number one.
“I enjoy that I have this support from the team and from the coach. I believe that I absolutely repay that. That’s what I focus on the most: playing good games and always being in absolute balance with myself.” said the 31-year-old. However, ter Stegen should know that good performances can be a waste in the absence of his opponent. Even before the 2018 World Cup, Neuer returned from a foot injury just in time and was in goal at the tournament in Russia.
Both goalkeepers at the top level
The Bayern goalkeeper, who will celebrate his 38th birthday one day after the duel with arch-rivals Holland next week, has a real statistical impact in his international quota after his successful club comeback: 77 wins, 21 draws and There are only 19 defeats with less than one goal conceded per game in his DFB record. He has kept a clean sheet 47 times since 2009 with the eagle on his chest. And ter Stegen: 20 wins, 8 draws and ten defeats with 50 goals conceded. Nagelsmann also likes to be guided by numbers.
During training on the DFB campus, both goalkeepers performed at the top level and put in a lot of effort. Did they both want to make another impression? “A role discussion will take place when we have the players available. That hasn’t happened yet, it won’t be until Monday or Tuesday,” said the national coach when he announced his squad last week. Today is Wednesday.