Manuel Neuer
Encyclopedia
Manuel Neuer (ˈmaːnu̯ɛl ˈnɔʏ.ɐ; born 27 March 1986 in Gelsenkirchen
) is a German
footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bayern Munich and the German national football team.
debut when he came on to substitute the injured Frank Rost
on match day 2 of the 2006–07 season. The 20-year-old eventually won the starting position when Rost was surprisingly dropped for the crunch clash against Bayern Munich. He did not disappoint and managed to secure a 2–2 draw against the defending champions. Despite his young age, he was widely tipped to be a potential successor to his former idol Jens Lehmann
in the future for the German national team.
On 5 March 2008, in the first knockout round of the UEFA Champions League, Neuer performed fantastically against FC Porto where he almost single-handedly kept Schalke in the game with some brilliant saves and forced the game into penalties. He then saved penalties from Bruno Alves
and Lisandro Lopez
to help Schalke advance to the quarter finals. For his heroics, he was shortlisted for the 2007–08 UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year award of which he was the youngest as well as the only Bundesliga goalkeeper on the list. He was one of only three Bundesliga players to play every minute in the 2007–08 season.
The 2008–09 season was somewhat disappointing as Schalke finished eighth in the league table and missed out on a Europa League spot. However, his good showing at the 2009 U-21 European Championships
sparked interest from Bayern Munich
, with Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
declaring interest in signing the young goalkeeper. Schalke's new manager Felix Magath
, however, insisted that Neuer "will play for Schalke next season". In November, he was the only German goalkeeper in the list of five nominated goalkeepers for the UEFA Team of the Year
. On 20 April 2011, he announced that he will not be extending his contract with Schalke which is set to expire at the end of the 2011–12 season. He earned criticism by Schalke-fans, who were disappointed with him leaving for a rival club.
confirmed that Neuer will move to Bayern Munich in July 2011. Neuer signed a five-year contract that will last until June 2016. The move was worth 22 million euro, making Neuer the second most expensive goalkeeper of all time. After the accurance of Bayern-fan hostilities against Neuer (some fans were unhappy about Bayern buying a Schalke keeper), a round-table discussion between Bayern Munich and group of supporters’ representatives took place on 2 July 2011. Among other things, it was decided that Manuel Neuer will be "regarded as a full member of the FC Bayern Munich team, who should be treated with due respect. Furthermore, hostility towards him should cease". Right in the first weeks at Bayern, after a 0–0 draw with Hoffenheim, Neuer broke the Bayern Munich record for most competetive clean sheets in a row, having gone over 1000 minutes without conceding. He improved the record formerly held by Oliver Kahn
.
. He won the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
with the Germany national under-21 football team
in Sweden
and kept a clean sheet in the 4-0 win in the final against England
.
squad for a tour of Asia. He made his debut on this tour in a match against United Arab Emirates
on 2 June. He played in the November friendly against the Ivory Coast that ended 2–2. Although he took responsibility for the first goal conceded, manager Joachim Löw refused to blame him and instead commended him for doing his best.
The death of keeper Robert Enke
in November 2009 saw him elevated as the second choice goalkeeper under René Adler
. However, Adler suffered a serious rib injury which ruled him out of the World Cup
. Neuer then became Germany's first choice goalkeeper ahead of Tim Wiese
and Hans-Jörg Butt
for the upcoming tournament.
Neuer was selected as Germany's number one goalkeeper for the World Cup
in South Africa
. During the group stages, he only conceded a single goal, a close range shot by Jovanovic
in the match against Serbia
. He provided the assist for Klose
's goal against England
, winning 4–1. He played in all of Germany's World Cup matches apart from the third-place game against Uruguay
, when Hans-Jörg Butt
was selected.
campaign for Euro 2012, helping Germany to secure 10 wins out of 10 games and top their group
. After Germanys 3-1 away win against Turkey
he was especially praised for his 'sensational' performance. He retained a close range volley shot by Hamit Altintop
, and then he quickly threw the ball into the opponents half to Thomas Müller
, who immediately provided the assist for Mario Gomez
's opening goal. Neuer then set up the second goal, under pressure by Turkish attackers he fired a precise long range shot to Mario Götze
deep in the opponents half, who found Thomas Müller on the edge of the opponents penalty box to score.
:
Germany
|2006–07||rowspan="5"|Schalke 04
||rowspan="6"|Bundesliga
||27||0||0||0||0||0||27||0
|-
|2007–08||34||0||3||0||10||0||47||0
|-
|2008–09||27||0||2||0||5||0||34||0
|-
|2009–10||34||0||5||0||-||-||39||0
|-
|2010–11||34||0||6||0||12||0||52||0
|-
|2011–12||rowspan="1"|Bayern Munich
||14||0||1||0||7||0||22||0
168||0||17||0||34||0||221||0
, like many other notable footballers, such as Mesut Özil
. His brother Marcel is currently a football referee in the Verbandsliga
. He got his first football when he was two. He had his first game on 3 March 1991, 24 days before his fifth birthday. Neuer's hero and idol as a child was fellow German and former Schalke goalkeeper Jens Lehmann
.
Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the Ruhr area. Its population in 2006 was c. 267,000....
) is a German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bayern Munich and the German national football team.
Schalke 04
Neuer signed professional terms in 2005 after progressing through every age group at his hometown club. He made his BundesligaBundesliga
The Bundesliga is the name for the premier league of any sport in Germany or Austria...
debut when he came on to substitute the injured Frank Rost
Frank Rost
Frank Rost is a German footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer....
on match day 2 of the 2006–07 season. The 20-year-old eventually won the starting position when Rost was surprisingly dropped for the crunch clash against Bayern Munich. He did not disappoint and managed to secure a 2–2 draw against the defending champions. Despite his young age, he was widely tipped to be a potential successor to his former idol Jens Lehmann
Jens Lehmann
Jens Gerhard Lehmann is a German former football goalkeeper. He was voted UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year for the 1996–97 and 2005–06 seasons, and he has been selected for three World Cup squads. He was a member of Arsenal's Invincibles, playing every match of their famous unbeaten title winning...
in the future for the German national team.
On 5 March 2008, in the first knockout round of the UEFA Champions League, Neuer performed fantastically against FC Porto where he almost single-handedly kept Schalke in the game with some brilliant saves and forced the game into penalties. He then saved penalties from Bruno Alves
Bruno Alves
Bruno Eduardo Regufe Alves is a Portuguese footballer who plays for FC Zenit Saint Petersburg in Russia and the Portuguese national team, as a central defender....
and Lisandro Lopez
Lisandro López
Lisandro López , sometimes known as Lisandro, is an Argentine footballer who plays for Olympique Lyonnais in France.Primarily a striker, he is also capable of playing on the wings....
to help Schalke advance to the quarter finals. For his heroics, he was shortlisted for the 2007–08 UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year award of which he was the youngest as well as the only Bundesliga goalkeeper on the list. He was one of only three Bundesliga players to play every minute in the 2007–08 season.
The 2008–09 season was somewhat disappointing as Schalke finished eighth in the league table and missed out on a Europa League spot. However, his good showing at the 2009 U-21 European Championships
2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
The 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship began on 15 June 2009, and was the 17th UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. This was the first tournament after the competition reverted to a two-year format, following the single-year 2006-07 competition, which allowed the change to...
sparked interest from Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
, with Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
Karl-Heinz "Kalle" Rummenigge is a German former football player.He had his greatest career success with German club Bayern Munich, where he won the Intercontinental Cup, the European Cup, as well as two league titles and two domestic cups.A member of the German national team, Rummenigge won the...
declaring interest in signing the young goalkeeper. Schalke's new manager Felix Magath
Felix Magath
Wolfgang-Felix Magath is a former German football central midfielder and current manager of VfL Wolfsburg.-Playing career:...
, however, insisted that Neuer "will play for Schalke next season". In November, he was the only German goalkeeper in the list of five nominated goalkeepers for the UEFA Team of the Year
UEFA Team of the Year
The UEFA Team of the Year is a football award given by UEFA through a poll on its . This award started in 2001 to allow users and visitors of the organization's website to choose their own eleven players and a coach based on their overall performances in European club football and international...
. On 20 April 2011, he announced that he will not be extending his contract with Schalke which is set to expire at the end of the 2011–12 season. He earned criticism by Schalke-fans, who were disappointed with him leaving for a rival club.
Bayern Munich
On 1 June 2011 Schalke and Bayern MunichFC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
confirmed that Neuer will move to Bayern Munich in July 2011. Neuer signed a five-year contract that will last until June 2016. The move was worth 22 million euro, making Neuer the second most expensive goalkeeper of all time. After the accurance of Bayern-fan hostilities against Neuer (some fans were unhappy about Bayern buying a Schalke keeper), a round-table discussion between Bayern Munich and group of supporters’ representatives took place on 2 July 2011. Among other things, it was decided that Manuel Neuer will be "regarded as a full member of the FC Bayern Munich team, who should be treated with due respect. Furthermore, hostility towards him should cease". Right in the first weeks at Bayern, after a 0–0 draw with Hoffenheim, Neuer broke the Bayern Munich record for most competetive clean sheets in a row, having gone over 1000 minutes without conceding. He improved the record formerly held by Oliver Kahn
Oliver Kahn
Oliver Rolf Kahn is a former German football goalkeeper. He started his career in the Karlsruher SC Junior team. He had his debut game in the professional squad in 1987...
.
Youth Teams
After progressing through the youth teams, Neuer made his U-21 debut on 15 August 2006 against the NetherlandsNetherlands national under-21 football team
The Netherlands national under-21 football team is the national under-21 team of the Netherlands and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association. The team competes in the European Under-21 Championship, held every two years....
. He won the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
The 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship began on 15 June 2009, and was the 17th UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. This was the first tournament after the competition reverted to a two-year format, following the single-year 2006-07 competition, which allowed the change to...
with the Germany national under-21 football team
Germany national under-21 football team
The Germany national under-21 football team represents the under-21s of Germany in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship and is controlled by the German Football Association , the governing body of football in Germany....
in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and kept a clean sheet in the 4-0 win in the final against England
England national under-21 football team
England's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
.
World Cup 2010
Neuer was called-up on 19 May 2009 to the senior GermanyGermany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
squad for a tour of Asia. He made his debut on this tour in a match against United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates national football team
The United Arab Emirates national football team represents United Arab Emirates in association football and is controlled by the United Arab Emirates Football Association, the governing body for football in United Arab Emirates...
on 2 June. He played in the November friendly against the Ivory Coast that ended 2–2. Although he took responsibility for the first goal conceded, manager Joachim Löw refused to blame him and instead commended him for doing his best.
The death of keeper Robert Enke
Robert Enke
Robert Enke was a German football goalkeeper.Enke played at leading clubs in several European countries, namely Barcelona, Benfica and Fenerbahçe, but made the majority of his appearances for Bundesliga side Hannover 96 in his homeland.He won eight full international caps for the German national...
in November 2009 saw him elevated as the second choice goalkeeper under René Adler
René Adler
René Adler is a German footballer who plays as a goalkeeper in the German Bundesliga for Bayer Leverkusen and for the German national team.-Career:...
. However, Adler suffered a serious rib injury which ruled him out of the World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. Neuer then became Germany's first choice goalkeeper ahead of Tim Wiese
Tim Wiese
Tim Wiese is a German goalkeeper who currently plays for Werder Bremen and the German national team. He joined Werder Bremen in 2005 from Kaiserslautern in the Bundesliga.-Fortuna Köln:...
and Hans-Jörg Butt
Hans-Jörg Butt
Hans-Jörg Butt is a German footballer who plays for FC Bayern Munich in the German League, as a goalkeeper.Known for taking penalty kicks, he netted nearly 30 goals in Germany's top flight...
for the upcoming tournament.
Neuer was selected as Germany's number one goalkeeper for the World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. During the group stages, he only conceded a single goal, a close range shot by Jovanovic
Milan Jovanovic (footballer born 1981)
Milan Jovanović is a Serbian footballer who plays for Anderlecht and the Serbia national team.-Early life:...
in the match against Serbia
Serbia national football team
The Serbia national football team represents Serbia in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Serbia, the governing body for football in Serbia. Serbia's home ground is Stadion Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade and their last head coach was Vladimir Petrović...
. He provided the assist for Klose
Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Josef Klose is a German footballer who plays as a striker for Lazio in the Serie A. Since bursting onto the international stage at the 2002 World Cup, he has become well known for his knack of scoring headers, front-flip goal celebrations, and decisive short passing.Klose holds German...
's goal against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, winning 4–1. He played in all of Germany's World Cup matches apart from the third-place game against Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
, when Hans-Jörg Butt
Hans-Jörg Butt
Hans-Jörg Butt is a German footballer who plays for FC Bayern Munich in the German League, as a goalkeeper.Known for taking penalty kicks, he netted nearly 30 goals in Germany's top flight...
was selected.
Euro 2012
By now Neuer has established himself as the unconstested number one in Germany's goal. He played every single minute of every match in the qualificationUEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine...
campaign for Euro 2012, helping Germany to secure 10 wins out of 10 games and top their group
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group A
This page shows the standings and results for Group A of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying tournament.-Standings:- Results and fixtures :...
. After Germanys 3-1 away win against Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
he was especially praised for his 'sensational' performance. He retained a close range volley shot by Hamit Altintop
Hamit Altintop
Hamit Altıntop is a German-born Turkish professional footballer who plays for Real Madrid in La Liga. He is a versatile midfielder who can play either in a defending or attacking role and on both flanks. He is well known for his flair of long-shot ability, as shown when he played for Schalke 04...
, and then he quickly threw the ball into the opponents half to Thomas Müller
Thomas Müller
Thomas Müller was a German Waffen-SS Colonel who commanded the 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen, 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen and the 27. SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Division Langemarck during World War II...
, who immediately provided the assist for Mario Gomez
Mario Gómez
Mario Gómez García is a German footballer who plays as a striker for FC Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga. Gómez joined Bayern after six years in Stuttgart. The fee was a record for a player transferred in the Bundesliga, estimated to be 30–35 million euro...
's opening goal. Neuer then set up the second goal, under pressure by Turkish attackers he fired a precise long range shot to Mario Götze
Mario Götze
Mario Götze is a German footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Borussia Dortmund in the German Bundesliga. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder and a right winger, although he has also been deployed in central midfield. Götze is considered to be an up-and-coming, potential...
deep in the opponents half, who found Thomas Müller on the edge of the opponents penalty box to score.
Club
Schalke 04FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
:
- German League CupDFB-LigapokalThe DFB-Ligapokal, or German League Cup, was a German football competition that took place before the start of the Bundesliga season, featuring the top five teams of the previous Fußball-Bundesliga season and the winners of the DFB-Pokal in Germany...
:- 2005
- German CupDFB-PokalThe DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
:- 2010–112010–11 DFB-PokalThe 2010–11 DFB-Pokal was the sixty-eighth season of the annual German football cup competition. It commenced on the weekend around 14 August 2010 with the matches of Round 1 and concluded on 21 May 2011 with the final at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin...
- 2010–11
International
Germany national under-21Germany national under-21 football team
The Germany national under-21 football team represents the under-21s of Germany in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship and is controlled by the German Football Association , the governing body of football in Germany....
- UEFA European Under-21 Football ChampionshipUEFA European Under-21 Football ChampionshipThe European Under-21 Football Championship is a football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. It is held every two years. The competition has existed in its current form since 1978. It was preceded by the Under 23 Challenge Cup which ran from 1967 to 1970...
2009
Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
- FIFA World Cup 2010: Third place - Bronze medal
Individual
- Best BundesligaFußball-BundesligaThe Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
Goalkeeper: 2007 - Best UEFA European Under-21 Football ChampionshipUEFA European Under-21 Football ChampionshipThe European Under-21 Football Championship is a football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. It is held every two years. The competition has existed in its current form since 1978. It was preceded by the Under 23 Challenge Cup which ran from 1967 to 1970...
Goalkeeper: 2009 - Fritz-Walter-Medal 2005 in Silver (Category U19)
- Silbernes LorbeerblattSilbernes LorbeerblattThe Silberne Lorbeerblatt is the highest sports award in Germany. It had been endowed on June 23, 1950 by the German President Theodor Heuss. It is awarded to athletes and teams if they placed several times at international championships. Furthermore, the honoree also has to have an exemplary...
(1): 2010 - Best BundesligaFußball-BundesligaThe Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
Player of the Year: 2011
Club performance
|-|2006–07||rowspan="5"|Schalke 04
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
||rowspan="6"|Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
||27||0||0||0||0||0||27||0
|-
|2007–08||34||0||3||0||10||0||47||0
|-
|2008–09||27||0||2||0||5||0||34||0
|-
|2009–10||34||0||5||0||-||-||39||0
|-
|2010–11||34||0||6||0||12||0||52||0
|-
|2011–12||rowspan="1"|Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
||14||0||1||0||7||0||22||0
168||0||17||0||34||0||221||0
Personal life
Neuer attended Gesamtschule Berger FeldGesamtschule Berger Feld
Gesamtschule Berger Feld is a gesamtschule in Gelsenkirchen. It is located in the quarter Erle and has 1325 pupils and 118 teachers.-History:...
, like many other notable footballers, such as Mesut Özil
Mesut Özil
Mesut Özil is a footballer who plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and for the German national team. Özil has been a youth national team member since 2006, and a member of the German national team since 2009. He gained international attention during the 2010 FIFA World Cup and was nominated...
. His brother Marcel is currently a football referee in the Verbandsliga
Verbandsliga
The Verbandsliga is the 6th tier of football in Germany, played on a regional basis by Bundesland. In Saxony, Thuringia, Hamburg, Bremen and Bavaria the 6th tier is called Landesliga, which is the 7th tier in some of the other Bundesländer...
. He got his first football when he was two. He had his first game on 3 March 1991, 24 days before his fifth birthday. Neuer's hero and idol as a child was fellow German and former Schalke goalkeeper Jens Lehmann
Jens Lehmann
Jens Gerhard Lehmann is a German former football goalkeeper. He was voted UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year for the 1996–97 and 2005–06 seasons, and he has been selected for three World Cup squads. He was a member of Arsenal's Invincibles, playing every match of their famous unbeaten title winning...
.
External links
- Manuel Neuer at Schalke04.com