The discussion about Manuel Neuer and his reaction to the dismissal of goalkeeping coach Toni Tapalovic at FC Bayern never ends. Now the former national goalkeeping coach Andreas Köpke spoke up.
Andreas Köpke (60) trained the goalkeepers of the national team under national coach Joachim Löw until 2021. Together with Manuel Neuer, he celebrated the world title in 2014 and gave up sports1 to: “I have a very special relationship with Manuel.”
When asked about his interview, in which he criticized FC Bayern for the dismissal of Tapalovic, Köpke defended his former protégé: “I’ll ask another question here: How would Oliver Kahn have reacted if the goalkeeping coach had been taken away from him during an injury break? Would Oliver have swallowed that? I think he would have given an even more blatant interview.”
And further: “I don’t find Manu’s interview as brutal as it was then taken apart. If you read the interview in its entirety, Manu expressed his feelings and I can understand them. A goalkeeping coach is extremely important for a keeper . With Manu and Toni Tapalovic it was again special because of the close friendship. It’s difficult to take away the goalkeeping coach during that phase. Again: Oliver Kahn wouldn’t have put up with that either.”
From Köpke’s point of view, Neuer still has a future at FC Bayern: “I think so. They have to sit down together now or have already done so. The only important thing now is that Manu’s shin heals again.”
FC Bayern: Andreas Köpke sees Alexander Nübel as a possible number 1 at the DFB
In addition, Köpke also spoke about the future in the German goal. Especially the time after the current generation around Neuer, Marc-André ter Stegen, Kevin Trapp and Co. is causing the 1996 European champion great concern.
“We’ll have a problem after that. I can’t think of a name right now that I would say could follow in these footsteps. My boys are all over 30, Manu is 36,” said Köpke, but at least brought a promising name into play : “You have to see how Alex Nübel develops. He prevailed in Monaco and is doing very well, but of course he has to develop further. Nübel would be the only one I could name as an option at the moment.”
Meanwhile, Nübel’s future is anything but clear. His loan in Monaco expires in the summer, after which he could return to FC Bayern, where Neuer and Yann Sommer are already under contract.
