Gregor Kobel describes FCB goalkeeper Manuel Neuer as an inspiration

BVB goalkeeper Gregor Kobel called Bayern Munich keeper Manuel Neuer one of his idols and explained what he learned from him.

“I don’t like to talk about myself at all. But he was an inspiration and an incentive for me, always,” Kobel said before the duel with FC Bayern Munich (6:30 p.m. in the live ticker) about FCB keeper Neuer in an interview the Swiss View.

However, there is nothing that he would like to take over from Neuer “one-to-one”. “But it’s like this: I look at a lot of other goalkeepers, try to adapt certain things in training and in the game and then see if it suits me. With Manuel Neuer it was how you stand up and anticipate as a goalkeeper . How he moves and positions, super exciting,” added Kobel.

But he would also like to have one or the other title from Neuer. “And he was still world champion and world goalkeeper. But that’s what I train for.”

The 24-year-old Swiss named the current FCB CEO Oliver Kahn as a further role model, “because the 2002 World Cup was the first one I remember. His presence, he as a guy – that fascinated me.” Jens Lehmann, with whom he later worked at FC Augsburg, also inspired him as a child. “He gave me a thing or two, I listened carefully when a legend said something.” After all, Gianluigi Buffon was one of Kobel’s idols, “because he wanted to learn new things at any age”.

Kobel missed BVB’s last five competitive games due to a torn muscle fiber and was last back in the squad for the first time in the Champions League against FC Sevilla. He could celebrate his comeback against Bayern. “In all probability I can play again,” said Kobel.