Bundesliga

2020-07-25T21:10:00Z

"Manuel Neuer absolutely Bayern's No.1" - Oliver Kahn

Manuel Neuer is still Bayern Munich's undisputed No.1, according to Oliver Kahn.
Manuel Neuer is still Bayern Munich's undisputed No.1, according to Oliver Kahn.

Bayern Munich board member and future CEO Oliver Kahn says new goalkeeper Alexander Nübel will have to bide his time before challenging club captain Manuel Neuer for the No.1 jersey.

Nübel recently joined Bayern from Bundesliga rivals Schalke, having signed a pre-contract agreement with the record champions in January. The 23-year-old penned a five-year deal and is widely regarded as one of Germany's best young goalkeepers, but arguably has the best ever ahead of him in the pecking order at Bayern in Neuer.

Alexander Nübel (l.) has already linked up with Neuer (c.) and Co. at Bayern.

For Kahn, another paragon of the position during a vaunted playing career with Bayern and Germany, the status quo will remain unchanged for now.

"I've spoken to Alexander Nübel a bit," Kahn told media. "It's a very big step to join Bayern, I experienced that as a player. At first, it's all about acclimatising, settling in here and getting to know your teammates and the coaching team, and then you have to try to gain a foothold - but it's a gradual thing.

"He said himself that this is a mid-term challenge for him. That means he accepts that it might take him a year or two to take over from Manuel Neuer, who is absolutely the No.1 at the moment. Last season, you could see how his numerous important saves contributed to us winning the Bundesliga for the eighth time in a row."

Watch: Oliver Kahn analyses Alexander Nübel

The statistics only enhance Neuer's world-beating reputation. The 34-year-old saved 73 percent of the shots he faced in 2019/20, compared to Nübel's 68 percent, putting him third in the final league-wide rankings. Moreover, at 46.5 percent, he boasts the best to-nil ratio in Europe this millennium with 327 clean sheets across his 706 appearances for club and country.

Prior to Bayern putting the seal on their successful Bundesliga and DFB Cup defence, Neuer put pen to paper on a new deal with the club through to summer 2023.

"Manuel Neuer is clearly our No. 1 and nothing will change in the coming season," Bayern head coach Hansi Flick said at the time. "Alexander Nübel knows that."

Watch: Manuel Neuer's top 5 saves in 2019/20

Neuer has made 383 appearances for Bayern since making the switch from Schalke in 2011, helping the Bavarian giants win 20 trophies, including eight Bundesliga titles, six DFB Cups and the 2012/13 UEFA Champions League. 'Super Manu' has also earned 92 caps for Germany, and was part of the side that won the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Nübel, by contrast, moves to Bayern on the back of his second full season as a Bundesliga player, the 17-time Germany international having made 26 of his 46 top-flight appearances to date in 2019/20.

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