Interview: Goalkeepers' game is no one-man-show anymore: Manuel Neuer
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E-mail Xinhua, September 13, 2014
Bayern Munich and German national team goalkeeper Maunel Neuer said in a recent interview with Xinhua that space in football is getting tighter and tighter. Goalkeepers' game is no one-man-show anymore but a part of the team.
In the interview, he also talked about the World Cup, the clash with Argentina' s Higuain in the final and Bayern Munich' s goals in the new season. Neuer hopes to play the 2015 Champions League Final in his capital city Berlin.
XINHUA: Mr. Neuer, how is your Chinese?
Neuer: (laughing) I am working on it. But I can imagine why you' re asking.
XINHUA: For the past two years, you' ve had the http://e.t.qq.com/mneuer web page for fans and followers in China. How come?
Neuer: It was kind of a short cut for me as one of my managers has been working with the table tennis champion Timo Boll for the last 14 years. Timo told me about the amazing enthusiasm in China for sports in general and football in particular. It' s not the only reason as different countries and cultures attract me a lot.
XINHUA: Your club, Bayern Munich, will start a big campaign in China next year as they are convinced, that the Chinese market is has a big potential. Many millions of Chinese people love football and like Bayern.
Neuer: Well, I' m very much looking forward to travelling to China next year with Bayern, meeting people there and getting to know much more about a country with such an affinity for sports and football.
XINHUA: Talking about changes. How has your life changed since July 13th?
Neuer: (laughing) why are you asking? Well, there have definitely been some fundamental changes. The first took place during my vacation after the World Cup. Maybe it was my "fault" but never before there has been such hype when I was on vacation.
XINHUA: What was your "fault "? Not to choose a remote tropical island?
Neuer: Fault maybe the wrong word. A fault is something that you regret. I was just so surprised about what happened. I knew Germans love going on holiday and love to travel but I was very surprised by the enthusiasm. Not knowing how long how far we would go in the World Cup, I didn' t book anything beforehand. I decided to stay in Europe. (laughing) Now I don' t know if it was the right decision. But this time I was a last minute booker.
XINHUA: How did you manage to get back to normal duty - for many it is extremely hard to focus on normal life again?
Neuer: It' s not so difficult. What you don' t know is how long this will go on for. Even today people talk about Germany' s 1990 World Cup. They won the title 24 years ago and still, whenever they appear, people are proud, want photos and tell them how thankful they are for what they did. 1990 is far away, but people have the feeling that it happened yesterday. Looking at everything, I must say, I don' t know to what extent the 2014 title will mean for the team generally, the coaches, for every single player.
XINHUA: And the mental part - many say it is hard to concentrate so hard again?
Neuer: You' ve got no time for that. There have been fewer than 50 days in between. I wouldn' t mind having a break after the World Cup until let' s say October - but that' s not reality.
XINHUA: Meaning a World Cup is an exhausting - for goal keepers too - especially for a keeper like you that plays much like a defender?
Neuer: As a result of my shoulder injury, I missed parts of the build up. I had to make up for it some how later. Meaning I had to do more than others for a certain period to get back to their level. I think I made it and we had a good start against Portugal. Everybody saw what came next, we were able to improve in every game afterwards - well, maybe except for the one against Algeria.
XINHUA: With all respect, that seems to be an overmodest way to look at things. Some say your style is a revolution as far as keepers are concerned. And some say Germany had an advantage because they were playing with an extra man up field due to the fact you were often patrolling way in front of your goal.
Neuer: Well, I am of a different opinion. A keeper stays a keeper even he operates further up field. What' s behind it is that the keeper has to adjust his game to that of the team. It' s a team game. This means, if the team moves further up then he has to do the same. It' s nothing I' ve invented. It' s something I have to do to be a part of the team. And to help them which are something I' m required to do anyway.
XINHUA: Was the game against Algeria the most extreme one regarding your defensive qualities as a keeper? You ran over six kilometres in the game?
Neuer: I wouldn' t say that. I had games like it before. But as far as the World Cup is concerned, it attracts more attention than my games in the Bundesliga and Champions League. They might get the impression that it was something new, or perhaps it was revolutionary.
XINHUA: One part of the offensive style for keepers is that certain situations are going to be touch and go. How do you deal with it?
Neuer: Flexibility is a key word for keepers as well.
XINHUA: The former world class keeper Oliver Kahn said your game is often like "Harakiri" . Is he right?
Neuer: It might look dangerous as it can be risky. He is right as far as that is concerned. But once again - it' s not about the keeper being a one-man show. I am part of a team - and the last one in line. I am part as much as strikers or midfielders are. The risk I take is one I take for the team. In the end, for sure I' m the one to blame if it does not work.
XINHUA: Is it part of your character to take risks or do you feel happy taking risks?
Neuer: Of course it' s my style. It' s not about me wanting to take fewer risks and the team has to follow suit and it' s not about the team having to be more adventurous if I want to be adventurous. It' s the other way around. I have to follow them. The message is the same for all goalkeepers.
XINHUA: That sounds exciting too.
Neuer: Well, the message might be, goalkeepers are not doing their own thing waiting for to make a great save on the line. They are team players. For me I feel like a team player, as a part of the team, I have this helping instinct leading me. Behind everything is the fundamental question: What does the team need?
XINHUA: Meaning tactics dictates the way goalkeepers will play the game?
Neuer: Space in football is getting tighter and tighter. Meaning: Between the defence and the strikers there' s just 40 meters or less of space when a team moves the right way. You are at the back and you have to watch the space between the defence and yourself.
XINHUA: Which keeper has influenced you most?
Neuer: As far as German football is concerned, it is something I often saw from Jens Lehmann, who won the UEFA Cup in 1997 with my former club Schalke 04. Internationally wise I saw it from the Dutch keeper Edwin van der Sar.
XINHUA: This year you were rewarded with many titles - is there one that you like the most?
Neuer: You might be surprised. Titles for the team are the ones I like best. Despite that I regard titles for me always as titles for the team. Winning the German Cup with the team means more to me than being awarded the "Player of the Year" title.
XINHUA: Who are the main threats in this year' s Champions League?
Neuer: One thing you get to know quickly in Champions League is that you shouldn' t underestimate anybody. We have had problems with so-called smaller clubs as they play with a lot of passion. This year I regard it as an advantage that we face a tough group. It was the same at the World Cup, we stared against Portugal. It was like a final in the opening game. That reminds me of our start in Champions League with Manchester City, Moscow and Rome.
XINHUA: Where do you see higher quality - in the Champions League or at a World Cup?
Neuer: You can' t say that. I think club teams have the advantage because they have more training sessions together and can practice tactics and systems better. A national coach has much less time. His work on that starts just before a major tournament.
XINHUA: How excited are you about facing Real Madrid this season?
Neuer: At first I am looking very much forward to meeting Sami Khedira and Toni Kroos again. Besides that the important thing for us is to get through the group as table toppers. Then we can see what the others are doing.
XINHUA: You got a long contract in Munich until 2019. You will be 34 then. Do you expect to finish your career in Munich?
Neuer: Maybe some day I get the feeling I want to see something else, to have two years or to go abroad. But for now I feel happy in Munich. Everything is fine for me.
XINHUA: In comparison to last season - will we see any changes in Bayern Munich' s game? We are thinking about a back row of three.
Neuer: We have been playing with a back row like that before. More important than talking about systems, is that our injured players get back to the team. I am not talking about Javier Martinez, but more about Bastian Schweinsteiger. It is important that we do everything that Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery get into their rhythm. That Thiago gets back. When the team is complete again it does not matter what a system we follow. Then we have several options. Endi
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