Goalkeepers union: Sven Ulreich backs Manuel Neuer in ter Stegen row

The rift between goalkeepers Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Manuel Neuer of the German National Team has created n tension around the DFB. Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness also harshly criticized ter Stegen for his comments about feeling hard done by being second in the pecking order with Die Mannschaft behind Neuer. In a new interview with Sport1 (via AZ), Sven Ulreich now has also come to Neuer’s defense.

For Ulreich, Neuer is without question Germany’s number one keeper and that ter Stegen should be more accepting of that fact. Despite his good form for Barcelona, he’ll have to wait for his chance to overtake Neuer as Die Mannschaft’s number one keeper, Ulreich feels. Of course, Ulreich is no stranger to having to wait for his chance behind Neuer during his time at Bayern as well:

This discussion about him is unfair. For me, Manuel is the number one. I understand that he [Ter Stegen] is annoyed, but that’s how it is in life in sports. Sometimes you have to stand at the back and wait until your own chance comes. In Germany, he has another outstanding goalkeeper in front of him in Manu, who is even a bit better. For the DFB coach it will also not be up for discussion who the number one is.

Ulreich’s comments come just two days after both Karl-Heinz Rummeniggie and Uli Hoeness criticized ter Stegen for going after Neuer, but we still haven’t heard anything from the hierarchy of the German National Team. Hoeness, in particular, said he wasn’t surprised that the DFB has not addressed ter Stegen’s comments, and he doesn’t expect them to do so.

Hopefully for Neuer’s sake, his fine form for Bayern continues and further cements his status as Germany’s number-one keeper ahead of the next international break when, Germany takes on Argentina in a friendly and then Estonia in a Euro 2020 qualifier.