Bayern Munich star Manuel Neuer had three surgeries for cancer last summer

As anyone who has experienced cancer knows — either personally or through loved ones — the affliction does not discriminate.

Not even world class athletes are immune to the disease, as Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer revealed earlier today. Last summer, the German captain had three surgeries on his face to remove cancer (as captured by Abendzeitung):

Manuel Neuer had cancer! This was announced by the FC Bayern captain on Wednesday. ”In my case, it’s skin cancer on my face, which caused me to have three surgeries,” Neuer said in a press release.

There had been rumors for a long time that the national goalkeeper might be ill. A few months ago, Neuer had worn a patch on his face for a long time, and later a scar was visible next to his nose. Fortunately, the Gelsenkirchen native was not affected by the cancer in terms of sport.

Remarkably, Neuer has not let his health scare affect his personality or his performance. Hopefully the procedures have taken care of the issue for Neuer, but this is another stark reminder of why you should always protect your skin.