Update #2: Relationship between Bayern Munich and Manuel Neuer might be worse than first thought

Update: 8:15PM EST — Things are potentially worse than expected between Neuer and Bayern

Twitter account @iMiaSanMia captured more of the report from Sky Sport journalist Florian Plettenberg...and it’s not good.

Things might be worse than anticipated between the club and its captain:

Bayern bosses are upset and disappointed with Manuel Neuer. Internal talks to take place soon. Punishment has not been decided yet, but there won’t be a contract termination. The bosses want calm and are standing behind Julian Nagelsmann.

Neuer wasn’t looking to provoke a confrontation with the club, but only wanted to express his frustration. What bothers him is that the decision to sack Tapalović was made behind his back. The decision was made when he wasn’t there and he couldn’t give any arguments.

What might be more concerning is the news that the relationship between Manuel Neuer and manager Julian Nagelsmann has not been good for quite a while:

The relationship between Neuer and Nagelsmann has long been strained. This has been the case for weeks and months. Neuer is used to being the first point of contact for the coach. But Nagelsmann prefers to speak to Joshua Kimmich. That’s also a topic being discussed in the dressing that Nagelsmann speaks much more with Kimmich than he does with Neuer. The players talk about that and it bothers Manuel Neuer. It annoys Neuer that when there’s a problem, the coach calls Kimmich first.

In this case, Neuer cannot count on the support of the bosses. Kahn, Salihamidžić and Hainer have always had Nagelsmann’s back. Neuer’s position at the club got worse after the interview. Nevertheless, the captain still has a big part of the dressing room behind him.

However, it is not just Neuer questioning where the allegiance is for the club executives. Other players in the locker room seem to feel like the club is backing the coach at all costs:

Neuer said what happened is not Bayern-like. Many players also think what happened with Tapalović was not good. There are players who believe that the ‘Mia san mia’, the family feeling is missing. There’s a very negative atmosphere in the dressing room.”

The only solution in sight is that Neuer has to backtrack in some way, preferably in public. If he wants to come back as Bayern captain, and he wouldn’t want to play without the armband because that would be an insult, then he has to admit what he said was a mistake.

That is a lot to absorb, but if I have to predict what might happen, I’d say Neuer might apologize for airing his grievances publicly, but the club will refrain from doing anything for public consumption with how it handled Tapalovic.

One aspect of this whole saga is how the club waited until Neuer was injured and away from the team to sack Tapalovic. No one is calling that tactic into question, when it should be among the primary topics here. No doubt, that is a big point of contention for both Neuer and some other veterans.

Nagelsmann can retain or fire whoever he wants from his staff, but it is curious why he waited until that particular time to make the move.

As always with FC Hollywood...stay tuned!

Update: 4:10PM EST — Bayern decision-makers to talk Neuer

It seems as if Bayern Munich is going to dole out a punishment to Manuel Neuer for his recent comments, but what exactly that might be is unclear:

Right now, Bayern Munich captain Manuel Neuer’s relationship with the club is strained at best, but the interpersonal dynamics between Neuer and manager Julian Nagelsmann might be just as big of an issue per kicker’s Georg Holzner (as captured by @iMiaSanMia):

The relationship between Nagelsmann and Neuer has already been strained before the dismissal of Tapalović. Among other things, because the coach prefers (Joshua) Kimmich as his first point of contact. The sacking of Tapalović now makes the relationship difficult to repair.

Some teammates showed solidarity with Manuel Neuer following his recent interview. The captain enjoys huge appreciation in the dressing room. Neuer’s plan remains to get back on the pitch next season as #1, he’s not thinking about leaving or retiring.

For his part, Nagelsmann addressed the situation after the match, but was very vague about how things might move forward when asked about taking back the captain’s armband from Neuer.

“I’m not thinking about that. I know this question is being asked because of the interview. But it’s not a question to answer now. Manu’s task now is to get fit. We’ll wait and see,” said Nagelsmann (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).

Holzner also indicated that Nagelsmann’s issues with Robert Lewandowski last season and now with Neuer, at least one other key veteran is monitoring how this all shakes out — Thomas Müller:

A year ago, Robert Lewandowski also had problems with Nagelsmann and went public with his criticism. Now it’s Manuel Neuer, two of Bayern’s biggest players in recent years who worked under several coaches. Thomas Müller is observing the situation closely.

Should things sour between Nagelsmann and the team, you would be hard-pressed to think that Bayern Munich will let go of the coach before the season ends. Why? Because, per Holzner (as captured by @iMiaSanMia), it will cost a whole lot more than if they wait until the offseason:

Julian Nagelsmann has a clause in his contract that guarantees him an ‘exorbitantly high compensation’ if he’s dismissed within the first two seasons. From 1 July 2023, the compensation fee becomes significantly lower.

Will things get that bad in the triangle of power between Neuer, Nagelsmann, and the club?