Always the one left short? Legend shapes his rival's career

Not him again, Alexander Nübel must have thought when reports emerged last week that Manuel Neuer would be nominated by Julian Nagelsmann for the World Cup. Hardly any career has ever been shaped by a rival as much as Nübel’s has.

"Everyone knows what kind of aura Manu has, what qualities he has, what he gives a squad," the national coach explained in justifying his decision, which mainly sparked sympathy for Oliver Baumann, as he has now lost his regular spot with Germany. But the decision also had consequences for Nübel, because he is no longer the number two, but only the third-choice keeper in the German squad. That means he can bury his hopes of a possible World Cup appearance, even if it were only in a no-longer-decisive group match or a possible third-place match.

For a short time, he even had to worry about missing out entirely, because Munich’s 'Abendzeitung' claimed that he could be dropped altogether due to his supposedly poor relationship with Neuer.

But it is bad enough as it is, because it may have been his last chance of playing at a World Cup. At the next tournament in 2030, Nübel will already be 33 years old, and there are plenty of young goalkeepers in Germany raring to go who could then have a better long-term outlook.

Neuer remains impossible to get past

For six years now, ever since Nübel moved from Schalke to Bayern, Neuer has been for him what he is for countless strikers: an obstacle he simply cannot overcome. When he arrived, the 23-year-old was still regarded as "one of Europe’s greatest goalkeeping talents," as 'Spiegel' described him when announcing the transfer. The magazine later wrote that a clause had been included in his contract stating that Nübel would be allowed to play at least ten matches per campaign.

Neuer and then-coach Hansi Flick, however, were absolutely not having it. "It is the case that I’m here to make the decisions on who plays and who doesn’t play. That is my job, and I won’t let anyone interfere with that," the coach said at a press conference in March 2021.

Nübel was not allowed to play and was not developed as the successor to the goalkeeping icon either. In hindsight, Neuer can hardly be blamed for rejecting that arrangement. After all, we are now in 2026 and he is still the first-choice keeper. Back then, it was still far too early to bring in a successor. Now the time is ripe, but instead Jonas Urbig has taken on the role that was once intended for Nübel.

For years, Nübel had gone out on loan to bridge the time until Neuer’s retirement. First to Monaco, then to VfB Stuttgart. It had seemed as though his long-term future might lie with the Swabians, but the possibility of one day becoming Bayern’s goalkeeper was still always there in the back of his mind.

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Bayern gave him hope again

As recently as last December, 'Bild' reported that Bayern were planning a battle for the No. 1 spot if Neuer were to end his career this summer. At the time, Munich sporting director Christoph Freund also offered hope: "Alex is certainly one of the best goalkeepers in Germany. We are very happy that for the time after Manuel, whenever that may come, we are very well positioned. Then the decisions will be made. But we are very happy that we have goalkeepers in reserve who are currently performing at a very high level."

But once again, Neuer — quite understandably — had other ideas, and Nübel was left empty-handed. The 40-year-old recently extended his contract once more, and it is now clear that Nübel will no longer get a chance: "Alex has a contract with us, but the agency has known for a long time what plans we have for Alex. Accordingly, he will have many opportunities to reshape his future," FCB board member for sport Max Eberl told 'Bild'.

Where does he go now?

Where that future lies is currently completely open. Betting on succeeding Neuer, Nübel missed the chance to push for a permanent move to VfB Stuttgart. According to 'Sky' and 'kicker', the club has since moved in another direction and is planning for the future with 21-year-old Dennis Seimen, who is currently on loan at Paderborn and has impressed there in the 2. Bundesliga.

So what does Nübel do now? He is still under contract at Bayern until 2030, but no longer has any chance of playing time. According to 'Bild', he is said to earn €11 million per campaign at the record champions and does not want to give up any money. In addition, Bayern are demanding a transfer fee of between €10 million and €15 million for him, 'Sky' claims.

No World Cup appearances, no club for the summer. Nübel is at a crossroads. Not again, the now 29-year-old must be thinking. Because his next decision is likely to have a major impact on how his career continues and whether he will once again play regularly at a top club. At least one thing is certain, though: if he leaves Bayern for good, then at least Manuel Neuer will no longer have any influence on the future course of Nübel’s career.