This article contains adult content that may be inappropriate for minors. Please confirm that you are 18 years or older to continue. This article contains images or details that some readers may find disturbing. Reader discretion is advised. Manuel Neuer turned 40 on Friday, and the occasion has brought to light one of the biggest taboos in contemporary German and world football: will the goalkeeper continue to play beyond this summer when his contract with Bayern expires? According to the newspaper Bild, the Bayern goalkeeper has requested more time to respond to the club regarding the possibility of extending his contract for another year. The decision was expected to be made by mid-March, but Neuer will only do so after the quarter-final matches against Real Madrid in the Champions League, for which he should be fit after a minor injury that kept him out of the match against Leverkusen in the league. If all goes as planned, he will return to goal against Freiburg in the Bundesliga on April 4, three days before the first of two encounters against the Merengues at the Bernabéu. The Munich wall has received several encouragements to continue in recent days. One of the most significant came from Gianluigi Buffon, who played until he was 45. '[At that age] I had just moved to Paris Saint-Germain! So, he can still play for another five years [laughs]. He should retire when he feels it's the right moment. I was a bit crazy at that time, thinking that if I went to Paris, I would win the Golden Glove for best goalkeeper again,' the Italian stated to Bayern's media. 'I would like to tell him not to make a hasty decision, but rather to give himself time and listen to his inner voice,' added the current member of the Italian national team's coaching staff. Felix Magath also spoke out. The coach who developed Neuer at Schalke (whose performance against FC Porto in the Champions League was a test for higher flights) believes that at 40, 'Neuer is still one of the best goalkeepers in the world.' In an interview with Bild, the German coach stated that the player has lost 'some athletic qualities,' but retains 'game intelligence, anticipation ability, and great skill with his feet, something that has made him a very special goalkeeper over the years.' 'In terms of performance and his importance to Bayern and the national team, I place him on the level of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo,' emphasized Magath, recalling that the €30 million paid by Bayern to Schalke in 2011 'was not a bargain; he was a gift!' Manuel Neuer is the oldest active player in the Bundesliga. However, in the other top five European leagues, he is surpassed by three goalkeepers: Pep Reina, the Spanish player from Como (Italy), at 43 years old; Lucas Fabianski, the Polish player from West Ham (England), at 41 years old; and Steve Mandanda, the French player from Rennes (France), also at 41 years old. Comparing these names, as well as Fábio, 45 years old, the goalkeeper with the most matches ever in championships (Fábio, the Fluminense goalkeeper, who surpassed the Englishman Peter Shilton, currently with 1411 matches), the end may still be far for the German. For now, Bayern does not want to pressure him. They are already preparing a plan B, with the possible signing of Oliver Baumann from Hoffenheim, who is… 35 years old, still two years younger than the current number two, Sven Ulreich, who started in the recent match against Leverkusen. Young talents are being prepared in the academy, but it may still be too early to throw them to the lions. All signs point to the fact that the journey is not over yet. '40 years? He is still very young,' said coach Vincent Kompany.
World Football This Manuel Neuer remains central to this story.
World Football This Manuel Neuer remains central to this story.
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