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February 2025 BAYERN GAME9BAYERN GAME
A meeting of legends : Sepp Maier and Manuel l2l Neuer have shaped the art of goalkeeping with th2th their individual styles . To mark Maier turning 80 in February 2024 , the birthday boy shared some fascinating anecdotes – and Neuer became the “ Tatze ( Paw ) from the Tegernsee “.
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Tools : Maier and Neuer ’ s hands reflect the nature of a career between the posts .
Sepp Maier played a decisive role in the development of the modern goalkeeper glove .
Sepp , let ‘ s take a look at your hands . What ‘ s your record with broken fingers and injuries ? Sepp Maier : I never broke any fingers – not that I know of , at least . But I often had problems with the joint capsules , at which point I ‘ d pull on my fingers during the game , then they ‘ d crack loudly , [ pop back into place ] and I ‘ d carry on ( pulls on his fingers to demonstrate / ed .). Have you experienced that too , Manuel ? Manuel Neuer : Absolutely ! We do have more physiotherapists than in your day – but I ‘ m familiar with the problem with the joint capsules and I occasionally pop my finger joints back into place myself during the game . It has to be done quickly . SM : I would sometimes just tape two fingers together to stabilise everything . Otherwise I wouldn ‘ t have been able to play 442 consecutive Bundesliga games . You can ‘ t be squeamish as a goalkeeper , can you ? SM : I think goalkeepers are the only players on the pitch who aren ’ t squeamish . Constantly throwing your full body weight onto the ground – that ‘ s not for everyone … MN : I regularly talk about this with doctors and physios who also work with other sports besides football . They say that football goalkeepers are closest to handball and ice hockey players in terms of their physicality . Sepp , is it actually true that you developed your own gloves ? SM : As a teenager , I used to wear woollen gloves knitted by my mother , which soaked up so much water , just like the leather balls . When the first plasticised balls with a coating became available , they were slippery in wet conditions . I experimented with rubber studs and also with a terrycloth layer , but none of that really did the trick . Then I had a masseur cut a piece of foam off a mat and I rubbed it on a mirror . It stuck really well , so I cut the foam into strips and stuck them to the palms of the gloves with Pattex glue . The first training session went really well , then we played against Ajax – and lost 4-0 . Rain ! The glue wouldn ‘ t stick to the wet gloves , and my whole attention was focused on the fact that another shred would come off every few minutes . But I was basically convinced by the idea . What happened next ? SM : At the time , I was working with Reusch , who were the only company that produced goalkeeper gloves . I called the boss and told him I would send him a package with foam from our masseur ‘ s mat and that he should sew the foam over the whole of the glove palms . We then tinkered around for a few more weeks – that was basically the birth of the modern goalkeeper glove . I have to give myself a pat on the back for that ( laughs ). MN : That ‘ s amazing , Sepp ! That ‘ s an incredible story I ‘ m hearing for the first time . It ‘ s just as you say : the basic principle of the foam hasn ‘ t changed . Your successors in goal owe you a huge debt of gratitude – and of course we mustn ‘ t forget the masseur who cut up his mat for you .
FC Bayern Magazine 29