33
February 2025 BAYERN GAME
GATHERING OF GIANTS
Sepp Maier and Manuel Neuer , along with Oliver Kahn , are among the most defining goalkeepers in Bayern ‘ s history . Here ‘ s where the two World Cup winners stand out in particular .
one . He made it possible for goalkeeper training to be structured and specific , something that simply didn ‘ t exist beforehand . Sepp , conversely , Manuel is said to have revolutionised the modern goalkeeping game . What ’ s your view on that ? SM : Manuel was the first goalkeeper for whom it was completely normal to move up the pitch and get involved . He ‘ s always in the thick of the action , he does that perfectly . I ‘ m certain , that with his technical skills , if Bayern were to deploy him as a centre-forward , he could also do that . You can pass to his left or right foot , it makes no difference – my left foot was only for fetching beers , as they say . Goalkeepers today have to be just as two-footed as the outfield players , otherwise they don ‘ t stand a chance at the highest level . We didn ‘ t actually need that in the past because we were always allowed to pick up the ball , even after a back pass . Personally , I think it ‘ s fantastic that this rule was abolished , it fundamentally changed the goalkeeping game and goalkeepers were suddenly required to play in a completely different way . They ‘ re now much more integrated with the outfield players . How important are confidence and courage in goalkeeping ? MN : A goalkeeper ‘ s charisma can be decisive for the game . I ‘ m the last man , my team ‘ s life insurance policy , so I have to show the opposition : Stop , you can ‘ t get past me ! As a goalkeeper , you have to have this self-perception , otherwise you have no business playing in the position . SM : You have to gain respect from your opponents . If they know there ‘ s no point in even attempting a shot at your goal from 20 metres , they ‘ ll start to overthink every attack . Charisma is the be-all and end-all – and there ‘ s no place for fear in a goalkeeper . When I used to be asked which striker I was afraid of , my answer was : none at all , because the only one I would be afraid of plays in my team : Gerd Müller . As a goalkeeper , however , you can quickly be made the scapegoat when the ball ’ s gone in . MN : I always see things a bit differently , because it ‘ s not Maier or Neuer playing against the other team , but our whole side . Everyone has to get stuck in and put up a fight . SM : I used to say that every goal I conceded was unstoppable . It was like a reflex , a protective attitude . Someone must have missed a pass or lost the ball . No-one was allowed to talk to me for two or three days afterwards – I could get really furious .
Data : as of 6 February 2025
RECORD KEEPER SEPP MAIER Maier was our first-choice goalkeeper for 16 consecutive seasons and stood between the posts 709 times . Only Thomas Müller has made a few more appearances for Bayern . Neuer has played well over 500 FCB games – putting him in the top 3 of our record goalkeepers .
SEPP MAIER OLIVER KAHN MANUEL NEUER
THE BEST AVERAGE No other FCB keeper has ever had to pick the ball out of the back of the net as rarely as our current number 1 , and Maier ‘ s average number of goals conceded per Bayern game is remarkable to this day .
0,8 Manuel Neuer
SEPP MAIER
Sepp Maier
547
1,3 Sepp Maier
THE MOST TITLES No goalkeeper has won as many Meisterschalen with Bayern as Neuer – or more DFB Cups ( on a par with Oliver Kahn ). Sepp Maier , on the other hand , lifted the European Cup / Champions League trophy more times than any other FCB keeper .
MANUEL NEUER
BEST OF CLEAN SHEETS Of all Bayern goalkeepers , Manuel Neuer has kept a clean sheet in by far the most games . Even Sepp Maier doesn ‘ t come close to such a high percentage of games without conceding .
31 % 47 %
Manuel Neuer
632
709
FC Bayern Magazine 33