February 2025 BAYERN GAME and take photos in the Olympiastadion for my 400th consecutive game that I realised it . But I also remember that later , after my serious car accident in 1979 , I immediately said to the paramedic in the car that I absolutely had to be fit again at the weekend so I could extend my run . That ‘ s the equivalent of 13 years straight . Manu , how does that sound ? MN : In this day and age , it ‘ s unimaginable how Sepp managed that . I arrived in Munich in 2011 , so it ‘ s basically exactly the same amount of time now . Did you never pull a muscle or catch a cold , or not just need a breather ? SM : Never , I only got injured once , when Uwe Seeler hit me in the ribs with his knee going up for a cross in Hamburg in 1965 . And because we didn ’ t have substitutes back then , Gerd Müller went in goal for me . I was lying behind him receiving treatment and I was directing him : ″ Go there , go there !“ Hamburg sensed they had a chance , Charly Dörfel was whipping in one cross after another . But Gerd , as a centre-forward , knew where the crosses were meant to go and fisted them away . Our doctor then quickly gave me a couple of injections , I gritted my teeth – and came back on . Another fine example of your great ambition , although you were always perceived as a joker who even once chased after a duck on the pitch . How does that fit together ? SM : By nature , I ‘ m a positive person and always up for a bit of spontaneous fun . But when it really came down to it , when it came to titles , I had no time for jokes . MN : I think you can compare it to Thomas Müller . He loves a bit of fun too and keeps things lively in the changing room . But when he walks out onto the pitch , he flips a switch and is incredibly ambitious . Characters like Sepp or Thomas are very important for the soul of a team and for the whole club . SM : You mustn ‘ t overdo it though : It always has to be appropriate to the situation – and you have to deliver your performance on the pitch . If that ratio is right , everyone gets what they want . Manu , Sepp says Gerd Müller was the only player he was afraid of , but luckily they played in the same team . Would you have liked to have played alongside Müller ? MN : Of course it would have been a great experience to see Gerd Müller or later Zinédine Zidane . I would have loved to have watched them on the pitch myself . But every era has its own greats , and I ‘ ve often had the privilege of playing against Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi , which I ‘ m sure Sepp would have enjoyed too . SM : I once had the privilege of playing with the national team against Pelé at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro , an unforgettable experience for me . Franz Beckenbauer and Willi Schulz were in central defence . I can still see it today : Pelé ’ s running towards my goal with the ball , Schulz tackles him , Pelé nutmegs him and keeps going . Next , Franz comes rushing into the penalty area and Pelé nutmegs him too . But he knocks the ball too far forward , so I dart out and pick it up . Pelé comes over to me , laughs like a child and gives me a pat on the back . He actually didn ’ t want to score , he just wanted to nutmeg them one after the other . And the whole stadium roared . The game ended in a 2-2 draw . If he ’ d scored they would have won .
Whether video analysis or equipment : the two goalkeepers are used to different standards .
FC Bayern Magazine 35