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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