'Neuer never listens to anyone' – Skiing leg break for Bayern Munich goalkeeper explained by Kahn
Chris Burton
14:03 GMT 13/12/2022
Manuel Neuer suffered a season-ending leg break when skiing because he "never listens to anyone", says Bayern Munich CEO Oliver Kahn.
Keeper to miss rest of the 2022-23 campaign
Taken to hospital by helicopter
Bayern being linked with reinforcements
WHAT HAPPENED? The Germany international goalkeeper headed off on vacation after seeing a 2022 World Cup campaign brought to a close at the group stage in Qatar, with the intention being to relax and unwind. Neuer was, however, to suffer an injury so serious that he had to be taken to hospital by helicopter – with those at the Allianz Arena less than impressed at seeing words of caution fall on deaf ears.
WHAT THEY SAID: Kahn has told RG of seeing Neuer ruled out of the remainder of the 2022-23 campaign: "Manuel decided to take a little break from the tournament. He needed rest after such stress. Neuer is a big fan of alpine skiing and went to the slopes. I know that he was warned several times that there was very little snow, stones were sticking out everywhere and it was dangerous to ride, but Neuer never listens to anyone.
"As a result, rescuers removed him from the mountain, transported him by helicopter to the hospital where he underwent an operation. We've lost our goalkeeper before the end of the season. It's terrible because he is one of the best in the world. A very serious loss for the team. But we believe that the recovery will go well and his return too, but for now, we have to solve the problem of a replacement. But this is temporary. Manuel will be back."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Bayern are now being linked with a number of potential replacements between the sticks, but Kahn insists that Croatia's World Cup hero Dominik Livakovic – who helped to stun Brazil in a quarter-final penalty shootout – is not a player in their sights. He said: "The man who stopped Brazil will always be a hero to me. Livakovic is worthy of praise. Such a goalkeeper must play at a top club. I have no doubt that this will be the case in the new season, but at the same time, he is not within the scope of our interests."
WHAT NEXT? Bayern will return to action after a winter break when facing fellow Bundesliga title hopefuls RB Leipzig on January 20.