Manuel Neuer's future as a goalkeeper has been placed in serious doubt following an accident while he went on vacation, but it could be his thoughts on a move by Bayern's front office that could force him to switch jobs.
Speaking in an interview with The Athletic, the World Cup winner with Germany shared his thoughts on Bayern's decision to cut Toni Tapalovic from the squad after eleven years of service.
Tapalovic was in charge of training with the goalkeepers and was seen by many as a close friend of the shot-stopper, but sources close to the team have labeled him as a negative influence to the team and to Neuer himself, as well as accusing him of leaking information to the press whenever he felt the need to.
"It was a devastating blow. The people in charge told me about it. Their decision was totally out of the blue and even caught Toni off guard. It really got to me. Toni was a team player for us, and for over eleven years he worked not only for me, but for the club as well. We were always able to separate our private life from work," Neuer stated.
The team officially revealed that differences between Tapalovic and coach Julian Nagelsmann were the trigger that caused his exit from the team, but Neuer chose to criticize a decision that seemed to go down as too personal to him.
"It was a big hit for me, it was like being kicked while on the ground. I felt like if someone had ripped my heart out. It was the most brutal moment I've lived in my career, and trust me, I have gone through a lot, but this time it was different. Everyone in our goalkeeper's group was torn apart, there were some that cried about it," the shot-stopper added.
The footballer's injury caused Bayern to hire Yann Sommer as his replacement for the rest of the season. Nevertheless, sources close to the team have dropped hints about how Tapalovic's exit from the club may have been a way to pave the way for Neuer's eventual departure.
