It would be naive to believe that this decision was not political. The choice of goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen as a podium guest at the press conference of the German national football team one day before the friendly against Argentina on Wednesday (20.45 / Liveticker SPIEGEL, TV: RTL) was nothing but a signal from the DFB. And addressed to several addresses:
- to those of Bayern, who had particularly politicized the debate over the goalkeeper dispute between ter Stegen and the Munich Manuel Neuer for the number one goal in the national goal with statements from the club leadership to Uli Hoeness and Karl -Heinz Rummenigge and even threatened the DFB.
- to the of ter Stegen himself, who had publicly complained after the past national team training, the DFB does not get the fair opportunity and stage that had been promised him.
- to the von Neuer, the ter Stegens complaint had initially classified as unkollegial, but now also get to show that national coach Joachim Löw ter Stegen's fundamental concern is quite justified.
- and ultimately also into the interior of the national team and out to the interested public: We are not put under pressure by any club in the world. Competition is normal with us.
This story between ter Stegen and Neuer now got a new chapter in the German Football Museum in Dortmund. For the first time since the dispute, ter Stegen and Löw made public appearances in the circle of the national team. At the DFB, they deliberately made this decision, even though it promised to be "an open-hearted operation," as it was called internally.
Ter Stegen would have been able to counter the attacks from Munich (he damaged "a perfectly impeccable sportsman like Manuel Neuer", Hoeneß had berated). He would have given the debate a new gravity, which would have settled over the two because of all sorts of cancellations already difficult international matches. But the 27-year-old from the Catalan top club FC Barcelona preferred to avoid the angry Bavarian comments in the style of a bullfighter and thus let them run into the void.
DPA
Marc-André ter Stegen has played 22 matches for Germany so far
"I'm not so concerned with other statements," said Ter Stegen, referring to the Hoeneß and Rummenigge statements, "I did well to concentrate on football, and everything that was said after that was a word too much."
Löw commented on the topic even more clearly: "No matter what comes from Munich, that does not matter to me personally," said the 59-year-old.
No clarifying conversation with the national coach planned
It was planned long before the outbreak of the goalkeeper dispute that ter Stegen is awarded this test match against the attractive opponent from Argentina by Löw in order to promote itself. But it suits now quite well for the national coach to bring appreciation to ter Stegen. "After a difficult start, Marc has established himself with us since the Confederations Cup, and he's absolutely reliable, playing at the highest level," said Löw.
He will not again discuss the dispute between ter Stegen and Neuer before the game against Argentina in a clarifying conversation, so Löw. First, he has enough to do with the organization of his decimated elf. And second, he sees "no problem between the two goalkeepers, both appreciate each other".
The national coach asks himself anyway, why he should waste his time with the debate about the number one, if both candidates are so good that it almost does not matter who plays. And if many other professionals around have not yet demonstrated the ability to really play for the title at the European Championships next year. "The goalkeepers are the smallest construction site," Loew said and immediately corrected himself: "No, this is not a construction site at all."
When it matters, Neuer plays
For ter Stegen, of course, it remains problematic to be one of the outstanding goalkeepers in the world and still have no chance in the national team to remain permanently in goal. In the Fifa election for Best Keeper of the Year ter Stegen was not among the last three - Neuer. At Barças 4-0 against Sevilla at the weekend ter Stegen played his 200th competitive match for the Catalans - that had never been a foreign goalkeeper. And in the Dortmund stadium, where the game against Argentina will take place, ter Stegen showed last great performance in the Champions League match against BVB.
"I'll do anything to be Number One," he said. But that has nothing to do with Neuer, with whom, by the way, there is no dispute. He reads the statements of the national coach so, "that Manuel has an advantage," said ter Stegen. But: "I want to make the decision as difficult as possible for the national coach."
DPA
Manuel Neuer will play against Estonia on Sunday in the European Championship qualifier
Loew was often suspected of being a coach, who likes to make things easier by sticking to the tried and tested. The game against Argentina is a welcome opportunity for him to show that he is open to new things, without downgrading his old hero Neuer. The captain will play on Sunday when points are scored in the European Championship qualifier against Estonia.
Perhaps he could have spared himself the debate himself, if he had let ter Stegen last play 2-0 against Northern Ireland. But after the 2: 4 against the Netherlands, he had just decided to New, Low now explained. If it is important, then plays the old master.