Manuel Neuer goes back to where it all began as Bayern Munich travel to Schalke
In what could be his final season between the sticks, any potential Manuel Neuer farewell tour will be carried out with the utmost professionalism by the Bayern Munich and Germany legend. Matchday 2’s visit to Schalke, though, will be a particularly emotional one for the 40-year-old as he returns to where it all began.
Neuer is one of the most decorated players in German, and indeed world, football history. Along with Thomas Müller, he holds the joint record for the most Bundesliga titles (13), while he also leads the way in terms of DFB Cup victories with Bastian Schweinsteiger (seven). On top of that, he has two UEFA Champions League trophies to his name, as well as a FIFA World Cup.
Such success was nothing but a pipe dream when he joined Schalke at the age of five in 1991. Over the next 15 years, the Gelsenkirchen-native rose through the ranks and ultimately made his senior debut on Matchday 2 of the 2006/07 term, at the age of 20. Within a matter of weeks, he was the undisputed No. 1.
Across the following five seasons, he established himself as one of the world’s leading goalkeepers, helping Schalke compete both domestically and continentally up until the point when they lifted the DFB Cup and reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2010/11, his final campaign at the club.
At that time, Bayern were still looking for a long-term successor to Oliver Kahn, and Germany’s No. 1 was the obvious choice. The switch to the Allianz Arena gave him the prestigious platform to match his undeniable talent, and he has taken full advantage. Nevertheless, it is clear that Schalke remains dear to his heart, and he is looking to Bayern’s trip to the VELTINS-Arena this weekend for a trip down memory lane.
“I'm just looking forward to the atmosphere, the mood in the stadium, and just seeing old faces. Of course, there aren't as many there anymore, but a few staff members still work there. And it's always nice to return to my old workplace.
“It's a very special feeling for me. It makes me think of my childhood, youth, and first years in professional football. And I'm really looking forward to that.”
Since his departure, Neuer and Schalke have experienced contrasting fortunes. While the former has been a key part, and for many years captain, of a team that has dominated German football and competed with the very best internationally, even another European semi-final seems a long way off for his former club.
For the first few years after Neuer’s exit, Schalke continued to qualify for continental competition. However, since their second-place finish in 2017/18, they have finished no higher than 10th in the top flight, even suffering two relegations to Bundesliga 2.
Their latest spell in the second tier lasted three seasons before they earned promotion back to the top tier in 2025/26. Built on a strong defence and boosted by the January arrival of Edin Džeko, Schalke spent most of the term top of the table and ultimately won the title, much to the delight of their vocal and faithful supporters.
From afar, Neuer was impressed with what he saw and is happy to have them as a divisional rival once again. “It means a lot not only to the players and the officials but especially to the fans. And I think you could really see what was going on there. I believe the coaching staff did a really good job.
“At the beginning, everyone was waiting for the slump to come and for the energy to run out towards the end. But it was really stable and very mature how Schalke finished it off. And that's why I'm happy that they are returning to the first league and hopefully will stay up there as well.”
Schalke’s first match back in the Bundesliga ended in a 3-0 defeat to Augsburg, which served as a reminder of what they are up against as they aim to stay in the league. The clash with Bayern, who already have silverware this term in the form of the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup, will be a significantly bigger test of their credentials, too.
Whether it is Neuer’s last match at the stadium remains to be seen. He has already hinted that he may hang up his gloves next spring, but his hunger and will to win may convince him to push on for another 12 months. Either way, what he has achieved in the game would not have been possible without his early beginnings in the Ruhr, something he will be fully aware of when he rocks up at Schalke once more on Saturday.
