​We all knew this kind of report would eventually surface, and this one could just be the first of several. According to RAN, former Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann stirred up tension by recalling Manuel Neuer to the national team, nearly costing a coach his job in the process. Nagelsmann’s about-face just before the World Cup almost sidelined Nübel from another major tournament. The article indicates that the decision to reinstate Neuer provoked widespread turmoil within the DFB setup. Goalkeeping coach Andreas Kronenberg is said to have contemplated resigning, as Nagelsmann allegedly made the personnel choice unilaterally, though both the national coach and Kronenberg had previously supported Baumann as the first-choice keeper and Nübel as his deputy.
The German Football Association (DFB) denies these claims, including the allegation that Neuer demanded the abrupt dismissal of his rival Nübel for the comeback, and that Bayern Munich’s backup goalkeeper Jonas Urbig should be named as the third World Cup stopper. Urbig was ultimately brought along to the United States as the fourth option, a compromise that reflected ongoing contention within the squad. Meanwhile, the relationship between Neuer and the demoted Nübel remained strained. The rift was evident even during the DFB Cup final, where Neuer, after the decisive 3–0 win, high-fived Stuttgart players without sparing a glance for Nübel. This sort of “bullying” by canceling or sidelining was, in Nübel’s view, a thing of the past, and he likely sees that as the best solution for all parties moving forward.
The report also illuminates Nübel’s late removal before the 2024 EUROs, a point touched on earlier. Nübel had managed only four competitive appearances behind Neuer, who never accepted him as a serious competitor. Consequently, the former Germany U21 goalkeeper, after a disappointing season, was first loaned to AS Monaco through 2023 and then to VfB Stuttgart for the remainder of the previous season. After an excellent first year with Stuttgart, where the club finished as league runners-up, Bayern Munich unexpectedly extended Nübel’s contract by five years, signaling strong long-term prospects and a substantial wage increase despite the keeper’s earlier hesitations stemming from prior experiences.
At the same time, Nagelsmann brought Nübel into the DFB squad as the fourth option for the home European Championship and stated at the time of the nomination that he would bring the entire quartet to the tournament. But just before the Euros began, the Paderborn-born keeper was ultimately dropped from the final squad, though the DFB denies that Neuer had already voiced opposition to his inclusion at that moment. After the European Championship and Neuer’s retirement from international duty, Nübel became a regular starter and, in the wake of Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s injuries, moved up to the No. 2 spot behind Oliver Baumann. In summary, the behind-the-scenes shifts, the shifting roles, and the personal rivalries painted a complex portrait of a national team grappling with selecting and reconciling its goalkeeping hierarchy in a high-pressure environment.