It is always a feeling of great pride for Barcelona when the club sees its players thrive on the international stage. While it is already expected that these players will excel for the Catalan club, there are other objectives as well. For a club as grand and prestigious as Barcelona, having international stars is always a positive.
Most of the team’s current starters and key players are all equally important for their respective nations as well. Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Dani Olmo, Gavi, Ronald Araujo, Robert Lewandowski, and others from Barcelona act as undeniable evidence supporting this statement.
However, one man who did not have much luck with his National team until recently was German goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen. Having played as second fiddle to Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer for much of his career, he remained one of the Barcelona mainstays who never achieved the same level of success with his country.
Now, things have changed because of a major update. Due to Neuer’s recent retirement from international football, Ter Stegen now has complete monopoly over that position to be regarded as the undisputed number one between the sticks for Germany.
Furthermore, since his retirement, Manuel Neuer had neither written nor spoken to Marc-André ter Stegen. However, that has now changed, as the former Germany goalkeeper has broken his silence. In a recent interview, as highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, Neuer wished his successor all the best:
“All the best, of course. Not just for him but for all the other goalkeepers. I always hope we have strong goalkeepers. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone, including Marc.”
It is no secret that these two players have had their differences in the past. While it has obviously not resulted in some kind of physical spat between them, it has still been obvious enough that the two have been rivals over the last several years rather than simply good-natured teammates.
Fighting for that same number one spot in the German National team, it was a long and drawn-out battle between the two. Ultimately, Neuer was the one who prevailed during their time on the same team together, but the Barcelona captain will now finally get his own opportunity to shine for Germany as well.
