MANUEL NEUER says it felt like his “heart was being ripped out” as the Bayern Munich star opened up on his injury hell and the sacking of his close pal Toni Tapalovic.
The German goalkeeping icon had an accident while skiing last month following his nation’s early elimination from the World Cup.
It left the 36-year-old with a broken leg which has ruled him out for the rest of the season.
Neuer’s ski boot has been credited as holding his foot together, with the compression the boot provided limiting the swelling around the injury on his leg caused by severe bleeding.
Had the boot and swift services not been factors, the swelling around the leg would have meant doctors could not operate straight away.
Fortunately, Neuer was able to undergo surgery straight away and immediately start the recovery process.
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Now in an interview with The Athletic, he has revealed all about the traumatic last few weeks and how they were made worse by Bayern Munich sacking goalkeeping coach and close friend Tapalovic, who had been at the club since 2011.
On the accident, Neuer said: “There was something under the snow that stopped me. I was doing maybe 10 or 12km/h.
“This wasn’t like going to Ischgl or Solden, where you’ll have a few apricot schnapps in the hut and then race down the hill. This was our local mountain.
“It was a training exercise, a reset for the body and mind. I’ve gone down this piste countless times, even by myself. It’s child’s play, usually.”
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He continued: “First of all, you hope it’s not severe. I didn’t pray, but I lied to myself: ‘It’s not so bad, it’s not a big thing.’
“Some are better at dealing with pain, others who have never had such experiences may find it harder. Because I had played games in a lot of pain at Bayern, my threshold is quite high.
“I was fully conscious the whole time. My friends were all surprised when it became apparent how bad it was. They knew something was wrong, but not to that magnitude.”
Just as he began his road to recovery, Bayern confirmed Tapalovic’s departure and vaguely cited “differences in the way we work together” after an apparent fall-out with boss Julian Nagelsmann.
Neuer said: “Toni was always a team player with us, everyone saw it that way.
“He wasn’t working for me for eleven and a half years, but for the entire goalkeeper group, for the coaching staff and for the club.
“We were always able to separate work and private life. I understand that it might sound like I’m not being objective or not believable, but I can really tell the difference.
“For me, that was a blow — when I was already down on the ground. I felt like my heart was being ripped out.
“It was the most brutal thing I’ve experienced in my career. And I’ve experienced a lot.”
Neuer added: “Everyone in our goalkeeper group was torn to pieces. People burst into tears.
“I think that says it all. We goalkeepers are a team within a team, but Toni was popular with the whole squad.
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“There was no reason that I could comprehend. Things were said that I don’t agree with.
“Nothing I heard would have ruled out the possibility of people talking to each other and sorting things out.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
