Schalke 04 chairman of the supervisory board Axel Hefer says the club could welcome back Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer once he has ended his playing career.
Neuer, 40, is likely to retire at the end of the current season. Speaking before Schalke 04’s match against Bayern Munich on Saturday, Hefer said the goalkeeper should first take time to enjoy life away from football before deciding what he wants to do next.
But Hefer also indicated that a return to Schalke 04 could be possible if Neuer wanted to become involved with the club again.
Neuer was born in Gelsenkirchen and came through Schalke 04’s youth system. He became one of the club’s most prominent players before moving to Bayern Munich in 2011.
That transfer caused anger among many Schalke 04 supporters, but Hefer believes the dispute no longer defines the relationship between the player and his boyhood club.
The Schalke 04 chairman said the passage of time had changed the situation and suggested that Neuer’s future involvement should be considered independently of the emotions surrounding his departure.
Neuer’s next step remains undecided. Hefer’s view is that the goalkeeper should not be expected to make an immediate decision when he stops playing, but should instead take the opportunity to enjoy his freedom before considering a new role.
The possibility of former players returning to their clubs in different capacities has also been discussed by Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer.
Hainer has previously said Bayern Munich would like to bring former players into the club after they have ended their careers. He said people with that background possess considerable experience and a deep understanding of both the club and professional football.
Those comments provide a wider context for the possibility of Neuer continuing his career away from the pitch. The goalkeeper has spent much of his professional life at Bayern Munich, while his football education and early identity remain closely linked to Schalke 04 and Gelsenkirchen.
For now, the immediate focus is on Neuer’s expected final season as a player and Saturday’s meeting between Schalke 04 and Bayern Munich. Any decision about a return to Schalke 04 would come only after he has finished playing and had time to decide what he wants to do in the next stage of his career.