Hoeneß Welcomes Neuer's Potential Return to the National Team and Expresses Sympathy for Baumann

Uli Hoeneß, the honorary president of Bayern Munich, expressed his great welcome for the potential return of veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to the German national team for the 2026 World Cup finals, despite expressing his regret for the disappointment this return might cause to Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann.

Hoeneß's statements came during Bayern Munich's celebrations of winning the Bundesliga title at "Marienplatz," following recent press reports confirming that the national team's coach, Julian Nagelsmann, had reached a secret agreement with Neuer (40 years old) to reverse his international retirement and lead the team's goalkeeping in the upcoming World Cup.

Hoeneß said in his statements: "If Manuel and the national team coach make this decision, I will welcome it strongly and be very happy to have him there, simply because he is the best."

At the same time, the honorary president of the Bavarian giant did not hide his sympathy for the current national team goalkeeper, saying: "Nevertheless, I will feel very sorry for Oliver Baumann. He is a great man and a very beloved character, and I just hope that this matter does not cause a lot of disturbances and noise that could disrupt the team's preparations."