#neuerbig

[leonsliga]

Nobody has ever Manufested harder or more successfully than 2016-2018 Jonas Urbig liking these pics of Manu on holiday only to join him on a World Cup getaway in 2026

[esneullert]

since i saw someone bring up jonas being sassy with reporters i’m posting my rough translation of this interview before the ucl match against psg. i read it at the time it came out and thought his answers reminded me of neuer A LOT but kept it to myself, so i think the world deserves to know. apologies for any translation errors

why has bayern been conceding so much lately? (referring to a 3-3 against heidenheim)

jonas: our focus now is on the paris game

have you talked to neuer about his future?

jonas: i don’t know if this is a topic for the mixed zone. at least that’s not a topic i want to discuss, because it’s his personal decision. we still have a lot of important matches ahead, and it would be completely inappropriate on my part to think about it

will you be bayern’s first or second goalkeeper in the 2026/2027 season?

jonas: yes, and?

doesn’t it affect you?

jonas: no

will you be happy about neuer’s extension?

jonas: that’s not what i’m thinking about right now. paris is ahead!

are you hoping to be called up for the national team for the world cup?

jonas: is this really a topic for discussion now?

but soon it will become important?

jonas: if this isn’t a topic for discussion now, do we really need to talk about it?

but we reporters have a comprehensive view on things

jonas: but i don’t.

[rockingpeeble]

love how you pointed out manu’s shirt over jonas’ shoulder, definitely happened more than once

Omg, that addition means this has happened at least three times.

[leonsliga]

i rewatched the meisterfeier yesterday through a neuerbig lense and they were so cute. they kept laughing with each other and were just in their own little world. at one point manu was filming with bus iphone and then just filmed jonas. like i can’t believe how absolutely adorable they are with each other

Omg, genuinely I thought you were exaggerating a little until I watched the thing myself. Pretty much every time the camera cuts to them, Manu’s either leaned in and listening intently to Jonas or they’re giggling about something together. They really are in their own little world, pretty much oblivious as to what’s going on outside of each other 🥺

For starters, here’s Manu giving Jonas shit about his Meisterschale lift:

But even that’s not really scratching the surface. The main thing that struck me while watching the Meisterfeier was just how close the two were standing. I genuinely don’t think they know what personal space is.

Then there’s the way Jonas instinctively leans closer to Manu when he laughs. Because that’s his safe place.

I also noticed that Manu started by filming the Meisterfeier and then shifted to just filming Jonas. As if he’s just as special as an entire city cheering for him. As if he’s just as valuable as the two titles Bayern won. Side note, but I want to know how many photos and videos of Jonas Manu has on his phone. I bet it’s a lot by now 🥰

My favorite thing, though, is how Manu’s always finding excuses to touch:

I mean, he’s literally giving him a massage above. It’s the way Serge and Jo both turn and smile knowingly too. As if it’s normal. As if they know Jonas is exactly where he wants to be.

There’s also something about the way Manu just gently sets his hands on Jonas’ shoulders that makes my heart flutter. I think it’s how casually and absentmindedly he does it. He’s chatting with his other teammates; his attention isn’t even on Jonas, and yet his hands always gravitate to him. And the way they slowly run down his shoulders as well, as if sensing Jonas’ tension and reminding him to relax. It’s so simple, yet so tender.

The funny thing is, this isn’t even all of their Meisterschale moments; this is just the ones that seemed the most gifable to me. If you want to watch the full Meisterfeier yourself, you can find it here ❤️

[leonsliga]

Jonas getting all flustered and smiley after Manu banters him is so real

[leonsliga]

🌻

It’s time for me to break my silence as a Neuerbig truther. Age gap yaoi will save us. Oh, and also, I’m starting to believe goalkeeping exercises are actually just excuses for them to touch each other

send a flower

[leonsliga]

Choosing to believe Jonas was holding onto Manu’s shirt and gloves for him here

[leonsliga]

ah, the jonas of it all.

a detective amongst us pointed out that jonas made his instagram page in april 2016 and that's when he started liking manu's posts - i wanted to say that this correlates nicely with when jonas began to play as a goalkeeper full-time. he was born in august 2003 and said in an interview that he used to sometimes play as an outfielder until he was 12-13 years old. it comes as no surprise that a 2000s-born german goalkeeper who misses his outfielder days would look up to manuel neuer. it would be really funny if his thought process was "i'm a goalkeeper for real now ... i need to lock in and be serious ... let me do some networking with manuel neuer the sweeper keeper of all time" and his version of "networking with manuel neuer" was to follow and spam like his instagram. come for the career advice, stay for the "nice sundowners" (real ones know).

little did he know that, ten years later, he would be featured on said manuel neuer's instagram. imagine being 21 years old, on loan in the second division, and bayern come in for you. and there he is, the manuel neuer, the very same one that you watched on television, the same one from the instagram page. he knows your name, you exchange phone numbers, you see each other at training every day, you can't believe how good life is. he wants to help you succeed, but not only that, he wants to be your friend. he brings you to the world cup even though you didn't make the team this time, and takes you on nice walks and to hang out at cafes, because you are special, not just to bayern and to germany, but to him. you have his blessing, and you, of all people, will be the next number one. he must be living the dream.

jonas is lucky, in a sense, that he's come around at a time that manu is fully ready to train a successor. thomas (who is now on a long trip to get milk but will be back in the near future) and manu did a great job taking care of bayern and germany's present and future. they've seen essentially the entire come-up of jo, jamal, and aleks, and been there for guys that joined a bit later, but still at young ages, like serge and leon. all of them (and many more teammates) have spoken very highly about thomas and manu's leadership and how they've supported young players. and now the legacy continues - we've seen how leon and jo have spent time with younger midfielders like aleks and tom, for example.

#my beautiful bayern family # <3 #yes thomas is still part of the family #yes leon is also still part of the family #always will be

goalkeeping, though, is a uniquely lonely profession, and until now, manu hasn't really had someone to be lonely with. jonas is evidently in a "i can't believe this is my life" stage, like he's waiting to wake up from a dream, but this is just his life now! the best goalkeeper to ever live is your actual real life friend and teammate and wants you to take over for him one day! he looks up to manu in a way that i don't think i've ever seen one player do for another, like he would do literally anything manu tells him to do. but maybe this is what manu has been waiting for, in a slightly different sense, to know that the goalkeeping position will continue to be in (literal) safe hands. maybe he reached a stage in his career in recent years where he's felt completely ready to teach a protégé, and he's just been waiting for the right one to come along. and here comes a kid who's a part-time midfielder, who loves coffee and tennis, someone that isn't just there for him to mentor but also to befriend. working at the fc bayern is crazy because you will be 22 with a 40 year old best friend like where mr. neuer at today?

the real question is, what happens next? taking a player that's not actually in the squad to a major tournament is rare, especially if the player is young and just starting their career. i know that austria did so with david alaba - who was still recovering from an acl injury - for euro 2024; as their captain, they wanted him to be there as a team leader, even if he couldn't play. however, jonas went to the world cup as a young, inexperienced player, and if it really was mainly for "training purposes", they could've taken one of the many older, more experienced goalkeepers that were not called up (although the number one position may have been in flux, there is no shortage of german goalkeepers in general).

it's apparently been confirmed (to some extent) that manu wanted jonas specifically for the world cup, which, first of all, imagine being hand-picked by manuel neuer, and, second of all, the dfb has set a kind of weird precedent here. if they did it once, will they allow it again? when september rolls around and the team is heading to amsterdam, will manu call in some favours and get himself involved? will he just involve himself without asking, because who's going to stop manuel neuer from mentoring germany's next number one?

if manu is involved in a vibes and mentorship way in the future i feel like jonas basically gets a free pass to hang out and do whatever. jo is germany's captain but manu is his captain and always will be so he won't stand in his way. of course he wants bayern and germany to have a strong goalkeeper for the next 20 years! he's trying to captain this team into winning something, anything at all, and if that means manu is taking jonas on a bike-and-café-hop journey across amsterdam on their free afternoon, then let it be so. may your feet have a ball at them and your hands be safe or whatever.

what do you think? should the dfb bring manu along? and will they? please share your thoughts <3

First of all, I want to thank you for this masterpiece of an ask…this is maybe the greatest one I’ve ever received ❤️ you captured the heart and soul of their relationship so beautifully, and better than I could ever hope to. Everything is so detailed, thoughtful, and well-articulated. Your mind 🤯 You should seriously consider writing fics if you haven’t already, genuinely. I’d gobble them right up.

But where to begin…

For starters, I had no idea just how much their goalkeeper origin stories paralleled one another. A goalkeeper who used to moonlight as an outfield player that sometimes still yearns for the midfield, you say? If you hadn’t already told me, I would’ve thought it was Manuel Neuer we were talking about! No wonder him and Jonas instantly clicked; they already had something in common!

Something about when Jonas was born and the way he interpreted goalkeeping, drawing on his experience as an outfield player, makes him especially susceptible to Manu’s influence. I was actually doing a bit of research and I found out that Jonas said in his first Pressekonferenz with Bayern that Manu was a major inspiration to him. The rumors are true after all!

Side note, but given the misinformation iMiaSanMia recently posted, I verified this independently, and Jonas did say that 😊 If you want to see for yourself, here’s the press conference, and the question begins around 35:30.

As you pointed out, he was born in 2003. When he was growing up, he would’ve witnessed Manuel Neuer’s meteoric rise to the top, sitting enraptured before the television as this phenom, this soon-to-be legend, pioneered a style of goalkeeping the likes of which had never really been seen before. Given it was his dream to play for Bayern, he likely knew who Neuer was from a young age, whether he watched him at Schalke or not. He would’ve likely seen the 2010 World Cup where the world was introduced to a profoundly gifted goalkeeper, as well as the 2014 World Cup, where the prophecies of his legend were realized. When Jonas stood in goal, then, perhaps he imagined himself as Manuel Neuer, out-dribbling outfielders and darting out fearlessly into one-on-ones, poaching the ball from a striker’s waiting feet. Much like with Manu, the box was a suggestion.

There’s something about the timing of Jonas following Manu on Instagram as well that sticks out to me, and you highlighted it brilliantly: around 12-13, he cemented his role as a goalkeeper. And when did Jonas first start liking Manu’s posts? 2016. I love your headcanon that this was his idea of locking in and networking. I adore how he started with the very best goalkeeper too 😂 to expand on your brilliant thoughts a little more, I like to think Jonas’ approach to networking with the goat was as follows:

Follow Manuel Neuer on Instagram. For career advice. Definitely just for career advice.

Pay your respects. Like everything. Ok, so maybe it’s not all to do with goalkeeping, but you can help it. Manu is funny and charming and you like seeing the human behind the legend.

Side note, for those who don’t know the “nice sundowner” reference and might be getting some FOMO, I present to you exhibit A:

And I’m sure Jonas couldn’t even begin to imagine in his loftiest of daydreams that one day he himself would be featured on Manu’s very profile, right alongside him. After all, back then he was just a boy with a dream and a muse—a muse he sometimes stalked on Instagram. I sometimes forget that when Bayern—the club of his dreams—came calling, Jonas was still stranded on another loan spell: Greuther Fürth in the second division. What must it have meant for him to find out that Bayern, the club of legends he’d admired from afar for so many years, had taken notice of all his hard work? What must it have been like when he finally met Manuel Neuer—the myth of a man he’d watched, awestruck, from afar for most of his life—in the flesh? There Manuel Neuer stood before him, bright, perceptive blue eyes focused on him: Jonas Urbig.

And the story only continues from there—one you illustrated so beautifully. His idol knows him by name. It probably doesn’t feel real at first—hearing “Jonas” leave his idol’s lips, the same way swapping numbers and having Bayern’s number one in his contacts probably doesn’t. And then he’s training alongside him—a perfect front row seat to his greatness pretty much every day. Manu’s just as perfect as he’d always been, but now he’s so close Jonas could touch him. And even that would’ve been enough. But no, his hero knows him and he gets to learn from him every day.

And it doesn’t stop there. Manu wants to know him. Really know him. He wants to be more than a mentor; he wants to be a friend, a confidante. And it’s so much easier to let Manu in than Jonas would’ve ever thought it was. After all, Manu’s aura is much the same off the pitch as it is on it: calm, reassuring. And soon he’s sharing about himself without even realizing it, rambling on about his love of coffee one day simply because it feels safe and natural for him to be himself around Manu. It turns out Manu loves coffee just as much. Suddenly, it’s not just a professional relationship anymore; it’s a personal one too. Manu takes him on coffee dates and beach walks. Jonas cycles by his side. Back when he was Köln, he felt like an outcast. When he was on his loan spells, he probably felt expendable. At Bayern, Jonas knows what it’s like to be valued. Manuel dotes on him and cheers on his every success. He has the approval of the greatest goalkeeper of all time. He is seen. He is cherished. He is loved. He belongs.

There’s something about being chosen, isn’t there? Especially by someone you admire so deeply, so devoutly. You put it beautifully: imagine being hand-picked by Manuel Neuer. Despite not making the World Cup squad, Manu sees something in him. I’m glad that you pointed out that without his interference, if Germany wanted to bend the rules a bit, they could’ve taken any other goalkeeper along. There isn’t a shortage of more experienced goalkeepers they could’ve brought so they could get their foot in the door on the international stage. But no, Manu believes in Jonas and his future success so much he made it a condition of his return that he be brought to the World Cup. It must feel like something akin to being anointed by a saint—a god. I wonder if Jonas still has to remember to pinch himself—that this isn’t just a dream. That this is the life he’s actually living—one where the great Manuel Neuer has every confidence that he will succeed him as Bayern and Germany’s number one.

I think Manu breaking his fibia and tibia on that ski trip was a reminder to him (albeit a cruel and painful one), that he can’t play football, the game he loves more than anything, forever. At some stage, he’ll have to pass on the torch to the next generation, and as with everything Manu does, in this he is remarkably precise. Take Alexander Nübel. On paper he seemed like the perfect replacement. He transferred from Schalke, same as Manu did. But they just didn’t click. I think, deep down, Manu wants to know that his years of experience mean something…that he can impart everything he’s learned to someone who’s willing to listen. I don’t reckon he got that with Nübel. I also second what you said about him waiting for the right person to come along and wanting to make sure that Bayern will be in safe hands (literally). I think he wants to know that when he leaves, he’s done everything he could to ensure the club’s future success. For him, the team matters above all else.

God, I miss Thomas at Bayern. Not that Manu hasn’t done a fantastic job captaining Bayern in his own right, but there was something about the way their leadership styles complimented one another, you know? We saw this especially with the class of ‘95 (Serge, Jo, Leon, etc.). Thomas was, and still is, larger than life, keeping things light with his sense of humor when needed, but when things get a bit more serious, he’s fantastic at helping his teammates get the best out of themselves. Manu’s a bit more reserved by nature, but there’s something about the effect he has on his teammates. His very presence reassures them—guarantees safety. And much like with Thomas, his legend is not so large that his feet aren’t firmly on the ground. He knows when his teammates need him and he is always there for them. When he speaks, it matters. You can’t help but listen. I like to think Thomas looked after the outfield players so Manu could focus more on the goalkeepers (while juggling his duty as captain to them all). And even if Thomas is an absentee father out getting the milk right now (love that btw), I have a feeling that once he’s retired from football, he’ll find a way to help Bayern, the club of his heart, in some capacity. Regardless, the two have done a phenomenal job of ensuring the legend of Bayern will live on. Now, characters like Jo can carry on their work.

I don’t care that they’re gone either; Thomas and Leon will always be a part of the Bayern family. Bayern is in their blood. And maybe I’m still a bit heartbroken because I had it in my head that Leon and Jo would be the next generation’s iteration of Manu and Thomas, but that’s neither here nor there 💔😭

Even though the position has evolved somewhat, the truth remains: goalkeeping is a lonely pursuit. By definition, you are different. In the eyes of many fans, you are misunderstood. You quite literally stand alone. I thinks that’s why the camaraderie amongst goalkeepers—even those in the same club who are quite literally rivals vying for the position—is so uniquely intimate and intense. There’s a kinship there you don’t see in any other position, and Manu might be the greatest advocate of that. Much as the outfield players can depend on each other on the pitch, goalkeepers must seek the same companionship. I think that’s part of the reason why Manu and Ulle are so close, and why he has such a close bond with Jonas now. You put it so brilliantly: working at the fc bayern is crazy because you will be 22 with a 40 year old best friend like where mr. neuer at today? 😂 Anon, how does it feel to be so funny and so right?

I get the sense that for Manu, it’s not enough to have a close relationship as colleagues; he wants to have that same trust with his fellow goalkeepers personally. He doesn’t just want to be a mentor; he wants to be a friend—a trusted confidante. And when someone like Jonas comes along, someone with whom Manu has a great deal in common with. Things feel so natural. The friendship comes easily, effortlessly. How could it not, I suppose, when Jonas got his start in such a similar way, plays like him, and loves two of Manu’s biggest interests, coffee and tennis, the same way he does? Kindred spirits feels like an understatement. Even before they met, even when Jonas was still scrolling through Manu’s Instagram back in 2016, he must’ve felt it: like they were alike.

And I feel exactly the same way…I can’t think of a time I’ve seen a footballer show this level of devotion to a colleague. I really do think he would do anything Manu tells him to do. Simply because it’s him—the Manuel Neuer, the player he’s looked up to all his life. His hero. The idol he worships. I think that’s part of the reason Jonas reacted the way he did when asked about his relationship with Manu in this interview. He doesn’t see their relationship the way the media is trying to imply: like he’s standing in Manu’s shadow. To him, it feels like he’s standing in his light. In Jonas’ eyes, I imagine it still feels somewhat surreal. The greatest goalkeeper to ever do it is your mentor, your captain, your friend. He wants you to carry on his legacy. You, out of all others. You are special to him and he treasures your company, as well as who you are as a person. He loves the whole of you, not just the talent he is certain will succeed him.

Because calling up someone who won’t officially be on the roster is so rare, it feels like you’re right: the DFB has set an interesting precedent. If he wants to, who’s to stop Manu from joining Jonas along for the ride? Perhaps he interprets his role as a mentor the same way Toni Tapalović might have when he saw Manu rising up the ranks at Schalke, recognizing that he has a chance to nurture a once-in-a-generation talent. And when that talent is someone you have a close bond with, maybe it feels natural for Manu to accompany Jonas as he takes the next step towards his future, the same way Toni did for him when he joined Bayern. I’m pretty sure Manu has said in the past that he doesn’t really see himself as a goalkeeper coach, but I also know the faith he has in Jonas’ talent. I wouldn’t be surprised if he wanted to continue nurturing that talent in any way he could and make sure that Jonas is well-prepared for the international stage. And frankly, I’d love to see it, because you’re right. It means that even though he’ll be training hard (because we know Manu will guarantee that), he’ll also have some really great down time. Knowing Manu and Jonas, I think you’ve got it exactly right; they’ll be cycling and cafe-hopping all over Amsterdam!

I also think it feels full circle in a way; the circumstances are a bit different, sure, but he’d be doing the very thing Toni Tapalović did for him. Not only that, but he could help ensure Jonas is ready to handle the pressure that comes with international tournaments, and if that comes with a couple cups of coffee, then so be it :)

Will Manu come along? On that I’m a bit less sure, but I think it depends on two things: whether the DFB will allow it, and whether Manu has recovered from his World Cup heartbreak and coming to grips with his looming retirement enough to want to. I think the former is a possibility, but the latter? We’ll have to wait and see. That’ll depend on Manu himself.

Since I’ve written basically a whole novel at this point, I’ll end with this: Manu said recently that he hopes people will remember him as a good goalkeeper. Well, if he ever doubts that in any way, Jonas will not hesitate to remind him. Through Jonas’ eyes and through the way he plays, he can see the impact he’s had on not just us fans, but an entire generation of goalkeepers who look up to him. Jonas will make sure he never forgets how much he’s given to Bayern, to Germany, and to the world.

Anyways, enough rambling from me. I’ve gone on wayyy too long 😅 I hope I did your ask justice though🤞 it was such a delight to answer and I’m so grateful!!!