Football
Mark Lovell, Bayern Munich blogger 7y

Manuel Neuer to replace Philipp Lahm as Bayern Munich captain

Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has said goalkeeper Manuel Neuer will succeed Philipp Lahm as club captain.

Signed from Schalke in 2011, Neuer will become the fourth goalkeeper to captain Bayern -- following in the footsteps of Oliver Kahn, Raimond Aumann and Sepp Maier.

Neuer also skippers the German national team, taking over from former Bayern star Bastian Schweinsteiger last year.

"Our No. 1 one is the No. 1," Rummenigge said in Shanghai. "Manuel is a seasoned professional and will take over the armband from Philipp."

Lahm posted a message of congratulations to Neuer on Twitter that read: "With @Manuel_Neuer @FCBayern has a strong new team captain. I wish you great success and many trophies, Manu."

Neuer, 31, won his fifth consecutive Bundesliga title last season but missed the final month of the campaign after suffering a broken metatarsal in Bayern's Champions League quarterfinal loss to eventual winners Real Madrid.

He did not travel for the summer tour to Asia, opting to remain in Munich to work on his comeback from injury. But Bayern boss Carlo Ancelotti said on Tuesday that he expects Neuer to be available for their opening Bundesliga game against Leverkusen on Aug. 18.

In Neuer's absence, Thomas Muller captained the side in the Telekom Cup at the weekend.

Following the retirement of Lahm, Muller is the only remaining Bavarian in the first-team squad. 

^ Back to Top ^