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WORLD FOOTBALL

    Marc-Andre ter Stegen Says 'I Am Not Fighting' with Germany No. 1 Manuel Neuer

    Rory Marsden@@roomarsdenX.com LogoFeatured ColumnistOctober 8, 2019

    Germany's goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and Germany's goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen (R) attend a training session of the German national football in Dortmund, western Germany on October 08, 2019. - Germany plays a friendly soccer match against Argentina in Dortmund on Wednesday. (Photo by Ina FASSBENDER / AFP) (Photo by INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images)
    INA FASSBENDER/Getty Images

    Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has said he and Bayern Munich stopper Manuel Neuer are not fighting despite ongoing disputes about the No. 1 spot in the Germany national team. 

    Bayern president Uli Hoeness recently threatened to stop making the club's players available for Germany if Ter Stegen took Neuer's spot in the national side.

    That came after the pair both spoke out about the situation around the September international break, with Ter Stegen eventually labelling some of Neuer's comments "inappropriate."

    Speaking ahead of Germany's double-header against Argentina and Estonia, Ter Stegen, 27, moved to clarify his position, per El Mundo Deportivo (h/t Colin Millar of Football Espana):

    "I am not fighting with Manuel. Neuer knows that when I made those statements they [the media] went for me, not for him. We have a good relationship, very professional, we talk a lot but this issue has not been a subject of discussion among us. It is a good relationship and without any confrontation. There is no fight between us or anything that has led us to discuss it with each other."

    Neuer, 33, has 90 caps compared to Ter Stegen's 22 and has started each of Germany's last 10 fixtures.

    Arguably, though, the Barcelona man's recent form has been better than his countryman's has for Bayern.

    Marc-Andre ter Stegen Says 'I Am Not Fighting' with Germany No. 1 Manuel Neuer
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    Certainly that was the view taken by voters for The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019, when Ter Stegen came second to Liverpool's Alisson for The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper:

    Goal @goal

    FIFA's The Best Men's Goalkeeper finalists 👇 🇧🇷 Alisson 🇧🇷 Ederson 🇩🇪 Marc-Andre Ter Stegen https://t.co/eP1HRIxiJw

    Germany manager Joachim Low has been understandably loyal to Neuer.

    There was a lengthy period when the former Schalke man was widely regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world, and he played a crucial role in Germany winning the 2014 FIFA World Cup. 

    Neuer is no longer the consistent presence he once was between the posts, though: 

    StatsBomb @StatsBomb

    Manuel Neuer on the other hand. He was the fifth worst first choice keeper in the league when it came to shot stopping, and allowed five more goals than an average keeper would have been expected to. https://t.co/s8r4iLFM0y

    Ter Stegen, meanwhile, is arguably at his peak and is consistently excellent for Barcelona:

    Ryan Baldi @RyanBaldiFW

    For me, Ter Stegen is the best goalkeeper in the world and has been for a while. He’s also the keeper with the broadest skillset. There really isn’t much he can’t do, as his assist (yes, assist!) for Suarez shows

    Low has an enviable problem on his hands, but he does not look likely to promote Ter Stegen above Neuer any time soon.

    Per Marca, Ter Stegen will play against Argentina and Neuer against Estonia, but Low has confirmed the Bayern player "is our captain and, heading into the Euros, he's our No. 1 if nothing strange happens."