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Interview: ASM director of performance James Bunce on the psychology of football

by: Luke Entwistle
01/11/2022

Once again, AS Monaco is at the forefront of evolution. Possessors of an avant-garde performance centre and recruiters of the first nutritionist in the Ligue 1, the club is now harnessing the “under-tapped” psychology of football.

“Everyone looks at sport from the neck down,” AS Monaco director of performance James Bunce told Monaco Life. The Principality club are taking steps to change that. Through recruiting two full-time psychologists – Emilie Thienot and Sophie Huguet, the club is harnessing “one of the most under-tapped advantages in football and even in the wider sporting environment,” says Bunce.

Whilst this almost certainly won’t remain the case for long, no other Ligue 1 club is currently innovating in this way by challenging the status quo of how health and sporting performance is perceived. Following Paris Saint-Germain’s dramatic capitulation against Real Madrid in last season’s Champions League, there was talk of the club recruiting a psychologist, although no arrival was ever officialised.

But Monaco’s approach, in line with the societal shift towards an increased focus on mental health, is based not on reacting to an issue, but on optimising and revolutionising an “under-tapped” facet of the game. Questioned by Monaco Life on whether the mental aspect of the game has been overlooked in the past, Bunce replied:

“I wouldn’t say that [physical well-being] is favoured deliberately over [mental wellbeing]. Everyone concentrates on the neck down and looks at sport from the neck down. We have become very good at monitoring the neck down: physical outputs, training loads, accelerations, sprinting, duels won. We’re really good at looking at that. Not deliberately, but I think we often overlook the mental side because it’s really hard to evaluate. It’s really hard to train and to teach, and to have objective moments in that.”

He continued, “However, even if you anecdotally look back and listen to players and coaches speak after games, a lot of them will talk about a mental attribute that either helped them or caused the problem. “We switched off, we weren’t at it, we didn’t put the effort in, we weren’t motivated”, and so it’s a really ironic situation where we talk about struggling with mentality, but we don’t train it to anywhere near the same extent as we do other things. So that’s why psychology for me is one of the most under-tapped advantages in football and even in the wider sporting environment. I speak a lot about this topic, and how we try and get this right.”

Innovation is engrained into the DNA of the Principality club, and the prioritisation of the mental side of the game is the latest manifestation of that. “Prior to my arrival, but also since Paul’s (Mitchell) and my arrival, we as a club have been trying to innovate and push forward. We were the first to get a full-time nutritionist, so we were breaking new ground there, and one of the first to invest in the performance and medical department. So, psychology for us is about getting a competitive advantage but also trying to develop our players to be the best they can be, that means on and off the pitch, trying to develop champions, trying to develop French national team and international standard players, and we know the mind has to be a part of that,” said Bunce. 

Last season, it was manager Philippe Clement who took on the mantle to provide mental support to his young squad. Whilst it was a role that he gladly assumed, he is happy to be relieved of his duties with the arrivals of Thienot and Huguet.

Photo of Emilie Thienot and Sophie Huguet, source AS Monaco

“[The psychologists] are very important. I spoke with Paul and the president after the season and I said I thought it was important to grow as a club, for the players, for the staff, for everyone [to have them]. For me, it’s very important to have psychological help here, because last year I was the psychologist here, but in the end, I am also the man who decides. It’s important, because these are young players who were all big stars during their formative years but they weren’t really in competition, and now they come here and there is a lot of competition. That can have a mental impact, and an impact on confidence as well. We have to help the players, give them tools to channel their emotions,” said Clement in a pre-match press conference at the end of September. 

Giving players the “tools to channel their emotions” is the key to this shift, as Bunce explained in greater detail. Asked how the club’s latest advancement would manifest itself on the pitch, he replied:

“To get an objective marker is really difficult. We speak to the players about their mental fatigue, about their emotions and things like that, but it’s not like a blood sample; it’s not like a metric that we measure like running speed. If we do a fitness programme we can say that they’ve increased lifting weight from 100kg to 150kg – that’s a 50% increase, they’ve gone from that speed to this speed. There isn’t a concrete, objective marker. However, what we hope manifests in the building is that the playing group begin to develop attributes that they didn’t have, that they might then use. So it’s not about seeing that in every moment they are using a mental skill, but about giving them a tool case full of ways to handle different situations.”

“If we are in a moment where we are 1-0 up and it’s the 90th minute and we need to see out the results, we have the mental skills to deal with that adversity, or with the motivation, or with the capacity to manage the game in a better way. What the psychologists are always trying to do is give the players the tools to cope with scenarios, and when they come to those scenarios, they are better equipped than they previously were to deal with them,” Bunce continued.

The in-house psychologists aren’t restricted to who they work with. “The way we have built the department of psychology is that it doesn’t only extend itself to players. Obviously, the players are hugely important and we want to develop their psychological characteristics, abilities, and traits, but we also wanted to develop the staff within the building,” Bunce told Monaco Life.  

The sessions themselves will be specifically tailored to the individuals and their pathways and put on a level footing with physical conditioning. “The players can visit them any time they want. Being players, they aren’t here until 9pm. Some do it at different periods, some like to have conversations before matches to focus, some are working on different long-term strategies, imagery, motivation, leadership, and things like that. So those will be structured into their working week like a gym session is. It is no different than physical conditioning. Then we build the team aspects into the programme like we would an analysis meeting,” said Bunce. 

Whilst the benefits of the club’s latest innovative approach will naturally be difficult to quantify, centre-back Guillermo Maripán believes that it will allow him and his teammates to “express [themselves] better”.

“Personally, I think that psychology is very important, not just in football. I think it will be a plus for the team, to allow us to be better, to think better, to express ourselves better. I think the two professionals will be very important for us and will help us a lot,” said the player.

The capacity to “be better, think better and express [oneself] better” would constitute a significant competitive advantage in a sport where success or failure hinges on such minor details. By tapping into the psychology of football, the Principality club are at the forefront of change. They may be an outlier for now, but they are unlikely to remain so for too long.

 

Photo by AS Monaco

 

 

AS Monaco goes stateside with New York fan group

by: Luke Entwistle
18/10/2022

The creation of the latest AS Monaco fan group in New York pushes the boundaries of the club’s slogan, ‘Everywhere, Always’. Monaco Life spoke with its founder, Damien Malatino, to learn more. 

Damien Malatino may no longer be living in the Principality, but he isn’t forgetting his Monégasuqe roots – quite the opposite. Now living in New York, where he works as a project manager, Malatino is the founder of the AS Monaco Fans NYC, the Principality’s latest antenne. 

Partout, Toujours

Of the 16 fan groups officially registered by the AS Monaco Supporters’ Club, the New York City group is the second most distant from the Principality, after ‘Dom Tom,’ based in Martinique. They are also only the second group outside of France, the other being Liguria Biancorossa, based in Ventimiglia.

Following a meeting with the Supporters’ Club in the Principality during a trip back to the Principality in August, ASM NYC officially became a group in September. The officialisation was announced by the club itself on all its media channels, which according to Malatino, “really helped for visibility.”

“Since the article, we’ve had people contacting us directly saying that they’d seen the article, and asking how they can meet up. Since then, we’ve recruited members and now we can’t wait for the next event,” added Malatino. 

The aim of the group is to allow Monaco fans to meet up and share their passion for the Principality club. Prior to the creation of ASM NYC, Malatino frequented the famous ‘Football Factory’ bar located in Manhattan to watch his childhood club in action. Seeing fans of other Ligue 1 gather there to watch the matches, inspired him.

Photo by Damien Malatino

“At the start, I watched matches on my own at a bar where they show all the matches, called The Football Factory. It is well known in New York amongst football fans. There might not be many from Monaco, but there is also a French community and there are fan clubs of other Ligue 1 clubs that I have seen when going to watch Monaco matches. I saw a couple of Monaco-PSG matches for example and I saw that there was a group of Parisian supporters with scarves. I told myself, ‘why not create something to bring together people like me, who are supporters of AS Monaco?” he said. 

The recruited becomes the recruiter

The idea is not only to facilitate gatherings but also to recruit fans on American soil. “We can meet up to watch the matches and eventually recruit members that like football, but don’t necessarily have a favourite European team. So creating fans and finding sympathisers, that’s how it’s done, and also by bringing together ex-pats,” Malatino told Monaco Life. 

Malatino himself was drawn into the game by his father from an early age. Growing up not far from the famous arches of the Stade Louis II in La Condamine, his passion was imparted by his match-going father, whose support for the club pre-dates the creation of the new Louis II.

“The passion came from my family and especially from my dad. He has been a season ticket holder at the Louis II before the new stadium had opened. He is a huge fan of the club, so even when I was young, I remember him taking me to the matches. We watched the matches on the TV as well. My dad did all of the away trips. He took me to watch a few matches when the season ticket holders could bring guests and it was there that my passion started to grow. I went to see matches in Ligue 1. I also watched them play in Ligue 2, where there were some good moments,” he said. 

Maintaining a direct link to the Principality

From the 8-3 Champions League victory against Deportivo de la Coruña, Malatino’s first footballing memory, to relegation to Ligue 2, the Monégasque has truly experienced the highs and lows of being a football fan. Having watched Radamel Falcao (his favorite Monaco player alongside Fernando Morientes) in the flesh, the two-time season ticket holder he is now getting used to following his side from distance.

“Thanks to the antenne I maintain a direct link to Monaco. The fact of just being able to share my passion, go to watch the matches, and meet up is something that allows me to keep a link to Monaco. Everyone keeps a bit of a link to their country of origin. We are all there to maintain a link to our country, through football,” he said. 

But following European football from the United States is no easy task. The time difference makes watching some games, especially the Europa League ties, which take place mid-afternoon on Thursdays, near-on impossible. Regardless, the goal is to gather twice a month, the next one being this Sunday for the match against Lille.

Malatino admits that the antenne will take years to blossom, he is hoping to slowly build the fanbase in ‘The Big Apple,’ picking up supporters throughout the season as Philippe Clement’s men hunt after another podium finish in Ligue 1.

Photo by Damien Malatino

“We are really making up for our difficult start to the season, which was due to the calendar. Clement has done good work and we are getting back to where we should be in the standings,” said Malatino on Monaco’s start to the season.  “I am very confident that we’ll reach the podium by the end of the season, and I’m hoping that we qualify directly for the Champions League,” he continued. 

Whatever the outcome of the current campaign, Clement’s men can count on the support of its newest fan group in New York City, where a Munegu scarf hangs on the wall of the Football Factory symbolising not only the ubiquity of the club but its importance, both at home and abroad.

 

Photos by AS Monaco

 

 

 

Turkish delight in Trabzon

by: luke@monacolife.net
13/10/2022

AS Monaco were comprehensively beaten by Trabzonspor (4-0) in Eastern Turkey on Thursday, in a result that throws their Europa League group wide open. 

Philippe Clement said pre-match that he believed that his side had shown themselves capable of playing in intense, heated atmospheres after their showing in Belgrade earlier in the competition.

A similar atmosphere awaited them at the Medical Park Stadyumu. Every moment of possession for Monaco was met with deafening whistles that reverberated around the stadium.

Monaco were imperiously dominant, at least statistically, in the opening moments. As Trabzonspor manager Abdullah Avci said post-match, “For the first 25 minutes, Monaco dominated the game.” However, despite multiple corners, and half-chances, the Principality side couldn’t convert their performance into a concrete advantage. And they were made to pay for that.

On the stroke of half-time, Clement’s men fell behind in a moment of folie. There was no danger evident when the ball was played back to Alexander Nübel. Looking to find Malang Sarr, in for Benoît Badiashile who felt discomfort in the warm-up, his pass caught the former unawares. The ball ricocheted off the Frenchman and into the back of the net, sending the almost 30,000 home fans into raptures.

With their tails up, Trabzonspor pushed in the final minutes of the second half against a Monaco side that had lost all rhythm and were grateful for the half-time whistle.

The break didn’t interrupt Trabznspor’s intensity or their rhythm. Vitor Hugo, a half-time substitute got on the scoreboard within three minutes of being on the pitch, rising highest at a corner to double the lead.

Things would get worse, and considerably so for AS Monaco. A sublime Enis Bardhi free-kick, slid under the monégasuqe wall made it three, before former Aston Villa man Trézéguet made it four.

The result ensured both times allowed the game to drift toward its inevitable conclusion. In victory, Trabzonspor have thrown their Europa League group wide open. For now, Monaco drop to third in Group H, behind Thursday night’s opponents only on goal difference with two games remaining.

Man of the match – Youssouf Fofana

On a difficult night for Monaco, Fofana showed his burgeoning experience. In the circumstances, he put in a calm performance. He displayed a range of passing in the first half, whilst also finding space in dangerous positions.

As his side struggled for control in the second half, his influence in possession waned, but he remained positionally aware in the defensive phases, despite the team conceding four goals. With injuries to N’Golo Kanté and Paul Pogba, his form could very realistically earn him a place in the France squad for the World Cup, especially following his positive performances for Didier Deschamps’ side in the most recent international break.

Clement’s comments

Post-match, Clement rued how his team let Trabzonspor take the upper hand in the tie after a positive start. “We started the match well. We mustn’t forget that. We were dominant and did the right things. We attacked well, we defended well, and created chances but weren’t efficient in taking those chances. We concede a goal that shouldn’t concede. Everyone knows that, including Alex.”

He was also disappointed by the manner of their second-half capitulation. “One by one, we tried to force things and stopped playing how we like playing. We had enough shots on targets, but without enough quality. After 2-0, we tried to force things, to play with emotions, and not play together. Playing together has been our strength. That’s been our strength in the past weeks and months. When we do things together, we do things well. Today was a big lesson. When we play as individuals and force things, we don’t play well,” he said.

He added, telling Monaco Life, “In the past weeks, we have won together and now we lose together; that’s how it is.”

However, looking forward, Clement knows that there is still everything to play for in their group. “There are still two matches and we still have our destiny in our own hands,” said Clement. Monaco must now use that agency to good effect in order to reach the knockout stages, as they did last year.

 

Photo by Monaco Life

AS Monaco’s European campaign back on-track

by: luke@monacolife.net
06/10/2022

AS Monaco came out comfortable victors against Turkish champions Trabzonspor (3-1) at the Stade Louis II on Thursday to get their Europa League campaign back on-track. 

The match, as a spectacle was quickly concluded for the second consecutive match at the Louis II. An early double ended Nantes’ hopes of taking any points from the Principality. This time it was a rush of blood to the head that cost Monaco’s opponents on the night.

Just 11 minutes into the match, Maxi Gómez, whilst falling to the ground, extended his boot into the face of Mohamed Camara and was rightly shown red, much to the surprise of the Uruguayan, who claimed his innocence but to no avail.

Only minutes later, Wissam Ben Yedder punished a Trabzonspor, who had to play the game with a numerical disadvantage for over 80 minutes. Philippe Clement’s side could have easily been out of sight by the half-hour mark, but the away side kept in the game due to some profligate Monégasque finishing.

Breel Embolo (24′) struck the bar from just six yards out when he had the entire goal to aim at, Krépin Diatta’s close range effort (25′) was well smothered by the keeper and a second close-range Embolo effort was also gathered by the grateful Ugurcan Çakir.

Monaco did get their second just before half-time when Vanderson was clumsily felled in the box. When Ben Yedder stepped up, there was little doubt about the outcome. The Frenchman sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to double the lead and give Clement’s men some breathing room.

Monaco continued to push early in the second half and were rewarded with a third when Axel Disasi was on the end of a Benoît Badiashile flick-on from a corner.

From thereon, Monaco took their foot off the gas. The team lost momentum as a number of key players, including Ben Yedder and Embolo, were brought off with Sunday’s game against Montpellier almost certainly looming in the back of Clement’s mind.

As the game drifted, Trabzonspor gave themselves a glimmer of hope as an unmarked Anastasios Bakasetas curled past Alexander Nübel from outside the box. However, having been given a minor scare, Monaco held firm to prevent Trabzonspor from further reducing the deficit.

Monaco ran out deserved 3-1 winners, and for consecutive fixtures, the result was ensured from the very early stages. The three points lift the club to second in their Europa League group ahead of their return trip to Northern Turkey next Thursday, where a hostile atmosphere likely awaits them.

Clement’s comments

“We started the match with a good tempo, with a lot of energy and the desire to score early as we did against Nantes. Of course, it’s an advantage to play against 10 men, but it is difficult to manage games like that. There are lots of teams that lose points in those situations. My players were serious and mature to manage that situation well,” he said.

On the return leg in Turkey and the remaining Europa League group stage matches, he said, “There isn’t a big difference between the four teams. That has been proven in these first three gameweeks. Every team has dropped points. Our challenge is to qualify from this group. There are three finals remaining and every match is very, very important.”

Man of the match – Wissam Ben Yedder

Another decisive performance for the French international. Since he was overlooked by Didier Deschamps, he has shown the France manager what he is missing. He now has six goals in his last three games. Just as they were against Nantes at the weekend, his chances were taken in clinical fashion. The first was finished smartly at the front post, and the second converted emphatically from the spot. His turnaround in form has been dramatic and is bearing fruit for the entire team.

 

Photo by Monaco Life

Maripán “delighted to continue his adventure with AS Monaco”

by: Luke Entwistle
06/10/2022

AS Monaco defender Guillermo Maripán last week extended his contract with the Principality club until 2025, telling Monaco Life he is “delighted to continue his adventure” with the club.

In a youthful back line, Maripán brings a level of experience. At 28 years-old, he has now passed the 100-game mark for Monaco, whilst he also has 37 caps for the Chilean national team. This season, he is a frequent starter when manager Philippe Clement deploys a 3-4-3, starting in the middle of the less experienced Benoît Badiashile and Axel Disasi.

“I am delighted to have extended and to continue my adventure with AS Monaco,” Maripán told Monaco Life during last week’s pre-match press conference. “I have progressed a lot since arriving in the Principality, and I have to say that I was very emotional when they offered me an extension. I am very happy to continue my path with the club,” he continued.

Having arrived for a reported €18m from Alavés in 2019, he endured a slightly difficult start in red and white, before finding his form and his consistency. He has now become one of the more experienced players in what is a young group. As a result, he told Monaco Life that he assumes an extra level of responsibility.

“It’s true that I have more responsibility in this young group now. I still feel young myself, even if I do have more experience. I try to share that experience. I have to say that the young players listen to my advice and I don’t hesitate to speak to them and push them so that they give the maximum,” said Maripán.

The Chilean centre-back’s initial deal ran until 2024, and sporting director Paul Mitchell is delighted to have extended his contract for a further year. Speaking in a press release, he said, “Guillermo is a player who, since joining the Club, has gone from strength to strength. He is a fighter, a player with character who has an important role in our defence. Seeing him re-sign for the long term with us is a sign of his ambition and will to continue on this path. We are happy to be able to count on him for the long term.”

 

Photo of Guillermo Maripán by Monaco Life

 

 

 

 

Interview Alexander Nübel: “I now have my rhythm back”

by: luke@monacolife.net
29/09/2022

Heavily criticised upon his arrival at AS Monaco, German goalkeeper Alexander Nübel told Monaco Life that he is rediscovering his best form following a difficult spell at Bayern Munich.

Nübel felt the weight of expectation upon his arrival in the Principality last summer. Signing on a two-year loan deal from Bayern Munich, his adaptation to life in red and white perhaps wasn’t as smooth as expected. Whilst Nübel is the first to admit that he wasn’t playing at his highest level during the opening weeks of his spell in Monaco, he also believes that the unshakable comparisons to Bayern Munich teammate and German great Manuel Neuer played a part in shaping those negative perceptions.

“I think the comparisons [to Neuer] was part [of the criticism.] Luckily I couldn’t read the newspapers here,” he joked. “The criticism was very hard, too hard in the beginning. I wasn’t playing at my top level, but nor was I playing as badly as what was being reported. You have to handle it. For me, the most important thing is the criticism from my goalkeeping coach, and from the manager. These guys tell me the truth every day.”

In what was a period of adaptation, Nübel was grateful for the fellow German players within the squad, with whom he could converse and take his mind off what was happening on the pitch. “Kevin [Volland] and Ismail [Jakobs] were very important to me, especially Kevin, who arrived one year earlier than me. It’s much easier because I can speak German with them…it’s important because you can also talk about something else after training, after the games. We could just drink coffee and talk about other topics,” said Nübel.

However, despite his difficult start to life in France, he retained the support of then head coach Niko Kovac. “It always helps when you have the confidence of the coaches and the manager. With Niko it was helpful. At the start, I knew it wouldn’t be easy,” he said.

Under Kovac and then under Philippe Clement, with whom Nübel says he shares a “good connection”, Nübel has remained an undisputed starter in league games and European competitions. Radsolaw Majecki struggled to challenge Nübel’s supremacy and has headed out on loan to satellite club Cercle Brugge, whilst Thomas Didillon has made the opposite journey to take the place of no.2 at Monaco. “It’s always good to have a coach who sees your potential, and so you try to give everything back during the games,” said Nübel.

He quickly began repaying that faith. Last season, only OGC Nice’s Walter Benítez (7.1) prevented more goals in Ligue 1 than Nübel (4.8), whilst his confidence with the ball at his feet allowed Monaco to construct attacks from that back.

Having acclimatised somewhat over the summer, Nübel believes that his connection with his defenders has improved further, which shows in his pass completion rate (85% before matchday eight in Ligue 1). “Although I have to learn the language more, on the pitch it’s okay,” he began. “I can communicate with the guys in front of me, in English or in French, so that’s a lot better than before. I think you can see the connection between myself and the guys in front of me is a lot better than last year.”

As a goalkeeper, the connection and communication with the back-line is key, even more so in the modern game, where goalkeepers are no longer expected to be merely shot-stoppers, but also players capable of contributing to build-up play. For Nübel, “rhythm” is also key, and having lost it during his time at Bayern Munich, where he played just four times in the 2020/21 season, he now believes he is rediscovering it.

“I think I now have my rhythm back from my time at Schalke. That was also a factor in my difficult start, as it wasn’t easy without rhythm, without games at Bayern. Now it’s much better,” he said.

He continued, “Rhythm is very important for a goalkeeper. Normally you don’t change ‘keepers during a game, or even during a season. It’s something different compared to training. The rhythm and on-pitch actions are sometimes completely different. Seeing where the space is on the pitch is an important feeling to get back. At Bayern, it was difficult, although I did learn about mentality and passion.”

Having rediscovered his rhythm, he is now displaying some of his finest form in a Monaco jersey. Although the Bayern Munich loanee said he “doesn’t want to be spectacular,” his sprawling, finger-tip saves have certainly caught the eyes of Monaco fans in recent weeks.

Underpinning his recent visually-impressive performances are a set of impressive stats. No goalkeeper has made more saves than Nübel (38) in Ligue 1 this season, he has been awarded man of the match on three occasions, and he has kept three clean sheets in the last five games in all competitions. His performances also earned him AS Monaco’s player of the month award for September.

Rhythm, growing confidence, and improved communication with his back-line have certainly aided his recent fine form, but the impact of the club’s goalkeeper coach, Frederic de Boever, is far from negligible. “He’s a great goalkeeper coach. He helps me a lot and talks about my game: how we keep the ball, what positions I decide to take up, and when to be more offensive or defensive,” said Nübel.

His performances are converting into points; having faced more shots than any other goalkeeper in the league this season, Monaco’s start-of-season report could look very different if not for the German goalkeeper.

In moving from Bayern Munich, he has deviated from the path of fellow German and former teammate Neuer. Prior to that, he had followed in the footsteps of the German international goalkeeper, by playing for Schalke before moving to the Bavarian giants.

Nübel says that reports of a strained relationship between the pair whilst at Bayern Munich were false, adding, “I learnt a lot about his general game and his connection with the guys in front of him… He’s one of the best goalkeepers ever.”

He also credits Neuer for redefining the role of the goalkeeper: “He 100% changed [the way we see goalkeeping.] He is always trying to keep possession… When you see the top teams in Europe, they all have goalkeepers who play well with their feet… At Bayern, we, as goalkeepers, played a lot of possession games with the team and you saw barely any difference between him and the outfield players during those games.”

Despite his clear admiration for Neuer, his mere presence at Bayern Munich throws Nübel’s future into doubt. He is no longer willing to be a no.2, and given that Neuer’s contract runs until 2024, Nübel’s return to the Bundesliga champions is therefore in grave doubt.

“Game time is definitely the most important thing. If Manuel Neuer is still at Bayern, and he does have a contract until 2024, it makes no sense to go back to Bayern… I have a contract at Bayern, but I also think for them it makes no sense to have both me and Manuel,” admitted Nübel.

Asked where he sees himself next season, he replied, “There are good options to play at a good level. Everything is open. [Monaco] are also an option, of course.”

Should he continue to replicate his performances on a weekly basis, he won’t be short of options. At Monaco, he is appreciated, not least by Clement, who following the club’s 2-1 win against Lyon earlier in September, said, “For me, Alex has the quality to become one of the best goalkeepers in Europe, in the top 10.”

Whilst a player clearly in Neuer’s mould, he has deviated from his compatriot’s path and is currently writing his own story at Monaco. Only time will tell how lengthy their shared narrative will last.

 

Photo by AS Monaco