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FC Bayern Munich, Rumor: Manuel Neuer’s skiing accident allegedly cost so much

Manuel Neuer’s skiing accident in December 2022 apparently cost FC Bayern Munich a lot of money. This is according to a calculation by the portal “Live Football Tickets” stands out.

According to the report, no injury in Europe’s top leagues since the 2021/22 season has been more expensive than that of the long-time number one of the German record champions. According to the – albeit very simplified – calculation, it is said to have cost FCB around 17.9 million euros.

The sum is calculated by multiplying Neuer’s daily salary and the number of days injured – in this case, an absence of 44 games (311 days) and Neuer’s reported annual salary of 21 million euros.

What the international portal has not taken into account, however, is that unlike in some other countries, in Germany the normal rules for continued payment of wages in the event of illness also apply to professional athletes. According to this, after six weeks of absence from work due to illness, the employee’s health insurance will cover the salary. However, only up to a maximum of 3,623 euros gross per month. This is tax-free, but social insurance contributions are still deducted. Higher earners like Manuel Neuer can also take out private insurance with an expensive supplementary insurance policy, which is what professional footballers do, as experience shows.

In addition, Neuer is said to have signed a contract with FC Bayern Munich, according to information from Bild have agreed to a four-month salary continuation. Therefore, the injury would have 6.9 million euros in continued salary payments.

However, because the club signed Yann Sommer from Borussia Mönchengladbach in January 2023 as a short-term replacement for Neuer for nine million euros and reportedly paid the Swiss five million euros in salary for six months, the sum has increased again. After all, Sommer’s sale to Inter Milan in the summer of 2023 brought in another 6.5 million euros in transfer fees.

The reported total costs of FC Bayern Munich due to Neuer’s injury are:

• Continued payment of wages for four months: 6.9 million euros
• Transfer fee and salary for Yann Sommer 19 January – 7 August 2023: 14 million euros
• Less transfer fee from Inter Milan for the sale of Yann Sommer: – 6.75 million
• Total cost of Manuel Neuer’s injury: 14.4 million euros

Neuer had broken his lower leg in a self-inflicted skiing accident, and even the end of his career had not been ruled out at one point.

The injuries to David Alaba at Real Madrid, Presnel Kimpembe at PSG and Thiago Alcántara at Liverpool FC were also expensive for the respective clubs.