Ter Stegen speaks on elevation to number one in Germany

 

BERLIN – Goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen stressed that he’s Germany’s number one and said that he’s “been waiting for this moment for a long time.”

“Now I want to seize the opportunity. I’ll do everything to keep it that way,” he said during a news conference on Wednesday ahead of a friendly game against Japan on Saturday.

Ter Stegen has always been under the shadows of regular keeper Manuel Neuer, but was widely expected to be Germany’s number one at the 2018 World Cup in Russia after Neuer spent a long time on the sidelines due to an injury.

However, then coach Joachim Löw gave the position back to Neuer upon his recovery shortly before the tournament. Bayern keeper Neuer is again sidelined, this time due to a season-ending leg fracture he suffered last December after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

He’s working on his comeback, eyeing the Euro 2024 hosted by Germany, but ter Stegen stressed that the situation “had definitely changed.”

“I think the situation is different now. I’m in the position now that I can play my games. Manuel was the clear number one before the World Cup in Russia. I tried to show my performance and of course I had the hope that I would play,” he said.

Ter Stegen, however, doesn’t expect coach Hansi Flick to decide who will be the starter at the Euro 2024 now.

“The coach has no obligation to anything at all,” he said.

Germany are automatically qualified as hosts for the Euro 2024 and, therefore, playing friendly games instead of the Euro qualifiers. This month, they play against Japan on Saturday and against France on September 12.