The legendary ex-Croatia midfielder played alongside the iconic German early in his career, forming a strong bond
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Ivan Rakitic has opened up to FourFourTwo about his enduring friendship with Manuel Neuer.
The Croatia legend played in the same Schalke side as the iconic Bayern Munich and Germany goalkeeper for three-and-a-half years before moving on to Sevilla in 2011.
And Rakitic has stayed in touch with Neuer ever since those days, as both players have gone on to enjoy glittering careers at the top of the game.
Neuer and Rakitic together at Schalke (Image credit: Getty Images)
Rakitic – who is now into the fourth season of his second spell with Sevilla, having returned after a six-year stint at Barcelona – told FFT: "I spoke to my friends about him [Neuer] many times when I arrived [at Schalke]. He'd just played the last three months of the previous season and he was a bit like me – the young blond guy!
"Every week, he got better and stronger, and that's why he may be one of the best goalkeepers in history. It was unbelievable to see how he improved. It was impossible to score a goal against this guy – he was just everywhere, with such long legs, hands, everything!
"I'm really happy about the career he's had as he's still a big friend of mine. We speak a lot."
What's your CRAZIEST prediction for this season?
Neuer recently returned to Bayern training following nine months on the sidelines after breaking his leg while skiing last December.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
Rakitic, meanwhile, has started every game so far this term for Sevilla – although the 2022/23 Europa League winners have endured a rough start to the campaign, losing three out of three to find themselves bottom of La Liga as things stand.
Chris joined FourFourTwo in 2015 and has reported from more than 20 countries, in places as varied as Ivory Coast and the Arctic Circle. He's interviewed Pele, Zlatan and Santa Claus (it's a long story), as well as covering the World Cup, AFCON and the Clasico. He previously spent 10 years as a newspaper journalist, and completed the 92 in 2017.
