January 6th Bayern Chairman Kahn recently accepted the German media "Bild"
", in which he talked about the renewal of his contract with Qatar Airways, Neuer’s comeback and the difficulty of finding his replacement in the winter window.
Bild: Mr. Kahn, Bayern will fly to Qatar for the 11th time this Friday for training camp.
Your contract with Qatar Airways will expire in 2023. Many fans are critical of this cooperation. Will it continue?
Kahn: "We will now have a dialogue. First of all it is about drawing conclusions, and then both sides reassess each other’s interests. In the process, we will talk about sports, economic and social topics."
Bild: It sounds like the contract will be renewed.
Kahn: "As I said, we are having a conversation right now. There will be no disclosures on that."
Bild: After Neuer was injured, Bayern has been looking for a new No. 1 goalkeeper for the second half of the season. What is the current situation?
Kahn: "With Ulreich we have a goalkeeper we can trust and rely on in this situation. Sally, Nagelsmann, Nepe and I are discussing options in a non-hustle manner
…but finding a replacement for Neuer in the winter break is of course extremely difficult, especially not many clubs are interested in letting go of their No. 1 at this time."
Bild: You ended your career at the age of 38.
How difficult will it be for Neuer, 37, to return in the summer?
Kahn: "We hope that there will be no complications during his recovery period. But football is also a short-term business and we have to think about these issues at this moment."
Bild: When Neuer returns in the summer, will he still be the undisputed No. 1 goalkeeper?
Kahn: "We know Neuer: he will give it his all to come back in top form. And a Neuer in top form will, as always, be absolutely world-class."
Bild: There were 50 days between Germany’s World Cup exit and Bayern’s second-half opener against RB Leipzig.
Is such a winter break still anachronistic?
Kahn: "Under the high-intensity load, a period of recuperation is very important for the players. Whether we should shorten this period by another week is a topic that can be discussed."