Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was yet to comment on his return into Germany's national team for the upcoming World Cup while former player Stefan Effenberg spoke of a big gamble coach Julian Nagelsmann was making on the issue.
Former German World Cup winners Lothar Matthäus and Sepp Maier meanwhile welcomed Nagelsmann's decision.
But Hoffenheim, the club of Oliver Baumann who will now only play second fiddle and is also yet to comment after Neuer's comeback from a two-year absence, criticised the way Nagelsmann had handled the issue.
Bayern Munich's Neuer, who turned 40 last month, originally retired from the national team after Euro 2024, having earned 124 caps spanning 15 years, playing at every major tournament in the period and winning the World Cup in 2014.
Neuer, who has won every club title on offer with Bayern, is credited to have reshaped the goalkeeper position as he was considered a sweeper-keeper but seemed set to end his career in Munich.
He dismissed all comeback suggestions when his successor as first choice, Marc-André ter Stegen missed the second half of 2025 after back surgery. But the issue gained momentum when ter Stegen got injured again early this year which ruled him out of the World Cup.
Baumann, 36, profited from ter Stegen's injury, played well in all World Cup qualifiers and two March friendlies, and seemed designated to be the chosen one at the World Cup.
But Nagelsmann eventually managed to convince Neuer, who himself became number one just ahead of the 2010 World Cup only because René Adler injured himself, to return.
Nagelsmann admitted on Thursday the decision was "a blow" for Baumann who he named a "world class 1b solution" and fully committed to the squad despite the heartbreak.
Explaining the choice of Neuer as number one, he said: "Everyone knows about Manu's aura, the quality he has, what he gives the team.
"He is a world-class player who has a real impact on his own team – and on the opposition too. He is a player who can create special moments. And in a tournament like this, you need special moments.’
But Neuer has also been plagued by calf problems lately, including ahead of Bayern's German Cup final on Saturday against VfB Stuttgart.
Nagelsmann conceded that "it can happen that he doesn't play" at the World Cup but that Baumann was a more than adequate deputy in such a scenario.
Former Germany and Bayern player Effenberg named this approach a big risk, saying in a column for the t-online portal that Neuer's health "is always an issue" and highlighting that he missed 17 of Bayern's 54 season games.
"The decision can backfire on him (Nagelsmann). Neuer is clearly supposed to be his trump card for the tournament – but if he loses that, he’s got nothing left,’ Effenberg said.
He added: "Manuel Neuer is undoubtedly still one of the best goalkeepers in the world – but: these days, minor or major mistakes are creeping into his game almost regularly."
The 1990 World Cup winner Matthäus named the inclusion of Neuer a huge asset due to his experience and personality and added that "the whole world would have laughed at us if we had left this goalkeeper at home."
Nagelsmann has a safety net of sorts because apart from Neuer, Baumann and third choice Alexander Nübel he is also taking Neuer's Munich deputy Jonas Urbig to the US for the tournament as a non-squad member.
Nagelsmann said that Urbig's presence will be good in training. But with teams allowed to replace a goalkeeper even during the tournament in the case of injury, Urbig would already be present should this fate befall Neuer - or Baumann or Nübel.
Effenberg meanwhile said he would have understood if Baumann had withdrawn from the squad and Hoffenheim, the club where Nagelsmann started his coaching career, did also not hold back.
“Ultimately, it is of course up to the national coach to decide who he selects or fields. As for communication and style, everyone can make up their own mind,” managing director for sport Andreas Schicker said in a statement.
Nagelsmann said he informed Baumann in March that he had contacted Neuer about a possible return but that the issue had only really gained momentum over the past weeks.
The coach mentioned Neuer's contract renewal in Munich as an, albeit not decisive, factor but two years ago Toni Kroos returned for Euro 2024 after he had ended his club career.
He said he was fine with his overall communication on the issue which however could have probably been "a few per cent better" from Baumann's point of view.
But while also also endorsing the decision, the 1974 World Cup winner Maier said that Nagelsmnann should have communicated the issue in a better way.
"The players aren't stupid. 'They can tell exactly when people have been dithering for weeks and no one is really speaking plainly.," Maierr said.
