Manuel Neuer finally breaks silence after Bayern Munich brutally sacked close pal and goalkeeper coach Toni Tapalovic

Manuel Neuer has admitted that he was hit “extremely hard” with the news that Bayern Munich axed longstanding goalkeeper coach and close pal Toni Tapalovic.

Tapalovic was previously a teammate of Neuer’s at Schalke before he arrived at Bayern in 2011 as a goalkeeping coach.

Neuer, who also signed for Bayern in 2011, was reunited with former Schalke teammate Tapalovic at the Allianz Arena and the pair enjoyed a fruitful working relationship.

But Tapalovic’s stint at Bayern came to a shock end in January after Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann ruthlessly axed him over leaked internal chats to players.

According to reports, Nagelsmann was left unhappy after discovering conversations between Bayern staff were being passed on to Neuer via Tapalovic.

Bayern confirmed in a statement last month that the 42-year-old Tapalovic had his contract terminated with “immediate effect.”

“As goalkeeper coach, Toni was involved in our team’s successes in recent years,” Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic said.

“We would like to thank him for that. In particular, differences about the way of working together have now led to us going our separate ways.

“We wish Toni Tapalovic all the best for the future.”

Neuer has now broken his silence and admitted that he was crestfallen by the news, with Tapalovic’s departure making him feel like his “heart was being ripped out.”

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Speaking to The Athletic, he said: “That blow hit me extremely hard.

“I was told by the club officials. It came out of nowhere. For Toni too. I didn’t understand that at all. It really knocked me down.

“Toni was always a team player with us, everyone saw it that way. He wasn’t working for me for eleven and a half years, but for the entire goalkeeper group, for the coaching staff and for the club. We were always able to separate work and private life.

“I understand that it might sound like I’m not being objective or not believable, but I can really tell the difference.

“For me, that was a blow -- when I was already down on the ground. I felt like my heart was being ripped out.

“It was the most brutal thing I’ve experienced in my career. And I’ve experienced a lot.”