Despite being a rival within the team, Ulbig emphasized that he gets along well with Neuer.

Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich will play a friendly match against Aston Villa at the Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong. Ulbig stated that although he and Neuer have a competitive relationship within the team, they also encourage and support each other.

In their previous friendly match in Jeju Island, South Korea, Bayern Munich defeated Jeju SK 2-1 thanks to goals from Felipe Chavez and Bastian Assomo.

Bayern Munich goalkeeper Ulbig said, "We have ideal training conditions on Jeju Island, and the atmosphere at the match against Jeju SK was fantastic. The Korean people are very warm, friendly, and passionate about football. Even on an island in Korea, you can truly feel everyone's love for the sport, which is a very special feeling."

“I also went to a traditional Korean restaurant and wore traditional Korean hats with Tom Bischoff and Alexander Pavlovich.”

Ulbig said, "We hope to further develop the core principles of the team's playing system. As for the specifics, that's still a secret within the team, but I hope everyone can see it from our games. We want to act as a whole in both offense and defense, and team spirit is crucial to us. It was this philosophy that made us very strong last season."

“Hong Kong is a very charming city, but we don’t have much time to explore it in depth. After all, our primary task is to play football, which is always our focus.”

Ulbigch continued, "Whenever I wear the Bayern Munich jersey, I must give 100% effort. I will not treat any game differently, whether it is a friendly or an official match, a Bundesliga match or a Champions League match. Every game must be approached with the same attitude, belief, and sense of responsibility."

"Therefore, the match against Aston Villa will be a real test and an important opportunity for us to continue to improve."

In the 2025/26 Bundesliga season, Ulbig made 14 appearances for Bayern Munich. Following that season, Ulbig also represented Germany at the 2026 World Cup alongside the 40-year-old Neuer.

Ulbig said, "I remember Neuer saying when he was with the national team that we are both rivals and friends, and I think that sentence sums up the relationship of the whole goalkeeping team very well."

"On the training field, we support and encourage each other, and off the field, we share our hobbies and interests. We are a very close-knit team and will strive to maintain this atmosphere."

Furthermore, when discussing the previous World Cup, Ulbig said, "We were eliminated together, and I was part of the team. Nevertheless, it was still a very valuable experience. It was the first time I truly experienced the atmosphere of a major tournament, and I learned a lot from it."

Image source: Internet