“They should have the courage to retire” - Fabio Capello says Bayern Munich superstar should hang up his boots after 4-1 loss to Barcelona

Former football manager Fabio Capello has called for legendary goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to hang up his boots. The Italian's comments come after a horrid showing from Neuer in Bayern Munich's 1-4 loss to Barcelona in a UEFA Champions League clash on Wednesday, October 23.

Capello's comments were recorded on Sky Sports Italy and reported by the Metro. Neuer is playing in his 19th season of top-flight football and will turn 39 next March. Some of the mistakes he made against Barca proved too heavy for Bayern to deal with, eventually resulting in their defeat.

"When some goalkeepers reach a certain age, they should have the courage to retire," said Capello.

The German superstar wasn't at his best right from the start of the match. He left the net empty for Raphinha to slot in in the very first minute of the game. One of the biggest errors Neuer made on the night was when fumbling with the ball inside his own box in the 26th minute. Although he went unpunished for that, Robert Lewandowski tapped the ball into the empty net after another error 10 minutes afterwards.

This showing of Neuer does not reflect the class that he has shown throughout his career. He seems to be low on confidence, with many supporters of Bayern calling for him to get his mojo back. However, the shot-stopper was not the only one in the Bayern defense caught napping against Barcelona.

Dayot Upamecano, Joshua Kimmich and Kim Min-jae were all responsible for the self-destructive tendencies Bayern showed. However, Neuer was singled out for criticism by pundits for his stellar record for both club and country. The 2014 FIFA World Cup winner has had a legendary career at Bayern Munich, winning 11 Bundesliga titles and two Champions League trophies, having joined in 2011.

Barcelona thumped Bayern Munich 4-1 in the Champions League

Barcelona will be overjoyed with their stellar 4-1 thrashing of Bayern Munich at the Camp Nou on Wednesday, October 23. This Champions League victory augurs well for them ahead of a massive El Clasico encounter against arch-rivals Real Madrid on Saturday, October 26.

Barca are the leaders of the La Liga table at the moment with 27 points to their name from 10 games. They have also done well in the Champions League, having won two games and losing one to Monaco. The Blaugrana look primed to attempt to win the La Liga as well as the Champions League title under new manager Hansi Flick this year.