It is not known whether Sven Ulreich was even concerned with the Champions League until a few days ago.

Well, maybe with the reserve benches of the respective stadiums.

Because that's where the substitute goalkeeper from FC Bayern sat again this season without complaint, in almost all national and international games.

But after Manuel Neuer's knee operation, he returned to the goal of the record champions and thus also to the premier class.

Bayern's round of 16 first leg this Wednesday (9 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Champions League and on DAZN) at RB Salzburg will be Ulreich's 14th appearance in the Champions League.

His 13th mission was almost four years ago and it was one to forget.

Because the fact that Bayern failed again that May evening at Real Madrid also had a bit to do with him.

The Spaniards' second goal in the second leg of the semifinals was due to a mistake by the Munich goalkeeper.

At that time he had represented Neuer for a complete season, not just a few games as is likely to be the case now.

Ulreich had done this very solidly, but the game in Madrid left a bitter aftertaste.

For a long time after the final whistle he sat on the lawn of the Bernabeu stadium in consternation.

Agent is not at fault

The memory of that may have faded a bit, but the memories of the last two games in the Bundesliga should still be very present.

The 2-1 defeat at the start of the second half of the season against Borussia Mönchengladbach, when he represented the newcomer who had tested positive for Corona for the first time.

And above all the embarrassing 2:4 in Bochum last Saturday, although Ulreich, as coach Julian Nagelsmann thinks, has nothing to blame himself for.

"Sven did well," said the Bayern coach and explicitly praised the goalkeeper's "good opening of the game".

In any case, it wasn't his fault, Nagelsmann stated.

Nagelsmann is not wrong, on the one hand, because the Neuer representative was not to blame for the goals conceded.

On the other hand, the trainer knows that it is now also about "strengthening Sven's back".

With a little more praise than might be warranted.

Bayern need Ulreich in good shape over the coming weeks, both physically and mentally.

The round of 16 in Salzburg was the "starter's shot for a phase that is important to us," says Thomas Müller.

The phase at the end of which the grade for seasonal performance is awarded.

Just about good if the championship was the only title.

Or an excellent if Bayern should win the Champions League.

Ulreich has always been considered the ideal representative because he not only knew what he was getting himself into when signing the contract in Munich, but also accepted the role.

And because he almost always performed solidly.

Was always there when needed and otherwise stayed in the background without grumbling.

"You prepare for a possible mission every week so that you are ready," Ulreich explained a few days ago.

That was the case with his first engagement in Munich from 2015 to 2020, before Bayern thought beyond the Neuer era and signed Alexander Nübel, who was highly talented at the time.

Then Ulreich again looked for the challenge of being number one in a goal.

He accepted an offer from Hamburger SV and played a decent second division season there.

And then returned to Bayern-Bank because Nübel didn't want to sit there to wait until Neuer left his job.

Ulreich was only given a one-year contract last summer.

This may primarily have to do with the fact that Nübel is only on loan to Monaco and is therefore returning to Munich after this season.

But not only.

Bayern have a few concerns as to whether Ulreich at 33 still meets the requirements of a modern goalkeeper, whether he can continue to be this solid substitute for Neuer.

There is always speculation that Bayern are interested in signing Stefan Ortega from Arminia Bielefeld.

The contract of the former goalkeeper of TSV 1860 Munich is expiring, but at 29 years old, according to people close to Ortega, he still feels too young to sit on the bench, despite the prospect of a very good salary and an annual title guarantee.

At 33, Ulreich doesn't feel too old to represent Neuer solidly.

He wants to prove this in the coming weeks.