The “Blast” Of Birmingham City Star Has Turned Him To The Difficult And Most…

Phil Neumann has gone quiet and Hannover 96 have faltered after Birmingham City blast

Phil Neumann has continued to play regularly for Hannover 96 since signing a pre-contract agreement to join Birmingham City in July

The dust has settled on Phil Neumann’s impending summer transfer to Birmingham City after the defender’s current employers Hannover 96 raged in January.

Blues announced that Neumann has agreed a pre-contract agreement to join the club in the summer shortly after Hannover had completed their first game back in Bundesliga II after the winter break.

Neumann marshalled Hannover’s backline during their 1-0 win over Jahn Regensburg on January 17 before Blues confirmed his acquisition for the 2025/26 campaign

A strongly worded statement from Hannover condemning the timing of Blues’ announcement followed and Marcus Mann, their sporting director, let rip in an interview with German publication BILD

“Why on match day of all times? That doesn’t make sense to me,” he said. “The English way is not okay. And that doesn’t make communication any easier. We won’t let an English third division team dictate what to do.”

It is worth mentioning that Blues had no obligation to inform Hannover of their plans to announce Neumann’s pre-contract agreement but contacted the German club out of courtesy before doing so and made the concession of not announcing it until after their game had finished.

Neumann was left in a slightly awkward position, so it’s little surprise the 27-year-old has refrained from posting on social media and partaking in interviews over the past six weeks.

A brief post on Instagram after Hannover won that match over Jahn reads: “Successful start to the new year.”

Neumann has stayed quiet since and Hannover have faltered. Now under the management of André Breitenreiter – who briefly led Huddersfield Town in the Championship last season – Hannover haven’t been able to build on that victory.

Five straight draws have damaged Hannover’s chances of winning promotion to the Bundesliga. They are eighth and still in the race but Hannover are six points off the top-two.

The last four stalemates have come against teams directly around Hannover and Neumann has been ever-present at the back.

Neumann has started 22 of Hannover’s 23 Bundesliga II matches this season, proving he has durability as well as quality. Admittedly, the schedule is a lot kinder in Germany than it will be in the Championship – or League One if Blues fail to get promoted – for Neumann next season, but he will arrive at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park with a first-rate injury record.

Hannover have 11 games to play, unless they finish third and face a two-legged play-off against the team which finishes 16th in the Bundesliga to decide who will compete in the top tier next season. He might not be speaking publicly, but Neumann is saying a long goodbye.