Philipp Lahm blasts fans for Neuer abuse

Germany full-back Lahm backed his team-mate - now for both club and country - in the face of sustained abuse from some of the club's hostile 'ultra' fans.

"Nobody within the squad can understand the reasons behind the hostile protests against Manuel Neuer," said Lahm. "The fans should offer their unconditional support to their own players".

"By protesting against Manuel Neuer they are really protesting against the team as a whole."

The ill-feeling towards Neuer among some supporters' groups runs so deep that five such groups who occupy the Allianz Arena's 'Sudkurve' - Schickeria Muenchen, Munichmaniacs 1996, Inferno Bavaria, alarMstufe rot and Munichs Red Pride - met with Neuer last week to lay down a 'code of conduct' to which he must adhere. Lahm also expressed his disapproval of this.

Sport Bild reports that the key points are that Neuer must not start or join in with the supporters' chants, approach the 'Sudkurve', throw his shirt into the stands after a game or kiss the Bayern badge on his shirt.

The same magazine reports that Neuer's agent, PR advisers and the Bayern board are to meet to discuss how best to deal with the situation on July 26, less than a fortnight before the club's first game of the season, a home clash against borussia Moenchengladbach.

Bayern beat off competition from Manchester United to end his 20-year association with Schalke, but his move from Gelsenkirchen to Munich has been condemned by sections of both teams' supporters.

In May, with his proposed move to bitter rivals Bayern public knowledge, the 25-year-old was slapped in the face by a Schalke fan as he took part in the club's victorious parading of the German Cup.

On his debut for his new club in early July in a friendly against Italian side Trentino, some of the ultras held a banner which read "You can save as many balls as you like - we will never accept you in our shirt" and gave him plenty of abuse from the stands.

On Tuesday Neuer did little to win over those hostile fans when he was at fault for Hamburg's first goal in a 2-1 pre-season friendly defeat against their Bundesliga rivals.

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