Bayern powerbroker Uli Hoeneß says Musiala may never return to the player he was

MUNICH (AP) — Bayern Munich powerbroker Uli Hoeneß has cast doubt on Jamal Musiala’s ability to return to the player he was before he was diagnosed with a neurological dysfunction.

Hoeneß — Bayern’s honorary president after more than four decades at the club as a player and manager — also questioned whether the 23-year-old Musiala could justify his high salary per the agreement they reached before his on-field seizures in August.

“He has a condition that cannot be easily cured, though it can be managed to some extent with medication. But whether he will ever regain the level of performance he once had …,” the 74-year-old Hoeneß told local broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk on Sunday.

“Yet he continues to receive his pay. Just imagine if FC Bayern were to call his contract into question, arguing that his current level of performance no longer aligns with the terms of the agreement.”

Musiala is among the top-earners at Bayern after extending his contract last year through June 2030.

“People go to the stadium for players like Jamal Musiala. He’s a truly exceptional player,” Bayern president Herbert Hainer said at the time.

But Musiala has been unable to shine this season after collapsing during preseason games in August. He posted on social media that he was diagnosed with “absence seizures caused by a neurological dysfunction,” that it wasn’t a risk to his health, and he intended to keep playing.

Bayern board member for sport Max Eberl and coach Vincent Kompany said they had been aware of the issue for at least a year and that a change in medication caused the Bayern star to collapse.

Musiala returned to team training and scored the opening goal in Bayern’s 5-0 Champions League win over Bodø/Glimt in September.

But he sustained a torn muscle fiber in his right thigh during warmups while on international duty that month and has yet to return. Musiala has made only four appearances across all competitions for Bayern this season.

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