Bayern Munich honorary president Uli Hoeness has expressed serious doubts about the long-term future of Jamal Musiala, the Germany international forward, stating that the player is suffering from a condition that cannot be permanently cured and may never return to the level he displayed before his health problems. According to BBC Sport, Hoeness told Bavarian broadcaster BR24 that the 23-year-old forward's condition could only be managed to a certain extent with medication, leaving the club uncertain about whether he would ever recover his best form.
"We are facing a dilemma in this case, as he is suffering from an illness that cannot simply be cured, but it can be controlled to a certain extent with the use of medication," Hoeness said.
He also questioned whether Musiala would ever recover the level he showed before his health issues, while acknowledging that Bayern would continue to support the player, who remains under contract until 2030.
"But the question remains: will he one day be able to regain the level he used to show?" Hoeness said.
Hoeness further suggested that the situation had created a contractual dilemma for the German champions, claiming that Musiala's condition was not covered by the insurance attached to his deal. He imagined a scenario where Bayern Munich might question the player's contract, arguing that what he can currently offer no longer matches the level stipulated in the original agreement.
"Imagine if Bayern Munich now decided to question his contract, and told him: what you are able to offer currently no longer matches the level stipulated in the contract," he said.
Musiala's health concerns first emerged during pre-season after he collapsed twice within four days. He was subsequently reported to have a treatable neurological dysfunction. The forward has also been sidelined by a hamstring injury sustained in September and has yet to feature for Bayern since then, although he has recently returned to training.
Despite these setbacks, he has scored twice in four appearances for the German champions across all competitions this season.
Former Bayern and Germany captain Lothar Matthaus offered a different interpretation of Hoeness' comments, telling Sky90 that the president's remarks were intended as an attempt to challenge and motivate the youngster rather than write him off.
"He's needling him a little. It's not just about wrapping him in cotton wool. He also has to battle against adversity sometimes," Matthaus said.
Matthaus added that Hoeness wanted Musiala to respond by proving he could return to his previous level.
"Uli was looking to create that adversity with this statement. It's fine for him to say something like that, because we can't just put a positive spin on things and somehow wait for him to come back. If I were in Jamal Musiala's position, that would be motivation enough to show Uli I'm back."
Musiala joined Bayern Munich in 2019 after coming through Chelsea's academy and has since scored 71 goals and provided 38 assists in 235 appearances for the club. He has earned 46 caps for Germany and shared the Golden Boot as joint-top scorer at Euro 2024.