Bayern's Hoeness unsure whether Musiala can reach top form again

BERLIN, Nov 9 : Bayern Munich honorary president Uli Hoeness has questioned whether playmaker Jamal Musiala can ever reach top form again after being diagnosed with a neurological disorder.

Musiala, who is close to a comeback from an injury, collapsed twice in a few days in August, including six minutes after coming off the bench in Bayern's 4-2 friendly win at Heidenheim.

He was later diagnosed with a neurological disorder.

Musiala broke his leg at the Club World Cup in 2025, missing half of last season before a comeback in early 2026.

He failed to deliver for Germany at the 2026 World Cup as the four-times champions crashed out early, and has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since September.

"We are facing a dilemma in this case. 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, Bayern's influential honorary president, told Bavarian broadcaster BR. 

"But whether he will have the same performance potential that he had... Imagine if Bayern were now to question his contract and say that what he is capable of delivering now is no longer what is in the contract." 

Musiala is far from his pre-2025 best form, which included claiming the Golden Boot as joint top scorer at Euro 2024.

For Lothar Matthaeus, the former Bayern and Germany captain, Hoeness' words are his way of pushing the player.

"Uli is taking a little stab at him and he is trying to get under his skin a bit. It's part of the process not just to wrap him in cotton wool, but also to let him face a bit of adversity," Matthaeus told broadcaster Sky.

“With that statement, Uli was deliberately trying to provoke a reaction. If I were in Jamal’s position, that would be motivation enough for me to show Uli that I’m back. And that would make Uli happy."