Uli Hoeness Vows Unconditional Support for Jamal Musiala After Second Collapse

Bayern Munich honorary president Uli Hoeness has expressed his shock and concern after Jamal Musiala suffered a second on-field collapse within four days, describing the situation as a “tragedy” and pledging the club’s unconditional support for the Germany international.

Musiala, 23, fell to the ground shortly after coming on during Bayern’s pre-season friendly at Heidenheim on Tuesday. The incident came just days after the midfielder experienced a similar episode during a match against RB Leipzig.

The Bayern star has since revealed that he is dealing with a “neurological disorder” that can cause “temporary but treatable seizures,” prompting renewed concern over his health and future in professional football.

Hoeness admitted that the latest incident left him deeply shaken.

“The fact it happened again four days later really shocked me. I was speechless, which rarely happens to me,” Hoeness told Germany's RTL and Sky.

“I go to bed thinking of him and wake up in the morning thinking of him. We support Jamal unconditionally.”

Kane Backs Musiala

Bayern striker Harry Kane, who was among the players who rushed to Musiala's aid during Tuesday's incident, said the squad was deeply affected by what happened.

“Of course, when you see a situation like yesterday and the game on Saturday, it's not nice because he's our friend, he's our teammate. We feel frustrated for him,” Kane said in Munich on Wednesday.

The England captain said Musiala was eager to return to normal as quickly as possible and emphasised that his teammates would remain by his side.

“We know he just wants to be on the pitch and be back to normal as quick as possible. From our point of view, it's just about being with him, talking to him. The club are fully behind him.”

Bayern Receives Medical Reassurance

Hoeness said Bayern had been aware of Musiala's condition and had received written confirmation from medical specialists stating that, in their assessment, there were no concerns about the midfielder participating in high-performance sport.

“We've been sleeping a little more soundly since receiving that confirmation,” Hoeness said.

However, Maria Ilyas-Feldmann, deputy chief physician at the Department of Neurology at Germany's Ruppin-Brandenburg University Hospital, cautioned that more information would be required before drawing conclusions about Musiala's condition and its potential impact on his professional career.

“Based on the publicly available information, it is impossible to determine the specific cause in Mr. Musiala's case,” Ilyas-Feldmann told AFP subsidiary SID.

She explained that if the episodes were epileptic seizures, they could involve temporary changes in the electrical activity of groups of nerve cells in the brain, potentially causing brief periods of altered consciousness or awareness.

Bayern Faces New Challenge

Hoeness acknowledged that Bayern and Musiala would have to adjust to the situation as they seek to protect the player's wellbeing while determining his ability to continue competing at the highest level.

“We'll have to learn how to deal with the situation,” he said.

“It's a problem first and foremost for the person Jamal, and also for the club in the medium term. We're all speechless, we weren't prepared for this.”

Musiala joined Bayern as a teenager after coming through Chelsea's academy and has developed into one of the club's most important players. He signed a contract extension with the German champions last year that keeps him at the club until 2030.

Hoeness, 74, stepped down as Bayern president in 2019 but remains an influential figure at the Bundesliga club. His latest comments underline the concern surrounding Musiala while reaffirming Bayern's commitment to supporting the young midfielder as he navigates his health challenges.