Bayern Munich honorary president Uli Hoeness has revealed neurologists provided written confirmation Jamal Musiala was able to play after admitting he was left ‘speechless’ by the star collapsing twice on the pitch in four days.
Musiala, 23, revealed on Tuesday that he is receiving treatment for a ‘neurological dysfunction’, which has led to his on pitch collapses.
The Bayern star fell just six minutes after coming off the bench during their 4-2 victory over Heidenheim in a pre-season friendly.
Harry Kane was one of the first to react to the situation, gesturing to his team-mates to form a shield around Musiala for his privacy. While some had already headed over to form a barrier, the 33-year-old was seen waving his arm to get more players to join them.
The German attacker received medical treatment after the incident, but appeared to be dazed and had to be supported as he walked off the pitch, with Cassiano Kiala coming on in his place in the 61st minute.
Musiala also collapsed during Bayern’s 3-1 friendly victory over RB Leipzig in the sweltering heat on Saturday.
Jamal Musiala was helped off the pitch on Tuesday after collapsing for the second time in four days
Musiala’s team-mates had surrounded him to protect his privacy, with the attacker later revealing that he has been suffering from a ‘neurological dysfunction’ leading to the collapses
Bayern honoary president Uli Hoeness has explained the club were given written confirmation from neurologists that Musiala could play and admitted they were aware of his condition
Footage showed Musiala looking disorientated while waiting for the match to restart after he had scored, with Ismael Saibari sprinting over to catch him before he hit the ground.
In a statement, Musiala disclosed he has been ‘diagnosed with brief, temporary – but treatable – absence seizures resulting from a neurological dysfunction’.
Hoeness, speaking to Sky and RTL on Wednesday, confirmed an agreement had been reached after the first incident that Musiala would go public with his condition if he suffered another collapse.
The Bayern honorary president confirmed the club had been aware of Musiala’s condition and had sought confirmation from neurologists that the attacker was able to play.
‘We’ve been aware of the problems for some time now. Against Leipzig, it happened for the first time on the pitch, and it was visible to everyone,’ Hoeness said.
‘At that point, we thought, ‘If it doesn’t happen again so quickly, then the medication he’s taking will help.’ But when it happened again four days later, in the same way, it completely floored me.
‘I was speechless, which is rare for me. We were expecting everything but this recurrence of these problems. It’s a tragedy, especially for Jamal.’
He added: ‘We’ve already taken some precautions. The treating physicians, the neurologists, gave us written confirmation, because it was absolutely essential for us that, from their perspective, there were no concerns about Jamal participating in high-performance sports.
Musiala had collapsed on Saturday, leading to the player and club agreeing he would go public with his condition if a similar event occurred
Hoeness added that Bayern Munich have offered Musiala their ‘unconditional support’ and were looking to find a way to deal with his situation
‘Without that, we would have been acting negligently. Since we received this written confirmation, we’ve been sleeping a bit more soundly. But to be honest, I’m speechless and without a real solution.’
Hoeness added that Bayern Munich have offered Musiala their ‘unconditional support’ and were looking to find a way to deal with his situation.
‘There have been occasional indications and one or two problems, but these never occurred within our club.
‘I don’t know if it ever happened in training. Our people rightly keep that confidential. But now, with these two incidents, it is of course a problem. Primarily for Jamal as a person.
‘I go to bed thinking about him and wake up thinking about him. But of course, in the medium term, it’s also a problem for the club, because we are pretty much speechless at the moment.
‘We couldn’t have prepared for this, and we first have to learn how to deal with this situation.’
Musiala had provided a full update to fans about his condition on Tuesday night by sharing an update on Instagram.
He said: ‘First things first, I am doing well. I am incredibly grateful for your messages and your support!
Musiala stated on Tuesday that there is ‘no further health risk involved’ and it was his ‘personal wish to face this challenge; with the medical clearance of the neurologists’
‘I understand that many of you are worried. I would like to put those concerns to rest today and explain the situation: I have been diagnosed with brief, temporary – but treatable – absence seizures resulting from a neurological dysfunction.
‘These can lead to the kind of incidents seen recently, such as during the match against Leipzig or the game in Heidenheim.
‘I know they might look alarming at first glance, but for me, they are currently part of my everyday life. I am receiving excellent medical care and remain very optimistic. FC Bayern and my personal support network are right by my side, helping me through this.’
Musiala went on to insist that he remained in good spirits and added that he was not putting himself in danger by continuing to play.
‘Importantly, there is no further health risk involved,’ Musiala added. ‘In close consultation and regular contact with the experts, it was my personal wish to face this challenge; with the medical clearance of the neurologists, I want to continue doing what helps my recovery most: simply living my life and pursuing my passion for playing football.
‘I have taken full responsibility for this decision. Overall, I feel very positive and am on the right track.
‘What helps me most on this journey is continuing to chase victories and titles with my team and with your amazing support.
‘I hope this helps you understand the situation better. At the same time, I ask for your understanding regarding my wish to keep this matter private, sharing it only with my closest circle, the club, and the medical experts.’
