Hoeneß doubts Musiala will regain his form as Bayern keep paying his salary

A dilemma for Bayern

Uli Hoeneß, Bayern Munich's honorary president, said the club faces a dilemma over Jamal Musiala, whose illness he described on Sunday, 8 November 2026. He made the remarks on the Bayerischer Rundfunk programme 'Sonntags-Stammtisch', where he also spoke about Vincent Kompany and Harry Kane. Blick reports that the 23-year-old has absences, a special form of epilepsy, while Die Welt notes that he has collapsed on the pitch twice. Hoeneß said the club does not know whether the midfielder will ever return to the level he once had. He put it plainly on the programme:

“We are in a dilemma with him. He has an illness that is not easily curable, but can be controlled to a certain extent with medication.”

Two collapses and a muscle injury

Fanpage reports that Musiala collapsed during a pre-season friendly in August 2026 and suffered another episode a few days later while on the pitch. N-tv says he had been out for many months after a serious injury at the Club World Cup, and that the collapses came after his comeback. Musiala has since been sidelined by a muscle injury he picked up with the national team. N-tv counts three Bundesliga appearances for him this season, and he has returned to team training. N-tv also reports that Musiala later made his illness public.

Contract and salary

Hoeneß said Musiala still receives his salary, and he asked what would happen if Bayern questioned the deal because the player can no longer deliver what it states. Musiala extended his contract to 2030 after long negotiations, according to Die Welt and N-tv, and media reports put his pay at up to 25 million euros a season. N-tv reports that Hoeneß said the contract contains no clause addressing the illness. He framed the club's question as a hypothetical:

“Just imagine Bayern were now to question his contract and say that what he can deliver now is no longer what the contract states.”

Kompany and Kane

Blick reports that Kompany is out for now after collapsing and suffering meningeal irritation. Hoeneß said the coach would be back on the bench 'in two, three weeks', after the international break. Blick also reports that Hoeneß blamed a badly neglected flu and overwork, with Kompany working twelve hours a day, six days a week. Hoeneß spoke warmly about Harry Kane, whose family, he said, feels safe in Munich. Blick reports that Kane's contract runs to 2029, and Hoeneß noted that Bayern now sign more players from England than they lose to the Premier League.

What happens next

Die Welt reports that Musiala is expected to be available after the international break. Fanpage says the club will support him, while Hoeneß admitted that the uncertainty over his future performance remains. No clause in his contract addresses the illness, so the club's position will depend on how his condition develops.