Kompany Addresses Musiala's Medication Change and Collapses

Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany says a change in Jamal Musiala’s medication triggered the worrying collapses the midfielder suffered in recent friendlies.

Musiala, 23, revealed earlier this week that he is being treated for what he described as a “neurological dysfunction” which leads to “temporary, brief, but easily treatable” seizures. Bayern had already confirmed they were aware of signs of the condition before the 2022 World Cup and throughout last season, but until now it had not affected him on the pitch.

That changed in pre-season. Musiala went down twice in four days, against RB Leipzig and Heidenheim, sparking concern around the club and beyond.

Speaking before Saturday’s German Supercup clash with Borussia Dortmund, Kompany explained what had happened – with the player’s blessing.

“I spoke with Jamal, he said, ‘no problem, you can say it’,” Kompany told reporters. “He made a slight change to his treatment, which caused some side effects. It’s perfectly normal to make changes to a treatment plan.”

The collapses were alarming in the moment, but inside Bayern, the panic had already been processed.

“The initial shock for us was a long time ago. Therefore, we’re not talking about it that much at the moment,” Kompany said. “We’ve received much more information since then and made decisions with the help of leading experts. Jamal has everyone’s support.”

That support runs through the club hierarchy. Sporting director Max Eberl underlined that Bayern have been living with the situation for some time and that Musiala himself pushed for transparency.

“We’ve known about it the entire last season. The players also knew about it. For us, it’s become part of everyday life,” Eberl said. “We will give him all our support, have already done so, and will continue to do so. We’re doing this together.”

Musiala will not feature in the Supercup. Kompany has ruled him out of the curtain-raiser, along with Lennard Maloney and Serge Gnabry, and is determined to restore a sense of normality around his young star.

The plan is clear. Musiala will train “individually” for the rest of the week as Bayern fine-tune preparations for the start of their Bundesliga title defence against Stuttgart.

Kompany’s message is just as clear: understand the risk, manage the treatment, keep Musiala on the pitch.