Jamal Musiala’s upward push from ‘shy Bambi’ to ‘next Messi’ defined: Why Bayern Munich teenager is soccer’s future

From shy Bambi to next Messi via neuro-athletics, the procedures and the temperament that grew to become Jamal Musiala into the future of German football. With perception from the participant himself, those who’ve performed along and against him, and a Bundesliga legend…
Jamal Musiala has come to be a vital participant for Bayern Munich at a young age

speaking to Jamal Musiala within the blended quarter after the German incredible Cup win in Leipzig in July, he mentioned the undertaking of replacing outgoing striker Robert Lewandowski. Musiala had been the primary of five Bayern Munich gamers to score that afternoon.

“With all the desires that he scored, it is not clean to discover a participant like that. but we’ve got an great squad and we ought to spread the dreams out between anyone and have to find offensive solutions apart from Lewandowski to score goals.”

because the Michael Jordan meme is going, Musiala took that personally. The 20-year–antique midfielder is Bayern’s pinnacle scorer in the Bundesliga this season, turning into perhaps their most important player. in opposition to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night, the group will flip to him.

That tie pits the player Lothar Matthaus calls ‘the Lionel Messi of the destiny‘ in opposition to the man himself. If that appears like hyperbole, permit some other legend set out the case. “Jamal Musiala is one of the maximum thrilling gamers in world soccer,” Jurgen Klinsmann tells Sky sports activities.

“His vision, ball manage and tranquility at the ball, he is aware of what he goes to do earlier than he receives the ball. I spoke with lots of gamers in Qatar and that they said if Germany had gone in addition then Musiala could have been the younger participant of the tournament.”

Even the adjective ‘young‘ now not feels necessary with Musiala. It implies that he is one for the future but that is his time and his group. After a quieter begin to the brand new yr, Musiala is now Bayern’s top scorer and ranks second within the Bundesliga for assists this season.

A scorer way to his executed completing and a writer due to his neat passing, he ranks fifth for the maximum dribbles inside the opposition too. His movement, on the ball and stale it, is proving elusive – an not likely feat for the reason that he stands six ft tall.

he is the current athlete.

For the ones who’ve followed his journey, it represents a change. He turned into sixteen whilst he left Chelsea for Bayern and 17 while he became the membership‘s youngest-ever Bundesliga participant. Leroy Sane christened him a ‘shy Bambi’ when he first broke into the team.

Callum Hudson-Odoi had been his senior inside the Chelsea academy however arrived in Germany to discover a specific participant completely. asked to pick out out a Bundesliga player who has amazed him, he named his vintage friend. “He changed into so small,” Hudson-Odoi tells Sky sports.

“Seeing him grow within the academy at Chelsea, i used to be looking him there and he turned into very gifted, you can see that. you could see him growing. Now he has come right here and he has done loopy exact. i am satisfied to see how properly he has stepped forward and developed.”

Herbert Hainer, the president of Bayern, was asked about that ‘shy Bambi’ nickname recently. “this is over now,” he spoke back. Hudson-Odoi found that out while his Bayer Leverkusen were taken aside by means of Musiala in a 4–0 defeat in Munich in September.

“when we performed in opposition to them it turned into manifestly a difficult sport for us but he played in reality well,” Hudson-Odoi remembers. “Seeing him in individual and playing in opposition to him is completely one-of-a-kind if you have acknowledged him from so younger again in the day at Chelsea.”

those spindly legs might have given upward thrust to the Bambi nickname, but his electricity belies his slender frame. Musiala’s willpower to show himself into the quality player that he may be has extended to working with neuro-athletics professionals to improve his motion.

working on his middle energy has helped him to hold his stability within the duels, basically dribbling with the dexterity of a participant with a low centre of gravity while bullying combatants together with his newfound length. He can glide via or strength via. it’s far a unprecedented combo.

Julian Nagelsmann has said that the ball sticks to Musiala’s foot like a magnet and the Bayern instruct has determined an thrilling role for him on this crew. The rotations around Musiala regularly alternate, the formation too, but there may be a zone that he has made his personal.

“Left-aspect 10,” in line with Musiala. this is how he defined it that day in Leipzig. towards PSG, he occupied that role in a three–four-2-1 formation. In what had been billed as a potential name decider in opposition to Union Berlin, he became used there in a four-2-three-1 alternatively.

Musiala is depended on to interpret it as he sees healthy. “it’s far quite open,” he explains. “you could usually rotate to go out extensive or come interior, there’s space internal for me to show and dribble into and create chances. all of it relies upon on the opponent how we play, it’s miles very bendy.”

If his exceptional pal Alphonso Davies is at the back of him, Musiala can come internal to free the flying full–again. His goal in opposition to Union was a close to–submit volley from a proper-wing cross. frequently, he’s going to roam a good way to create confusion and open up ability overload conditions.

Musiala has the intelligence to workout to be able to paintings first-class. Thomas Muller talks of him constantly locating the proper solutions on the ball, Thierry Henry speaks of an evolution in his sport, even as Ilkay Gundogan calls him the future of German soccer.

The destiny is now.

due to the fact even as Bayern’s Joshua Kimmich tips him to be world–elegance, others could argue that he already is. As Jamal Musiala prepares to stand Messi and Kylian Mbappe, he isn’t handiest different to the boy who left Chelsea, he is probably unique to everyone else too.