Bayern Munich “bought the risk too”: Oliver Kahn levels accusations against Uli Hoeneß over comments about Jamal Musiala

Former Bayern Munich goalkeeper and board chairman Oliver Kahn has criticised recent comments by the club's honorary president Uli Hoeneß about Jamal Musiala's situation.

A club should "not act as though fulfilling a contract it signed itself were an act of special humanity. The club did not just buy the player's performances. It bought the risk too," Kahn wrote on LinkedIn, referring to Hoeneß's controversial comments last weekend.

"Clubs like to call themselves a family. It becomes problematic when they talk about family as long as it costs nothing, and talk in numbers as soon as it becomes expensive," Kahn continued.

Hoeneß had been asked on the BR programme "Sonntags-Stammtisch" about Bayern Munich's handling of Musiala's illness. As has been publicly known since summer pre-season training, the playmaker has a neurological dysfunction that can cause brief absences. Two of these absences led to Musiala collapsing in friendlies against RB Leipzig and 1. FC Heidenheim in August. Doctors subsequently increased the dose of his medication again, and there have been no further such incidents.

On Musiala's lucrative contract, Hoeneß spoke of a "dilemma": "He has an illness that cannot readily be cured, but can be controlled to some extent with medication. But whether he will ever regain the level of performance he once had ..." He added: "But he is still being paid. Just imagine if Bayern Munich were now to question his contract and say: 'What he can deliver now is no longer what was stipulated in the contract ...'"

Although Hoeneß spoke hypothetically, his public comments on the Germany international's situation drew criticism. Kahn has now joined in. Those in charge of a top club such as Bayern Munich have to "translate people into numbers", said the 57-year-old, who was the club's board chairman from 2021 to 2023. But the "decisive question", he said, was "whether someone can still translate back. Can he still see the person behind the unavailable asset? Does the club stand by the player, or only by his contract?"

Kahn saw nothing wrong with Bayern Munich discussing Musiala's contract situation internally. "It is not cynical to ask such questions. Not asking them would be unprofessional," he said. Musiala's current contract, which he signed in February 2025 and which ties him to the record champions until 2030, reportedly earns the 23-year-old up to €30 million a year, including bonuses.

With his illness under control, Musiala made his first competitive appearance of the season in early September and showed good form. He made three direct goal contributions in total in the Champions League match against Bodö/Glimt (5-0, one goal) and in the Bundesliga against Union Berlin (7-0, one goal and one assist).

Musiala was then due to start for Germany in new national-team coach Jürgen Klopp's debut against the Netherlands in late September, but sustained a muscle injury during the warm-up. The 46-cap Germany international has been out since then, although he could return to the pitch after the current international break.