Bayern Munich sporting exec Max Eberl made a big public show of support for star attacker Jamal Musiala after the 21-year-old’s exclusion from the 2024 Ballon d’Or award shortlist. And now France Football editor-in-chief has offered his own explanation for the magazine’s choice not to consider Musiala.
Here’s Garcia (as captured by Tz’s Philipp Kessler, via via @iMiaSanMia):
“The fact that Jamal Musiala is not on the list of 30 nominees for the Ballon d’Or does not mean that his talent, which everyone recognizes, is in question. In fact, he was there in 2023 and was also nominated for the Kopa Trophy, which is awarded to the best young player. But like Jude Bellingham, his status has evolved and expectations were probably higher this year. As a result, he was probably assessed differently. In my opinion, there are three main reasons why he was not selected by the committee. First, his lack of statistics in the Champions League, where he scored as many goals as Mathys Tel, for example. That’s too little for a player of his caliber. He also failed to impress in important matches such as the Champions League semi-final second leg against Real Madrid or the Euros quarter-final against Spain, where his performances were not catastrophic but rather neutral. Bayern’s season, which saw them finish in the Bundesliga at their worst since 2011, did not help him either. I’m sure he will return to this list in the future.”
Musiala’s minutes and stats did dip from 2022/23 to 2023/24. But on the pitch, his star is still rising. After a leading performance at EURO 2024, could the Bayern wonderkid be in for a redemptive 2024/25?
Looking for more thoughts and analysis on the current state of Bayern Munich under Vincent Kompany? What about four key storylines to follow after international break? Or…what about why Jamal Musiala snubbing by the Ballon d’Or committee might create some longer-term issues for the Bavarians? Great, then we have you covered with this latest edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show! You can get the podcast on Patreon, Spotify, or below:
