The shortlist for the 2024 Ballon d’Or has been out for a while now, but Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala was left out despite impressive performances in the calendar year. Folks at the club were surprised at the omission, but former midfielder and 1990 Ballon d’Or winner Lothar Matthäus claims that the unrest within the club.
“With the level of unrest at FC Bayern over the past two years, no player there can win the Ballon d’Or,” Lothar said (Bild via @iMiaSanMia). “To win individual awards, you simply have to win titles with your team. I won the Ballon d’Or in 1990 because we played well at Inter and won the World Cup with the German national team. You can play as outstandingly as you like individually and score lots of goals – but if you don’t win anything with your team, you still have little chance of winning such awards.
Photo credit should read FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images
The 63-year-old proceeded to say that the club must be successful again if Musiala was to win the Ballon d’Or, which means the “Mia San Mia” feeling must grow and singled out the management which had been in shambles for a while. That said, Matthäus knows that Musiala has what it takes to become a Ballon d’Or winner but is implying that the 21-year-old former Chelsea FC academy product is better off winning it elsewhere.
“it’s logical and right that he aims to win the Ballon d’Or. And of course, he will think about where he can best achieve that with his environment. Before deciding whether to extend his contract with Bayern, which expires in 2026, he will take a close look at how the club is developing in sporting terms after things have been anything but optimal recently.
The club and the player must take such rankings as the Ballon d’Or as an incentive to attack again next season. I’m sure that Jamal will grow from this.”
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:
