Jürgen Klopp, Thomas Müller call for Germany’s Julian Nagelsmann to drop Jamal Musiala
Article excerpt
Jürgen Klopp and Thomas Müller have publicly called for Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann to bench Jamal Musiala, suggesting the Bayern Munich star needs a reset. The two influential German football figures believe Musiala, who has struggled recently, would benefit from time away from the national team setup. Their comments add pressure on Nagelsmann's selection decisions as Germany prepares for upcoming fixtures. Musiala has been a key player for both club and country, but both Klopp and Müller evidently see recent performances as reason enough to temporarily sideline him.
ISMANING, GERMANY - MARCH 23: Thomas Müller attends with Jürgen Klopp the presentation of the MagentaTV team for the FUFA World Cup 2026 at DMC Production Germany GmbH on March 23, 2026 in Ismaning, Germany. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala has not been himself since returning from the catastrophic leg injury he suffered at the Club World Cup last summer.
Both physically and mentally, the youngster has struggled to find his way. With his recent performances for the German national team lacking, MagentaTV World Cup pundits Jürgen Klopp, Thomas Müller have called for head coach Julian Nagelsmann to drop Jamal Musiala from the starting XI.
X account @iMiaSanMia captured the news:
During the @MagentaTV World Cup broadcast, Jürgen Klopp and Thomas Müller put together their ideal Germany lineup for Sunday and suggested starting Deniz Undav behind the striker instead of Jamal Musiala. The idea was that Musiala would be subbed on later against tired legs when spaces open up.
Former Bayern Munich and German national team star Lothar Matthäus is on the other side of this debate and thinks that benching Musiala would be a bad a move as he told Bild (via @iMiaSanMia) that the Bayern Munich attacking midfielder should remain in the XI.
“I was very surprised when I saw that Jürgen Klopp and Thomas Müller advised playing Deniz Undav instead of Jamal Musiala in the opening match. I accept their opinion, but I don’t want to let it stand. I feel it lacks sensitivity. Jürgen Klopp, of all people, should know better. To have a successful World Cup, Germany needs the quality of Musiala. That’s why he needs to be given trust and playing time,” Matthäus said. “Klopp’s comments aren’t exactly making Nagelsmann’s job any easier. I’d like to see what Klopp would have said if a pundit had advised him to bench one of his regular starters before an important Champions League match. Such interference isn’t well received, especially among fellow coaches.”
Matthäus did acknowledge Musiala’s struggles, but also opted to take aim at Müller for something he has made a living off of for years, criticizing people within football that he knows very well.
“We all know that Musiala isn’t yet at his best. But instead of creating unrest around him, we should be supporting him. Instead, we see something like this. I also found it somewhat odd how Thomas Müller was talking about Jamal Musiala, his former teammate with whom he has recently been playing,” Matthäus stated. “I’m a TV pundit myself and I know that criticism is part of the job. But not a single minute of the World Cup has been played yet, and already this kind of discussion is being started. And especially now, when Musiala showed improving form in the second half of the game against the USA.”
As Matthäus is aware, pundits have a job, analyze a situation and give their opinion on it. In this case, Müller and Klopp identified an issue with Musiala that anyone who has seen him play this season would recognize. The 23-year-old is just not what he was before the injury.
In truth, Musiala needs another six months before anyone can really know or understand how far he will have come back after the injury and what the rest of his career will look like. Undoubtedly fans for both Germany and Bayern Munich hope he snaps into form and stars in the World Cup, but continuing to force the issue when he might not be ready also could just make it worse.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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