Manuel Neuer Blasts Donnarumma After Musiala Suffers Horror Injury in PSG Clash
Bayern Munich captain and legendary goalkeeper Manuel Neuer didn’t hold back after watching teammate Jamal Musiala suffer a serious leg injury in their Club World Cup quarterfinal loss to Paris Saint-Germain.
The 22-year-old German international went down late in the first half after a fierce 50-50 collision with PSG shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma. While Donnarumma ended up with the ball, he visibly panicked moments later, collapsing to his knees when he realized the gruesome extent of the injury.
Musiala was swiftly stretchered off the pitch, and replays of the incident were deliberately withheld from the big screens inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Following the match, Bayern sporting director Max Eberl confirmed that the young star had been taken to the hospital for treatment.
Neuer, clearly fired up, questioned Donnarumma’s aggressive play. "That was a situation where you simply don’t need to go in like that," Neuer told Sky Germany. "It’s risky and shows a willingness to endanger an opponent."
The veteran also criticized Donnarumma’s lack of immediate sportsmanship: "I asked him, ‘Don’t you want to check on our player?’ It’s basic decency. He did go over eventually, but I would’ve reacted instantly."
Donnarumma later tried to show remorse, posting a photo of himself looking devastated on Instagram, along with the message: “All my prayers and well wishes are with you.”
Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany also addressed the injury: “From the footage, it looked like an ankle issue, but I’m not going to play doctor here.” Still, he admitted the emotional toll: “Honestly, the result doesn’t matter right now. What’s got my blood boiling is seeing someone who loves the game suffer like that. And he’s a crucial player for us.”
Musiala had been on fire in the tournament, entering the game with three goals, just behind Ángel Di María and Marcos Leonardo in the Golden Boot race. This season, he’s already tallied 20 goals, with 12 in the Bundesliga and three in the Champions League.
The injury occurred just before halftime, forcing a pause in play as medics treated him. Serge Gnabry replaced him in the second half with the score still locked at 0-0.
Despite going down to nine men after red cards to Willian Pacho and Lucas Hernández, PSG powered through to a 2-0 victory, securing a spot in the semifinals.
PSG players expressed sympathy for Musiala after the match. Désiré Doué, who netted PSG’s first goal, said: “We told him we’re behind him. These things happen in football, but we wish him a strong recovery.” Achraf Hakimi added: “Musiala’s a great talent. It was tough seeing him hurt, and we want him back on the pitch soon.”
Musiala’s rise has been meteoric—he won Germany’s Player of the Year in 2024, was runner-up for the Golden Boy Award in 2023, and became Bayern’s youngest-ever player when he debuted at 17 in 2020. In 2022, he made history as the first teenager to play for Germany at a World Cup since 1958.
His absence could leave Bayern Munich short in attacking midfield, especially after missing out on signing Florian Wirtz, who opted to join Liverpool. Eberl remained uncertain: “Right now, I don’t have replacement plans. We just played PSG in a great game—our focus is on moving forward.”
Description:
"Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala suffers a serious injury after a clash with PSG's Gianluigi Donnarumma in the Club World Cup quarterfinal. Manuel Neuer slams Donnarumma's risky challenge as Bayern face a midfield crisis."