Musiala Collapses Were Caused by Treatment Change, Says Bayern Coach Kompany
Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany has confirmed that Jamal Musiala's collapses in two consecutive matches were the result of a change in the midfielder's treatment for a neurological dysfunction, not a new injury or on-field incident.
Kompany's explanation, given on 21 August 2026, brings the first direct clarity from the club since the 23-year-old fell to the ground during back-to-back fixtures. According to the Bayern coach, the medical adjustment responsible for the collapses is being addressed, and Musiala is now training individually as he adapts to the revised treatment — a schedule Kompany said was the player's own wish (ESPN).
The club has been living with the situation for some time. Kompany said that dealing with Musiala's illness had "long since become normal" internally at Bayern Munich, and that the team's initial moment of shock occurred well before the public saw the on-field collapses (Goal).
Musiala himself has spoken publicly. After his collapse on Tuesday, he posted a statement on Instagram revealing that seizures have become part of his everyday life (BBC Sport). The specific type he is reported to experience — absence seizures — are a form of generalised seizure that commonly affect children and young adults. They come in two varieties: typical and atypical.
Dr Meneka Sidhu, a consultant neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London, told BBC Sport that a typical absence seizure usually lasts only seconds. The affected person may appear to be daydreaming or staring blankly, with varying degrees of lost awareness. They can lose balance and become unresponsive. Atypical absences last longer and can involve automatic movements — fidgeting with the hands, eyelid fluttering, lip smacking — and some people may fall.
Repeated absence seizures over more than 24 hours can indicate epilepsy, though the condition is treatable with medication. Dr Sidhu stressed the importance of identifying triggers, which for athletes may include hyperventilation and dehydration. Crucially, she said that when effectively treated, there is no reason absence seizures should prevent anyone from playing sport.
There is precedent in elite sport. England rugby international Tommy Freeman began having absence seizures at 14, was diagnosed with epilepsy, and has since managed the condition with medication while playing for Northampton and England.
For Bayern and for Germany, where Musiala is among the most gifted creative players of his generation, the medical detail matters less than the trajectory. Kompany appeared optimistic, and the club's calm handling suggests confidence in the path forward. But until Musiala returns to the team and stays there, the concern will not fully lift.
For now, the picture is one of a player and a club working through something private, complicated, and — in Kompany's telling — already part of the daily routine.
