By Rune Gjerulff@runegjerulff

Bayern boss lavishes praise on Musiala after "absurd" Hamann criticism

Bayern Munich sporting director Christoph Freund has defended Jamal Musiala against the "absurd" criticism he recently received from Dietmar Hamann.

 

It made headlines when former German international Dietmar Hamann recently criticized Jamal Musiala in a column for Sky Germany, describing the Bayern Munich youngster as "individualistic" and a "solo performer".

At a press conference on Friday, FC Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund came to Musiala's defense, calling Hamann's criticism “absurd”.

"He is a world-class player, an exceptional player. People go to the stadium because of him, because of the way he plays. He can decide games. He's a total team player, he always wants to improve. He can become one of the best players in the world," Freund said.

“We are very happy that he is at Bayern Munich. Germany can also be happy that he's there. I don't quite understand why he's being criticized - it's a bit absurd, far-fetched. In other countries - I'm not German - such players are simply praised and people are grateful. He will shape the next decade for Germany and Bayern Munich.”

On the possibility of extending Musiala's contract beyond 2026, Freund said:

“We are always in contact. Of course we would like to extend Jamal's contract and have him play for Bayern for a very long time. It's an important personnel issue for the future. Talks are underway, and we are positive that we can bring them to a conclusion.”

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