Musiala's Return, Freund's Future, and Kane's Champions League Ambitions
Jamal Musiala was back. Not with a bang, not yet, but with a presence Bayern had badly missed.
On Saturday at Schalke, the 23-year-old stepped over the touchline in the 57th minute, replacing Lennart Karl and making his first competitive appearance of the season. The game itself, a drab 0-0 against the promoted side, offered little in the way of attacking fireworks. Musiala didn’t suddenly unlock a stubborn defence or decide the match with one of his trademark solo runs.
But he looked alive. Sharp in his movements, aggressive in duels, willing to demand the ball. After weeks of concern, that mattered more than any dribble completed.
This was his first outing since Bayern had taken him out of the firing line following two collapses in friendly matches, traced back to a neurological dysfunction. The diagnosis had been followed by strict rest and medical adjustment. The timing could hardly have been worse: Musiala sat out the Supercup in Dortmund against Borussia Dortmund (2-1), the Bundesliga opener against VfB Stuttgart (5-1) and the DFB-Pokal first-round trip to VfL Osnabrück (3-1).
After the goalless draw at Schalke, Bayern’s board member for sport Max Eberl outlined how carefully the club had handled the situation. The club, he said, had deliberately given Musiala the quiet he needed. The medication was adjusted, the doctors, coaching staff and player all involved in the decision-making before he was cleared to return. Once fit enough for the squad, Eberl made clear, Musiala would not be eased in symbolically. He would be an immediate option, expected again to decide matches.
The plan now is to build him back up with patience, not panic.
According to Bild, Bayern intend to manage Musiala’s comeback “step by step”, gradually increasing his minutes rather than throwing him into a run of 90-minute shifts. He is also set to receive regular breaks to keep the workload in check. All of this will be coordinated closely with coach Vincent Kompany, who has no interest in gambling with one of his most decisive players this early in the season.
For Bayern, a fully fit Musiala is not a luxury. He is a pillar of their attacking identity. The club is willing to wait a little longer to get the version that can carry games again.
Freund in Demand – and in No Rush
While Musiala’s path back is clearly mapped out, another key figure at Säbener Straße is still weighing his next move.
As reported by the Münchner Abendzeitung, Bayern want to extend the contract of sporting director Christoph Freund, which currently runs until 2027, and they would prefer to have it done before the annual general meeting in November. After chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen and board member for sport Max Eberl both committed their futures to the club beyond next summer, the hierarchy now wants to secure the third part of its sporting leadership triangle.
The club’s stance is clear. The Austrian has impressed. His work, especially around the Campus and youth development, is viewed positively. Inside the club, his reputation is strong. His relationship with Kompany is also described as very good.
Yet Freund is not simply signing on the dotted line.
According to AZ, he is in a “consideration phase”. One key factor: the future of chief scout Nils Schmadtke. Like Freund, Schmadtke is under contract until 2027 and is considered close to Eberl. If Schmadtke were to leave, it could open the door for Freund to install a chief scout of his own choosing, reshaping the scouting structure in his image.
The direction of travel still points towards an extension. Bayern want stability at the top of their sporting department, and Freund has given them little reason to look elsewhere. The question is how much influence he will have over the personnel and structure beneath him – and how that balance with Eberl will be calibrated.
Kane’s Unfinished Business
On the pitch, Bayern’s ambitions are as blunt as Harry Kane’s finishing.
The England captain, now 33, has one target above all this season: the Champions League. On Thursday night, Bayern open their campaign in Europe’s premier competition against Bodö/Glimt (9pm, DAZN) on TNT Sports, and Kane is not hiding from the weight of expectation.
“We are very close,” he said ahead of the group-stage start. Last season’s semi-final exit to eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain still stings. Small details, he argued, made the difference. This time, Bayern are approaching the tournament with a simple internal message: it has to be their year.
The club is hunting its seventh European Cup. The hunger has not faded; if anything, that defeat to PSG has sharpened it.
Kane knows the Champions League is unforgiving. The best team does not always win it. The margins are brutal, the role of fortune undeniable. You need the right bounce, the right decision, the right moment. His focus lies on whether Bayern can find that “small difference” that turns a nearly season into a historic one.
That obsession is one reason retirement is not even on his horizon. Kane stressed he still has trophies to chase with both Bayern and England. Last season he scored a staggering 73 goals across club and country, numbers that would tempt many to rest on their achievements. He wants the opposite. He wants to stretch this peak for as long as possible.
Bayern, then, stand at a familiar crossroads with a slightly different cast. Musiala is being rebuilt carefully. Freund is being courted to commit to the long term. Kane is driving the club towards the one trophy that still eludes him.
If all three threads pull in the same direction, this season could define more than just a campaign. It could shape the next era.
