Manuel Neuer (foto: Getty Images)
Manuel Neuer has publicly criticized Gianluigi Donnarumma after his risky challenge led to Jamal Musiala’s serious ankle injury during Bayern’s Club World Cup defeat to PSG.
Manuel Neuer has spoken out against Gianluigi Donnarumma after a heavy tackle by the PSG goalkeeper resulted in a serious injury to Jamal Musiala during their Club World Cup quarter-final clash.
The match, played at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, ended in a 2–0 win for PSG with goals from Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé. But the spotlight quickly shifted to the first-half incident that saw Musiala stretchered off with a painful ankle injury.
The Bayern midfielder’s left foot got caught in the turf during a collision with Donnarumma, who charged out aggressively. The challenge caused a serious twist to Musiala’s ankle, prompting concern on both benches.
Neuer, Bayern’s captain, expressed frustration after the match. “It’s a situation where I don’t think there’s any need for such a reaction,” he told Bild. “It’s very risky. He simply took the risk of injuring his opponent. We hope it won’t be too serious, but everything indicates that it will be.”
The German goalkeeper also revealed a tense post-match exchange with Donnarumma, who was reportedly shaken after the incident. “I went to him and said: ‘Don’t you want to go there? Jamal is lying on the ground, he’s probably going to be taken to hospital. I think it’s appropriate, out of respect, to wish him a speedy recovery and apologise.’”
According to Neuer, Donnarumma did eventually approach Musiala to apologise. While unintentional, the incident raises questions about decision-making and sportsmanship in high-stakes matches.
Musiala is expected to undergo scans in the coming days, with early indications suggesting a potentially lengthy recovery.