Accusation against PSG goalkeeper: Neuer criticizes after Musiala injury

Of all the players on the pitch, Manuel Neuer was farther removed from the action than any other. Long after the quarterfinals of the Club World Cup between his FC Bayern Munich team and Paris Saint-Germain , which the Munich team lost 2-0 on Saturday, the goalkeeper had the clearest words. Following the likely serious injury to his clubmate Jamal Musiala, Neuer had harsh words for his goalkeeper colleague Gianluigi Donnarumma. It wasn't just about the incident itself—but also what happened afterward.

Shortly before halftime, Donnarumma, at 1.96 meters and weighing 90 kilograms, threw himself into a duel with attacker Musiala and defender Willian Pacho in the penalty area just before the byline. He did it without regard for the consequences. Musiala's left leg was badly hit. Could a bone have been broken? The grim images from Atlanta suggested that. However, a precise diagnosis for the 22-year-old German international was still pending. Only then will it be clear what Musiala will be out for, how long, and what consequences this might have.

Neuer later stood in the catacombs of the Atlanta Arena. Unlike other Munich players, who primarily hoped that the dire fears surrounding Musiala's injury might not come true, goalkeeper Donnarumma became the focus of his statements. The Munich captain criticized his Italian colleague. "It was a situation where you didn't necessarily have to go in like that," said Neuer. "It's a risky move; you simply accept the possibility of injuring your opponent or teammate."

Neuer was equally bothered by Donnarumma's behavior when it became clear that Musiala had suffered a worse injury. The Italian appeared shocked, crouched down, and walked away from where Musiala lay, receiving first aid from medics. Referee Anthony Taylor, who did not penalize Donnarumma's actions, realized that the treatment would likely take longer and, with injury time almost over, blew the whistle for halftime. During that time, Musiala was stretchered off and taken from the stadium to the catacombs.

"I went to him," Neuer said. He asked Donnarumma: "Don't you want to go there for a moment? Jamal is lying there, he'll probably stay in the hospital; he has a serious injury. It's simply a matter of respect to go there, wish him all the best, and say sorry." Neuer also questioned Donnarumma's distress: "Italians are very emotional. Whether you believe him is up to each individual to decide. I would have reacted differently," said Neuer, who called the injury and tournament exit "both brutally hard."

Neuer also said that "situations like this happen in football. You can't accuse anyone of anything bad." But it was a hard blow. "We're keeping our fingers crossed for Jamal that the injury isn't too serious. But it will certainly be serious, as I see it," said Neuer, drawing on his many years of experience as a professional. Later in the day—the game took place at noon local time in the US—Donnarumma also spoke out publicly: "All my prayers and good wishes are with you, Jamal Musiala," he wrote on Instagram.

Munich's sporting director Max Eberl said he thought "absolutely not" that Donnarumma had deliberately tackled Musiala in that manner. "But I would say he didn't take much consideration of the fact that someone was standing there. I don't want that to be taken as an accusation (...), but of course I'm taking the risk," he said, mentioning surgery, possibly even in the USA, as an option. It remains to be seen whether Musiala will be able to fly back to Munich with the team from Orlando on Sunday. "Jamal is extremely upset," Eberl continued.

Against Paris, Musiala was back in the starting lineup for the first time in three months after suffering a torn muscle. He sustained the injury in early April in a Bundesliga match against Augsburg. He subsequently missed the Nations League final with the German national team. He returned to the pitch at the Club World Cup but has only been substituted on in the previous matches. "It's a shame for Jamal," said coach Vincent Kompany: "The situation with Jamal was emotional. It didn't look good. We hope it's not that bad."

That will likely remain an unfulfilled wish. According to an initial report, Musiala suffered a fracture of his left fibula. As the "Bild" newspaper reported early Sunday, he will be out for four to five months. Several ligaments were also reportedly affected.FC Bayern, however, initially offered no specific details. "It's tragic," Eberl said earlier in the stadium. "We love him for his joy in playing, and now such a blow – it's extremely difficult for him, but we're here for him as a family."

Coach Kompany was "furious" about the incident, but not at Donnarumma. "There are many things in life that are more important. But Jamal lives for football, he fights back – and then something like this happens. You feel powerless. It makes me angry that it happened to someone like him." Kompany reported that the injury hit the team emotionally shortly before halftime, when the score was still 0-0. "We all saw it (...). I'm not one to complain about these things. Too bad for us, too bad for Jamal, that wasn't good."

Musiala's serious injury has also caused consternation at Bayern Munich's rivals Borussia Dortmund. "This is terrible," said BVB sporting director Sebastian Kehl after the quarterfinal loss at the Club World Cup against Real Madrid (2-3) on Saturday evening in East Rutherford, New Jersey. "I'm keeping my fingers crossed for him. It won't be an easy time for him. But he's strong enough to come back."

"I saw the scene once. Honestly, I can't watch scenes like that very often," Kehl continued.