JAMAL MUSIALA HEALTH ISSUES, EXPLAINED: WHY BAYERN MUNICH STAR'S 'ABSENCE SEIZURE' CAUSE HIM TO FAINT

Bayern Munich and Germany star Jamal Musiala has struggled with injuries over the past few years, and the 2026/27 club season presented a fresh start from which to springboard back to his best after over a year of struggling with fitness.

Unfortunately, his preparations for the coming campaign have been halted in concerning fashion, as Musiala has suffered bouts of unconsciousness in consecutive preseason friendlies that have put both his immediate and long-term playing future at risk.

Musiala has collapsed during play in two different matches as Bayern Munich prepare for the upcoming season, which starts for the Bavarian giants on Saturday as they meet Der Klassiker rivals Borussia Dortmund in the DFL-Supercup.

The Sporting News explains what has been the issue for Musiala and what his prognosis is moving forward as he looks to continue his football career safely and responsibly.

Jamal Musiala on-field collapses

Bayern Munich playmaker Jamal Musiala has fainted in two consecutive preseason friendlies, sparking concern amongst the global football fanbase.

First, he fell to the ground during a 3-1 friendly victory over RB Leipzig on Saturday, August 15. He looked woozy on his feet, and new Bayern signing Ismael Saibari ran over to assist him, helping the dazed Musiala to the turf safely.

After that incident, Musiala recovered quickly and returned to training, with the medical staff clearing him of any larger concerns. "The most important thing is that he is well," said Bayern Munich executive Max Eberl to The Mirror after the match. "There's nothing more to say about anything else."

Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany, meanwhile, blamed the combination of significant heat and Musiala's recent medical struggles for the initial collapse. According to reports, medical tests revealed no significant issues, and he was cleared to continue playing.

However, Musiala suffered another episode four days later, as he again fell to the turf just four minutes after coming on as a substitute in an August 18 friendly against Heidenheim. There was serious concern amongst players from both teams, who surrounded Musiala while the medical staff rushed on. He was able to walk off under his own power, flanked by Bayern Munich trainers.

What has Jamal Musiala said about his condition?

After the second incident in the friendly against Heidenheim, Jamal Musiala took to social media to reveal that his collapses have been due to a diagnosis of "absence seizures." The full statement on Instagram read:

I'm doing well! I am incredibly grateful for your messages and your support! I understand that many of you are worried. I want to put those worries to rest today and explain the situation.

I have been diagnosed with brief, temporary — but treatable —absence seizures caused by a neurological dysfunction. These can lead to the kind of moments that occurred recently, such as during the match against Leipzig or now in Heidenheim. I know they might look scary at first glance, but for me, they are currently just part of my everyday life. I am receiving excellent medical care for this and remain very optimistic. FC Bayern and my personal support network are right by my side, helping me through this. Importantly, there is no further health risk involved. In close consultation and regular contact with the experts, it was my personal wish to face this challenge head-on. With the medical clearance of the neurologists, I want to continue doing what helps my recovery the most: simply living my daily life and pursuing my passion for playing football. I have taken full responsibility for this decision.

Overall, I feel very positive and am on the right track. What helps me most on this journey is continuing to chase victories and titles with my team and with your amazing support. I hope this helps you understand my situation better. At the same time, I ask for your understanding regarding my wish to keep the details of this matter private—sharing them only with my closest circle, the club, and the medical experts.

Despite claims that the issue is relatively minor, it's hard to imagine that after two straight incidents, Bayern Munich would put him back on the pitch without reconsidering his condition and treatment plan moving forward to prevent more recurrences.

What are absence seizures?

Jamal Musiala revealed after his second on-pitch collapse that he had been diagnosed with "absence seizures" that were causing his recent issues.

According to Massachusetts General Hospital, absence seizures "cause a brief, temporary loss of awareness, usually for 5 to 30 seconds." An individual experiencing an absence seizure "may stare into space or look like they’re daydreaming." Usually, the individual returns to consciousness relatively quickly after an absence seizure.

These kind of symptoms can be managed by antiseizure medications. There are sometimes referred to as "petit mal seizures," which translates as “little illness” in French.

According to the Mayo Clinic, absence seizures are far more common in children, and it is rare that the symptoms persist into adulthood. However, they can sometimes be a precursor to a more serious kind of epilepsy that presents with what are known as "grand mal seizures."

It's unclear if Musiala has experienced these symptoms through his childhood, or if they have just recently begun.

Is Jamal Musiala's condition life threatening?

While this typically does not result in physical injury on most occasions, the situation in which the seizure presents could be extremely dangerous.

If the individual suffers a loss of consciousness during an activity that requires consistent attention, such as driving, riding a bike, or other athletic activity, it can create a situation that becomes dangerous by association.

Jamal Musiala age

Jamal Musiala is 23 years old.

The Massachusetts General Hospital writeup claims that absence seizures can begin in children ages 3 to 8 and are most common in those aged 8 to 15. "Although uncommon, some children continue to have absence seizures into adulthood," the article states.

He has been considered one of the best young players in the world for some time, but as he begins to reach the prime of his career, he has been beset with significant injury concerns.

Jamal Musiala injury history

As he transitions from his developmental years into the peak years of his career, Jamal Musiala has struggled mightily with injuries over the past few years.

At first, it began with muscle injuries, as he picked up a series of short-term issues with his hamstring in late 2023. He missed significant time with a hamstring injury in the latter half of the 2024/25 season, missing the final 71 days of the campaign as well as that summer's UEFA Nations League finals with Germany.

Then, the big injury struck as Musiala suffered a gruesome broken leg in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup during a challenge from then-PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, which saw him sidelined from July through the middle of January 2026.

Musiala returned from his fracture but suffered subsequent ankle issues that disrupted his time through the spring of 2026 and saw him fail to return to his best form by the World Cup later that summer.

- Kyle Bonn

VINCENT KOMOANY FUMES AT 'RIDICULOUS' HANDBALL CALLS THAT LED TO BAYERN'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE EXIT

Imago/Ulmer/Teamforo

Vincent Kompany unleashed a blistering attack on the officiating after Bayern Munich’s Champions League dreams were ended by Paris Saint-Germain. The Belgian tactician watched his side fall to a 6-5 aggregate defeat at the Allianz Arena, but the post-match talk was dominated by two massive handball calls that went against the Bavarian giants.

AFP

Vitinha smashes ball against Neves' arm

Bayern Munich’s elimination from the Champions League semi-finals following a tense 1-1 draw on the night was overshadowed by a series of controversial decisions. With a spot in the final against Arsenal on the line, the tension boiled over as the German side felt they were denied clear advantages.

The most debated moment arrived when Vitinha’s attempted clearance struck the outstretched arm of teammate Joao Neves inside the PSG box. Despite the Bayern players surrounding referee Joao Pinheiro in protest, no penalty was awarded. The decision stood because the current Laws of the Game protect players from handball calls when the ball is struck onto them by a teammate from close range, provided no immediate goal is scored. It was a bitter pill for Bayern to swallow, especially given the soft penalty they conceded in the first leg.

Getty Images Sport

Kompany hits out at 'ridiculous' handball rule

The Bayern Munich manager did not hold back after seeing his side dumped out of the competition, questioning the "common sense" of the officials monitoring the high-stakes clash.

“We have to look at some of the phases that were decided by the officials across the two games which… it’s never an excuse for everything but it matters,” Kompany said in his post-match assessment. “If we look at both legs probably too much went against us. The guys gave everything and we tried against a fantastic PSG team. [Joao Neves’] hand is in the air, it hits it. Because it’s from his own teammate it’s not a penalty. But if you look at both [situations], a little bit of common sense and it’s just ridiculous. Whatever needs to happen but it’s ridiculous. It doesn’t tell the whole game but it’s a one-goal game in the end.”

Nuno Mendes escapes red card

Kompany’s frustration was heavily compounded by an earlier flashpoint involving PSG defender Nuno Mendes, when the Portuguese international appeared to handle the ball deliberately to stop a Bayern attack. Already on a yellow card, Mendes seemed destined to be sent off. Instead, the referee awarded a free-kick to the visitors for an earlier infringement.

It was a moment that left the home crowd incensed. Bayern were already chasing the game against 11 men after Ousmane Dembele had given PSG the lead after just 141 seconds, and they firmly believed they deserved a numerical advantage. Commenting on the incident, Kompany suggested the official bottled a monumental decision: “I felt he pulled out because he realised he already gave him a yellow and he didn’t want to send him off for that.”

- Muhammad Zaki

VINCENT KOMOANY ON PEOPLE APPRECIATING HIM

 

🚨 Vincent Kompany on people appreciating him: “Don't believe the hype, don't believe the drama”.

“When I arrived here at Bayern, I'd been promoted with 101 points, then relegated with 20, then won the league here – two years ago I was the worst manager, and today I’m the very best”.

“If you let yourself be influenced by all that noise, you’ll end up getting worse. It’s nicer this way, but I can live with criticism. It really doesn't matter to me”.

BAYER MÜNCHEN HEAD COACH | VINCENT KOMPANY | STATS

'THAT WAS EXTREME TODAY' - VINCENT KOMPANY REACTS TO BAYERN MUNICH 3-2 WIN OVER BORUSSIA DORTMUND

Vincent Kompany embraced enjoyed the intensity of Der Klassiker after Bayern Munich’s dramatic 3-2 win over Borussia Dortmund.

28 February 2026, North Rhine-Westphalia, Dortmund: Soccer, Men, Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund - FC Bayern Munich, Matchday 24, Signal Iduna Park, Coach Vincent Kompany (Bayern Munich) gives instructions. IMPORTANT NOTE: In accordance with the regulations of the DFL German Football League and the DFB German Football Association, it is prohibited to use or have used photographs taken in the stadium and/or of the match in the form of sequential images and/or video-like photo series. Photo: David Inderlied/dpa (Photo by David Inderlied/picture alliance via Getty Images)

When Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund meet, you can always expect some tension, and eventful clashes. On Saturday, Der Klassiker delivered once again when Bayern defeated Die Borussen 2-3 in a thrilling encounter.

After a pretty mild first half, the teams turned it up a notch for the second half, especially the last 15-20 minutes of it, with a late equalizer by BVB’s Daniel Svensson in the 83rd minute to knot the game, before Bayern captain Joshua Kimmich managed to score the winning goal with a beautiful shot into the upper corner of Gregor Kobel’s goal in the 87th minute.

Bayern’s coach Vincent Kompany pointed this out during an interview after the match, emphasizing both team’s initiative to get an extremely important victory, as captured by FCBayern.com. “That was extreme today. You could feel that Dortmund desperately wanted to seize their opportunity. We noticed that throughout the entire 90 minutes. Even after the 2-2, they kept pushing forward; they were determined to win. But our lads didn’t just sit back either. We kept trying to create our chances,” stated Kompany.

Kompany also took a chance to stress the attractiveness of the Bundesliga, showcasing to the football world how exciting the league can be. “In my opinion, it was great publicity for the Bundesliga. With intensity, goals, and above all, the absolute will of both teams to always attack and win the game.”

With this victory, Bayern Munich inches closer to the title, sitting atop the Bundesliga already having an 11-point lead over 2nd-placed Borussia Dortmund, with 10 games remaining.

- alco1

PEP GUARDIOLA'S COACHING TREE

 

VINCENT KOMOANY WANTS NOTHING TO DO WITH BAYERN MUNICH'S CLUB POLITICS

He will not yield under any circumstance

Getty Imagae

The higher-ups at Bayern Munich are known for their brash statements, most of which are completely unnecessary. Not only is it incredibly distracting but it is also a bad look for the club. Some of the club’s past coaches have fallen victim to all this excess noise, but Vincent Kompany wants absolutely nothing to do with it.

A report from Sport Bild’s Tobi Altschãffl and Heiko Niedderer (via @iMiaSanMia) says that Kompany ignored what Uli Hoeneß said about Nicolas Jackson because such statements are irrelevant to his job. The Belgian is generally interested in his team and what happens in the dressing room and on the pitch. He prefers distancing himself from the politics inside the club, contrary to many of his predecessors.

Furthermore, Kompany is happy with the structure of his squad. In recent internal team meetings, the coach repeatedly praised his players, telling them: “The energy we’re bringing to the pitch is outstanding!”

- R.I.P. London Teams

JAMAL MUSIALA NAMED IN BAYERN MUNICH'S UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SQUAD

Jamal Musiala has not played for Bayern Munich since suffering a serious leg injury on 5 July. - © IMAGO/Teresa Kröger /M.i.S.

Bayern Munich have included injured star Jamal Musiala in their squad for the league phase of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League.

Musiala, who has been out of action since suffering a serious leg and ankle break against Paris Saint-Germain at the FIFA Club World Cup in July, is among the 23 players selected by Vincent Kompany for the league phase of the tournament, which gets under way later this month.

The 22-year-old told Sport Bild earlier this week that he is aiming to return to first-team action with Bayern before the end of the calendar year.

His return has now moved one step closer after his inclusion in Kompany's squad, which also features new signings Tom Bischof, Luis Díaz, Nicolas Jackson and Jonathan Tah as well as the usual suspects such as Harry Kane, Joshua Kimmich and captain Manuel Neuer.

“The healing process is going according to plan,” he said. “I no longer need crutches. “I don’t want to specify a date, but given the progress I’ve made so far, I’d say I want to be playing competitive matches with Bayern in 2025.”

The reigning Bundesliga champions, who have started the 2025/26 season with four wins in all competitions, kick-off their Champions League campaign at home to English Premier League side Chelsea at the Allianz Arena on 17 September. 

They will then face Paris Saint-Germain (A), Club Brugge (H), Arsenal (A), Sporting Lisbon (H), PSV Eindhoven (A), Union Saint-Gilloise (H), and Pafos (A) in the league stage.

Bayern’s Champions League squad in full:

Goalkeepers

Manuel Neuer, Sven Ulreich, Jonas Urbig

Defenders

Dayot Upamecano, Minjae Kim, Jonathan Tah, Hiroki Ito, Raphaël Guerreiro, Sacha Boey, Cassiano Kiala, Josip Stanišić

Midfielders

Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, Jamal Musiala, Michael Olise, Alphonso Davies, Tom Bischof, Konrad Laimer, Aleksandar Pavlović

Forwards

Serge Gnabry, Harry Kane, Nicolas Jackson, Luis Díaz

- Bundesliga

KOMPANY HAS SAVED INCONSISTENT BAYERN FROM PERPETUAL UNREST

Eight months ago, Bayern Munich found themselves teetering on the edge of a crisis that few could have predicted.

The Bundesliga crown, typically their birthright, had slipped through their grasp. In Europe, the Bavarians fell short once again, eliminated by Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League semifinals. Behind closed doors, the club's usually steady foundations were anything but as internal tensions simmered at Säbener Strasse, casting long shadows over the summer ahead.

The club's higher-ups had realised that the move to hire Thomas Tuchel as a replacement for Julian Nagelsmann had failed. Meanwhile, Nagelsmann was polishing his reputation with the wider German public, becoming a fairly successful and popular manager of the national team. On top of that, Bayern's own coaching search turned into a public-relations nightmare, with media outlets from Germany and beyond reporting about the long list of coaching candidates who had all declined to join the club.

In the end, Bayern appointed Vincent Kompany, an unlikely solution given that the former Hamburg defender did not come close to staving off relegation from the Premier League with Burnley. Serious questions regarding his inexperience and overall track record as a manager were raised. However, only a few weeks after the 38-year-old's arrival, those inside the club were beginning to praise Kompany's management style. They repeatedly stressed the fact that for the first time in a long time, the club did not seem in a state of unrest.

Kompany and sporting director Max Eberl, who had been a proponent of the former Belgium international before he was hired, get along quite well. Meanwhile, many inside the dressing room seemingly realised that dissent played a part in their failures during the 2023-24 season.

Even players who weren't necessarily happy with their role in the beginning of the season -- such as Leon Goretzka, who started the campaign on the bench -- did not voice their displeasure publicly. What certainly has helped is the fact that Kompany goes out of his way to praise his charges and stress their importance when asked about them by members of the media. He doesn't make statements that leave room for interpretation.

Now that the calendar has turned to 2025, nothing has changed. Kompany is widely respected and steers the ship like he has been in the job for years. The tall, broad-shouldered Belgian exudes an almost Carlo Ancelotti-like poise in how he approaches his team and the media.

There were certainly moment when things could have turned. There was the one-sided loss to Barcelona in the Champions League in October, and three of the Bavarians' final six matches of 2024 resulted in dropped points to Borussia Dortmund, a DFB-Pokal exit at the hands of Bayer Leverkusen and a Bundesliga defeat to Mainz.

Despite those results, everyone inside the facility remained calm, knowing that the club needed to show much more patience than in recent times.

The decision to sack Nagelsmann in March 2023 may have been a valuable lesson because, in the aftermath, many inside the club acknowledged that Bayern moved on far too early from a promising young coach. What's more, the fact that Bayern were turned down by several managers before hiring Kompany can partly be attributed to their previous hire-and-fire mentality. They need to stick with the Belgian, especially when he and his assistants have shown signs of progress with the team.

Multiple sources who spoke to ESPN emphasised that "Vinny," as some call him, does a tremendous job of fostering a positive dressing room culture. Instead of criticising players in news conferences or post-game interviews, Kompany is addressing anything of relevance inside the dressing room, which may also have contributed to the decline in leaks to the media. In the recent past, practically any heated argument between the manager and players would find its way into the notebooks of well-connected journalists in Munich and elsewhere in Germany. Not this season.

Vincent Kompany has restored a sense of calm to Bayern Munich following the turbulence the club has experienced in recent years. Tom Weller/picture alliance via Getty Images

Things came to a head during Tuchel's tenure, when the manager's disagreement with Joshua Kimmich became public. One source specifically told ESPN that players appreciate Kompany's preference for keeping things in-house.

For example, he easily could have put the blame on Manuel Neuer when the veteran goalkeeper was shown a red card in the DFB-Pokal match against Leverkusen last month, a mistake that essentially cost Bayern one trophy this season. Instead, Kompany simply said that his goalkeeper "made a decision. It was close. That's football, and this is part of it."

Returning exciting football to Bayern

Those who have been following Bayern closely may find the current feel-good environment suspicious, because even in times when the club won one trophy after another, there were usually a few conflicts involving players, coaches and boardroom figures. Success helps mitigate tension, though.

Following the loss to Barcelona in the Champions League on Oct. 23, Bayern won seven games in a row without conceding a goal. There's visible progress that might lead to Bayern reaching peak form in March, April and May -- when trophies are usually won.

"I like the high press," Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, the former chairman of the executive board of Bayern, said in October. "It reminds me of the times under Jupp Heynckes, Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti or Hansi Flick when we celebrated this type of fun football. That's why I believe it is important that we have found our way back to it. Our football has not only become more appealing, but you can also feel the excitement of the spectators in the stadium."

Kompany is becoming a respected coaching figure almost overnight. It had been known before he joined Bayern that the former Belgium international was a disciple of Guardiola's brand of football, having played under the Catalan at Manchester City between 2016 and 2019.

"Eberl asked me to talk to [Guardiola] as I am close friends with Pep," Rummenigge said. "I told Pep I needed an authentic and honest analysis. We then were talking on the phone for almost two hours. To make a long story short, he said that he was 100% convinced that Vincent Kompany would be the absolutely perfect coach for Bayern."

Kompany already showed that he could be a competent possession coach during his time as Anderlecht's manager and his first year at Burnley. However, coaching Bayern poses a different set of challenges, and yet, he didn't hesitate to let his team play an overly aggressive style with a high back line from the start.

Bayern only made three major signings during the summer: Michael Olise, Hiroki Ito and João Palhinha. Other than these three and Josip Stanisic, who returned from a loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen, this is the same team that crumbled during the second half of 2023-24.

Sources suggest that Kompany is quite deliberate in how he coaches and teaches his players individually. He approaches with very specific advice in relation to their position and tactical role in his system. Positioning in build-up or the direction and timing of runs into the final third are only a few of the things that are addressed by Kompany and his assistants, who seem to work very hard to analyse all the little details to refine Bayern's tactical system. During the November international break, Kompany once again decided to let his players who had not been selected by their respective national teams train individually instead of in a group setting.

Two who have benefited from Kompany's different approach in terms of communication and coaching are centre-backs Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-Jae. Often the focal point of criticism last season, both have stepped up their game significantly. Their manager's pedigree as a former world-class centre-back certainly provides an advantage.

For Upamecano and Kim, missteps are treated as opportunities rather than failures, a marked departure from the approach of Kompany's predecessor. The transformation in both players over just a few months speaks volumes, with their newfound confidence on the pitch a testament to the manager's nuanced understanding of player development and man-management.

Managing the spring schedule and beyond

The first five months of the Kompany era established a trend in which Bayern have not fared well in games against the strongest opposition, both domestically and abroad. In order to turn that around in the second half of the season, Kompany has to make his team's attacking structure more flexible.

In the closing months of 2024, Bayern often attempted the same sequence of plays -- involving Kimmich as anchor in the middle, Alphonso Davies in the left half-space and Kingsley Coman as the winger on the left side -- over and over again. In general, Bayern still tend to move the ball toward the touchlines frequently, which makes them too predictable against highly competent defences.

As such, there is still much to be done before Bayern can be the force of a couple of years ago. Kompany can only hope that nothing disrupts his work in any meaningful way.

He might not appreciate it when Uli Hoeness, Bayern's former president, suggests the club will enjoy an easy campaign, saying, "We can lean back again after a long time. Other clubs have worries." That statement was countered by Eberl, who stressed that every opponent "can be dangerous to us." Eberl was proven right when Bayern lost their first league game of the season in mid-December against Mainz.

Besides the potential noise coming out of the board rooms, there is also the uncertain future of a few key players that could create tension. Bayern hope to agree fresh contracts with Davies, Kimmich and Jamal Musiala. While negotiations with Davies have been received positively by the club's higher-ups, talks with both Kimmich and Musiala are seemingly more difficult, yet the Bavarians remain optimistic that both will eventually sign new deals.

The expectation is that Musiala sees himself playing for Bayern for many years to come. Once a new contract is finalised, he will very likely become the highest earner alongside Harry Kane, cementing the notion that the 21-year-old is the player Bayern intend to build their future team around.

Like Davies', Kimmich's contract expires at the end of the season. Bayern were ready to cut ties last summer but kept Kimmich because he refused to agree a transfer elsewhere. The club have changed their stance and would be willing to extend Kimmich's terms, and a final decision ought to be made very soon. Kompany himself has emphasised that he hopes Kimmich will extend his stay at the club.

"Joshua has played every minute thus far, so the answer is easy. He has shown in every game that he is important to us," Kompany said when asked about the negotiations between Bayern and Kimmich.

The situation of Goretzka, though, could prove to be instructive. The 29-year-old, whose first start this season didn't come until Nov. 9, has told the club that he intends to remain beyond January despite interest from various clubs.

Even more difficult could become the topic of Leroy Sané's future. The winger never fulfilled the expectations that arose when he moved from Manchester City in 2020. Since his contract expires at the end of the season, the Germany international's departure appears to be the most likely outcome. It would free up a spot on the wings for Athletic Club's Nico Williams or Dortmund's Jamie Gittens, who are both on Bayern's list of potential transfer targets for next summer.

However, parting ways with a few prominent players and remaining unsure about the future of veteran players, most notably Kimmich and Thomas Müller, who may or may not retire come June, could be challenging to Kompany in a completely different way. He has so far reacted to questions about players and personnel decisions like an experienced diplomat, yet if some respected players become disgruntled about their situations, it will be much more difficult to keep the ship steady.

Despite his limited managerial experience, Kompany has been part of the football scene for decades. He knows all too well how fragile harmony and momentum are in this sport. So far, he's struck the right balance to achieve both.

- Constantin Eckner

PREMIER LEAGUE STATS | MOST PREMIER LEAGUE MATCHES FOE MAN CITY

 

VINCENT KOMPANY | FC BAYERN MÜNCHEN | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

 

VINCENT KOMPANY ON BAYERN'S DEFEAT |

 

BARCELONA'S RAPHINHA SAYS BAYERN ROUT 'REVENGE' FOR FANS

Barcelona forward Raphinha said Wednesday's thumping 4-1 Champions League win over Bayern Munich served as "revenge" for the club's supporters for past results against the German giants.

Raphinha starred with a hat trick on his 100th appearance for Barça as the Catalan club ended a run of six successive defeats against Bayern in the competition.

The Brazilian was only there for two of those games -- and he had not signed for Barça when they lost 8-2 to Bayern in 2020 -- but he said he experienced them all as a supporter.

"It was revenge for the fans I think," Raphinha said after the game. "For us on the inside, the players, we don't look at the past. We focus on the next game. But I suffered those games as a fan, too.

"It's been an amazing, special night, scoring [a hat trick] on my 100th game for the club. I am very happy with the performance and how we played.

"As a team, we played really well and that's the most important thing for me. Getting that second win in the Champions League was important."

Barça and Bayern both came into the fixture at the Olympic Stadium with one win and one loss from their opening games in this season's Champions League, making it imperative not to drop more points given the uncertainty over how many will be needed to progress in the new format.

Raphinha opened the scoring inside the opening minute, but Harry Kane drew Bayern level with his 14th goal of the season in all competitions.

Robert Lewandowski restored Barça's lead before half-time and two more goals from Raphinha either side of the break earned Barça the points in a game the former Leeds United attacker feels could have been the final.

"I said before the game this could be a Champions League final," he added. "Maybe not everyone agrees with me, but in my opinion it could be.

"So to be able to win in this manner, in front of our fans, is quite special and I am really happy."

Raphinha celebrates with his Barcelona teammates after beating Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Getty Images

Raphinha, who captained Barça on the night, now has nine goals and six assists in all competitions in what is his third season with the Blaugrana. He was named MVP by UEFA for his performance.

"I will give [the MVP] award to my son, it will be another trophy for him, although he prefers the match balls," he joked. "But it's a trophy that shows what I can do in the Champions League. Since I signed I have dreamed of these nights: scoring goals, playing these games and making a difference."

The victory sets Barça up perfectly for Saturday's trip to Real Madrid for the first Clásico of the season. If they win at the Santiago Bernabéu, they could open up a six point lead at the top of the table.

Coach Hansi Flick -- who was in charge of Bayern for that 8-2 four years ago -- lauded an "incredible" win against his former side, but tempered expectations about winning the Champions League as he looked ahead to taking on Madrid.

"No, it's too soon, we just started the season," he said in a news conference when asked if the result makes Barça a genuine contender to win the trophy. "We're on a long road in LaLiga and in the Champions League. We are taking things game by game. We're obviously very proud of the result tonight, but on Saturday it continues with another hard game.

"We want to deliver another top performance. It's an incredible result against a fantastic team and gives us confidence for Saturday. I am very proud of the team. We saw the joy of the team and how they celebrated."

It was a different story for Bayern, who tasted defeat for the second game running in the Champions League after losing at Aston Villa last time out.

Coach Vincent Kompany had few complaints with the result, but said there were moments around Kane's equaliser when he thought his side could get points from the game.

"What I can share at the moment is how we felt the game went at the start or in the first half versus what we thought we could achieve in this game," Kompany said in a news conference. "I think all of us, and you guys would have felt it too, felt like we could edge this game, that it could turn for us.

"But in key moments we got outdone and for that reason the result is fairly heavy. We have to learn from this game so the next opportunities we have we are stronger again."

- Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens

BAYERN MÜNCHEN NAME VINCENT KOMPANY MANAGER IN SHOCK MOVE

Vincent Kompany will be charged with returning Bayern Munich to the top of the Bundesliga. Mark Leech/Offside/Offside via Getty Images

Bayern Munich have appointed Vincent Kompany as the club's new manager after negotiating his departure from Burnley, the clubs have announced.

ESPN reported on Saturday that Bayern agreed a £10 million deal ($12.7m) for Kompany, who will replace Thomas Tuchel at the Bundesliga giants despite being unable to prevent Burnley from being relegated from the Premier League this season.

The move completes a troubled recruitment process for Bayern who initially announced in February that Tuchel would depart at the end of the season.

"I'm really looking forward to the challenge at FC Bayern," Kompany said in a statement. "It's a great honour to be able to work for this club -- FC Bayern is an institution in international football."

Max Eberl, Bayern's sporting director, added: "We're delighted to have brought in Vincent Kompany to FC Bayern. We were immediately on the same page in our discussions with him. He clearly showed us how much the job at FC Bayern appeals to him and that he is keen to take it on.

"Vincent Kompany is hungry and brings everything to the table: as a player, he was already a leading figure in top international football and is also leading the way as a coach."

Bayern were linked with moves for Bayer Levekusen boss Xabi Alonso and their former manager Julian Nagelsmann before both announced they would be remaining in their jobs with Bayer Leverkusen and the Germany national team, respectively.

They were also in discussions with ex-interim Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick, but he turned down Bayern after deciding to continue in his role as Austria head coach.

There were then reports that Bayern's sporting directors Eberl and Christoph Freund were negotiating with Tuchel to reverse their joint decision from February. However, Tuchel confirmed before the club's final game of the season that it would be his last match in charge of the club.

- ESPN

OBSTACLES FACED BY BLACK COACHES IN ENGLISH SOCCER HIGHLIGHTED IN NEW REPORT

Vincent Company. AP Photo

 MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Non-Black former soccer players in England were 50% more likely than their Black counterparts to progress into management, said a report published on Tuesday.

In a latest study into coaching diversity, U.K.-based advocacy group Black Footballers Partnership (BFP) highlighted the ongoing disparity in the sport and concluded Black managers or assistants were also 41% more likely to be fired.

“Football should be a game for everyone on and off the pitch. If you are good enough on the pitch your dreams and hopes can and should be realized,” wrote a group of Black former players including Sol Campbell and Les Ferdinand in the report's foreword. “The significant drop off in off-field opportunities lets down Black players and an industry that relies on their talent.”

The group, which also includes Chris Ramsey, Paul Davis and Ricky Hill, described the lack of opportunities for Black coaches as a “systemic issue.”

Burnley's Vincent Kompany began the season as the Premier League's only Black manager. Then Nuno Espirito Santo, who was born on the African island of São Tomé, was hired by Nottingham Forest in December.

In its 2022 report, the BFP found 43% of Premier League players were Black, but only 4.4% of managerial positions for former players were taken up by Black applicants.

In the latest report, academics Sam Hoey from the University of Liverpool, Thomas Peeters from Erasmus University, Rotterdam, and Stefan Szymanski from the University of Michigan studied a sample of about 3,500 players from England's top two divisions from 1990 to 2010 and who stopped playing in 2013 or earlier.

The report said Black managerial staff were also less likely to be promoted.

“In sum, Black former players get fewer chances at management, get promoted more slowly (if at all), their progress stalls sooner, and they get fired quicker than their non-Black counterparts — and none of that is related to their performance,” the BFP said.

“A career in football management often looks like a game of snakes and ladders; but for Black former players it’s pretty much all snakes and no ladders, and we have the data to prove it,” BFL executive director Delroy Corinaldi said.

- JAMES ROBSON

KOMPANY ON ARSRNAL DEFEAT | REACTION | BURNLEY 0-5 ARSENAL

BURNLEY BOSS KOMPANY HAILS 'BIG MOMENT' AFTER REFEREE WELCH MAKES HISTORY

Rebecca Welch. Reuters 

Burnley manager Vincent Kompany congratulated official Rebecca Welch after she became the first female referee to officiate a Premier League match when she oversaw his team's 2-0 win at Fulham on Saturday.

Second-half goals from Wilson Odobert and Sander Berge earned Burnley their third victory of the Premier League season and helped Kompany's side move off the bottom of the table.

The Belgian manager spoke with Welch after the match, and when asked about what he had said, Kompany told reporters: "I wanted to congratulate her because it's a big moment.

BURNLEY ARE CHAMPIONS | HIGHLIGHTS | BLACKBURN ROVERS 0-1 BURNLEY

 

VINCENT KOMPANY'SBURNLEY ARE CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS

 

VINCENT KOMPANY ON BURNLEY'S DEFEAT TO MAN CITY