Jamal Musiala: "I don't watch or read anything the pundits say" | OneFootball

Jamal Musiala has revealed he was unbothered by both Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Müller's plea to have Deniz Undav start in his place for Germany's Group E opener with Curaçao.

“Believe me, I don't watch or read anything the pundits say," explained Musiala in a recent interview with BILD ahead of Germany's upcoming clash with the Ivory Coast.

"I can easily imagine what's being said; after all, I've been in the football business for quite some time. But I consciously prefer to stay away from these things that are said or written about me. I focus solely on myself.

“For me, the most important thing is that my mind is always clear. Only then can I feel fresh on the pitch. Julian tells me what I need to know to do my job on the pitch,” he added.

Regarding his injury problems over the course of the 2025-26 campaign, the 23-year-old explained how overcoming those problems is “just part of being a footballer.”

"The road back involved a lot of hard work and patience: it was tough at times, but I'm convinced that even if it's not always easy, you have to focus on the positive. Even if that's sometimes difficult.

“I've definitely learned the most this year. Not just about football, I've also grown as a person. I now know that to come back from such a serious injury as the one I experienced, you need patience. The step you take afterward is all the bigger for it. That's how I see it,” he said.

After overcoming group minnows Curaçao, the Bayern Munich star senses that Germany will face a more challenging task against Ivory Coast on Saturday evening.

"I think my overall role in our game will remain similar. The difference is that Ivory Coast have a stronger attack, so I'll have to work even harder defensively and put in a lot of energy. 

“But I'm enjoying it more and more these days: winning the ball back is really fun. Up front, we have to take our chances when we get them. If we continue playing like we did against Curaçao, we should create enough chances,” he concluded.