Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala finds it hard to compare the developmental paths of Germany and England

In a recent interview with the DFB, Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala was asked to compare the differences between how the national teams operate for Germany and England.

As a player who was eligible for both nations, one might think that Musiala had a definitive answer, but the youngster proved to be wise beyond his years with his response.

“Junior and senior national teams are difficult to compare — and then also across national borders, that is impossible. What I can basically say is that in England, when it comes to training young footballers, a lot of emphasis is placed on technical training. We had special technical training courses at least once a week,” said Musiala. “When I came to Germany, it was more about competition, about asserting yourself. It was more about winning. Although you have to say that it was then in a different grade and I can’t say anything about how training was carried out in Germany up to this grade. But in England it was the case that there was no real league until the U-18, only tournaments every now and then. So there is a difference — and for me it may be an advantage.”

As for how his experience went at this summer’s Euros, Musiala said having some help from his Bayern Munich teammates made everything much more smooth.

“That was of course extremely valuable, especially at the very beginning. I could ask the FC Bayern players anything, and they weren’t annoyed either. That was good, that gave me security,” said Musiala. “But now I’ve got to know the whole squad well and can actually address all of the players. In addition, I now have fewer questions and am less dependent on help.”