Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala took some major steps in his footballing career in 2024. Looking back at 2024 as the year came to an end, he highlighted one particular area of his game that he “really wanted” to improve:

“If I compare this year with the years before, I have grown in all areas of the game. Above all, I’m fitter, I have more energy, I can play many games in a row for 90 minutes,” Musiala merrily mused, via @iMiaSanMia. “That was probably the point I really wanted to improve: that I feel fresh for 90 minutes and don’t often get tired towards the end of the game. Look at Jo [Kimmich], he has been playing one game after the other for 90 minutes for years now. I want to be able to do that too.”

So how did he take those strides towards this fitness goal? “There are many things involved. You can always get injured, but you can do everything you can to minimize the risk: physical therapy, stretching, going to the gym.”

Sometimes, one has to do things one does not want for one’s health. For example, Bayern teammate Leon Goretzka found out the hard way that Musiala did not like going to the gym a few years ago and so found a creative workaround for that problem. Perhaps that had something to do with Musiala’s gains growing.

Apparently, he has gained 7 kilos in the last 4 and a half years: “When I played my first professional games at 17, I weighed 68 kilos. Now I weigh 75,” Musiala admitted, via @iMiaSanMia. “That’s not a lot, I think it’s natural to gain a little weight at that age. But I asked my coaches what extra training I could do. And then I trained my legs in particular. I’m not focused on upper body training. More core and leg training. This helps me feel more stable, run faster and shoot harder.”

The latter observation is certainly one that can also be observed as a fan, as Musiala’s improvement this year has been unbelievable and he is, without a doubt, one of the most vital players in the team. And yet, one gets the feeling that the former Chelsea FC youngster still has not hit his ceiling. How far can he go? How much can he do? Perhaps, at the end of 2025, we will know that much more.

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