Steffen Tepel is a neuro-athletics specialist who is putting his expertise to good use when working with the 18-year-old midfielder
Jamal Musiala is far from being the finished article and continues to work on his faults at Bayern Munich, but a specialist neuro-athletics coach that the 18-year-old is training with admits that the youngster already plays “as if he has a magnet on his foot”.
Dribbling ability is an obvious strength for the talented teenager, who has continued to see his stock soar this season on the back of a memorable 2020-21 campaign that delivered 37 appearances, his first senior goals and international recognition with Germany at Euro 2020.
Steffen Tepel is one of those charged with the task of taking Musiala’s game to even greater heights, and he sees no reason why a driven character cannot reach the very top of the game by becoming a more all-round performer.
What has been said?
Tepel, who counts Musiala as one of his clients, told Goal and SPOX of impressive development that has been made to this point: “Jamal’s success is based primarily on his exceptional work ethic. It’s made him acquire things, as Julian Nagelsmann said the other day, he plays as if he has a magnet on his foot.
“In terms of dribbling, you can’t teach him that much even at 18; his imagination in one-on-one situations is simply a special gift. He has an incredibly good feel for where the ball is around him and what’s happening in the zone he’s in.
“His coordination, coupled with his technical skills and signature lightning-fast lateral movements, make it possible for him to weave his way through opposing lines. These are high neuronal requirements, which Jamal masters superbly.
“But as I said, he’s also a very ambitious boy who works on himself obsessively and constantly wants to improve things in addition to his training at FC Bayern. And this is where we come in.”
What does Musiala need to work on?
As a hot prospect still finding his feet in the senior game, it comes as no surprise to discover that Musiala has areas of his game that he feels can be improved.
Tepel is hoping to play a part in addressing those deficiencies, with the plan being to turn the Bayern starlet into a player who can do a bit of everything.
He added on the ambitious midfielder and the skill sets he is looking to refine: “On his touch and how he handles the ball. His first contact is already very good, but there’s still room for improvement.
“In the meantime, we know that once Jamal has the ball under control, he’s ready to go. The goal, however, is to receive and carry the ball even faster and more efficiently than before, especially with harder passes or when turning towards the opponents’ goal.
“It’s about always being half a step ahead and being able to follow up immediately after receiving the ball. In addition, we place great emphasis on overall joint control in training. Jamal should become the boss of his body.”
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