Bayern Munich has revealed that they are considering taking legal action against the Canadian soccer federation after Alphonso Davies suffered a serious knee injury during a match that was seen as unimportant.
“We are demanding a thorough investigation into the events leading up to this incident from Canada Soccer and we clearly reserve the right to seek legal action,” said Bayern’s CEO, Jan-Christian Dreesen, in an interview with Bild on Friday. Davies tore a ligament and sustained a serious injury to his right knee during Canada’s 2-1 win over the United States in the third-place match of the Concacaf Nations League tournament on Sunday. After returning to Munich, the full extent of his injury was evaluated on Wednesday.
Davies suffered a torn ligament and additional damage to his right knee during Canada’s 2-1 victory over the United States in the third-place match of the Concacaf Nations League tournament, held on Sunday.
Following the match, he returned to Munich where a thorough evaluation of his injury was conducted on Wednesday by Bayern Munich’s medical team.
Davies’ participation in the match, especially given his pre-existing muscular issues, raises significant concerns from our perspective,” stated Dreesen. Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund echoed these sentiments, labeling the management of Davies’ injury as “improper.” Freund noted that Davies had reported fatigue following Canada’s previous match yet still took the field.
“As the team captain and a young athlete eager to contribute, his decision to play was questionable at best,” he remarked. “The subsequent injury occurred just 12 minutes into the game, after which Davies endured a 12-hour return flight. Initially, we presumed the injury was not severe; however, the diagnosis of an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear in his right knee significantly alters that narrative.” “This situation reflects a lack of professionalism and diligence in our protocols. We need to address and clarify these issues internally. As the employers who finance the athletes, we are obligated to investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident.
Davies will not be playing for the rest of the season, which means he will miss Bayern’s last matches as they try to secure the Bundesliga title and make it to the Champions League final in their home city of Munich. Bayern is set to play against Inter Milan in the quarterfinals.
Bayern can get some financial help for Davies’ salary from FIFA’s insurance policy that covers injuries to national team players, with a maximum of $7.5 million for each case.
France national team centre-back Dayot Upamecano came back from the Nations League with a knee injury, leaving coach Vincent Kompany with fewer options in defense since South Korea’s Kim Min-Jae is also injured. Bayern will be playing against St Pauli in the league on Saturday.
Bayern Munich has not won their last two Bundesliga matches, and their lead over the team in second place, Bayer Leverkusen, is now only six points. Coach Vincent Kompany said his team had enough quality to fill the absences and there were would be no excuses.
Unfortunately, Phonzy and Upamecano are unable to play at the moment, particularly during this critical time of the season,” he stated. “We’ve faced a lot of challenges with absent players this year. I hope this situation helps strengthen our bond as a team. What matters now is our reaction. I have no excuses; our sole focus is to win the next match and keep improving.
