Chris Richards (20) and Jamal Musiala (17) have both come through the FC Bayern Campus and are now making a name for themselves with the first team. fcbayern.com sat down with the pair for an in-depth interview.
“I’m proud to be a part of this club,” Musiala said in his calm but assertive tone. While Richards wants to “play a part in making football just highly respected in the USA as American football or basketball”.
The two youngsters talk in the interview about making their professional debuts, their first training sessions with the likes of Joshua Kimmich, getting nutmegged by Hansi Flick, their mentors, difficulties starting out in Germany, their development at the FC Bayern Campus and the rivalry with Dortmund. You can watch the whole interview in the video above!
Chris Richards
Richards was born in Birmingham, Alabama in the USA. He spent his footballing youth with the Houston Texans before joining the academy at FC Dallas. As part of an inter-club cooperation with Bayern, he crossed the Atlantic in July 2018 and began playing for the FCB U19s, featuring in the U19 Bundesliga and UEFA Youth League. Last season, the American defender played 31 times for the reserves as they won the third division, scoring an impressive four goals.
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He made his senior Bundesliga debut at the end of 2019/20 as an 84th-minute substitute in the 3-1 home win over Freiburg. This term, he’s featured twice for Hansi Flick’s team, first coming on in the 8-0 thrashing of Schalke and then making his full senior debut in the 4-3 win over Hertha Berlin, becoming the first American-born player to start for the club in the Bundesliga. He immediately had an impact as the right-back registered his first assist, of course for Robert Lewandowski. This week Richards was called up to the USMNT for the first time.
Jamal Musiala
Musiala was born in Stuttgart and lived in Fulda until he was seven. After moving to England and joining the Southampton academy, he was picked up by Chelsea before taking up residence at the FC Bayern Campus last summer. While still eligible for the FCB U17s, the forward was already part of the reserves following the coronavirus break. He bagged a brace on his debut for the team on 9 June as they went on to win the third division title as a promoted side.
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Just like Richards, the England youth international made his senior debut in the home win over Freiburg last season. Since the start of this campaign, he’s been a regular member of Flick’s first-team squad, making five Bundesliga appearances, and one each in the DFB Cup and domestic Supercup, scoring two goals. On 3 November, the teenager made his Champions League debut in the 6-2 win at Red Bull Salzburg. He’s also the club’s youngest player and goalscorer ever in the Bundesliga. This week Musiala earned his first call-up to the England U21 team.
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