Coach Jesse Marsch ignored player opinions and a player injured from excessive participation exploded in frustration.

Alfonso Davies (25, Bayern Munich) collapsed due to a torn ligament. Then, his agent unleashed anger towards Jesse Marsch, the Canada national team coach.

German sports outlet Sport1 reported on the 26th (Korean time) that "Davies' agent raised serious allegations against the Canada national team and Marsch. Davies' agent, Nick Hussein, criticized that the player’s torn ligament could have been 100% prevented after he got injured."

Davies was injured during the 3rd-4th place playoff between Canada and the U.S. in the 2024 North America, Central America and Caribbean Football Confederation (CONCACAF) Nations League held on the 24th. He started the match but collapsed from an injury just 12 minutes into the game.

After the match, Davies was seen walking alone, but a detailed examination revealed a torn ligament. The rehabilitation period is estimated to be as long as 6 months. His season is confirmed to be over.

Bayern issued a statement via their club website, saying, "Davies has a torn ligament. Bayern will have to spend a long time without him after the international break." They added, "Davies was diagnosed with a torn right knee ligament after returning from the Canada national team. He is scheduled to undergo surgery today and is expected to not appear for several months."

This is a major setback for Bayern. The starting left-back, Davies, collapsed just after re-signing with Bayern. The fact that the surgery went well is a small consolation.

Davies' future for next season is uncertain. His contract is set to expire this summer, but he has struggled to find a re-signing agreement. In response, Bayern successfully secured Davies by offering a re-signing bonus of 22 million euros (approximately 34.8 billion won) and an annual salary of 15 million euros (approximately 23.4 billion won). However, before he could celebrate, the accident that ended his season occurred.

Max Eberl, Bayern's director, said, "Unfortunately, there is always a risk that players will return with injuries during the international break. This time, it is a significant blow. The absence of Davies and Upamecano is a heavy burden for Bayern."

He added, "Davies will receive all the support needed for his recovery. Additionally, we will closely monitor Upamecano over the next few weeks and expect him to return soon. However, our squad is strong enough to overcome this. We will cooperate even more, and we have the ability to pursue ambitious goals."

However, a shocking claim emerged that Davies' torn ligament was an injury that could have been prevented. In fact, he was not in normal condition before the game against the U.S. Despite this, Coach Marsch insisted on using Davies, which led to the accident. Marsch was previously linked to the South Korea national team but is currently managing the Canada national team.

Davies' agent Hussein revealed, "I think Coach Marsch should have handled the situation better. The injury could have been 100% avoided. Coach Marsch was also a professional player. He would have known that if players said they cannot participate in a match, it is a risk that should not be taken."

He also expressed anger, stating, "I think Davies felt pressure from Coach Marsch as the captain. He is not the type to refuse in such moments. In the end, Davies played in the game, and they saw what happened. The health of the players should be the top priority. The national team must better protect the players."

Meanwhile, journalist Philipp Kessler from Germany's 'TZ' echoed the same sentiment. He stated, "Davies should not have participated in the game against the U.S. I was surprised to see him on the starting list because he said he could not play as a starter. According to sources from the Canada federation, Davies said he should only play for a few minutes at most. I said he should not play at all."

Meanwhile, Bayern Munich faced not only the injury of Davies but also that of Dayot Upamecano. He is expected to undergo surgery for left knee arthritis. Initially, it seemed that he could recover in about 4 to 6 weeks, but now it is unclear when he will return.

If Upamecano is out, the only specialized center-backs will be Kim Min-jae and Eric Dier. Hiroki Ito and Josip Stanišić can also play center-back, but they are not specialized in central defense within a back four. Furthermore, Ito is likely to take over the left back position in place of Davies.

The problem is that Kim Min-jae's condition is also poor. He has been sidelined since the match against Union Berlin on the 15th due to an Achilles problem. At that time, coach Vincent Kompany emphasized, "It is already known that there is an issue with Kim Min-jae's Achilles. We need to manage this so that the burden does not fall solely on him."

[OSEN]