Bavaria’s teenagers are thrilled
Lennart Karl: Ex-DFB captain is his advisor
November 25, 2025 – 4:28 p.mReading time: 3 minutes
Lennart Karl is already considered a national player. But which prominent ex-professional is his advisor? And who is his role model?
When Lennart Karl set off for London with the FC Bayern entourage on Tuesday, the anticipation for the top game of the Champions League at Arsenal FC (Wednesday, 9 p.m. in the t-online live ticker) must have been huge. For the first time, the 17-year-old exceptional talent is taking part in a business trip to the island with the professionals.
The excitement would certainly have been even greater if Karl had been able to look forward to meeting his role model. But Gunners captain Martin Ødegaard may not be there. After an injury, the captain was still in development, but was there for the final training session. A short assignment on Wednesday would perhaps be within the realm of possibility.
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Karl once explained in a club interview what fascinates him about the Norwegian: “He’s also left-footed, plays in the playmaker position, has a good overview and a good finish. He was also at a big club early on (Real Madrid, Note d. Red) in focus and ultimately developed into a world-class player over several loan spells. He showed that in addition to talent, patience and mentality are also necessary.”
However, Karl and FC Bayern are not currently thinking about loan placements. On the contrary. Karl is planned to be an integral part of the future Bayern squad. As an underage player, he currently still has a sponsorship contract. It was only extended until 2028 in August. A three-year term is the maximum for a player under 18.
Karl will come of age in February 2026. If his performance continues to be outstanding until then, a professional contract with performance-related remuneration will probably be negotiated directly, which will replace the previous sponsorship contract.
The club officials will begin discussions about the next Karl contract with one of their ex-players. Because: Michael Ballack, midfield director for the record champions between 2002 and 2006, is Karl’s advisor. The former captain of the German national team acts as managing director of the Lucky 13 agency and looks after the teenager.