“You don’t have to do it at 18”
Hoeneß announces reprimand for Bayern’s young star
May 5, 2026 – 10:08 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
In April, Lennart Karl attracted attention away from football and appeared in a pink outfit. Uli Hoeneß didn’t like that.
Bavaria’s honorary president Uli Hoeneß has announced a conversation with young star Lennart Karl. “I think at some point when I see him, I’ll take Lennart aside and tell him what’s important in life and what’s not,” he said in an interview with DAZN. The reason: “You don’t have to appear on the Internet in a pink suit.”
What had happened? Karl attracted attention in an extravagant outfit at the quarter-final second leg of the Champions League between FC Bayern and Real Madrid. The 18-year-old was dressed entirely in pink – from shoes to pants, top and hat.
The Bayern patron disliked Karl’s public image. In response to the objection that Michael Olise, for example, regularly arrives at the French national team wearing a striking outfit, Hoeneß said: “Yes, but he is already a world star, so he can do that.” However, a pink suit is “never sensible”. Karl should understand “that he has to convince people through football. He has to inspire people on the pitch,” said Hoeneß. If Karl then “drives a flashy car or something similar, then that’s a different matter. But you don’t have to do that at 18.”
Aleksandar Pavlović tried to explain himself after the game: “I think you know the guy. You know the boy, he wants to stand out. You saw that again today.” And further: “What he should do is his thing,” said Pavlović. Users on social media took a closer look at the outfit. Some people compared Karl to a Teletubby or the Pink Panther.
