There were four 17-year-olds in the national team
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Bayern talent Lennart Karl to the World Cup? Coach Vincent Kompany has a clear idea of what will happen next for the career of the 17-year-old dream goalscorer from the Champions League. “If you play well at Bayern, there can always be a bonus. But the focus first has to be on performing here and learning and getting better here,” said the record champions’ coach.
Karl was one of the biggest winners in the Bundesliga’s latest market value update, increasing his market value from 1.5 million to 20 million euros. This makes him one of the three most valuable talents in the world up to the age of 17.
Karl also there against Gladbach?
Kompany left it open whether the offensive all-rounder, who scored a dream goal to make it 1-0 against FC Brugge in Munich’s 4-0 win in the premier class, will also be allowed to play against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday. What he wants to see from the 17-year-old, however, is not the case. “Focus on training, focus on his minutes and that he shows in his minutes that he has fun and qualities,” said the 39-year-old.
“Now he has to enjoy it,” advised Kompany, who once made his debut for the Belgian national team at the age of 17. Young players have no pressure, which is why this time is “very important to show the positive things about football”. Now the hype is big, but “if he doesn’t play well three or four times and doesn’t score any goals, then there will be drama.”
Kompany: Nagelsmann has to make difficult decisions
The hype surrounding Karl after only his ninth competitive game for the Bayern professionals was so great that there were questions about the offensive player’s World Cup chances. Kompany doesn’t want to get involved. “Of course I have respect for Mr. Nagelsmann, he has to make so many difficult decisions. He doesn’t need my opinion again about how he should set up his squad,” said the Munich coach. “My focus as Bayern coach is that Lennart first becomes a Bayern success.”
But that is primarily the responsibility of Karl himself. As a player, he has to try to get better and better. “That won’t work if you think too far ahead.” Should Nagelsmann let Karl make his national team debut before his 18th birthday on February 22nd, he would be only the fifth player to play for the DFB as a 17-year-old.
This was last achieved in November 2022 by Youssoufa Moukoko, who was subsequently unable to assert himself at BVB and moved to FC Copenhagen for 5 million euros this summer. Moukoko was the first 17-year-old to wear a national team jersey since Uwe Seeler in October 1954.
Bayern sports director Eberl: That’s the talent plan
Sports director Max Eberl once again outlined the plan for the talent. “We decided in the summer to focus on talent and to give Wisdom Mike, Lennart Karl and Cassiano Kiala the chance. Lennart did very well against Bruges. But he also has to keep working,” said Eberl. “It’s clear that we want to build on the campus. The campus has already done a very good job.”
Nevertheless, the list of talents trained at FC Bayern who also play for Munich in the Bundesliga is manageable. If you look at the most valuable players who played on Säbener Straße in their youth and were subsequently used in the Bundesliga, you will find many names there – very few of them did so in the Bayern jersey.
Nevertheless, great successes have been achieved in recent years after a long dry spell with Jamal Musiala, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Josip Stanisic and Karl. Other well-known players who wanted to take the next step at another club include Angelo Stiller (VfB), Malik Tillman (Bayer), Joshua Zirkzee (Man Utd) and Paul Wanner (PSV).