Before debut with U21
©IMAGO
Lennart Karl is one of the shooting stars of this Bundesliga season. The youngster from FC Bayern has played eight times in the German top flight and has already recorded his first goal and his first assist. As a result, the attacking midfielder was one of the biggest winners in the last market value update, increasing by €18.5 million to €20 million. He has now been rewarded with a first-time call-up for the German U21 national team, for which the 17-year-old is set to make his debut on Friday against Malta.
Karl found out about the appointment during a routine examination at the doctor, as he said in an interview with “DFB.de” reported. He “didn’t hear Antonio Di Salvo’s call at first, which is why I received a message in which the head coach asked me to call me back. So I called back, and then Toni told me that I had earned the nomination for the upcoming U21 international matches because of my performance at FC Bayern Munich.”
Carrying the eagle on his chest “means a lot” to him, emphasized Karl. Most recently he played at association level for the U17s, but now he is skipping a few years. “I feel very welcomed because I know a few guys well – Tom Bischof, Noel Aseko and Arijon Ibrahimovic, for example. The situation is similar to that at the club. At FC Bayern I made the jump to the professionals a little earlier. So everything fits,” emphasized Karl, who wants to become a regular with the German youth team. “I want to show my strengths and work on my weaknesses. My goal is to get a lot of playing time, but I have to earn it first. Even as a younger player, I expect myself to play right from the start.”
FC Bayern’s Karl about role models and goals
Karl also spoke about other topics beyond the U21. He “clearly named Lionel Messi” as his childhood idol. At the Bayern club he learned primarily from Michael Olise and Luis Díaz, “especially when it comes to movements. Of course you can copy things, but you also have to show your own strengths,” said Karl, who also praised coach Vincent Kompany. Working with him “naturally makes him better every day.”
At the beginning of their career, every footballer, including the left-footed player, has big goals – and not just on the field. “That definitely includes my school leaving certificate, then that would be out of my mind. I also want to get my driver’s license and have my own car when I’m 18, so everything will be easier. I just want to consistently show my performance on the pitch.”