It is a very German disposition to downplay the hype around a young player.
Lennart Karl is the latest Bayern Munich youth academy player to generate a lot of excitement. The highly talented winger has caught the eye through his technique, dribbling and especially his scoring touch. His first half of the season, in which he registered 23 goals and 10 assists in 14 games, really stood out. Those stats were inflated by the lowered difficulty of the first half of the new league format and Karl was challenged to repeat the feat in the more challenging second and third phases of the league format-this time with the U-19s.
Yet he passed those tests with flying colors as well, becoming the U-19’s key player in a matter of months. This spectacular form saw him rewarded with multiple appearances in the first team’s squad, including a Champions League quarterfinal match up against Inter Milan. He was even part of the Bundesliga title celebrations.
Yet, despite all this growth, it is important to help keep the 17-year-old’s feet on the ground. Speaking to reporter Maximilian Koch, Bayern campus sporting director Markus Weinzierl spoke carefully of Karl, his qualities and also the need to be wary of the hype: “The fact that he’s playing for the U19s as an U17 player is the next step for him. He’s a great kid, very comfortable in his day-to-day life, and he’s down-to-earth,” the former Augsburg head coach said, as captured by @iMiaSanMia. “I kept thinking: What will it be like when he’s at the top? How will he handle it? It’s not easy for young guys, all this hype. But he’s doing really well; he’s ambitious every day.”
Hopefully that ambition will remain at Bayern. Given his contract expires in 2026 and clubs like Real Madrid have been circling, there are no guarantees. But he has the ambition and the potential. Hopefully, we will see that potential realized one day in Munich. As long as everyone is careful to not get too excited.
