From ball boy to national player within six years. This balance can become reality for Aleksandar Pavlovic this week. As a youth player at FC Bayern, he used to help in the stadium and asked the then star James for a photo together. Next Thursday is likely to be a special day for the 19-year-old: At 2 p.m., national coach Julian Nagelsmann will announce his squad for the upcoming international matches against France and the Netherlands at a press conference in Frankfurt/Main.
Pavlovic, whose parents come from Serbia and who was born in Munich, could be one of the nominees; the national coach is enthusiastic about the performances of the shooting star of the German soccer record champions. The Serbian association is also fighting for talent. A week ago, a delegation traveled to Munich to convince Pavlovic. The player does not want to comment publicly on his tendencies. Serbia has qualified for a European Championship for the first time, the tournament in Germany begins on June 14th in Munich.
His colleagues hope that he will choose the German Football Association (DFB). Pavlovic was already nominated for the German U20 at the end of last year. As long as a player has not completed any senior international matches for a nation, he can still change associations. “This is a decision that everyone has to make for themselves. But if I could give Aleks a recommendation, I would choose the DFB if I were him,” said national player Leon Goretzka. “I’m a big fan of Aleks, who is playing with total freedom at the moment. This is also really good for me personally. It’s fun to see how he’s enjoying every second right now.”
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Aleksandar “Aleks” Pavlovic – it is one of the most special stories of this Bundesliga season. A personality that gives German football hope. Which is a success story for FC Bayern in this so far troubled and unsuccessful season. And which also has a special meaning for coach Thomas Tuchel.
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The 50-year-old has been accused in recent months of not developing the players enough and of not improving under him. Pavlovic initially only played because the hoped-for transfers for the midfield didn’t work out. But now it is much more than an emergency solution. He has developed enormously under Tuchel and feels his trust. Tuchel played a significant role in his career.
And it has helped to satisfy the fans’ longing: the longing for a player from their own youth who will make it to the top, like David Alaba, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Philipp Lahm and Thomas Müller once did. Although Pavlovic is still a long way from the status of these club legends. Record national player Lothar Matthäus believes that Pavlovic can become as big as those mentioned.
Aleksandar Pavlovic came to Bayern with seven
At the age of seven, Pavlovic moved from SC Fürstenfeldbruck to Bayern’s youth team. He was allowed to train with the professionals for the first time as an 18-year-old under the then Bayern coach Nagelsmann. Last May, his successor Tuchel called him up for the Bundesliga squad for the first time. The breakthrough this season: Pavlovic has already played nine times from the start and recently scored his first league goal in a 3-2 away win against FC Augsburg, and a week later in a 3-1 win against Borussia Mönchengladbach his first league goal in the Munich stadium. “I was a ball boy here for several years. To score a goal in front of these fans is just fantastic. FC Bayern means everything to me,” said Pavlovic.
He was one of Bayern’s best in one of the most important games of the season so far: in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Lazio Rome (3-0) last week, he had a pass rate of 94 percent. It impresses with its technology and overview. “He is also extremely willing to learn, ambitious and very determined when it comes to his goals,” said sports director Christoph Freund. “I think Julian Nagelsmann is watching us and looking very closely. I’m a huge fan of Aleks. There is no way around him if the German national team can have a player like that.”
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WELT asked Tuchel: How much does your coach’s heart open when you look at Pavlovic’s development? “He had a smile on his face from the first training session. “He always came to training with a smile,” Tuchel replied. “In addition to his athletic abilities, he has always shown what a fine guy he is and how grateful he is for this opportunity. You can just see his childlike joy at being on the pitch. His confidence comes from his play.”
Before the groundbreaking game against Lazio, Pavlovic consistently impressed in training. “You never know if a player can show that under competitive conditions, under pressure,” said Tuchel. Pavlovic did. “It’s nice to see that he can implement it in the game with the same self-confidence, with the same mentality and with the same quality, no matter who is on the other side and no matter what the situation is “It’s a cup game, a Champions League game or a Bundesliga game,” said Tuchel. “He deserves the greatest compliment for that.”
Professional contract in Munich until 2027
Tuchel will leave FC Bayern in the summer. The developed Pavlovic will be one of his legacies. “Alex has now established himself and is doing an excellent job,” said Jan-Christian Dreesen, CEO of FC Bayern. “As a real Munich player, he made it into the first team – our fans dream that stories like this become reality, and we feel the same way at the club.” His path should be a role model for talent.
Bayern recently gave the shooting star a professional contract until 2027. Pavlovic gets advice from the agency of Dieter Hoeneß, the brother of Uli Hoeneß, honorary president of his club. “Aleks would be good for the German national team with his cheekiness. He will have to prove himself, but I think he has a good chance,” said Dieter Hoeneß in the BILD SPORT talk on WELT TV.
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In the 8-1 win against 1. FSV Mainz 05 on Saturday, Pavlovic was suspended after his fifth yellow card. He still has the best chance of keeping his place in central midfield. In the now well-rehearsed back four, Tuchel relies on Eric Dier and Matthijs de Ligt in central defense and Joshua Kimmich as right-back. In the position in which Kimmich should also play at the European Championships. “It is also an advantage for German football that they are now playing there,” said sports director Max Eberl.
Goretzka and Pavlovic complement each other in Bayern’s central midfield. On Saturday (3:30 p.m., Sky) Bayern will face bottom-placed SV Darmstadt 98. The following Monday could be Pavlovic’s first trip to the senior national team. His special football story is far from over. She has just begun.
