A new superstar may be emerging at FC Bayern. Lennart Karl, who is only 17 years old, is impressing more and more every week. His life is currently being turned upside down by the rapid developments. Bayern have clear plans for him.
He has already earned his nickname: Lennart “Charlemagne”. The new Bayern favorite measures just 1.68 meters. Karl is therefore two centimeters shorter than his great role model Lionel Messi. While the Argentine superstar from Inter Miami resides in a ten million euro villa on a 10,000 square meter property in Fort Lauderdale, Karl still lives on the Bayern campus in one of the youth players’ 35 rooms on 18 square meters.
Lennart Karl’s sporting career took off to such an extent this season that his life is about to be turned upside down. While the 17-year-old, like many of his peers, was previously able to take the e-scooter to the bus stop to take the line to the professionals’ training on Säbener Straße, this is no longer possible. The new Bayern favorite is too well known after his two goals in the Bundesliga and Champions League. FC Bayern is now providing him with a shuttle, but of course Karl doesn’t have a driving license yet.
No player of this age has scored two goals in the first two games of the premier class before Karl. With his goal in Bayern’s first defeat of the season at Arsenal (1:3), he was the best Munich player. “I think his great strength is that he simply doesn’t make a big deal of himself, if you can put it so casually,” says Max Eberl about Karl: “He just wants to play football. He has a self-image, a self-confidence, but a healthy one, not an exaggerated one. That’s how he acted in training and in these actions he basically got this recognition from the boys.”
Karl’s advisor is Michael Ballack
What particularly impressed the sports director about Karl’s game in these young years: “You can see on the pitch: his teammates are looking for him. He harmonizes with Michael Olise. He harmonizes with Jo Kimmich. He simply has the technical skills and of course has a gifted left foot.”
The sports director only gave Karl a three-year contract in August, which will be extended until 2029 on February 22, 2026, on Karl’s 18th birthday. The contract was negotiated with ex-DFB captain Michael Ballack, who has been advising Karl for around a year.
“We spoke to Michael Ballack and thought about how we could make the contract. The main goal was to focus on all the different facets,” said Eberl. In these discussions, both sides discussed a future plan for Karl. Eberl and sports director Christoph Freund, together with coach Vincent Kompany, had already decided around the Club World Cup in the summer to concentrate on Karl. The talent was designated as back-up for Michael Olise. No new star should be bought for this position so that Karl gets the necessary playing time for his development.
“It was really a conscious decision where we said: We want to keep it smaller on offense,” confirms Eberl: “Above all, we wanted to concentrate on three players: Wisdom Mike, Cassiano Kiala and Lennart. That’s how he got his minutes and of course he used them impressively. He has this cheek and this carefree attitude on the pitch.”
With this decision, FC Bayern got ahead of other clubs that were interested in Lennart Karl and tried to lure him with playing time. According to “Sport Bild”, Newcastle United, Ajax Amsterdam and Eintracht Frankfurt, among others, tried to sign Karl.
“Lennart Karl is definitely not for sale”
What is important to Bayern and Karl’s management: The player should not be distorted or hidden from the media. Like the stars, Karl should be allowed to answer questions from reporters after the games in order to learn and develop his personality. You can hear sentences from Karl like: “Of course you can compare me with Messi, a lot of people say that.” The honest, carefree manner is also well received by the experts.
“It’s of course the greatest possible comparison that you can make. But because of his position, height, the dribbling and solutions he finds, Lennart Karl reminds me of Lionel Messi, who is also his role model,” says record national player and Sky expert Lothar Matthäus: “Karl also learned to kick on the street, he has this carefree attitude. And at this age he is further along than Messi was at the same time: Messi waited longer for a goal and Statistically, he didn’t have the playing time that Karl is getting now.”
Karl should grow as a footballer on the pitch, but continue to take things slowly in his private life. His parents will be moving from Frammersbach (near Frankfurt/M.) to Munich next year. Until then, the 17-year-old should stay on campus and concentrate on his secondary school diploma next year. After that, he could be offered a trip to America instead of a final trip – to the World Cup with the national team.
“He’s definitely a candidate for the World Cup,” says Matthäus, who adds with a smile: “Lennart Karl is definitely not for sale, his market value is very high. But I don’t want to specify any numbers – so that Uli Hoeneß has no reason to complain like he did with Nick Woltemade.”
The text was created for the Sports Competence Center (WELT, SPORT BILD, BILD) and first published in SPORT BILD.
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