Bayern Munich prodigy Lennart Karl has been defended for revealing he “definitely” wants to play for Real Madrid at some point.
The 17-year-old only made his debut for the Bundesliga champions in August, but has already made history with his form this season.
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The club’s academy graduate is the youngest player in history to score in his first two Champions League appearances.
Karl also became Bayern’s youngest ever goalscorer in the competition and also holds the title of youngest player to score and assist in a Bundesliga game.
However, the teenager caused a stir at an event organized by fans group Die Roten when he described European rivals Real Madrid as his dream club.
Lennart Karl shares the dream of Real Madrid
“FC Bayern is a very big club. It’s a dream to play there. But at some point I definitely want to go to Real Madrid,” said Karl.
“The [Madrid] is my dream club, but let’s keep it between ourselves.
His public appeal was not well received by Bayern, and Karl switched off his Instagram comments due to the heated reaction.
European superstars are no stranger to moving between Bayern and Madrid, from Arjen Robben to Xabi Alonso to David Alaba.
However, Bayern’s young star Toni Kroos was infamously booed upon his return to the Allianz Arena with Los Blancos in April 2024.
European football expert Andy Brassell said that Vincent Kompany’s team is currently particularly sensitive to the issue.
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Commenting on Karl’s comments, he told The Pitch Prospect.com: “I guess his emergence was so sudden that they just couldn’t do that much media training for him.”
“Because it’s something a 17-year-old would say, right? I’d really like to play for Real Madrid someday. Sure, wouldn’t we all?”
“I think there are two ways to look at it. One is that it’s really cocky to say something like that.”
But secondly, I think the way it was meant is actually quite sweet and healing.
“Someone who’s out there making their dreams come true. But until recently, they were dreams. They were a thing of the future.”
“He accomplished so much in such a short period of time.”
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Karl defended Real Madrid’s comments
Bayern legend Lothar Matthäus was one of the few who surprisingly defended the teenager and instead praised his ambition.
Brassell agreed, adding: “I don’t get the impression that he’s saying, ‘Fine, I’ll just play a few more games for Bayern, that’s great, and then I’ll go next year.’ I don’t have that impression at all.
“He knows that at least his medium-term future belongs to Bayern.
Apparently he agrees with it.
“He’s out there at 17 years old and making amazing things happen. But I think that in the past people wouldn’t bat an eyelid if players had said: ‘Real Madrid is my dream one day.’
“Of course these days it feels like everything is a possible transfer revelation.”
“Even a 17-year-old speaks innocently and openly about his dreams, and that’s all it is, a dream, you have to understand it as it is meant, because everyone dreams of playing for Real Madrid one day.”
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“FC Bayern is particularly sensitive at the moment”
“I think if a less capable player had said that at another point in his career it wouldn’t have been a big deal at all,” he continued.
“I also suspect that Bayern are particularly sensitive at the moment.
“Given that they’ve missed out on some really big goals recently, so when you look at Florian Wirtz, who they thought they’d got it, and Nick Woltemade, who they thought they’d got it, it hurts their pride a little bit.”
“Bayern know they are a huge club and they know they are one of the best teams in Europe and they know they are capable of winning both the Champions League and the Bundesliga this season.”
“But out there in the transfer market, at the absolute elite level, the reality is harsh.”
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“The fact is that they have recently shown their true position when it comes to the current situation in European football.”
“Maybe the transfers aren’t at the absolute elite level.”
“You can understand why certain people close to Bavaria and Bayern might be a little taken aback by Karl’s words, even if they are just the words of a spitting 17-year-old.”