Michael Ballack says: Defends Lennart Karl of FC Bayern Munich
Michael Ballack defended the statements of Bayern youngster Lennart Karl after the 17‑year‑old spoke about his dream of one day playing for Real Madrid at a New Year's reception. Ballack commented on the podcast Kerners11 about the controversies surrounding the young FC Bayern Munich talent.
Months ago, Bayern youngster Lennart Karl caused a stir with an innocent comment about his dream club. His prominent adviser showed little understanding for the reactions.
In the podcast Kerners11, Michael Ballack explained that the remark was “nothing serious” and that Karl had merely spoken about a wish to one day play for Real Madrid. With this, he wanted to defuse the criticism of his young client.
The 50‑year‑old former captain also criticised the common media practice of asking for a favourite club besides FC Bayern and then disregarding such answers. He stressed that this practice often leads to misunderstandings.
Karl expresses dream of Real Madrid
At the New Year's reception of the Bayern fan club “Burgsinn 1980”, the then 17‑year‑old Karl openly said that Real Madrid was his dream club and that he wanted to play there someday. He emphasised that FC Bayern is a great club, but his personal dream remains Real Madrid.
The Bayern management stood protectively behind the teenager; sporting director Christoph Freund noted that he spoke like a 17‑year‑old lad and that the statement had been unfortunate. The officials wanted to close the matter quickly.
Career and contract details
Karl had already completed a trial at Real Madrid at the age of ten and moved in 2022 via Eintracht Frankfurt and Viktoria Aschaffenburg to FC Bayern Munich. The transfer marked the start of his rapid rise in German professional football.
In the previous season he scored nine goals and provided eight assists in 40 appearances, won the double of the league and the DFB‑Cup, and earned three senior national team caps under Julian Nagelsmann. These performances cemented his place in the squad.
Shortly before the start of the World Cup he had to miss out due to a muscle injury and missed the tournament. The injury occurred only a few days before the first match.
His contract runs until the summer 2029; in the current season he has one goal and one assist in five short appearances. Thus he remains an important part of the squad for the future.