The turmoil surrounding Lennart Karl has accompanied FC Bayern over the past few days – and came to an end internally sooner than many would have expected. The 17-year-old’s outspoken statement during a fan club visit, in which he described Real Madrid as his „dream club“, had caused significant criticism, especially on social networks. Now those responsible at the record champions have made it clear: the issue has been dealt with. Karl also tried to calm FCB supporters with a gesture
Just one day after the much-discussed statements, Karl drew the consequences. The attacking youngster apologised internally to those responsible – voluntarily and without being asked to do so. Sporting director Christoph Freund confirmed during the test match against RB Salzburg (5:0) that the player had very quickly realised how unfortunate his words could be taken. In conversation, Karl made it clear that he feels extremely comfortable at FC Bayern and is enjoying the current phase of his career
Freund put the situation into perspective and referred to Karl’s past: as a child, the 17-year-old completed a trial training session at Real Madrid – an experience that was a dream come true for him at the time. However, the key message from Bayern’s point of view is that Karl’s present and development are taking place in Munich. And there is no doubt about that internally
Eberl remains calm: „That was never an issue for us“
Head of Sport Max Eberl was also remarkably relaxed about the incident. For him, it was a typical situation of a young player who speaks freely and realizes in retrospect that words can be interpreted differently. Karl himself recognized that his statement was misleading and addressed this openly
Eberl also took the opportunity to share his personal experience with the talented player. Mistakes are part of development – especially in a phase in which a player is suddenly the focus of public attention. The „Lenny that nobody knew“ has now become Lennart Karl, who the whole of footballing Germany is talking about. This process brings with it learning moments – on and off the pitch
Karl reassures Bayern fans
Lennart
Karl scores – and hits the „Calma, calma“ celebration#RBSFCB pic.twitter.com/lyaTrIpZtA
– Victor Catalina (@vcatalina96) January 6, 2026
Karl himself did not speak after the Salzburg game, but the youngster delivered on the pitch. With two goals and an assist, he was instrumental in Munich’s successful test performance. Particularly interesting: after his first goal, he did not celebrate with outstretched arms in front of the Bayern fans as usual, but opted for the „Calma, calma“ gesture of Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese first introduced the calma cheer during his time at Real Madrid. After a goal, he showed the crowd open palms facing downwards, signalling calm – a clear message towards the FCB supporters
The furore surrounding his statement may have made waves in public, but calm has long since returned internally. At FC Bayern, they know that a 17-year-old is allowed to make mistakes – it’s how he deals with them that counts. And that’s exactly what Lennart Karl did.