Michael Olise is considered one of FC Bayern’s biggest transfer coups in recent years. The Frenchman came to Munich from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2024 for a comparatively modest €53 million – and quickly became a fixture in the record champions‘ attack. But his path to the top of Europe was anything but straightforward
The fact that Olise is performing at the highest level today comes as little surprise to one man in particular: Veljko Paunovic. The current Serbian national team coach worked intensively with Olise at Reading FC in the 2020/21 season – when he was just 18 years old
„We had the opportunity to work with Michael at Reading when he was only 18 years old. And he was one of the key players that season,“ Paunovic recalls in an interview with the Münchner Merkur. The decisive factor was to give the attacking player a clear role early on. „We gave him this role – the role of a player from whom you had to demand more because of his talent. And that’s exactly what he wanted.“
The young Olise did not shy away from the pressure, but rather sought it out. „He responded very well to the demands and pressure to perform that exist in professional soccer at the highest level,“ Paunovic continued. A characteristic that is also clearly recognizable at FC Bayern today
The perfect role on the pitch
Paunovic recognized early on where Olise could develop his greatest potential. „We showed Michael where we could best use him on the pitch and where we believed – based on performance and statistics – he would do the most damage to the opposition,“ explains the coach
The analysis led to a clear insight: „We found that he had the best stats in terms of goals and assists when he started as a right winger in a 4-2-3-1 system and moved inside.“ This is exactly the role Olise plays today under Vincent Kompany – with enormous success
At the same time, the young Frenchman had to learn to dose his enthusiasm for the game. „Especially in his younger years, he often came very far back, almost like a six, to collect the ball,“ says Paunovic. „That was basically good, but sometimes he took too many risks. We had to guide him.“
„He prefers to assist rather than score goals himself“
For Paunovic, what sets Olise apart is above all his intelligence. „His most important qualities are his vertical passes, with which he breaks lines, and his balls behind the defence,“ enthuses the ex-professional. Added to this is his special mentality: „He prefers to assist rather than score goals himself – although he has an excellent shot.“
Olise also stood out early on in set-piece situations. „He’s a specialist in resting balls,“ says Paunovic. In the end, he was even entrusted with the penalties. „He was very happy to take responsibility – and did it very well.“
For Paunovic, Olise was more than just a talent. „Our coaching staff saw Michael as a project. You just had to steer his youthful spirit in the right direction,“ he explains looking back. „That was a positive thing, but it had to be managed well – the way you see it today.“
Today, it is impossible to imagine FC Bayern without Michael Olise. His steep rise is no coincidence, but the result of exceptional talent, a willingness to learn – and coaches who recognized early on how to make the right use of this talent