Lennart Karl’s flamboyant goal celebration during FC Bayern’s 2-0 away win against Atlético Madrid continues to spark debate. After scoring the opening goal, the 18-year-old caused a stir with a demonstrative “blah-blah” gesture. Many observers interpreted this as a reaction to recent criticism from Uli Hoeneß and Max Eberl. Lothar Matthäus, however, sees the situation in a much more relaxed light.
The all-time leading German international explicitly defended the Bayern prospect in an interview with BILD. In his view, the gesture was intended neither as a provocation against club officials nor as an attack on the media. Rather, Karl was expressing his desire for less public attention.
This comes against the backdrop of discussions about Karl’s performance and his public image. Hoeneß, in particular, had recently spoken out clearly and announced his intention to have a “serious conversation” with the youngster. The Bayern honorary president called for more humility and emphasized that Karl is far from being a superstar.
Matthäus Defends Karl: “Not a Malicious Gesture”
“You could interpret it this way: ‘Calm down, just let me play soccer,’” Matthäus explained, referring to the controversial goal celebration.
The 1990 World Cup champion emphasized that he did not see it as a deliberate provocation.
The gesture was “not directed at the media or Uli Hoeneß or Max Eberl.” Rather, Karl’s main concern is being able to focus on his athletic responsibilities. “He wants to be left alone, just like anyone else,” Matthäus clarified.
In his view, the fact that the 18-year-old behaves differently off the field than previous generations of players is not a problem. “That’s just part of soccer today,” explained the former Bayern captain.
Bayern apparently wanted to prevent further questions
However, FC Bayern’s handling of the discussion after the game was also noteworthy. As reported by BILD, press spokesman Dieter Nickles apparently tried to prevent questions about the celebratory gesture in the mixed zone.
A question on the matter directed at Tom Bischof was reportedly blocked immediately. Sporting director Max Eberl also did not want to further fuel the discussion. “Lennart Karl is an important player for us; we’ve never denied that,” emphasized the 53-year-old.
Karl “worked hard against Atlético and was rewarded with a goal,” Eberl said. According to Eberl, he didn’t even notice the controversial celebration gesture.
Matthäus understands that Bayern wants to put an end to the issue as quickly as possible. “They wanted some peace and quiet and were therefore overly cautious,” the TV analyst surmised.
Mats Hummels, on the other hand, took a much more critical view of the Bayern youngster’s action. The former national team player criticized on Amazon Prime that the “blah-blah” celebration is now seen far too often. “We’re seeing that way too often these days,” Hummels explained, pointing out that even children are now imitating the gesture.