“Border Crosser”: Expert Puts the Controversy Surrounding Bayern Star Olise into Perspective | OneFootball

Michael Olise is currently polarizing fans like almost no other Bayern Munich player. While the Frenchman performs at the highest level on the field, his behavior off the field regularly sparks debate. Brief interviews, unusual outfits, and his demonstrative reserve toward the public have earned him a distinctive image.

Sports marketing expert Raphael Brinkert, however, does not see this as a fundamental problem. The founder of the BrinkertLück agency explained in an interview with the tz that Olise stands out from the crowd precisely because of his unusual nature.

“Absolutely world-class on the field, extraordinary off the field,” is how Brinkert sums up his perception of the 24-year-old. Olise stands in contrast to many other professional soccer players, and that is precisely why he is the subject of intense discussion.

Bayern cannot fully capitalize on Olise’s market potential

According to the expert, this attitude certainly has implications for FC Bayern. While Harry Kane can be marketed as a classic model professional, Olise works in a completely different way.

“The Bundesliga currently has two absolute world stars: Harry Kane as the model professional and Michael Olise as the ‘bad boy.’ FC Bayern cannot fully capitalize on Olise’s rising global brand—that’s a marketing handicap—but as long as he keeps playing the way he is right now, that’s unlikely to matter to anyone involved.”

Brinkert also doesn’t expect any major difficulties when it comes to acquiring sponsors. FC Bayern markets itself primarily as a community and has enough high-profile players who can be featured in promotional activities. Olise could therefore take on a smaller role or be left out entirely of certain campaigns.

At the same time, the marketing expert believes that Olise’s behavior might even be of interest to younger fans in particular. The Frenchman largely refrains from traditional self-promotion, yet he remains a constant topic of conversation.

“Pushing the boundaries in the public sphere”

Photo: IMAGO

For Brinkert, the key factor is the clear distinction between Olise’s public persona and his conduct as a professional soccer player.

“Very important: He pushes boundaries in the public sphere, not in the sporting one—neither in the locker room, nor during practice, nor during games. You also don’t hear anything negative from his teammates.”

That’s exactly why Brinkert believes Bayern’s current approach to handling their star forward is the right one. The club largely gives Olise his freedom and doesn’t try to publicly change his personality.

However, the expert also sees a risk in this for the player himself. “With his attitude, though, Olise is putting himself under enormous pressure to perform.” As long as his performances remain consistently at a world-class level and the team dynamic isn’t compromised, the club can overlook it.

Even potential suitors like Real Madrid are unlikely, in Brinkert’s assessment, to be deterred by Olise’s image. In top-tier international soccer, sporting quality is ultimately what matters most.

Brinkert’s conclusion is correspondingly clear: “Michael Olise is the antihero off the field, but the hero on the field.” As long as this combination works, he sees little reason for Bayern, sponsors, and fans to make a big deal out of Olise’s quirks.