“Something Special”: Bayern’s Rising Star Karl Is Compared to Haaland | OneFootball

Lennart Karl is considered one of FC Bayern’s greatest talents. Over the past few months, the 18-year-old has already shown glimpses of his potential on several occasions. One person who was convinced of the offensive player’s extraordinary abilities very early on is Hermann Gerland.

The Bayern legend has mentored and nurtured numerous young players throughout his long career. In Karl’s case, it apparently didn’t take Gerland long to recognize that he was dealing with a special talent. However, the experienced youth development expert didn’t want to be blinded by a single standout performance.

In an interview with the Abendzeitung München, Gerland revealed that he watched Karl time and again—and was impressed anew each time. “I’ve seen the kid play ten times, and all ten times he was the best player on the field. If I see a player just once, I have to wait and see. But when I watch a young player with this kind of talent ten times, then I know he’s going to be something special. It was the same good feeling I quickly had about Erling Haaland.”

Gerland watched Karl ten times—and was impressed all ten times

It was his consistency in particular that seems to have convinced Gerland back then. A young soccer player can always have one outstanding game. From the perspective of the longtime Bayern coach, however, Karl managed to stand out every single time he watched him.

It’s remarkable that Gerland even draws a comparison to Erling Haaland here. The 72-year-old had also discovered the Norwegian at a young age and recommended that FC Bayern sign him.

Gerland had seen Haaland play for a Norwegian youth team at the time and was immediately convinced of his potential. A few days later, the then-Molde forward even visited the Bayern campus. Ultimately, a transfer did not materialize.

From Munich’s perspective, the situation with Karl is quite different. The attacking player has already made the leap from the club’s youth system to the first team and is set to be gradually brought up to the highest level at the record champions.

Karl is expected to establish himself at Bayern

Photo: IMAGO

After his injury layoff, Karl is currently working on finding his rhythm again. Vincent Kompany has high hopes for the youngster and particularly values his technical skills and offensive versatility.

Gerland’s comments highlight just how highly the potential of this Bayern gem was rated from an early stage. The comparison to Haaland does not refer to playing style or position. Rather, Gerland is describing the feeling of having recognized extraordinary talent in a young player.

That is certainly a huge compliment. During his long tenure at FC Bayern, Gerland has guided numerous future professionals on their paths and is considered a proven expert in youth soccer.

Whether Karl can have a career as extraordinary as Haaland’s remains to be seen in the coming years. In any case, Gerland seems to have long been convinced that the 18-year-old has what it takes for a great career.