"Have to let the youngsters go": Effenberg sends clear message to Bayern | OneFootball

In an interview with Sport BILD, Stefan Effenberg made his position on youth development at FC Bayern clear. The former captain and 2001 Champions League winner is calling on those in charge to show more courage in dealing with young talents and believes that now is the ideal time to bring young players to the forefront.

“You have to let the youngsters go. And you have to do it now,” emphasized Effenberg in his conversation with Sport BILD. In particular, players like the just 17-year-old Lennart Karl need to be integrated early. For Effenberg, the current phase of the season is crucial: “When the season enters its decisive stage, I don’t know if the club will have the courage to just play them.”

That’s why, in the “Tiger’s” opinion, the youngsters need to make use of the coming months: “From now until December, they have to prove themselves,” he demanded. Whether it’s Karl, Jonah Kusi-Asare, or other campus talents—Effenberg sees it as Bayern’s duty to make their youth development visible on the pitch as well.

Wirtz and Woltemade: Lost Opportunities

Photo: IMAGO

Effenberg also analyzed the past transfer summer, in which two top German talents made the leap to the Premier League. Both Nick Woltemade, who moved from VfB Stuttgart to Newcastle United for at least 75 million euros, and Florian Wirtz, who transferred from Bayer Leverkusen to FC Liverpool for 125 million euros, were also on FC Bayern’s list.

For Effenberg, the reason why Munich missed out is obvious: “Quite simply: money. In the Bundesliga, we don’t have the resources that the Premier League has. A newly promoted team there gets more TV revenue than a top club in Germany.”

Bayern Between Ambition and Reality

The 55-year-old’s statements highlight the tension in which FC Bayern finds itself: on the one hand, the club wants to remain internationally competitive and sign superstars; on the other hand, young German talents are either not integrated in time or lured away by English clubs with financial incentives.

For Effenberg, the key lies in a clearer approach to youth development: only if Munich consistently relies on its own talents can the club remain sustainably successful in today’s football business.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.