Why Bayern Munich players wear plasters on their ears | OneFootball

Bayern Munich players have been training with small plasters on their earlobes this season, and it is not a dressing-room trend. The coverings protect the spot used for routine blood sampling to gauge workload.

According to L'Équipe, Michael Olise, Harry Kane and team-mates provide occasional earlobe drops so staff can run analyses and track intensity, a practice in place before Vincent Kompany took charge in July 2024.

Specialists identify them as lactate tests, which show how an athlete is using and accumulating energy and offer a read on metabolic efficiency, said strength coach Stevan Kervadec.

Bild claims that, in November 2025, creatine kinase levels were also being checked. Practitioners say the data help set intensity thresholds to limit fatigue, keeping players able to train consistently, said individual coach Hugo Boulestreau.

Big clubs are investing in injury prevention, with Real Madrid adopting thermography in summer 2025. Bayern have largely avoided muscular problems this season, unlike Real Madrid, although that guarantees nothing for next year, Kervadec noted.

He added that blood values must be paired with heart rate and player feedback, and that regular lactate testing is useful for monitoring comebacks, as falling levels at the same intensity can indicate progress.

Earlobe sampling is often preferred to finger pricks because it is better vascularised and bleeds more readily, Kervadec said, though strict hygiene protocols are needed. In Munich, nurses oversee the process, from collection to the plasters later seen on ears.

Source: L'Équipe