Uli Hoeness, honorary president of Bayern Munich, has expressed a strong message of criticism towards the young talent Lennart Karl, born in 2008. In an interview with the German newspaper *Welt am Sonntag*, Hoeness said he wanted to have a "serious conversation" with the 18-year-old, underlining that young players "are very far from becoming superstars" and need humility and a certain pressure to grow. The president also asked whether Karl's constant protection is actually beneficial to his development.
The reason for this accusation is the left thigh injury suffered by Karl during training, which forced him to miss the 2026 World Cup with the German national team. Before the injury, Karl had shown a great offensive boom, scoring nine goals and providing eight assists in a Bayern shirt. However, since his return, the young player has only had 267 minutes of playing time, spread across nine games, with just one goal in total, and still appears to be working his way back to optimal form.
Karl is remembered as the youngest goalscorer in Bayern's Champions League history, having scored at 17 years and 242 days during a 4–0 win against Club Brugge, and received the player of the match award in his first match as a starter in that competition. Despite this record, his career is now in a lull, with the club trying to balance his protection with the need to test him.
Bayern Munich will continue to monitor Karl's situation closely, trying to find a balance between the necessary support and the competitive pressure which, according to Hoeness, is crucial for the development of a young talent. Next week will see the club decide how to include Karl in future competitions, with the aim of returning him to the level of performance that made him such an early promise.