Thomas Tuchel has taken a number of youth players for the first team’s training camp in Portugal. Find out more about the youngsters trying to stake their claim in Faro.
Max Schmitt
Schmitt has been at Bayern since the age of 11. Now 17, the goalkeeper has come through all of the club’s youth teams since arriving from TSV Milbertshofen in his native Munich. Last year the 1.89-metre-tall shot-stopper helped Germany to U17 Euro glory in Hungary before again going all the way to the title at the World Cup in Indonesia in December. So far this season, Schmitt has made five appearances in the U19 Bundesliga and two in the UEFA Youth League. He has also featured twice for the reserves.
Anthony Pavlešić
Anthony Pavlešić has been in goal for Bayern’s U19s since the summer. Prior to his move to Munich, the 17-year-old Australia youth international with Croatian heritage came through the academy at the Central Coast Mariners. The 1.90-metre-tall goalkeeper has featured 12 times for the U19s in the Bundesliga and Youth League, while he also made his debut for the reserves against Ansbach in the Regionalliga Bayern.
Ljubo Puljić
Ljubo Puljić has also gone to Portugal. The 16-year-old Croatian centre-back is still eligible for Bayern’s U17s, having come to the Campus ahead of the season from Osijek in his homeland. Born on 31 May 2007 in Vinkovci, Puljić is a regular part of Croatia’s U17s setup and also appeared at last year’s U17 Euros. The defender has played 12 times for Bayern this season, with four of those coming at U17 level and eight with the U19s.
Adam Aznou
Aznou is another defender training with the senior side in Faro. The 17-year-old Moroccan left-back made his senior debut in the recent 1-1 friendly draw with Basel. He was trained in Barcelona’s La Masia academy before coming to Munich in 2022. The Morocco U17 international has so far made 12 appearances in the U19 Bundesliga this season, scoring twice and providing an assist. Aznou has also impressed in the Youth League with a goal and three provisions.
Noël Aséko Nkili
Berlin native Aséko has been representing Bayern since the summer and has found his feet of late following an ankle injury in August. The midfielder got his first taste of senior action in the Basel friendly and even scored the equaliser from the bench. The 1.75-metre-tall Germany U18 international has made two appearances for the reserves and one in the Youth League this season.
Lovro Zvonarek
Zvonarek, who was born in Cakovec, Croatia, joined Bayern in 2022. The 18-year-old midfielder, who stands at 1.80 metres tall, has appeared 15 times for the reserves this season, with the attacking midfielder contributing six goals and assists each. The Croatia youth international made his second senior appearance in the Basel friendly, having made his debut in last year’s mid-season encounter with Red Bull Salzburg.
Taichi Fukui
Fukui, 19, has been on the books in Munich since January 2023 after joining from Sagan Tosu in his native Japan. The Kanagawa-born midfielder has played 15 times in the Regionalliga Bayern this season. The 1.73-metre-tall Japan U20 international was handed his senior Bayern debut in the DFB Cup tie with Saarbrücken.
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