© Imago
Michael Olise, who joined Bayern from Crystal Palace last summer, has impressed across the board in his debut season for the Munich side and immediately established himself as a key player. The 23-year-old attacking player has now been honoured by the German Football League (DFL) for his outstanding performances in the Bundesliga, being voted Rookie of the Season for 2024/25.
FCB bosses full of praise
The first of many: Michael Olise celebrated his debut goal for FC Bayern on Matchday 3 of the 2024/25 Bundesliga season at Holstein Kiel. | © Imago
When Olise was officially unveiled, Max Eberl had already predicted that the Frenchman would enrich Bayern's game. “He's an incredibly creative player with a very good left foot. He gives us a lot of variability. We will have a lot of fun with him,’ the board member for sport said last August. How much joy Olise would bring to the Bayern fans could not be guessed at the time, however.
Oustanding figures in debut season
Almost nine months later, it’s clear that the winger has more than exceeded expectations. Olise scored 17 goals and provided 21 assists in 50 appearances in all competitions and was the team’s second-highest scorer after Harry Kane. He topped the Bundesliga assist chart with 15 provisions. Since detailed data collection began in the 2004/05 season, only Emil Forsberg of RB Leipzig has provided more assists in his first Bundesliga season (19 in 2016/17) than the Frenchman.
Olise capped off his excellent season by scoring the opening goal in the final match at Hoffenheim. | © FC Bayern
When asked about Olise, other club bosses also spoke extremely highly of him. “The boy is great fun. Everything always seems very easy and relaxed, but he plays extremely seriously. He's not someone who plays for just himself, but also for the team,” said sporting director Christoph Freund. “He’s become one of our most important players this season. That's not something you can take for granted when you're playing your first year in the Bundesliga at this level,” said head coach Vincent Kompany, praising his protégé.
This outstanding debut season is just the beginning. Olise now wants to build on his strong performances at the FIFA Club World Cup in the USA and continue to inspire Bayern fans with his captivating style of play.
Harry Kane received the Torjägerkanone after the season:
Topics of this article