Deniz Ofli, Filip Pavić, Erblin Osmani – the faces of progress at the FC Bayern Campus

Deniz Ofli had barely been on the pitch before he was in the thick of the action. The 18-year-old left-back was on the front foot, dispossessing Raoul Bellanova on halfway and then breaking clear. The teenager kept his cool to read the situation, squared the ball inside for Harry Kane, who moved it on for Luis Díaz and then Lennart Karl to put away Bayern’s third goal against Atalanta. Kane turned to celebrate with Ofli, who could barely believe what he’d just done as he was hugged by his teammates.

It’s moments like that which help make an evening. And it’s one that says a lot about what this 4-1 victory meant for Germany’s record champions. It wasn’t just a big performance in a Champions League knockout match, but also another milestone for their own youth academy. With Ofli and 16-year-old Filip Pavić, two players trained at the FC Bayern Campus made their professional debuts. Two young players who didn’t seem intimidated by the stage, but ready.

Ofli with immediate impact

“Some of the young players made their debuts today, which was great,” said Kane after the match. CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen also emphasised how much these substitutions reflect the club’s direction: “It’s great that Vincent brought on those two young players. We have a lot of potential; we’re doing a good job with our youth development.”

That potential was immediately apparent from the very first moment with Ofli in particular. The Turkish defender, wearing the number 34, had barely stepped onto the field when he already made a decisive play – bold in his challenges, clear-headed and precise in his decision-making. The fact that his very first standout play directly led to the third goal made this debut all the more special.

Pavić’s composed debut

While Ofli made his mark with a play that put the game to bed, Pavić’s debut came a little later and in a different way. The centre-back came on for Josip Stanišić after 72 minutes. Vincent Kompany gave him some final instructions on the touchline, then Pavić took his position on the right of defence. And he, too, was immediately in the thick of things. Calm, alert, making clear decisions and confident in his positioning. For his age, the German defender wearing number 43 seemed remarkably composed – and that in a game that was anything but ordinary. Yes, Bayern already had one and a half feet into the quarter-finals, yet making his professional debut in a Champions League knockout match is anything but a given.

That was exactly the point Kompany made after the final whistle. “It’s not easy for a young player to get playing time at Bayern. That’s why I hope they enjoy these moments. These are guys who’ve been training with us for quite some time – Pavić, for example, for almost a year, even though he’s still so young. Eventually, the chance comes, and it’s great to see how they make the most of it.” There could hardly be a more apt summary of the evening. Ofli and Pavić got their chance and both immediately gave the impression that they had been working toward this exact moment for a long time.

Backing up the Campus pathway

With Pavić, his appearance carries even more significance when you look at the numbers. At 16 years and 58 days old, he is the second-youngest player to make his competitive debut for Bayern this millennium, behind Paul Wanner, who made his senior bow in January 2022 at 16 years and 15 days old. Pavić showed little sign of nerves. His performance came across as mature, composed and remarkably natural.

A look at the season as a whole shows that these two debuts cannot be viewed in isolation. Just last Saturday at home to Union Berlin in the Bundesliga, the next academy gem, Erblin Osmani, got his first taste of senior football, becoming the third-youngest player in Bayern’s history at just 16 years, 10 months and two days. The defensive midfielder, who joined Bayern from TSV Milbertshofen at the age of eight, came on for Leon Goretzka in the 87th minute. It means Bayern have already fielded 10 teenagers this season – more than any other Bundesliga club. Eight different teenagers have played in the league alone, which is a record for Bayern in a single season. In addition to Ofli and Pavić, these include Osmani, Wisdom Mike, David Santos, Felipe Chávez, Maycon Douglas Cardozo, Jonah Kusi-Asare, Cassiano Kiala and Karl.

Karl symbolic of development

The latter in particular has made his mark. Karl has already made 34 appearances, scored eight goals and recorded five assists in all competitions season. His goal against Atalanta cemented his status as a key player in Bayern’s senior squad. In the Bundesliga alone, Karl has 23 games and a combined seven goals and assists to his name. But that is precisely the bigger takeaway from that evening in the Champions League. It is no longer just about a single talent. Bayern’s academy is producing depth, presence and real options.

Max Eberl described this pathway very vividly after the game. “That’s why I love talking about the Club World Cup. That’s where these journeys began,” said the board member for sport, citing Karl, Santos, Kiala and Mike as examples. Through their training sessions with the first team, the young players have earned their place on the pitch for competitive action. “That gives the coach a good feeling to say, now is the chance to show that trust on the bigger stage of the Champions League. And I think they’ve justified it.” Eberl praised the solid performance of the two young talents, who immediately fit into the game against Atalanta. “You didn’t notice any significant drop in performance. O the contrary, they continued to play very consistently,” he said, shifting his focus to the bigger picture: “That’s exactly the path we want to take. To show the guys from the academy that if they work hard in training, they’ll get their chance.”

That’s exactly how it felt that night against Atalanta. Like yet another sign that the pathway from the academy to the first team at Bayern is wide open. In Ofli’s explosive minute, full of courage, aggression and vision. In Pavić, in the composure with which he slotted into the back line and looked as though he’d been part of this team for quite some time. Two different roles, two different debuts, but the same message. Just recently, Christoph Freund also underscored the enormous importance of youth development at the club: “It’s a very important foundation for Bayern. We invest a great deal of expertise and a great deal of money in our massive Campus. Our main goal for the coming years is to consistently deliver top-notch work, and we want to be a top academy and develop good players,” said the sporting director.

FC Bayern didn't just win 4-1 that night to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals. They also showed that trust, hard work in training and patience can pay off. For Ofli and Pavić, it was their first professional match. For the academy, it was yet another big statement.

Santos Daiber became the latest academy product to sign a professional contract: