Lennart Karl: ‘I had goosebumps’

It was barely a year ago that Lennart Karl was still at the FC Bayern Campus and playing for the U17s. Now he’s won the domestic double of Bundesliga and DFB Cup and will be representing Germany at the World Cup. Speaking to members’ magazine ‘51’, the 18-year-old talks about his maiden campaign at senior level, where things progressed faster than he expected.

Interview with Lennart Karl

Lenny, now that you’ve had time to look back on your first year as a professional – standing on the town hall balcony for the first time, getting doused in beer, experiencing the title celebrations – how does it feel now?
Lennart Karl: “A very, very good feeling, especially winning the first Bundesliga title and then standing on the balcony. I had goosebumps. That was a very special moment for me. Also because it’s just great fun to be part of this team.”

If you compare yourself to the Lenny from last summer, what has changed the most this year – on the pitch, in your daily life and in your mindset?
“I’ve definitely matured. I’ve learnt a lot from the experienced players, from nutrition right through to how they look after their bodies. And on the pitch, I’ve become more confident and I stick to how I want to play.”

Let’s look back 12 months and your professional debut at the Club World Cup against Auckland City. Were you nervous at the time or just ready to finally play for the first team?
“I wasn’t nervous. But of course it was exciting, my first game for the senior team, in a tournament like that. The opposition wasn’t the toughest, but that’s exactly what gave me the space to show what I could do. It was perfect for a first step.”

You spent a few weeks together as a team in the US. Who was the first person to make you feel that this is the right place for you, you’ll get your chance?
“It wasn’t just one player. The whole team, the captains and the key players were important to me. I got on board right from the start and felt very comfortable straight away.”

You once said: ‘When I play, I have to perform. It’s as simple as that’. Is it really that simple or is it a mantra you hold on to to make things easier on the pitch?
“It’s obviously not quite that simple in front of 75,000 spectators at the Allianz Arena. But I try to approach it exactly the same way, to play my game, just like I used to in the U17s or U19s. And most of the time, it works.”

Vincent Kompany keeps emphasising that the pressure isn’t on you. When did you realise, despite that, that things were really starting to take off?
“When the first goals and first assists came, the public eye became more prominent. You just feel it. And at the start of the second half of the season, I went through a spell where I didn’t score for eight games. That’s when I realised just how closely you’re being watched, that every move suddenly carries more weight. Slowly, a certain amount of pressure did build up. But I can handle it.”

After your good first half of the season, Max Eberl said: ‘He’s no longer Lenny, he’s Lennart Karl.’ When did the switch flip?
“I think it was after the match against Arsenal. That game, that period – everything’s actually worked out since then.”

Your first Champions League goal against Club Brugge – a solo run past four defenders, finishing into the corner. You said you couldn’t sleep afterwards. When did it really sink in for you?
“Eventually when I was lying in bed and had some peace and quiet. Before that, there were lots of phone calls with my friends and my parents. But just before I fell asleep, everything that had just happened went through my mind. It took me a good two hours before I could sleep.”

Who was the first person you messaged after the match?
“My parents were the first to message me, and I replied straight away. Then I messaged my best friends back home. They were absolutely buzzing.”

Your stepovers, dribbling in tight spaces – one of your youth coaches said that has a lot to do with futsal, which you’ve been playing since you were a child.
“For my height, that four-a-side or five-a-side was perfect. I played that with my friends from an early age and just developed a feel for dribbling. And at some point, you try to put that into practice in the big stadium too.”

Kompany says attacking players shouldn’t be criticised for failed moves, because that’s exactly why people come to the stadium. What does that mean to you?
“A great deal of freedom. Against Hoffenheim, I once failed to pull off a stepover, and that immediately drew a bit of mockery on social media. But that didn’t bother me much, and I went on to perform well straight after. It’s good when the coach says that attacking players should show their style and try things out.”

What exactly has the coach changed in your game?
“My game has definitely become more mature and more grown-up. I’ve improved defensively in particular. In the youth teams, I didn’t like running back. I scored a lot of goals, which was my bonus. But in professional football, the opposition punishes you immediately if you don’t contribute. I learned that quickly.”

You train every day with players who have already experienced and achieved so much. Who do you learn the most from?
“Michael Olise is someone I particularly enjoy watching. He operates in similar spaces, is also left-footed, and has a composure on the ball that I can learn a lot from. With Jo [Kimmich] or Harry [Kane], for example, I’m impressed by what they do off the pitch. How they work in the gym, how seriously they take it, and how professional their whole daily routine is. That’s really impressive.”

But your biggest idol is Lionel Messi. You even keep him close to you during games…
“Yes, Messi is on my left shinpad. He’s been my role model ever since I could play football – left-footed, on the smaller side too, a player who does incredible things with the ball. Having him with me gives me something to think about. It’s simply an incentive to work hard to make a name for myself at the highest level.”

Hard work is a good way to put it. You left home at 14 and moved to the FC Bayern Campus. What was harder at the start, the sporting expectations or the homesickness?
“The sporting side felt right from the start. But the first two weeks without my family were really tough. The moment I realised this wasn’t just a short trip, that I wouldn’t be seeing my family for quite some time, that was the hard part. Because I already knew many of the guys from tournaments and youth teams, we quickly formed groups of friends in the accommodation. That made it easier.”

You mentioned that a turning point in your development came after a poor season with the U16s. After that, you suddenly started training three or four times a week on top of your regular sessions. What prompted that?
“I realised back then that having a certain amount of talent isn’t enough on its own. It’s the foundation if you have it, but in the end, attitude is more important. Nothing was going right that season, neither in training nor in matches, and at some point I just started going out onto the pitch on my own, practising my finishing, working on my speed. The coaches saw me doing that. They certainly thought my commitment was good, and eventually the performances started coming back.”

You once said that for a journey like yours, you need “a family that’s 100 percent behind you”. When did you realise what that actually meant?
“When my brother moved to Frankfurt and my parents have had to drive him there three or four times a week ever since. That’s when I realised what my parents had done for me over the years, and I’m endlessly grateful for that. Without a family that supports you like that, a journey like this simply isn’t possible.”

You moved out of the Campus and into your first flat a few months ago. What does a day off look like for you?
“First of all, I have a lie-in. Then I have breakfast with my friends in a café somewhere or spend time with my girlfriend or my family if they’re around. Sometimes I pop into town, but that’s become harder these days. Otherwise, I play some video games and go to bed early so I’m raring to go the next day.”

The full interview can be found in the summer edition of ‘51’