Bayern Munich the ‘right environment’ for Lennart Karl to become ‘great player’ as Germany legend accuses Julian Nagelsmann of being ‘afraid’ to call him up

Former Bayern Munich star and Germany legend Lothar Matthaus believes 17-year-old Lennart Karl is in the perfect environment for his growth. The World Cup winner is impressed by Karl’s performances at the club level and has accused Germany national team head coach Julian Nagelsmann of being afraid to call him up to the camp for the upcoming quadrennial event.

Karl in magnificent form at Bayern

Ever since his delicious outing against Club Brugge, where he scored a goal in his 69-minute appearance, Karl has turned himself into a fan favourite, impressing the Bavarians regularly with his mind-boggling skills and work ethic. Recently, on Saturday, he inspired Bayern to a furious comeback against Freiburg at the Allianz Arena. After going down 2-0 within the first 17 minutes, it was Karl who kick-started the resurgence. In the 22nd minute, he scored his second Bundesliga goal of the season, and then delivered an assist for Michael Olise’s equaliser, paving the way for a 6-2 victory. The game was Karl’s third start in the domestic league, and he has already recorded four goal contributions, making him a strong candidate to evaluate ahead of the upcoming Word Cup, prior to which he will have turned 18.