Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany has come to the defense of 17-year-old Lennart Karl after a clip of him failing a double stepover went viral online.
Kompany brushed off the criticism, saying, “I didn’t even look at it – I don’t know what happened on the internet. If something annoys me, I will 100 percent say it. But in that moment, he simply missed a stepover. That’s it.”
The footage was widely shared and sparked criticism, with some accusing Karl of showboating. The Hoffenheim defender in front of Karl, when the misstep was made, even gave him a thumbs-up, adding more fuel to the fire.
Hoffenheim posted this video of Bayern Munich’s Lennart Karl 👏🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/IQfm189TQk
— george (@StokeyyG2) February 9, 2026
The Bayern coach emphasized that he won’t punish his attacking players for trying stepovers, citing the example of players like Michael Olise and Luis Diaz. “A lot of people come to the stadium for this,” Kompany said.
The stepover misstep was the fun side of Bayern’s 5-1 demolition of Hoffenheim. Luiz Diaz scored a hat-trick while Harry Kane grabbed a brace as Bayern Munich got a much-needed win to keep Dortmund at bay in the Bundesliga title race.
Lucho’s first 𝑯𝒂𝒕-𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍 for FC Bayern! 🔮
(Thanks for the assist, Michael)🥰 pic.twitter.com/AiyPjTiGUd
— FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) February 9, 2026
Kompany also pointed out that attackers have more leeway to try new things, as the consequences of failure are less severe than for defenders or goalkeepers. “It’s easier for wingers than for defenders or goalkeepers, because for them, if you make a mistake, the ball ends up in your own net,” he explained.
He added that he encourages his attacking players to take risks and try new things. “He was just unlucky. They’ve probably shown every goal he’s scored 250,000 times on social media. It goes both ways – we can’t escape it.”
