Real Madrid? Ballack in defence of the Bayern star: I had this same dream too

"His strong personality is an important thing"

Michael Ballack has leapt to the defence of Bayern Munich youngster Lennart Karl, whose comments about Real Madrid stirred up controversy earlier this year.

Speaking on the Kerners11 podcast, the former Germany star argued that Karl's remarks had been ripped out of context, according to Yahoo Sport.

"He was asked: what is your favourite club apart from Bayern Munich? That part is often overlooked," Ballack said, explaining that "Karl did nothing wrong, he was simply talking about his dream of playing for Real Madrid one day."

Laughing, he added: "I always had that (dream) too."

The former Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and Chelsea man also hit back at those who accuse Karl of "arrogance," stressing: "Lennart has character, and that is important. In an environment like Bayern Munich, you will not succeed at 17 if you do not have a strong character. That is what young players need today. They need character. Of course, they need talent, but they also need the potential."

At "50 years old", Ballack explained: "Perhaps this has been somewhat lost nowadays in upbringing, in schools, and also in youth academies."

Karl is tied to Bayern Munich until 2029. He has forced his way into the first team after coming through the club's academy.

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