Michael Olise: The Reluctant Star of Bayern Munich
Michael Olise had just lit up the Allianz Arena with a thunderbolt from 25 metres in a 5-0 win over Bodö/Glimt. The kind of goal that usually triggers a flood of superlatives and soundbites.
Instead, DAZN reporter Jochen Strutzky got almost nothing.
The France international, long known for disliking interviews, left Strutzky visibly exasperated with a series of clipped answers that spread rapidly online. The exchange was awkward, short, and instantly iconic.
And at Bayern, they are absolutely fine with that.
Eberl: “He just wants to play football”
At the press conference before Bayern’s Bundesliga match against Elversberg, sporting director Max Eberl moved quickly to protect his winger.
“Michael Olise is someone who wants to play football. And all the stuff around it leaves him rather cold,” Eberl said. “We already saw that at his unveiling two years ago. Not everyone is the same.”
Eberl pointed to the reaction outside the media bubble.
“If we take a look at social media, then he is being celebrated. Because people are simply saying: this is a footballer, he should play football, he should enjoy himself. And the kids identify with that more than perhaps we do.”
For Bayern, the equation is simple.
“For us, the most important thing is that he shows what he can do on the pitch. And he does that brilliantly,” Eberl added, noting that Olise has already been named man of the match three times in five games this season.
Kompany flips the question back
Head coach Vincent Kompany, sitting alongside Eberl, went on the offensive from a different angle. He turned directly to the journalist who had raised the issue.
“May I ask a question to the journalist who asked the question? Aren't you satisfied that this has now gone viral?” Kompany cut in. “If he answers every question the way I do, nothing goes viral.”
Kompany underlined that, away from the cameras, there is no problem with Olise’s conduct.
“Sponsors simply want people to talk about him. And when Michael is there, then people talk about the sponsors,” he said. “Where we have to be honest: Michael's manner has no bad value for any sponsor and for any journalist. Not at all. And everyone enjoys it. We should not mix too much together.”
The message: the club backs its introverted star, and the viral clip is not a crisis – it is content.
The interview that said almost nothing
The scene that triggered the debate was brutally simple.
Strutzky opened by asking about Olise’s stunning long-range strike to make it 4-0. The goal had been “outstanding”, he said. How did it feel?
“No idea,” Olise replied.
When Strutzky followed up and asked if he really did not know, Olise just shook his head.
The reporter tried a different route: was a goal like that instinct or calculation?
“I mean, I shoot and then it goes in or it doesn't,” Olise said.
Strutzky pushed again, trying to lighten the mood. If it were that simple, anyone could do it, he suggested. Olise smiled briefly.
“I'm not the only one who can score goals,” he answered.
By now, Strutzky was running out of options. “You're making it pretty difficult for me to conduct an interview here. What makes you happy, what makes you laugh? Scoring goals?” he asked.
Olise gave a short nod. “Yes.” Interview over.
A different tone on UEFA duty
On UEFA’s official channels, the 24-year-old opened up a little more – not much, but enough to show there is more than one-word answers in him.
He called it a “good performance” by Bayern. “The first half was a bit difficult because they were sitting deep. But when the game became more open, we were able to take our chances,” he said.
Asked if the lesson from this season is that Bayern need to be more patient than last year, Olise stayed cool.
“We play the same as last year. And whatever happens, happens.”
What had Kompany told the team at 0-0 at half-time?
“I don't know. He said that the game would open up and we would get our chances.”
And the feeling of playing in this Bayern side?
“It's good. We all know our runs and we know how we have to play together. So it's going well. We are happy.”
A reluctant star in a loud era
Olise has long been considered media-shy and rarely gives interviews. The reputation has earned him a fitting nickname inside and outside the club: “Mr. Nonchalant”.
In a football world driven by clips, quotes and constant noise, Bayern’s quiet match-winner is doing the opposite – speaking rarely, playing brilliantly, and letting everyone else do the talking.
