In Bergamo, Michael Olise provided further proof of his world-class talent. An expert chooses a superlative for the Frenchman, while his own coach mentions him in the same breath as a global star. When will Bayern’s management take action?
In Leverkusen, players and officials alike must have watched the 77th minute of the Champions League match between Atalanta Bergamo and FC Bayern with unease. Michael Olise provoked a yellow card by wasting time on a corner kick. It was his third in this competition, which means he will be suspended for the second leg of the round of 16 and there is no reason for coach Vincent Kompany to rest the Frenchman on Saturday in the Bundesliga away game in Leverkusen due to fatigue. Even though Olise failed to score in Bayern’s 3-0 win in the first half of the season, it is unlikely that he will come away empty-handed again. The 24-year-old has racked up an incredible 43 points in 37 competitive appearances for Munich this season, and he’s not just world class statistically. “For me, he’s perhaps the best transfer in the Bundesliga in the last ten years,” Prime expert Christoph Kramer praised the Frenchman after the 6-1 win at Atalanta Bergamo. Olise was unstoppable, scoring twice and setting up another goal.
Kramer should know, as the 2014 World Cup winner and long-time Bundesliga professional, he knows his stuff. But Vincent Kompany, who sees Olise every day and has played alongside world-class professionals in his playing career, is even better placed to judge. The Bayern coach says: “He came here with the mentality that gives him the chance to become one of the best players in the world. He is very detail-oriented in what he does. I don’t like to compare players, but I played with Kevin De Bruyne and saw him develop from a young player into a superstar. He also had this obsession with detail.”
Justified comparisons with Robben
De Bruyne is, of course, a different type of player to Olise, who is more comparable to a Bayern legend: Arjen Robben. They share the same position on the right wing and the ability to score goals, even though everyone knows what is about to happen. Robben used to like to cut inside from the right wing and then shoot at goal, and Olise does the same. And the defenders can’t stop him. Not even Atalanta’s, as Olise scored two goals this way.
With five shots on goal and seven assists, he put the Italian defense under constant pressure. The next step in Olise’s development would now be to make his mark in a knockout match against a European giant. Real Madrid in the quarterfinals offers an almost certain opportunity. Last season, when his team was eliminated by Inter Milan, Olise remained rather pale.
The French international is an enigma to his opponents, but also to journalists and even those in charge at his own club. Olise does not give interviews, and when he does, as he did on TV on Tuesday evening, they are very meaningless. He hurriedly leaves the banquet after taking a few selfies with fans.
An early contract extension would be wise
It is clear that the European financial elite have long had their eyes on Olise, who came of age in the Premier League at Crystal Palace. Bayern have the upper hand, with his contract running until 2029. An early extension would be wise, as the upcoming World Cup could finally send Olise’s market value through the roof. But first of all, that would already be expensive in terms of salary, and secondly, no one really knows whether Olise wants that, or what he wants at all. Probably what he wants most is to play soccer, dance around his opponents, and score goals.