A report by the French sports newspaper L'Equipe suggests that Olise feels some opponents have at times defended too aggressively against him this season and that referees have not acted consistently enough.
Scenes from the 0-0 draw against FC Schalke 04 back that up. As the TV cameras showed, the Frenchman confronted referee Robert Schröder after a challenge involving no fewer than three Schalke players. Olise protested so vehemently that Harry Kane stepped in and pulled his team-mate away to prevent a possible yellow card for dissent.
During the brief exchange, Olise is said to have urged Schröder to do something about Schalke's hard approach. "You have to be more consistent, otherwise I'll end up getting massacred. You can't just stand there and do nothing about the behaviour of their defenders. You can't let everything go – that can't happen," the 24-year-old is said to have demanded. According to L'Equipe, Olise has felt let down by officials on several occasions in the recent past and has therefore sought direct exchanges not only at Schalke.
Unusual reaction: why is Michael Olise called "Mr. Nonchalant"?
That reaction is unusual for Olise. The gifted attacking player cuts a notably reserved figure away from the pitch, which has earned him the nickname "Mr. Nonchalant". It is a term that describes an extremely laid-back man who often appears completely emotionless.
Nowhere does Olise fit that reputation more than in interviews. Most recently, after the 5-0 win over Bodö/Glimt in the Champions League, he drove DAZN reporter Jochen Strutzky to the brink of despair. Olise answered every question from his interviewer in an extremely terse and meaningless manner.
Reaction to the couldn't-care-less interview was mixed afterwards, but Olise mostly received support for his latest taciturn appearance. Head coach Vincent Kompany and board member for sport Max Eberl even defended him afterwards.
IMAGOHow did Eberl and Kompany react to Olise's couldn't-care-less interview?
"Michael Olise is someone who wants to play football. And everything around it leaves him rather cold. "We already saw that at his unveiling two years ago. Not everyone is the same," said Eberl. At the same time, however, he also stressed: "If we look at social media, he is being celebrated. Because people are simply saying: that's a footballer, he should play football, he should enjoy himself. And the kids identify with that more than perhaps we do. For us, the most important thing is that he shows what he can do on the pitch. And he does that brilliantly."
Kompany, meanwhile, said: "May I ask a question to the journalist who asked the question? Aren't you satisfied that this has now gone viral? If he answered every question the way I do, nothing would go viral." He also pointed out that Olise always behaves professionally away from the pitch: "Sponsors simply want people to talk about him. And when Michael is there, people talk about the sponsors. Where we have to be honest: Michael's manner has no bad value for any sponsor and for any journalist. None at all. And everyone enjoys it. We shouldn't mix too much together."
Next up on Friday, Union Berlin await Olise and Bayern before the XXL international break begins. The referee is Benjamin Brand.