Michael Ballack has leapt to the defence of young Bayern Munich player Lennart Karl, whose comments about Real Madrid sparked controversy earlier this year.
Speaking on the Kerners11 podcast, the former Germany star argued that Karl's remarks had been taken out of context, according to Yahoo Sport.
Ballack said: "He was asked: what is your favourite club other than Bayern Munich? That part is often overlooked," explaining that "Karl did not do anything wrong, he was simply talking about his dream of playing for Real Madrid one day".
He continued, laughing: "I always had that (dream) too".
The former Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and Chelsea star also hit back at those who accuse Karl of "arrogance", stressing: "Lennart has personality, and that is important. In an environment like Bayern Munich, you will not succeed at 17 if you do not have a strong personality. That is what young players need today. They need personality. Of course, they need talent, but they also need the potential."
At 50, Ballack now acts as Karl's agent. He added: "Perhaps this has been somewhat lost these days in upbringing, in schools, as well as in youth academies."
Karl came up through the club's academy and has since nailed down a place in the first team. His contract runs until 2029.