Olise Backed as Bayern’s New Leader After Muller Comparison to Ribery

Michael Olise’s rapid rise at Bayern Munich has drawn a remarkable endorsement from club legend Thomas Müller, who believes the Frenchman could become the team’s next talisman in the mold of Franck Ribéry.

Speaking to Sport Bild, Müller, who departed Bayern this summer after 25 glittering years, described Olise as the club’s “absolute top performer” and insisted that leadership does not always require a loud voice. Instead, he praised the 23-year-old’s confidence, willingness to shoulder responsibility, and ability to demand the ball when it matters most.

Olise, signed last summer from Crystal Palace for €60 million (£51m), enjoyed a spectacular debut season in Bavaria. Across all competitions, he produced 17 goals and 17 assists, spearheading Bayern’s attack and celebrating the first major trophy of his career with the Bundesliga title. His contribution made him one of only a handful of players in Europe’s top five leagues to reach double figures in both goals and assists last season.

Müller highlighted that Bayern’s dressing room remains in safe hands following his exit, pointing to Aleksandar Pavlović and Josip Stanišić as emerging figures who “absolutely embody FC Bayern.” Yet, it was Olise who earned the strongest praise. “He can be the one who carries Bayern forward, like Ribéry did in my time,” Müller said. “Olise is the type of player who makes it clear: ‘Give me the ball, I’ll take care of it.’ That’s leadership, even without being a loudmouth.”

Bayern, fresh off their German Supercup triumph over Stuttgart, open their Bundesliga campaign on August 22 against RB Leipzig. All eyes will be on Olise to see if he can elevate his game further and justify the comparisons to one of the club’s greatest wingers.

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