Frans Krätzig: Who is Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies successor?
Frans Krätzig hit a stunning winner as Bayern Munich beat Liverpool 4-3 in pre-season. The left-footed whiz-kid then netted his first competitive goal for Bayern in the DFB Cup first round against Preußen Münster…
bundesliga.com introduces the Bayern academy graduate...
*stats correct as of 14 January 2024
Age: 21
Club: Bayern Munich
Position: Left-back/midfielder
Country: Germany
Key stats
Krätzig was born 14 January 2003 in Nuremberg and joined his local side as a youngster. After impressing in the Nuremberg youth teams, he was spirited away to Bayern in 2017 at the age of 14. With the club persuading his parents to allow him to board with them in Munich, he became one of the first players at the new, state-of-the-art, FC Bayern Campus.
Originally a midfielder, Krätzig was converted to a left-back by reserves coach Holger Seitz as recently as last season, and his attacking production increased as a result, with the youngster contributing two goals and three assists for Bayern's second team.
He was handed a new contract until 2025 in March 2023, before opening his unofficial account for the seniors in a high-profile summer friendly against Liverpool in Singapore. In September, Krätzig made his first Bundesliga appearance as a substitute in a 7-0 win over Bochum, and followed that a few days later with his first strike in competitive action as Bayern beat Münster 4-0 in the DFB Cup.
Plays a bit like:
Although he is a midfielder-turned left-back providing cover for Davies, Krätzig is stylistically more similar to a Davies predecessor in David Alaba, with his technique setting him apart more than his pace. Whether Krätzig later makes the journey to centre-back like the current Real Madrid man remains to be seen.
Did you know?
Krätzig may have looked pretty carefree in celebrating his wonder goal against Liverpool, but the youngster has developed a reputation for discipline and diligence at the Bayern Campus with his teammates jokingly nicknaming him "the boarding school manager."
What they're saying
"First and foremost it's about defending the goal and not thinking too offensively. The coach quickly drummed that into me. When I have moves forward, the qualities I've learned over the years in attacking midfield obviously help me. It's cool back there on the left!" - Krätzig on his positional evolution.
"He has deserved this chance for weeks. He always concentrates in training and is full of enjoyment. I didn't expect anything less than this performance from him, as he always shows that in training." - Thomas Tuchel on Krätzig's first Bundesliga appearance for Bayern in September 2023.
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