Champions League: Will Bayern Munich be forced to break the law by fielding a 16-year

Vincent Kompany probably didn’t expect to be so troubled for his Champions League Round of 16 second leg. While his Bayern Munich team comfortably beat Atalanta in the first leg in Italy (1-6) and he was preparing for a calm Wednesday night at home, the Belgian coach finds himself facing a shortage of goalkeepers. With Manuel Neuer, Jonas Urbig, Sven Ulreich, and Leon Klanac all injured, it is the 5th goalkeeper, Leonard Prescott, who is expected to take his place in goal.

The issue: the German is only 16 years old and is still subject to German legislation on the employment of minors. In theory, the maximum working hours for those under 18 is set at 20 hours, but there are exceptions in places like restaurants (22 hours) or bakeries where work can start as early as 4 in the morning.

High-level athletes, however, are not covered by these exceptions. And the Champions League Round of 16 second leg is scheduled for 9 pm, ending around 11 pm, which goes against the law in the case of Leonard Prescott. According to Marca, Bayern Munich is trying to obtain a special authorization for their goalkeeper to play the match or at least be on the bench if Jonas Urbig is recovered from his concussion in time.

During Euro 2024, a similar issue arose with Lamine Yamal, who was also 16 years old representing Spain. The threat of a €30,000 fine loomed over the Spanish team, according to Bild and ZDF, although it is unclear if it was actually imposed. An exception granted to “musical performances, theatrical productions, and other shows” could potentially help avoid such situations.