Who is Oliver Batista Meier, Bayern Munich’s half-Brazilian teenage winger?
Oliver Batista Meier is one of the youth talents called up to first-team training by Bayern Munich head coach back in November. Having scored five goals twice in youth games for the record champions, it’s easy to see why the half-Brazilian winger was impossible for Flick to ignore.
bundesliga.com lets you in on the secrets of the Kaiserslautern-born rising talent
Age: 19
Position: Winger
Club: Bayern Munich
Country: Germany/Brazil (6 Germany U19 caps)
Key stats
Born and raised in Kaiserslautern to a German father and Brazilian mother, Batista Meier joined his boyhood club and took no time to catch the eye of Bayern Munich. The record champions signed the then-16-year-old in the summer of 2017 from Kaiserslautern and quickly established himself as one of the brightest talents in the youth ranks at Säbener Straße.
Batista Meier went on to produce 33 goals and 19 assists in 41 appearances for the club's various youth teams in 2017/18, including hitting five goals against his former side just over a month after joining Bayern. A torn ankle ligament – and five months on the sidelines – stopped him in his tracks in October 2018, but since returning in April 2019, the tricky winger has rediscovered his silky Samba touch.
This season Batista Meier has picked up where he left off, scoring 12 goals in 11 league games for Bayern's U19s – including scoring five goals in a game for the second time in his career already, this time against Hoffenheim. And in November 2019, he was called up to train with the first-team even after he missed the call to inform him of his call-up from Flick because he hadn't saved the Bayern head coach's number yet. Batista Meier has trained with the seniors ever since, featuring as an unused substitute on the bench six times before making his Bundesliga debut in the 78th minute of Bayern's Matchday 29 victory at home to Fortuna Düsseldorf.
Plays a bit like: Philippe Coutinho
He may have Brazilian blood in him, but there's a lot more to the likeness between Batista Meier and Coutinho than just their roots. Bayern's star No.10 is just as confident playing from the left wing, cutting inside onto his favoured right foot as much as he is in the play-making role behind the striker. And the same goes for Batista Meier.
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Batista Meier has predominantly played from the left wing for Bayern, but has operated from every position across the attack. Standing just a touch taller than Coutinho, the 19-year-old also loves to attack players in one-on-one duels and is not afraid to battle his way through centre-backs with the ball at his feet. A strong finisher with precision and power behind his right-foot, Batista Meier is developing into a fine attacking threat wherever he starts from.
Did you know?
Although he spoke the native languages of his German father and Brazilian mother growing up, Batista Meier admits he might have to let his football do the talking in front of Bayern teammate and Brazil international, Philippe Coutinho.
"I've forgotten a lot of Portuguese, which I'm a bit upset about," Batista Meier told SportBild. "Coutinho still doesn't know I'm half-Brazilian. I don't want him to know because then he'll want to talk to me in Brazilian, and that'll be difficult (laughs), even though I see myself as Brazilian. My German side comes out sometimes, but my technique is perhaps more Brazilian."
What they’re saying
"I like him a lot, I think he can really help the youngsters improve. You need a guy who supports young players - I think he's that guy. He talks to us a lot, talks to us one-on-one and tells us what's good and what's not." – Batista Meier on Hansi Flick
"In footballing terms, you can learn something from everyone. Cristiano Ronaldo is an idol for his mentality, and Neymar for the way he plays." – Batista Meier on his idols
"Oli is a great talent and has shown his qualities. It's important that the boys, whether they're professionals, amateurs or us, go full throttle. Then they'll take the next steps in their development." – Bayern U19 coach Martin Demicheli
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