“He has everything!” Huge praise for a talent backed by Kompany

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Dante has been coaching Bayern Munich’s reserves since this summer. Ahead of the start of the season, he speaks glowingly about two promising talents.

Dante did not want to reveal who he believes are Bayern Munich's biggest talents right now. Pressed on the subject in a small media round on Thursday, which SPOX also attended, he still waxed lyrical about two players: centre-back Filip Pavic (16) and left winger Maycon Cardozo (17).

Pavic made his debut for Bayern Munich's senior team in January, shortly after his 16th birthday, and became the second-youngest player in the club's history behind Paul Wanner. The German-Croat, born in Freising, also featured for Croatia at the Under-17 European Championship in the summer. Next up, he is set to pick up match practice in Dante's reserve team and push for a step up to the senior side. 

"He has everything needed to become a very good defender," said Dante, who himself once thrived as a centre-back at Bayern Munich. Pavic is "a boy who always wants to listen and always wants to keep learning", but at the same time still "a little shy". Dante's recommendation: "He needs to communicate a little more." Physically, too, Pavic still has room to develop, which is hardly surprising.

Cardozo, like Pavic, also made his debut for Munich's senior team last season. He is also in line to feature for the reserves in the coming season. "It is enormous fun working with him," said Dante. "He is always focused, always concentrated. He is always full throttle. Once I had to slow him down: 'Hey Maycon, not every time sprint, sprint, sprint.' Two days before a match, we have to keep a bit of an eye on the workload. He always gives everything. That makes him a good example for our team."

Born in Brazil, Cardozo moved to Thailand with his family at the age of ten. From 2024, he trained with Bayern Munich's so-called World Squad, and at the start of 2025 he made the permanent move to Munich. Dante believes that is why he already speaks "very good German". Dante himself, incidentally, has not forgotten the language during his eleven-year absence from Germany. On Friday, Dante and his new team begin the Regionalliga season at home against SC Eltersdorf.