Ex-Leverkusen star Lars Bender appointed Bayern U-17 coach
| Photo: Christof Koepsel/Getty Images. |
Former German international Lars Bender will take over Bayern Munich's U-17 youth academy team for the upcoming 2026-27 season.
The 37-year-old will be aided by Philipp Deppner, previously U-19 assistant coach, and Benjamin Kauffmann – most recently U-14 head coach.
The current U-17 coaching trio of Leonhard Haas and assistants Stefan Meißner and Florian Mayer will move up to the U-19 team.
“I am delighted that we were able to bring Lars Bender on board as a coach for our campus," said Michael Wiesinger, head of sport and youth development.
"He has a wealth of experience as a player and has already worked as a coach in both youth and senior football.
"He's also a really great guy; we could feel his enthusiasm for this role right from our first conversation.
“With him coaching the U-17s and Leo Haas coaching the U-19s, we feel very well positioned in our performance-oriented program for the new season,” he added.
In his playing career, Lars Bender played over 342 games for Bayer Leverkusen whilst earning 19 caps for Germany, highlighting his expertise.
