Why Torben Rhein has no perspective under Julian Nagelsmann

During the preparation for the season, Julian Nagelsmann let him get a taste of the professionals. Now Torben Rhein (18) even has difficulties asserting himself in the second team of FC Bayern. The midfielder faces landmark months.

“Torben Rhein. Make a note of this name.”

This is what young guru Hermann Gerland replied in 2017 at a panel discussion at the German Football Museum when asked which player he considered the most talented on the FC Bayern campus.

Three years later, the “Tiger” felt confirmed. Rhein was awarded the Fritz Walter Medal in silver as the second best U17 player in Germany, right behind Bayer Leverkusen’s shooting star Florian Wirtz. Expectations rose rapidly. But while Wirtz is regularly playing and triumphing in the Bundesliga today, in 2021, Rhine’s reality is called “Regionalliga Bayern” – with no prospect of higher tasks.

Because: According to information from, the 18-year-old has in the roster of professionals SPOX and GOAL no perspective.

Julian Nagelsmann took a closer look at him during the preparation for the season, but despite some good test match performances, he came to the conclusion relatively quickly that the Rhine, who is at home in the central midfield, was technically talented, but far from interesting enough for his team in the overall package.

FC Bayern: Rhein does not convince in the 2nd team either

That is also why, at the request of the new coach, the internal decision was made to seek a commitment from RB Leipzig’s Marcel Sabitzer to complement the seeded Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka.

The consequence: Rhein was sent back to the Bayern amateurs supervised by Martin Demichelis. There he only plays a subordinate role after a decent start, and in contrast to other players from his age group such as Eyüp Aydin (17), Gabriel Vidovic (17) or Nemanja Motika (18) neither playfully nor numerically.

Rhein has not played a game over 90 minutes for the amateurs since August 13th. In addition, according to information from SPOX and GOAL has also been slowing down the coronavirus for a few days.

A difficult situation for the German U19 international, who is now facing a trend-setting six months. His contract with FC Bayern will expire next summer, but there is a bilateral option to extend it until June 30, 2023.

Those responsible on campus currently seem unwilling to keep the Rhine beyond the current season. On the one hand because of his disappointing sporting development in recent months, on the other hand because he is supposed to earn a relatively high monthly salary in the almost five-digit range for a youth player.

Change of advisor: Rhein is thinking about its future

Rhein himself could of course use the option to – in the event of a promotion of the Bayern amateurs – possibly play more in the focus of other clubs in the third division than before. His market is now more than manageable.

The fact that Rhein, who has been with FCB since 2017, has been thinking intensively about his near future, is also shown by his most recent change of advisor, which his father Peter initiated. Born in Berlin, Dirk Hebel is now advising him.

Lever, whose clients include Marco Reus and Lars Stindl, plans according to information from SPOX and GOAL together with Rhein senior and the former Sports Total-Employee Rene Wachsmuth to found the project “Hebel Young Talents”.

Rhein junior is to become the flagship of the project. But to really become one, he first has to convince again with his performances on the pitch.

Torben Rhein in a profile