Lennart Karl, a 17-year-old midfielder who became Bayern Munich’s youngest Champions League scorer in October, made an admission on Sunday that he wants to join Real Madrid, which caused confusion, laughter, and criticism.

Karl was asked if he had a “dream club” other than Bayern during a Q&A session on Sunday at a small-town fan event, the kind of visit that is customary for the club’s players in the new year.

“I’d really like to play for Real Madrid someday, but Bayern is a huge team in any case, and it’s a dream to play there. In remarks aired by Sky Sport in Germany, Karl remarked, “That’s my dream club, but that stays between us,” to the amusement of the Bayern supporters in the crowd.

“But obviously Bayern is something very, very special and it’s lots and lots of fun at the club.”

Although the audience seemed to find Karl’s remarks amusing, the young midfielder was criticized online by Bayern supporters who questioned his allegiance to the team.

After graduating from Bayern’s junior program and making his first-team debut in a 10-0 thumping of Auckland City at the Club World Cup in June, Karl established himself as a regular this season, scoring six goals in 22 games.