Jošip Stanišić talks growing up near Säbener Straße while maintaing Croatian identity

Story byJošip Stanišić talks growing up near Säbener Straße while maintaing Croatian identityBremen, Germany - February 14: Josip Stanisic of FC Bayern Muenchen gestures during the Bundesliga match between SV Werder Bremen and FC Bayern München at Weserstadion on February 14, 2026 in Bremen, Germany. (Photo by Oliver Kaelke/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images) | DeFodi Images via Getty ImagesFrank MoWed, February 18, 2026 at 3:30 AM UTC·2 min read

Bayern Munich has been looking to promote young talent through the youth academy and maintain its’ Bavarian identity for a long time. The club has tried to promote Jamal Musiala as a leading light of the academy, but he joined the youth academy at 16 and spent only one year among the club’s youth ranks before being promoted to the senior team. Lennart Karl, the newest shooting star, spent a grand total of two years in the academy. Aleksandar Pavlović is more or less the perfect poster boy for the academy, joining up as a local boy at age 9 and progressing all the way through the academy without the need for a loan.

But even Pavlović did not grow up a hop and skip away from the club’s headquarters, the Säbenerstraße. But Josip Stanišic did. Born in German borough Perlach, just a few kilometers away from the Säbenerstraße, Stanišic jumped from Bavarian club to Bavarian club before joining Bayern, with his first stop being FC Perlach.

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In an interview with Bayern’s official website, the 25-year-old talked a little about his childhood and first football club:

“I felt very happy [in Perlach] and had a wonderful childhood. Football played a major role from an early age. I played for FC Perlach and spent every spare minute I had out on the football pitch.”

Despite being born in Munich, though, his parents are Croatian. How much is he Croatian despite growing up in Munich?

“I’d say I’m a good mix. I feel very connected to Croatia through my family. I always spent my holidays there with my family. That’s still the case today. Whenever I have the opportunity, I go there. Croatia is home to me, just like Munich. I was born and raised here, have many friends here and now also my own little family.”

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Ultimately, Stanišić joined Bayern fairly late as well, arriving to join the youth ranks at 16. But he is as Bavarian as they come. In Bayern’s quest to find identification with Munich, Stanišić is a real blessing.

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