Lovro Zvonarek’s time at Bayern Munich never quite lived up to the hype. Before the Croatian playmaker joined the Bavarians, he not only started regularly for Slaven Belupo in the HNL, the top division of Croatian football, but became one of the youngest captains in European football history by donning the armband at 16 years and 11 months of age.
It was very likely more of a symbolic gesture than a true passing of leadership to the teenager, but it was a strong indicator of just how highly Slaven
Belupo rated the youngster.
Bayern never really seemed to have a plan for the youngster, though. The move from the Croatian first division to the German fourth division and Bayern’s U-23s was a strange one, as was how he was shunted out wide from the get go rather than playing in his favored position in the middle. Two seasons with the U-23s delivered middling results, but a rash of injuries allowed Zvonarek the chance to start for Bayern against VfL Wolfsburg under Thomas Tuchel, in which the teenager duly scored within just four minutes.
This attention got him some very big offers from some very notable clubs, but Zvonarek chose to move to Austrian Bundesliga side Sturm Graz, in part because the recent Austrian champions could offer him Champions League football. The team’s style never suited Zvonarek, though, and there were worries he was just not good enough as he went from a starting role to completely disappearing from the team sheet entirely. A subsequent loan to Bayern’s Red&Gold partner Grasshopper Zurich helped get Zvonarek more game time, but it was clear his stock had fallen.
With just a year left on his contract and with no prospect of making the first team, it was clear Zvonarek had to move on. He has done exactly that, signing for Portuguese first division side CF Estrela Amadora. Bayern’s official website has the details:
Lovro Zvonarek (21) is leaving FC Bayern permanently a year before his contract expires and is moving to the Portuguese first division. The Croatian U21 international has joined CF Estrela Amadora, where he will be reunited with his former amateur teammate Max Scholze.
Jochen Sauer, Director of Youth Development: “Lovro has gained valuable experience in professional football over the past two years at Sturm Graz and Grasshopper Club Zurich, and received a lot of playing time, especially in Zurich. Now he has the opportunity to take the next step in his development in the Portuguese first division. We wish him all the best, both on and off the pitch, in Amadora.”
Zvonarek joined Bayern Munich’s youth academy from Slaven Belupo in July 2022 and made 39 appearances in the Regionalliga Bayern (12 goals / 7 assists) and eight in the Youth League (2 goals / 2 assists). He made his first-team debut for the record champions in January 2024 in Augsburg and played a total of five times in the Bundesliga (1 goal).
Zvonarek will meet not just Max Scholze at the club but will face more former teammates in Taichi Fukui and Hyun-ju Lee at Arouca. Even more bizarrely, Zvonarek is joining the club former Bayern star Thomas Müller may be buying soon. It is a small world, eh?
Zvonarek is better than the recent years may have indicated. This is his chance to grab a starting spot and really harness his talent. Good luck, Lovro.
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