Kim Min-jae, who finished his debut season in Bayern Munich, burned his will to show better performance next season.
Germany’s “T-Online” reported Kim Min-jae’s interview on Tuesday (Korea Standard Time). First, the media outlet said, “Kim Min-jae’s aggressive defense style has made him a player that the opposing team feared during his time in Naples and an extremely difficult defender. However, Coach Thomas Tuchel told Kim to play more carefully. This affected Kim Min-jae.”
“I couldn’t play with complete confidence during the game. That’s why I hesitated a lot. Still, I tried to show the player that the coach wanted,” Kim said.
Kim Min-jae said, “It was not a satisfactory season for me personally. I have to improve further next season. I think a lot as a player after the season is over. I analyze what I did right and what I lacked. It is important to look back on everything. I will become much stronger next season.”
Lastly, “T-Online” dismissed the possibility of a change in Kim’s future, saying, “Based on what we understand, Kim Min-jae has no intention of leaving. He wants to prove it in Munich.”
Kim Min-jae left Napoli to join Munich ahead of this season. Kim Min-jae has had a busy period, having made his last two consecutive seasons of transferring. First, he left Beijing Guoan for Fenerbahce ahead of the 2021-22 season, making his first European appearance. Immediately after securing his starting job, he attracted the attention of many teams as he displayed outstanding performances.
One of them was Napoli. At the time, Napoli was looking for a replacement for Kalidou Koulibaly. Kim Min-jae was recruited. At first, there were doubts. Koulibaly was a top Serie A player who played as a key center back for Napoli for many years. This is because his replacement was Kim Min-jae, who had no big league experience in his second year in Europe.
However, Kim showed off his immense presence by dispelling such doubts. In the end, Napoli achieved the feat of winning the top spot in Serie A in Italy for the first time in 33 years since the 1989-90 season thanks to Kim’s performance. Kim also rose to the top spot in his debut season. The Serie A secretariat awarded Kim Min-jae, who showed great impact, the best defender award.
Naturally, its value soared. Big clubs’ interest continued. Manchester United was one of them, but the final winner was Munich. Munich needed to reinforce its central defense as Lugar Hernandez and Bangamain Pavard left. Kim Min-jae was brought in.
Kim Min-jae played as the starting center back for Munich throughout the first half. He played in almost every match as a pair with Dayo Upamecano. With The Licht injured, he did not have many resources available. Kim Min-jae played in all the competitions Munich took part in, including the German Bundesliga, the UEFA Champions League, and the DFB Pokal.
However, his position changed in the second half. Kim returned from participating in the Asian Cup, which opened in mid-January, and gave up the starting role to The Licht, who returned from injury, and Dyer, who joined the team in the winter transfer market. Prior to the game against Heidenheim, he sat on the bench for two consecutive league matches, and was banned.
In the match against Heidenheim, Tuchel gave Kim a chance to start again. The result was not good. Munich took the lead first, but ended up losing after losing points one after another. In response, Bild gave Kim a six-point rating right after the game ended. The existing rating system ranges from one to the lowest, but the fact that Kim scored six points means that he is inferior to the lowest.
He also showed disappointing performances in important matches recently. Kim started the first leg of the UCL semifinal between Munich and Real Madrid on the 1st. The Licht was injured and got a chance to start. However, Kim was involved in both runs.
First, Kim Min-jae ran out of the back space in the 24th minute to stop Vinicius Junior. But for a moment, Vinicius dug into the space, and Toni Kroos’ penetrating pass connected exactly to lead to the first goal.
This was not the end. Munich, which allowed the first run, scored two goals in a row early in the second half, and successfully turned the tables. If the game continues like this, Munich could have the upper hand in advancing to the finals. However, in the 38th minute of the second half, Kim Min-jae was able to block a Hodrigo when he gave up a penalty kick. Vinicius scored, and the game ended in a draw.토토사이트
Tuchel responded by saying, “Kim Min-jae went too far today. Not only the first loss, but also the scene where he gave up a penalty kick. It should never happen.” Of course, Tuchel’s remarks did not lead to rumors of discord.
Shortly thereafter, Tuchel said, “I am happy to be with Kim Min-jae. Unfortunately, there were some matches where I made mistakes, just like in the first leg against Real. But overall, he was an incredible resource. I thought he played every game until the Asian Cup and he didn’t need a break. I have positive thoughts about Kim Min-jae. He maintained a good personality despite the downturn, and I am happy to have him here. I am lucky that Munich has such a top mentality.”
First of all, the season is over. Kim and Munich are expected to serve as new head coaches for next season. Kim said he was not satisfied with his performance this season, vowing to show better performances next season.