You should not have doubted Kim Min-jae. He was criticized recently by a Bundesliga legend, but he proved it at Bayern Munich. They showed off their presence by sweeping the Bundesliga’s best 11.
On the 10th (Korean time), Kim Min-jae was named in the top 11 selected by many local media outlets, including ’90min’. In particular, it was encouraging to see that the leading ‘kicker’ was included in the best 11 of the 7th round of the Bundesliga. Kim Min-jae was selected as one of the 11 best players along with Girassi, Janet, Hoffmann, Coman, Grimaldo, Schlotterbeck, Frimpong, Larsson, and Wirtz.
Bayern Munich beat Freiburg 3-0 in the 7th round of the 2023-24 German Bundesliga held at its home stadium, Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany. With today’s victory, Bayern Munich has 5 wins and 2 draws in 7 games, continuing its undefeated streak since the opening game.
Kim Min-jae led the team to a scoreless victory against Freiburg with an incredible defense. He appeared in the starting central defense combination with Dayot Ufa Kapeno. Since joining Bayern Munich this summer, he has played full-time in five consecutive games. Beyond being a regular starter, he is being reborn as a world-class iron pillar.
In the match against Freiburg, he won all aerial duels (8 times) against his opponent. The pass success rate was a whopping 98%. After the game, according to soccer statistics company ‘Sofa Score’, it received a rating of 7.6 that day. It was the highest score among the four back defenses who started at Bayern Munich.
Bayern Munich used a 4-2-3-1 formation. Kim Min-jae’s performance at the center of defense and build-up stood out. The leader was Harry Kane. Bayern Munich put pressure on Freiburg throughout the game. There were several threatening shots, and finally, in the 12th minute of the first half, Kingsley Coman received a pass from Thomas Müller and hit the net. He hit the net with a right-footed shot from inside the penalty box.
One minute after the first goal was scored, Leroy Sane scored, assisted by Harry Kane. Bayern Munich took the win and the game continued to be one-sided. Bayern Munich did not lose the initiative and put pressure on Freiburg. In the second half, Coman scored multiple goals to make the score 3-0. This time, Coman finished the shot with his left foot. Minjae Kim went on to compete on the European stage at Fenerbahce via Beijing Guoan. Having gained experience by participating in the UEFA Europa League, he immediately received attention from Europe beyond Turkye (Turkey). After one season of moving to Fenerbahce, love calls poured in, and he chose to move to Naples, one of the top five European leagues.
Afterwards, soccer statistics company ‘Opta’ said, “Kim Min-jae recorded the most passes in a single game as a Bundesliga player. This is the most since Leverkusen’s Aleksandar Dragovic made 178 passes against Düsseldorf in February 2019. Kim Min-jae made the most passes against Freiburg. “I completed 171 passes successfully,” he announced. It was a huge heat map that made it impossible to tell whether it was central defense or midfielder.
He showed overwhelming performance in Naples and adapted perfectly. He led the build-up of Napoli’s rear with short and long accurate passes in an anticipatory defense that looked ahead. When the opportunity arose, he advanced all the way to the full-back zone and helped Naples attack. He showed his best performance in the Champions League against Liverpool and others.
He showed off his best performance with Victor Osimhen, Hvicha Kvarachelia, and others, leading Napoli to win the Italian Serie A for the first time in 33 years. He signed a 3+2 year contract with Napoli, but again, he received a call from a top European team just one season after his transfer.
He was linked to Manchester United, but the team he ultimately transferred to was Bayern Munich. Bayern Munich activated Kim Min-jae’s buyout clause, which was temporarily set from July 1 to 15. He showed his sincerity to Kim Min-jae by boldly paying 50 million euros (about 70.9 billion won), the highest transfer fee ever in Asia.
I was able to find out to some extent through the Naples official page. Naples is preparing its preseason schedule until July 25th, but Kim Min-jae was not on the 26-man preseason list. Victor Osimhen and Hvicha Kvarachelya are expected to join at a later date.
According to German media, including ‘Bild’, all processes, including Bayern Munich’s buyout payment, have been completed, but it is known that some problems have arisen on the Naples side. Instead of joining Germany, Kim Min-jae planned to join the preseason Asian tour, including Japan and Singapore.
Minjae Kim came to Korea last June to perform military service. He received military service benefits by winning a gold medal at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, and received basic military training for three weeks at the Nonsan Army Training Center.
While receiving basic military training, there were many transfer rumors. He was strongly linked to Manchester United before entering the army training camp, but Bayern Munich came forward. Manchester United was unable to send a strong love call to Kim Min-jae as negotiations for a new owner and Harry Maguire were not resolved properly, and Bayern Munich approached Kim Min-jae.
European transfer market expert ‘Fabrizio Romano’ posted ‘HERE WE GO’ and his transfer to Bayern Munich was virtually confirmed. After completing his basic military training, he was discharged and completed his final formalities. Bayern Munich flew to Korea directly and conducted a medical test. In order to immediately utilize Kim Min-jae as a force, Lucas Hernández, an existing defensive resource, was sent to Paris Saint-Germain. This was a moment where you could see Bayern Munich’s sincerity.
Coach Tuchel indirectly mentioned Kim Min-jae at the official press conference in preparation for the pre-season, saying, “I want to replace Lucas Hernández, and it is no longer a secret who is coming.”
He then replied, “I won’t say a specific name right now because speaking directly about it won’t help. We will try to announce (the recruitment of Kim Min-jae) in the next few days.” ‘Fabrizio Romano’ said, “This is Kim Min-jae. The buyout clause has been activated and the medical test has been completed,” and announced that only the official announcement remained.
New Napoli coach Rudy Garcia also acknowledged his farewell to Kim Min-jae. Talking about his pre-season plans, he said, “I know that Kim Min-jae is leaving. It’s really sad, but I want to keep all our star players. Victor Osimhen will be able to stay in Naples,” and put a wedge in Kim Min-jae’s transfer.
Kim Min-jae’s goal, which confirmed his transfer to Bayern Munich, was also special. Minjae Kim said, “Munich is the team that every soccer player dreams of. That’s why I decided to transfer. My goal is to play in the game. Furthermore, I want to win the European Champions League. League,
Coach Tuchel said, “Kim Min-jae is big, fast and a very reliable defender. His career is truly unique. It shows that he has proven his ability over and over again. I am happy that Kim Min-jae has joined Munich. We have had several video calls.” Kim Min-jae “He is a true man. He is ready to play right away.”
The affection for Kim Min-jae was also evident in the video released by Bayern Munich. Coach Tuchel gave Kim Min-jae a warm hug when he arrived at the training ground and announced that he would join Bayern Munich. He smiled brightly and came over to me, stroking my cheek and smiling.
The reaction of Bayern Munich fans who watched the video was also impressive. Fans were thrilled, saying, “I’m really grateful that Coach Tuchel brought in Kim Min-jae,” and “It’s a really exciting moment. Kim Min-jae will bring tremendous energy to Bayern Munich this season.”
Another fan applauded generously, saying, “Kim Min-jae is forming a duo with De Ligt. I am confident that they will become the best central defense duo in Europe for the next 6-7 years. You don’t even need to watch the game. They are solid defenders.” He then praised, “It is important to have players with good character on the team, and Kim Min-jae is that kind of player.”
‘French Football’, the organizer of the Ballon d’Or, announced the Ballon d’Or candidates through its official page on the 7th. Minjae Kim was a candidate for the ‘2023 Ballon d’Or’. World-class players such as Kim Min-jae and Naples teammate Kvarachelia, who worked together with him last season, Osimhen and Bayern Munich teammates Harry Kane and Jamal Musiala, as well as world-class players such as Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Roberto Lewandowski, won the Ballon d’Or. heated up the competition.
Ballon d’Or was founded by ‘French Football’. It has been held since 1956 and is the most prestigious award in the soccer world. For a while, it was limited to European players, but since 2007, it has been changed to include players from all over the world, regardless of nationality and club affiliation.
There were also changes in the selected press corps. The voting rights were given to reporters from the first 16 countries (European judging panel) who had experience advancing to the FIFA World Cup finals. It is known that last year’s Ballon d’Or was evaluated by 170 people. There has been a change in timing since last year, and it was changed to a seasonal evaluation instead of the existing January to December standard.
He was the fifth Korean player to be named. Seol Ki-hyun of Anderlecht (Belgium) in 2002, Park Ji-sung of Manchester United (England) in 2005, and Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur (England) in 2019 and 2022 were selected as candidates. If we expand the scope of the defender position to Asia, Kim Min-jae is the first in history.
After the announcement of ‘French Football’, a report from the leading local newspaper ‘L’Equipe’ continued. The media said, “Kim Min-jae was selected as one of the 30 finalists for the Ballon d’Or. He erased Kalidou Koulibaly’s absence at Naples last season with his aerial competition, physical ability, and back-up build-up. He moved to Bayern Munich this year and is taking on a new challenge.” He announced the background of being selected as a Ballon d’Or candidate.
He was a hot topic in Germany as he moved to Bayern Munich this summer. When his team Bayern Munich announced the news of Ballon d’Or candidates, including Kim Min-jae, the German Bundesliga said, “Players who played and played in the Bundesliga, such as Harry Kane, Jamal Musiala, Jude Bellingham, and Erling Haaland, were nominated as Ballon d’Or candidates for 2022-23. “It is awarded to the player who performed the best during the season. The Ballon d’Or winner will be announced in Paris on October 30th local time. Like Kane, Minjae Kim contributed to Napoli’s first league title in 33 years before joining our team.” I pointed it out.
Japan also seemed envious. Japanese media ‘Daily Sports’ said, “Kim Min-jae, who plays for Bayern Munich, became the first Asian defender to enter the 30 finalists for the Ballon d’Or. Kim Min-jae moved to Turkey’s Fenerbahce in the 2021-22 season and set foot on the European stage, one year later. He moved to Naples, Italy. Afterwards, he contributed to Napoli’s victory and was selected as the best defender in the Italian Serie A. With this season just around the corner, he moved to Bayern Munich, a prestigious club in the German Bundesliga. After two years of competing in Europe, he has risen to the top position. Still. “No Japanese player received any votes in the Ballon d’Or vote,” he announced.
Including Kim Min-jae, there are only three central defenders nominated for the Ballon d’Or. Joszko Gvardiol and Rubin Dias (Manchester City).
Gvardiol led Croatia to the semifinals at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. After catching the attention of big clubs with his strong and active defense, he left Leipzig this summer and transferred to Manchester City. Rubin Dias solidly defended Manchester City’s backline last season with excellent leadership and stable defense. As a result, Man City achieved the ‘treble’ of winning the English Premier League, FA Cup, and UCL in one year for the first time in the club’s history.
As such, it is not easy for the defender position to even be nominated for the Ballon d’Or. The only central defender to ever win the Ballon d’Or was Fabio Cannavaro in 2006. Cannavaro led the team to victory in the 2006 World Cup in Germany while wearing the Italy uniform. He received the Ballon d’Or in recognition of his efforts.
You can tell just by looking at the list of last year’s Ballon d’Or candidates. Among the 30 candidates, there were two central defenders: Fairgil van Dijk (Liverpool) and Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid). As can be seen from the past, it was truly an incredible feat for Kim Min-jae to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or.
Bayern Munich also looked for a back-up defender in the summer. The British media ‘Mirror’ reported, “Coach Tuchel was deeply impressed by Dier’s diverse abilities. Dier can play not only as a central defender but also as a defensive midfielder. Coach Tuchel sees Dier as an interesting choice.”
British public broadcaster BBC quoted Telegraph reporter Luke Edwards as saying, “I thought Kane was feeling a bit homesick in Germany. Bayern Munich asked Kane what they could do to help him, and Kane said recruiting Dier. Bayern Munich “If the interest is solid and Tottenham agrees to pay the amount they want, Dier could go to Bayern Munich,” the report said.
Dier is from England but started his career in Portugal. He made his professional debut by playing for the Sporting CP youth team, and moved to Tottenham in 2014 to play in the Premier League. At the beginning of his career, his position was a defensive midfielder, but he changed his position to central defense in 2019, when coach Jose Mourinho led Tottenham.
Although he was a member of the England national team, it was difficult to say that he had top-class skills. The dull build-up compared to the competitive play was pointed out as a problem. There was a big difference in his performance compared to Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld during the time of manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Although he secured playing time under coach Antonio Conte, he has been continuously excluded from the roster since coach Enzi Postecoglou took over. Even in the League Cup against Fulham, where he used a rotation, he couldn’t even sit on the bench. Afterwards, rumors of his release arose as he was not included in Tottenham’s team plan. According to the British media ‘The Independent’, a total of six people were included in the Tottenham killing list.
The targets of the cleanup were Dier, Reguilon, Ndombele, Tanganga, and Spence, including goalkeeper Lloris, who virtually said goodbye to Tottenham. Tottenham currently has 31 players over the age of 21. Since 25 entries had to be submitted to the Premier League Secretariat by the 13th of next month, the remaining 6 players had to be loaned or completely transferred.
In this situation, he was connected to Bayern Munich. The German version of ‘Sky Sports’ reported, “Bayern Munich is discussing recruiting Dier this summer. With Benjamin Pavard linked to Inter Milan, they are eyeing Dier.”
In England, Bayern Munich also acknowledged interest. British media ‘Sky Sports’ announced that “Munich has proposed signing Dier,” and went one step further by reporting, “Dortmund is also interested in signing Dier.” However, the recruitment of Dyer never came to fruition.
The striker was highlighted by Harry Kane. Bayern Munich was willing to pay up to 86 million pounds (about 140.7 billion won) to sign Kane this summer. Kane will become a free agent (FA) next year. Bayern Munich also considered conditions that could be negotiated in the winter under the Bosman rule. It is known that manager Thomas Tuchel called Kane and persuaded him by informing him of Bayern Munich’s future plans and how to utilize him.메이저사이트
There was constant speculation about a transfer to Bayern Munich in Germany and England. Germany’s Sky reported, “Bayern Munich’s high-ranking officials and Tottenham Chairman Levy had a secret meeting in London, and the atmosphere was positive. They talked about the transfer fee for Kane. We believe the Kane transfer will take place within 21 days at most.”
The atmosphere in England was quite different. The Evening Standard announced, “Kane will not leave Tottenham this summer. He is thinking of leaving as a free agent a year later.” At the Bayern Munich press conference, coach Thomas Tuchel was asked about Kane, but he was reluctant to give a definitive answer.
‘Telegraph’ reported the changed atmosphere, saying, “Chairman Daniel Levy said that Kane should be sold if he cannot renew his contract this summer. Tottenham Chairman Joe Louis also instructed Chairman Levy to sell if the same situation occurs.”
Tottenham held a pre-season tour in Australia and Singapore in preparation for the 2023-24 season. Son Heung-min took a break in Korea after the international team schedule ended in June, then flew straight to Australia and was the first to join the training ground.
Afterwards, Tottenham players arrived in Australia one after another. Tottenham posted a pre-season tour video on its official channel and featured three players as the main players in the second half, but Kane was not there. Freshmen James Madison, Richarlison, and Son Heung-min appeared as the main models for the Australian tour. Of course, in the photo on the plane released by Tottenham, Kane responded to the photo with a smile on his face with his teammates.
Son Heung-min also had questions about Kane’s future. Son Heung-min said through the British media ‘Football London’, “Kane is a fantastic player. He always did his best in a professional manner. He never showed selfishness. There are currently many transfer rumors for Kane, but he is Tottenham’s captain. I am. “I’m training with Kane,” he said.
He continued, “Kane did not lose focus despite the transfer rumors (to Bayern Munich). I really like Kane. After being with him for 6-7 years, I knew he was the best player in the world. Ultimately, it is up to Tottenham and Kane to decide. Probably. Kane probably doesn’t know the current situation either. I don’t know anything either. I can’t tell you anything. We have to wait.” Kane’s expression was not very bright. Even when he boarded the plane to Australia, he had an expressionless face, and when he got off, he bowed his head and left for the training ground with his colleagues.
What do you think about new coach Enzo Postecoglou? He was asked about Kane’s future during pre-season and said: “I’ve always been consistent. I’m dealing with what’s in front of me. Nothing has changed at the moment.”
It was a push-and-pull negotiation, but Bayern Munich did not give up. The British media ‘Telegraph’ reported, “Bayern Munich is preparing a meeting with Tottenham Chairman Daniel Levy between the club’s two CEOs to recruit Kane. Munich is preparing to resume recruiting Kane.”
The media said, “Currently, Tottenham has returned to London after finishing its Asian pre-season tour. High-ranking Tottenham officials are also scheduled to meet with Munich. The Munich CEO did not accompany the Munich Asian tour to negotiate with Chairman Levy, who rejected the offer to transfer Kane.” It was reported.
If an agreement is reached in negotiations with Chairman Levy, Kane could go to Bayern Munich. The media said, “Kane participated in the Tottenham pre-season tour. It is known that if Chairman Levy and Bayern Munich succeed in reaching an agreement, a transfer is possible. According to sources, Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham negotiated, but Kane does not want to transfer. “I refused,” he said.
Afterwards, Tottenham was in trouble as Kane declared that he would stay if the opening game of the Premier League was not announced. In the end, after negotiations with Bayern Munich, the negotiations were concluded with an offer of 120 million euros (about 174.9 billion won). There was also a problem. As news broke that Tottenham had canceled a flight to Germany in relation to the transfer of Kane, it seemed like a stalemate was reached again. However, the subsequent process was expected to proceed without problems.
Transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano said, “Kane has passed the medical test at Bayern Munich. He will sign a contract on Saturday. The contract is valid until June 2027. An official announcement will be made soon,” and said, ‘HERE WE GO ‘ was floated.
Bayern Munich also announced the signing of Kane on the club’s official website, saying, “We have brought in the world’s best striker.” His contract lasted until 2027. After confirming his transfer to Bayern Munich, Kane said through his social networking service (SNS), “I wanted to be the first to let Tottenham fans know that I am leaving the club today. I’m obviously feeling a lot of emotions right now and I’m sad to be leaving Tottenham. I’ve been with him for almost 20 years. “I spent it at Tottenham,” he began.
“I went from being an 11-year-old boy to a man in his 30s. Now I have so many great moments and special memories that I will cherish forever. All my Tottenham teammates over the years, all the coaches, all the managers and all the staff involved, from the uniform officer to the club chef. “I would like to express my gratitude,” he said.
Recently, Lothar Matheus, a legendary German player, said in an interview with the German version of ‘Sky Sports’, “Kim Min-jae was not performing as well as we expected. He needs to get used to the German Bundesliga. I have no objections to Kim Min-jae, but he is not the greatest player he was in Italy.” “There is no performance. He is not showing what I expected from Kim Min-jae,” he explained.
At the time, the evaluation was overturned after just two games. Kim Min-jae appeared as a starter against Manchester United in the first leg of Group A of the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League group stage held at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany on the 21st of last month.
Paired with Upamecano, he blocked the Manchester United attack. According to soccer statistics media, in the match against Manchester United, he recorded 1 block, 1 interception, 1 tackle, 1 successful ground duel (1 attempt), 118 touches, and a pass success rate of 92%. Bayern Munich was behind in the first half and lost concentration at the end of the second half, but Kim Min-jae played more than one role alone.
Local reviews are also impressive. German media ‘Bavarian Football’ said, “We had a good fight for the ball against Manchester United’s attackers. The build-up at the back was also good. Bayern Munich had a difficult time in the beginning as they were pushed behind by Manchester United, but Kim Min-jae’s performance was good. Bayern Munich took the lead. After that, Manchester United’s offensive line was not seen. Kim Min-jae is definitely living up to expectations after joining Bayern Munich this summer,” he said, adding ‘kaiser’, which means emperor in German.
He then consoled himself by saying, “There was nothing Kim Min-jae could do among the three goals conceded.” However, according to soccer statistics media ‘Foot Mob’, Kim Min-jae received a rating of 6.7 in the match against Manchester United. Looking at local evaluations and performance, this is puzzling.
It appears that Bayern Munich’s overall defensive balance was taken into consideration. Kim Min-jae was outstanding, but Bayern Munich conceded 3 goals at home. If you look at the defensive organization together, it could not be evaluated highly. Kim Min-jae received a rating of 6 points, but it was the highest among the Bayern Munich back four.
The leading German newspaper ‘Kicker’ gave Kim Min-jae a rating of 3.5 points. The lower the ‘Kicker’ rating, the better. Here, all of the Bayern Munich back four received 3.5 points except Upamecano, who gave 2.5 points. ‘Kicker’ ratings are famous for being cold, but they informed Kim Min-jae that his performance was worthy of the Champions League.
However, after the Manchester United game and the Bochum and Leipzig games, the evaluation changed. The team won 7-0 against Bochum, but drew 2-2 against Leipzig. Bayern Munich went 6 games undefeated after the opening, but fell to 3rd place instead of the leader. In the game against Leipzig, the back door was shaking and the team struggled. After giving up the first goal to Royce Offenda in the 20th minute of the first half, they immediately allowed an additional goal to Castello Rugeba. Harry Kane’s penalty kick and Leroy Sane’s equalizer in the second half brought them just one point.
Coach Thomas Tuchel said: “It took us a while to execute our plan and find space against Leipzig. We made a lot of mistakes. The game overall was slow and static. There were some sloppy moments in defence. But we got better in the second half. Mentally, we got better in the second half. “Everything has improved, both the surface and the speed of the game,” he said.
Minjae Kim played full time in the game on this day, recording 2 tackles, 2 clearances, 2 interceptions, and a 92% pass success rate. He showed his health by making the most recoveries in the game (situations where the ball was lost and recovered, 12 times). The European soccer statistics company FootMob’s rating was around 7 points.
The local assessment was that it did not meet expectations. ‘Kicker’, a leading German newspaper, said, “Coach Tuchel directly criticized Bayern Munich’s central defense duo (Kim Min-jae, Upamecano) in a situation where they conceded a goal. Kim Min-jae advanced even though he had no reason to go one-on-one. Upamecano’s job was to protect Kim Min-jae. Instead, he went out and gave them space,” he criticized. This also added fuel to Mateus’ evaluation.
But everything turned out to be nothing more than a false hope. Kim Min-jae immediately proved everything and swept the Bundesliga’s top 11. He is becoming an indispensable presence as he becomes a key central defender for Bayern Munich.