Hong Myung-bo criticizes Bayern's management of Kim Min-jae's injury risk

"Hong Myung-bo's criticism is sharp and valid. There were ample opportunities to rest Kim Min-jae."

German media agreed with Hong Myung-bo's complaints about Kim Min-jae's (29, Bayern Munich) injury.

Bavarian Football, which covers Bayern news, reported on the 17th (Korean time) that "the South Korean national team coach criticized Bayern regarding Kim Min-jae's injury status. He will not be able to participate in the upcoming March A-match, and Hong Myung-bo candidly expressed whose fault it was."

The South Korean national team led by Hong Myung-bo will play back-to-back matches in the third round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup during the A-match period this March. After facing Oman at Goyang Stadium on the 20th, they will move to Suwon World Cup Stadium to play against Jordan on the 25th.

As expected, Hong Myung-bo selected Kim Min-jae. During the roster announcement press conference, he acknowledged the concerns regarding Kim Min-jae's Achilles and ankle injuries, but explained that he has been consistently playing for his club and is managing to overcome it well.

In fact, Kim Min-jae has barely had any rest at Bayern. Only one player, Joshua Kimmich (3,477 minutes), has played more minutes than Kim Min-jae, who has played 3,175 minutes this season. He even had to play while dealing with an Achilles injury since last October.

Nevertheless, Bayern coach Vincent Kompany has rarely given Kim Min-jae a break. Throughout the season, Kim Min-jae has only rested during the matches against Hoffenheim, Celtic, and Bochum. There were also reports that Kim Min-jae requested a break from the team first but couldn't rest due to many injuries.

In the end, things went awry. Coach Kompany recently stated, "Kim Min-jae is in a state of injury" and added, "I hope it won't be too bad, but it appears he will miss a few weeks." He also mentioned that "the problem with (Kim Min-jae's) Achilles is already known" and added, "We need to manage it so that the burden doesn't fall too heavily on him."

As a result, his inclusion in the Hong Myung-bo team fell through. After releasing Kim Min-jae from the squad, Hong Myung-bo called up 2000-born center-back Kim Joo-seong (FC) as a replacement. During the first training session held on the 17th at the auxiliary field of Goyang Stadium, he explained, "We have to play without a key player in an important match" and stated, "I felt it wasn't suitable to include Kim Min-jae in the match for the protection of the player, so I wanted to give him a bold rest."

He also made a deliberate statement. Hong Myung-bo said, "Kim Min-jae is an extremely important player for our team. However, I can't help but feel that Bayern Munich should have taken precautions to protect the player. There have been continuous signals about Kim Min-jae's injury risk. We were fully aware of the (injury risk) on the national team."

Hong Myung-bo's remarks have also garnered attention in Germany. Sky Sports Germany reported that "Hong Myung-bo, the South Korean national team coach, criticized Bayern over the absence of defender Kim Min-jae. According to him, Kim Min-jae's injury absence could have been prevented."

The media noted, "Kim Min-jae is expected to be forced to rest for several weeks. Therefore, he will also be unable to participate in the World Cup qualifiers against Oman and Jordan. Hong Myung-bo seems to be angry about this," adding, "South Korea now hopes to qualify for the 2026 North America World Cup without star defender Kim Min-jae. If they win both home matches, they can qualify perfectly."

'TZ' also reported, "Bayern is at the center of fierce debate over Kim Min-jae's injury prevention. Since leaving Napoli in the summer of 2023, he has been an essential part of Bayern's defense, but he cannot play due to Achilles issues. This situation has elicited sharp criticism from South Korean coach Hong Myung-bo."

Furthermore, the media stated, "Kim Min-jae is expected to rest even after the A-match break. Coach Kompany has emphasized recently that he should not be given 'excessive burden'. His return is expected to occur at the latest between the first leg of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) quarterfinals against Inter Milan and the important match against Borussia Dortmund. This means he could return just in time to stabilize Bayern's defense in critical moments."

Bavarian Football empathized with Hong Myung-bo's criticism. The media stated, "South Korean coach Hong Myung-bo has criticized Bayern on how they dealt with Kim Min-jae's Achilles tendonitis," adding, "This seems to be a sharp criticism of Coach Kompany's handling of the situation. It's a valid point."

They further pointed out, "There were ample opportunities to rest Kim Min-jae. However, Kompany has made extensive use of Kim Min-jae and his center-back partner Dayot Upamecano, allowing them to wear down throughout the season."

Of course, it is true that Bayern had no choice but to rely heavily on Kim Min-jae due to the consecutive injuries of Hiroki Ito and Josip Stanisic. Upamecano has also missed games due to minor injuries. However, it cannot be denied that Coach Kompany continued to have Kim Min-jae play instead of Eric Dier even in relatively less important matches.

Bavarian Football also pointed out, "There are rumors that Kim Min-jae expressed a genuine desire to start every match. However, ultimately, a more cautious approach from Kompany and Kim Min-jae may have prevented the injury situation from escalating to this point."

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