"He didn't say it's hard, so it's not overworking."
German journalist Christian Falk of 'Kicker' claimed on the 23rd (Korean time), "It is true that Kim Min-jae has been overworked, but he didn't 'clearly' say that he needs to rest. He didn't 'directly' say to Bayern Munich's coach Vincent Kompany that he is struggling due to injuries and needs to take a break."
Kim Min-jae's status at Bayern is shaky recently. He had been praised for his successful revival under the newly appointed coach Vincent Kompany up until the middle of the season. He solidly maintained Bayern's defense while coordinating with Dayot Upamecano. However, issues arose after continuous overworking.
Since October, Kim Min-jae has complained of Achilles pain, but he has seldom had the opportunity to rest. Moreover, last month, he had to return to the starting lineup without enough recovery time due to injuries among his fellow defenders. There were concerns locally in Germany about his physical condition not being perfect, but he could not afford to rest.
Ultimately, Kim Min-jae played even while suffering from a cold and made a mistake that led to a conceded goal. As a result, Bayern was eliminated in the UCL quarterfinals. In fact, it is difficult to see Kim Min-jae as the one who bears the most responsibility, but the atmosphere is that the blame for the elimination falls entirely on him. Despite showing a fighting spirit amidst injuries, Kim Min-jae has become a target of harsh criticism.
In fact, Kim Min-jae's excessive participation has been a matter of concern for some time. Last month, Hong Myung-bo, the coach of the South Korean national team, made a pointed remark that Bayern did not adequately protect Kim Min-jae. At that time, 'Bavarian Football Works' also pointed out, "It is a valid point. There were enough opportunities to give Kim Min-jae a rest. However, Kompany used Kim Min-jae and his partner Upamecano until they wore out."
Nevertheless, Kim Min-jae continues to experience a vicious cycle of declining performance and criticism without being able to rest. He rejected a mixed zone interview after the match against Inter and has even disabled the comment function on his recent social media posts. This highlights how much stress he is under. Now, voices criticizing the excessive use of Kim Min-jae without giving him time to recover from his injuries are also emerging in Germany.
However, Director Max Eberl explained that there was no choice. He stated, "It wasn't dangerous to Kim Min-jae's health. I don't want to blow the issue out of proportion. Of course, he had problems as well. He couldn't train properly. But we needed him."
In the recent match against Dortmund, Kim Min-jae allowed an opponent to score by losing track of him. It was a clear mistake due to not accurately assessing where the cross would fall. As a result, Kim Min-jae was substituted early, and Bayern drew 2-2 with Dortmund.
After the match, Director Eberl publicly criticized Kim Min-jae. He remarked, "It was a mistake. Kim Min-jae lost track of his opponent. Until then, he had played an excellent game against Serou Guirassy. But he must be aware of the goal he conceded," and added, "Kim Min-jae, like all the other players at the end of the season, is not at 100% condition. But that doesn't mean we couldn't field him."
Kim Min-jae left an impression in the crucial match against Inter as well. He failed to prevent a goal during a corner kick defense, losing a header contest against Benjamin Pavard. While it was also a mistake of teammates allowing Pavard to charge freely, all criticism is currently focused on Kim Min-jae for not stopping the ball at the last moment.
Bild even holds Kim Min-jae responsible for another conceded goal. The media claimed, "After Bayern's painful exit from the Champions League against Inter, Kim Min-jae faced immense criticism. Particularly, it was due to his two decisive mistakes in the second leg, which ended in a 2-2 draw."
Bild highlighted that Kim Min-jae has been struggling with Achilles issues since the match against Frankfurt last October, stating that "Kim Min-jae was the 'dream player' of former coach Thomas Tuchel. His goal was to play a key role in central defense. However, he has always faltered in particularly important matches. He made mistakes in last season's Champions League semifinals against Real Madrid, and recently in the matches against Dortmund and Inter as well."
Moreover, the media noted, "From outside the field, it becomes clear how much of a concern the current situation is for Kim Min-jae. He has officially not spoken out since the Champions League elimination, and he has disabled comments on his last two Instagram posts. This serves as a quiet signal of how great the pressure and frustration surrounding him has become."
Additionally, Director Eberl added, "Some of the criticism against Kim Min-jae is exaggerated. It is true that he was involved in one or two of the conceded goals. However, that doesn't mean he was solely bad." He seems to be trying to defend Kim Min-jae at least somewhat now.
Now, there are even shocking reports that Bayern is considering selling Kim Min-jae. 'Sky Sports Germany' reported on the 15th, "Bayern is open to offers! Kim Min-jae may leave," stating, "Kim Min-jae is no longer a player that Bayern cannot sell. If an offer that reflects his value comes in, Bayern would be willing to have a conversation."
Journalist Florian Plettenberg also stated, "Kim Min-jae is not considered an 'untouchable' player at Bayern," adding, "If Kim Min-jae leaves, Bayern will reinvest that money. Otherwise, they are planning for the next season with Kim Min-jae, Upamecano, Hiroki Ito, Eric Dier, and Josip Stanisic as center-back options. Kim Min-jae's contract runs until 2028."
Bild claimed, "While Coach Kompany publicly defends Kim Min-jae, Bayern is closely monitoring the situation. One thing is certain: Kim Min-jae is no longer a player who cannot be sold. If a reasonable offer comes in the summer (about 50 million euros, approximately 8.2 billion won), it is not impossible for him to leave."
Could this be part of the troubles surrounding Kim Min-jae? Journalist Falk, known to be pro-Bayern, drew attention with an absurd article that was not only abrupt but somewhat ridiculous. He said that Kim Min-jae's overworking was not due to the player himself saying he wouldn't play, which led to a shocking argument.
Falk stated, "It is true that Kim Min-jae has struggled with Achilles issues throughout the season. But the fact is that Kim Min-jae himself has never told Coach Kompany that he wouldn't play. It was only towards the end of the season that he requested more rest," adding that "the club did not tell Kim Min-jae to leave, but they would sell him if an offer comes in."
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