"I would rather break while running than sit on the bench. If I can do something for the team, I will give my best."
Kim Min-jae (29, Bayern Munich) literally ran as if his life depended on it, but what he received in return was discrimination. Both Bayern and the Bundesliga's official channel passed over Kim Min-jae, sparking controversy.
Bayern confirmed the 2024-2025 season Bundesliga championship on the 5th (Korea time). On the same day, Bayer 04 Leverkusen drew 2-2 with SC Freiburg in the 32nd round of the Bundesliga held at Europa-Park Stadion in Freiburg, Germany.
As a result, Leverkusen's championship competition for second place in the league has come to an end. They stopped at 68 points (19 wins, 11 draws, and 2 losses), failing to sufficiently narrow the point gap with Bayern Munich, who has 76 points. Since Leverkusen failed to add 3 points, Bayern automatically confirmed this season's league championship, regardless of the results of the remaining two matches.
Bayern announced through the club's website, "Bayern is the champion of the 2024-2025 season! Bayern has once again become the German champion! After Leverkusen drew with Freiburg on Sunday, they can no longer reach the top of the Bundesliga. This is Bayern's 34th time becoming the German champion and a reward for a brilliant season."
Now Kim Min-jae, who has secured the "Meisterschale" (Bundesliga championship trophy), has become the first Korean player to win two of Europe's top five leagues: Serie A and Bundesliga. Kim Min-jae previously crowned champions in Serie A while wearing the Napoli jersey during the 2022-2023 season.
To date, only two Korean players have won the Bundesliga championship: Jung Woo-young (Union Berlin) and Kim Min-jae. Jung Woo-young joined Bayern's reserve team in 2018 and was called up to the first team, playing one match each in the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League. As a result, he was part of Bayern's league championship in the 2018-2019 season.
However, unlike Jung Woo-young, Kim Min-jae played a key role in achieving the championship. This season, Kim Min-jae played 43 games across all competitions, totaling 3,593 minutes, with 2,289 minutes in the league alone. He recorded the second-highest playing time in Bayern after Joshua Kimmich.
In particular, Kim Min-jae had not been in optimal condition since suffering an Achilles tendon injury last October, but he couldn't rest due to numerous injuries among his teammates. Nevertheless, he emphasized multiple times last December, "I would rather break while running than sit on the bench. If I can do something for the team, I will give my best. My teammates and the club know that I am a fighter. I want to play as often as possible," expressing his determination rather than frustration.
However, it seems that Kim Min-jae's dedication is not being highly regarded in Germany. Claims have been raised that he is being overlooked in unexpected ways. After the championship was confirmed, Bayern shared a commemorative video on the club's official YouTube channel titled "Brought the Meisterschale home." The content recounted the highlights of the season in celebration of the victory.
The thumbnail of the video sparked controversy. Instead of featuring a championship poster with the entire team, Bayern set the thumbnail as an image showing only 11 players, including coach Vincent Kompany. Surprisingly, Kim Min-jae was not among them. Instead, Harry Kane, Jamal Musiala, Thomas Müller, and Leon Goretzka were present.
Naturally, questions were raised among fans. Although 10 starting players were included, Kim Min-jae's face was absent. Moreover, his partner, Dayot Upamecano, who often missed time due to injuries, and Leon Goretzka, who played only 2,147 minutes, both made it into the video. This omission is clearly hard to understand.
Additionally, Bayern had already posted images of the entire team celebrating the championship on social media. It seems unnecessary to create a new image by removing the faces of Kim Min-jae and other players.
Even the Bundesliga sparked a similar controversy. The Bundesliga's official YouTube uploaded a short animation celebrating Bayern's championship. A total of 13 players appeared in the animated version, but once again, Kim Min-jae, who played a key role in Bayern's victory, was nowhere to be found.
While most key players were included, coincidentally, only Kim Min-jae was once again missing. In contrast, Eric Dier, who played only 1,657 minutes as a backup, appeared alongside his close friend Kane. As the ongoing 'passing over Kim Min-jae' became puzzling, some domestic fans even raised suspicions that it might contain racial discrimination.
On the other hand, Dier played a total of 1,763 minutes in the league and 1,285 minutes overall. While it's true that he played his role alongside Kim Min-jae when Upamecano was injured, when considering the contributions to the championship, Kim Min-jae clearly stands out. However, it seems the local perception in Germany is different.
In fact, Kim Min-jae has suffered neglect in Germany for quite some time. Local influential media such as 'Bild' and 'Kicker' have consistently held him to a stricter standard, giving him relatively low ratings. Although Bayern players received generally low ratings, it was noticeably different from Dier and Upamecano.
However, this time not only the Bundesliga but also Bayern has left a shock by neglecting Kim Min-jae. The club, which should first protect its players, did not highly appreciate Kim Min-jae, a key figure in the championship. While it might seem trivial, it reveals how Kim Min-jae is viewed in Germany.
In response, domestic fans left numerous comments protesting to Bayern's management. Many pointed out that excluding Kim Min-jae, an indispensable player in the championship, could be seen as racial discrimination. Ultimately, as the controversy grew, Bayern changed the thumbnail to an image featuring all players, including Kim Min-jae.
Meanwhile, Son Heung-min also confessed to experiencing racial discrimination during his time in Germany. He reflected on the difficult life he endured in Germany as a child, stating at the "Son Coming Day" event in 2022, "I went to Germany as a child and experienced unimaginable hardships, including racial discrimination. I remember most the opportunity to take revenge with what I love. I always thought I would repay the struggles I faced in Germany one day."
[Photo] ⓒ Getty Images (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited), Bayern Munich, Bundesliga, FIFPro social media.
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