Kim Min-jae omitted from Bayern Munich's celebratory media, fans react furiously

Kim Min-jae (29, Bayern Munich) has shown relentless determination throughout the season, but the response has been a thorough disregard. Even at this point, with the Bundesliga championship already secured, Bayern Munich did not spotlight Kim Min-jae and thus invited controversy.

Bayern Munich became the champions of the 2024-2025 season Bundesliga on the 5th (Korean time). On the same day, rival Bayer Leverkusen confirmed Munich's position at the top by drawing 2-2 away against Freiburg, irrespective of remaining games. Leverkusen stopped at 68 points, while Bayern had 76 points, completely distancing itself from the chasing pack.

With this, Bayern recorded its 34th league title overall, and Kim Min-jae became the first Korean defender to reach the top in Germany, following his Serie A championship experience.

This season, Kim Min-jae played in a total of 43 matches, accumulating 3,593 minutes, and if only league games are considered, he spent 2,289 minutes on the field. This record ranks second in playing time within Bayern, and amid multiple injuries in the defense, Kim Min-jae effectively took responsibility for nearly every match. It was the result of his commitment to endure, stating, "I would rather get injured running than sit on the bench."

However, the response following the confirmed championship was silence rather than applause. Bayern Munich released a video celebrating the championship on its official YouTube channel. Although the video included the coach and key players, Kim Min-jae's appearance was notably missing. Among the 11 players featured in the thumbnail image, his face was absent, while players like Upamecano, who frequently suffered injuries, and Goretzka, who had relatively less playing time, were prominently included.

The bigger issue was that the video utilized a separate image specifically created by intentionally selecting certain players, rather than using an existing group photo. Fans quickly reacted. Through social media and community platforms, criticisms poured in: "Why was Kim Min-jae left out?" and "It's incomprehensible to edit it this way when clearly he is a starter." Some domestic fans even pointed out the possibility of "racial discrimination," expressing their anger at the club's attitude.

The Bundesliga office showed a similar response, exacerbating the controversy. They released an animated video celebrating Bayern's victory on the official YouTube account, yet Kim Min-jae was also excluded among the 13 characters that appeared in the video. There was not even a mention of a player who had supported Bayern's defense by playing in most league games. In contrast, Eric Dier was included in the video, having played only 1,285 minutes in the league, significantly less than Kim Min-jae.

Feedback from local German media has been cold for quite some time. Major sports outlets like 'Bild' and 'Kicker' consistently gave low ratings to Kim Min-jae in match assessments. Some defensive mistakes were excessively highlighted, while stable defensive operations often went unrecognized. The level of criticism toward Kim Min-jae was higher compared to similar errors made by Dier and Upamecano.

Bayern Munich also did not make an effort to protect its player. In the official content or social media posts released post-championship, Kim Min-jae was given less priority. Among fans, there were even self-deprecating remarks indicating, "If the club doesn't acknowledge the player, external evaluations won't change either."

Eventually, as the controversy intensified, Bayern hastily changed the thumbnail for the video to a new image featuring all players, including Kim Min-jae. However, the damage had already been done. Many expressed cynicism towards this remedial action.

Kim Min-jae has tried to express himself through performance rather than complaints, and in reality, he recorded more playing time than anyone else in the team, contributing to Munich's rise to the top of the league. However, as the season ended, the atmosphere pushed him into a background role rather than a protagonist.

Such discriminatory perceptions evoke the remarks made by Son Heung-min in the past. Son Heung-min confessed during a fan event in 2022, "I experienced an unimaginably difficult life in Germany and faced racial discrimination. Therefore, the goal I scored against Germany in the 2018 World Cup remains the most memorable moment of my life."

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