Defender Kim Min-jae (29, Bayern Munich) is finally getting some rest.

On the 8th, Germany's TZ reported, "Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany has decided to navigate the rest of the season without center-back Kim Min-jae."

Having already secured the Bundesliga championship, Bayern is in a situation where the remaining two league matches hold little significance. Bayern will play Borussia Mönchengladbach on the 11th and Hoffenheim in the final match on the 17th. The match against Mönchengladbach is expected to be a home game celebration following Bayern's confirmation of winning the championship.

Kim Min-jae has been enduring an Achilles tendon injury for the past seven months. The Bayern defense has been devastated with injuries to players such as Dayot Upamecano, Alphonso Davies, and Hiroki Ito. It was thanks to Kim Min-jae's fighting spirit that Bayern's championship was made possible.

Now Kim Min-jae can focus on healing his injury without any burdens. TZ reporter Philipp Kessler noted, "Kompany has decided to rest Kim Min-jae in the remaining two Bundesliga matches to prepare for the Club World Cup. This is the best choice. Kim Min-jae will be able to rest and recover while treating his Achilles tendonitis."

Bayern aims to win the FIFA Club World Cup, which starts in mid-June in the United States. Ulsan will also participate as representatives of the AFC.

This season, Kim Min-jae has shown fighting spirit under difficult conditions. Throughout this season, Kim Min-jae has had an Achilles tendon injury for seven months but has persisted in playing. He recorded the second most minutes played at Bayern, and he was the defender who played the most time at Bayern. Kim Min-jae holds significant equity in Bayern's championship.

What has returned is blatant racism. Bayern's social media posted a poster after their championship win featuring the faces of 13 key players. However, Kim Min-jae alone was excluded. This raises suspicions of intentional racism. It is hard to consider it a simple mistake.

Not only are Korean fans angry. Fans from various countries who love Bayern have expressed their outrage simultaneously. Disdain and racism towards Asians from Germans is not a new occurrence.

Fans exploded with comments such as, "Why is KIM, the starting defender, not included? This is blatant racism," "It's comical that center-back Kim Min-jae is missing from the championship poster," "I've heard that racism is severe in Germany, but I didn't realize it was to this extent," and "If Kim Min-jae is treated like this, he should leave Bayern."

As public opinion worsened, Bayern hurriedly posted an image of Kim Min-jae celebrating the championship on their social media. However, Bayern only posted the photo on Korean social media and did not post it on German social media. This means they have let down Kim Min-jae and Korean fans twice.

[OSEN]