Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham) pointed out that racial discrimination in Germany was a fact.
Bayern Munich confirmed their early victory in the 2024-2025 Bundesliga season on the 5th (Korea time) as second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, chasing them, drew 2-2 with Freiburg. With 76 points, Bayern maintained the gap with Leverkusen, who remained at 68 points, securing the championship regardless of the results of the remaining two matches.
Kim Min-jae's fighting spirit due to injury was significant for the championship. This season, Kim Min-jae played through an Achilles injury for seven months. He recorded the second-most playing time in Munich and was the defender with the most appearances as well. Kim Min-jae holds substantial equity in Bayern's victory.
However, Munich did not acknowledge Kim Min-jae's contributions. They even engaged in racial discrimination. Bayern's social media posted a poster after the victory that included the faces of 13 key players. However, Kim Min-jae was the only one excluded. There are many suspicions of intentional racial discrimination.
It is not only Korean fans who are angry. Fans from various countries around the world who love Bayern are also outraged at the same time. This has been a repeated issue of contempt and racial discrimination towards Tongyang people by Germans.
Fans commented, “Why is our starting defender KIM absent? This is obvious racial discrimination,” “It’s ridiculous that center back Kim Min-jae is not on the championship poster,” “I heard that racial discrimination in Germany is severe, but I didn’t realize it was to this extent,” “If Kim Min-jae is going to be treated this way, he should leave Munich.”
Feeling the seriousness of the situation, Munich belatedly posted a picture on their Korean account on the 8th of Kim Min-jae riding in a palanquin holding the trophy. This seems to be an attempt to placate Korean fans' public opinion. However, this photo was not posted on Bayern's official German social media. It raises doubts about whether Munich truly intends to apologize to Kim Min-jae and the fans.
Son Heung-min, who has played in Germany, also exposed the racial discrimination against Tongyang people in Germany. Son Heung-min, after going through Hamburg Youth, played in Germany from 2010 to 2015, including Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen.
Son Heung-min noted, “A Korean player cannot compete in Germany with just similar skills. Only players who are exceptionally outstanding can succeed.”
He further recounted, after scoring the decisive goal that led to Germany's 2-0 defeat at the 2018 Russia World Cup, that “there were many unspoken matters in Germany. The victory against Germany is a response to this,” reflecting on the racial discrimination he experienced while in Germany.
Munich took advantage of Kim Min-jae's popularity to hold friendly matches in Korea. Despite Kim Min-jae's significant contributions to the championship, his efforts were not properly acknowledged. If Munich truly reflects on this, they should officially apologize for the racial discrimination incident involving Kim Min-jae.
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