Bayern Munich, embroiled in a controversy over racial discrimination, has belatedly started to manage the situation.
On the 5th (Korean time), Bayern Munich secured an early Bundesliga title for the 2024-2025 season when the second-placed Bayer Leverkusen drew 2-2 with Freiburg. Bayern, with 76 points, maintained the gap with Leverkusen, who remained at 68 points, ensuring the championship regardless of the outcomes of the remaining two matches.
Kim Min-jae's fighting spirit in overcoming injury significantly contributed to the victory. This season, Kim has been dealing with an Achilles tendon injury for seven months but continued to play. He recorded the second most playing time at Bayern, and he was also the defender with the most appearances. Kim Min-jae holds considerable equity in Bayern's championship.
However, Bayern did not acknowledge Kim Min-jae's contributions. They even engaged in racial discrimination. Bayern's social media posted a poster featuring 13 key players' faces after the victory, but notably, Kim Min-jae's face was absent. Many suspect intentional racial discrimination.
Fans from around the world who love Bayern expressed their anger simultaneously. This is not the first time that the unique German contempt for Tongyang people and racial discrimination has been observed.
Fans commented, "Why is main defender KIM not there? This is blatant racial discrimination," "It's absurd that center-back Kim Min-jae is not in the championship poster," "I heard that racial discrimination is serious in Germany, but I didn't realize it was this bad," and "If Kim Min-jae is treated this way, he should leave Bayern."
Feeling the seriousness of the situation, Bayern belatedly posted a picture on their Korean account of Kim Min-jae riding in a palanquin, holding up the trophy on the 8th. This appears to be an attempt to calm the opinions of Korean fans.
However, this photo did not appear on Bayern's official German social media. It raises questions about whether Bayern truly intends to apologize officially to Kim Min-jae and the fans. If Bayern genuinely regrets its actions, it must properly apologize for the racial discrimination incident involving Kim Min-jae.
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