The teammates he played with also know his contributions well. "Monster" Kim Min-jae (29, Bayern Munich) raised the "Meisterschale" (Bundesliga championship trophy) high amid congratulations from his teammates.

Bayern defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-0 in the 33rd round home match of the 2024-2025 Bundesliga held at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, on Nov. 11 (Korean time).

Having already secured the league title, Bayern recorded 79 points (24 wins, 7 draws, 2 losses) with this victory. Additionally, they extended their unbeaten streak to 8 matches (5 wins, 3 draws).

Most importantly, winning in the last home game of the season and celebrating the 33rd championship festival with the fans is especially meaningful. Bayern successfully reclaimed the Meisterschale, which they lost last season to Bayer Leverkusen, achieving an undefeated championship.

After the final whistle, the real celebration began. Bayern's championship ceremony took place. Coach Vincent Kompany and the team alternately raised the trophy in front of cheering fans. They also did not forget to pour beer over each other.

Kim Min-jae, who was excluded from the lineup that day, also enjoyed the victory. He took a rest to manage his Achilles injury. Previously, Coach Kompany noted that Kim Min-jae would not play in the remaining matches to recover his condition before the FIFA Club World Cup scheduled for June.

Kim Min-jae has played a central role in defense under Kompany this season. He has suffered from Achilles pain since last October but has not been able to rest properly due to his teammates' injuries. He has become an "icon of overwork," prompting concerns from the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPro). "Bavarian Football Works" also pointed out that Coach Kompany used Kim Min-jae so much that he was worn down.

Last month, FIFPro emphasized, "Kim Min-jae has appeared in about 55 matches this season, alternating between his club and the national team. According to our prediction system, he could play more than 70 matches by the end of the season, which ranks first in the world." It also noted, "In the winter alone, he played 20 matches, averaging 2 matches a week, with an average interval of only 3.7 days between matches. He also traveled long distances 20 times, covering 74,000 kilometers."

Thanks to Kim Min-jae’s efforts, Bayern remained stable despite consecutive injuries to players like Josip Stanišić, Hiroki Ito, and Dayot Upamecano. Although they were unfortunately eliminated in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League, they ascended to the top of the Bundesliga without major difficulties. Kim Min-jae also became the first Korean player to win titles in both Serie A and the Bundesliga, conquering two of Europe's top five leagues.

However, at the moment when he should have been able to celebrate freely, a controversy erupted. Kim Min-jae was excluded from the thumbnail of the championship commemorative video posted by Bayern on YouTube. The Bayern club made a new poster featuring only 11 key players instead of the entire team for the championship celebration, and Kim Min-jae was not included.

Naturally, questions arose among fans. Kim Min-jae played 43 matches across all competitions this season, logging 3,593 minutes, and 2,289 minutes in the league alone. This is the second most playing time at Bayern, following Joshua Kimmich. Despite this, only Upamecano, who frequently was absent due to injuries, and Leon Goretzka, who was a regular squad member, appeared on the poster.

This controversy even sparked similar issues in the Bundesliga. The official Bundesliga YouTube channel also uploaded a short animation celebrating Bayern's victory, featuring 13 players, including Dajon.

However, once again, Kim Min-jae, who played a crucial role in Bayern's victory, could not be found. This led to protests among domestic fans claiming it was a form of racial discrimination.

Bayern took steps to rectify the situation belatedly. They posted on social media, "Congratulations on Kim Min-jae’s first Bundesliga victory. His passion and dedication of 2,289 minutes over 27 league matches have greatly strengthened Munich this season. Congratulations on lifting your first trophy as a Bayern Munich player!" along with an image of Kim Min-jae holding the trophy triumphantly. However, this also raised eyebrows because it neglected to mention Jung Woo-young (Union Berlin) and labeled Kim Min-jae as Korea's first Bundesliga winner, while this was uploaded only on their Korean account.

Teammates who played directly with Kim Min-jae were different. When team captain Manuel Neuer, "legend" Thomas Müller, and Harry Kane, who got his first trophy, raised the Meisterschale and the festive atmosphere heated up, they reached out to Kim Min-jae.

Dajon was the first to spot Kim Min-jae and urged him to come forward to lift the trophy himself. Upon seeing this, Müller joined in to push him forward, and Kane, who was next to him, also urged Kim Min-jae. Although Kim Min-jae shyly smiled and said it was okay, their encouragement did not stop.

Pushed out by the others, Kim Min-jae raised the Meisterschale high. He pretended to lift it effortlessly at first but paused to playfully deceive his teammates. This moment showed how well Bayern players recognized Kim Min-jae's contributions.

[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited), Bayern Munich, FIFPro, Bundesliga, Coupang Play broadcast screen.

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