Kim Min-jae (29, Bayern Munich), who wrote a new history for Korean football, raised the 'Meisterschale (Bundesliga championship trophy)' high amid the cheers of his teammates. Behind him was the hidden support of 'Bayern one-club man' Thomas Müller (36).
Bayern defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-0 at their home game in the 33rd round of the 2024-2025 Bundesliga at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, on the 11th (KST).
Having already secured the league title, Bayern recorded 79 points (24 wins, 7 draws, 2 losses) with this victory. They continued their unbeaten streak of 8 matches (5 wins, 3 draws), thanks to Harry Kane's opening goal and Michael Olise's additional goal.
After the match, Bayern held an official championship ceremony. By finishing the last home game of the season with a victory, they were able to fully enjoy the celebration for their 33rd championship with fans. Bayern players splashed beer on each other to celebrate.
This season, Bayern rose to the top of the league as soon as manager Vincent Kompany was appointed. Thanks to this, they reclaimed the Meisterschale, which they had lost to Bayer Leverkusen, who went unbeaten last season, after two years. Kim Min-jae also crowned the Bundesliga title, following his Serie A victory during his time at Napoli in the 2022-2023 season, becoming the first Korean player to win two of Europe’s top five leagues.
The champion manager Kompany and the players roared as they took turns lifting the trophy in front of the fans. Captain Manuel Neuer handed the trophy to Müller, who is leaving the team at the end of this season. Müller raised the Meisterschale to thunderous applause, and cheers erupted from the stands.
Kim Min-jae was not left out. Although he missed the match for injury management, he went up to the podium wearing a championship medal around his neck. While Kim stepped back and observed, his teammates wouldn’t leave him alone. Eric Dier and Müller repeatedly pushed Kim, urging him to go out and lift the trophy, and Kane, who was next to him, also pulled him out.
Kim Min-jae shyly smiled and said he was fine, but their attempts did not stop. Eventually, he was pushed forward, and Müller placed a hand on his shoulder. Kim pretended to lift it in one go, hesitated once to trick his teammates, then raised the Meisterschale high.
Kim Min-jae is an indispensable player in Bayern's victory this time. He has been struggling with Achilles pain since last October, but he couldn’t rest properly due to his teammates' injuries. Despite this, he played in 43 matches across all competitions, serving as a core defender under manager Kompany.
Kim Min-jae has become an 'icon of overexertion' to the extent that the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPro) expressed concerns. He played 593 minutes in official matches and appeared in 2289 minutes in the league alone. This is the second-most playing time in Bayern, following Joshua Kimmich.
Last month, FIFPro noted, "Kim Min-jae has played about 55 matches this season, alternating between his club and the national team. According to the predictive system, he could play more than 70 matches by the end of the season, ranking first globally. Furthermore, he played 20 matches in a span of just 3.7 days on average, with 20 long-distance travels summing up to 74,000 kilometers.
Thanks to Kim Min-jae's exceptional effort, Bayern remained largely unaffected despite consecutive injuries to players like Josip Stanišić, Hiroki Ito, and Dayot Upamecano. They regretfully exited the UEFA Champions League at the quarterfinal stage but topped the Bundesliga without significant difficulties.
However, just when they should have celebrated freely, an unexpected controversy erupted. Kim Min-jae was excluded from the thumbnail of the championship video posted by Bayern on YouTube. The club created and uploaded a new championship poster featuring only 11 key players, rather than the entire squad, and Kim was not included.
Naturally, questions arose among fans. This is because Kim Min-jae is a player who dedicated himself to the team to the extent that manager Kompany has been described as using him until he wears out. Nevertheless, the thumbnail included only Upamecano, who frequently missed games due to injury, and Leon Goretzka, who played as a semi-regular.
A similar controversy even arose in the Bundesliga. The official Bundesliga YouTube uploaded a short animation to celebrate Bayern's victory. A total of 13 players, including Dier, appeared in animated form. However, Kim Min-jae, a key member of Bayern's victory, was nowhere to be found.
As a result, domestic fans protested, questioning whether this was racial discrimination. Bayern belatedly attempted to remedy the situation. They shared a post on social media stating, 'Congratulations on Kim Min-jae's first Bundesliga title. Your passion and dedication of 2289 minutes over 27 matches have been a great help to Munich this season. Congratulations on lifting your first trophy as a Bayern Munich player!' along with an image of Kim holding the trophy on a flower palanquin.
Despite the controversies outside the stadium, there was no 'passing over Kim Min-jae' during the championship ceremony. The broadcast cameras captured Kim joyfully holding the trophy, and the players made sure not to overlook him. This was a scene showing that Bayern teammates understood Kim Min-jae's dedication well. In particular, Müller displayed a friendly demeanor, taking a commemorative photo with Kim after the ceremony.
Müller is one of the legends that will remain in Bayern's history. He joined Bayern's youth team in 2000 and has never changed his uniform since. Since his debut in the first team in 2008, he has recorded 838 matches with 290 goals and 279 assists while wearing the Bayern uniform. However, the board decided not to offer Müller a re-signing, leading to his departure from the team at the end of this season.
The Club World Cup, which will be held in June, is expected to be the last collaboration between Müller and Bayern. He showcased his loyalty by signing a short-term contract with Bayern solely to participate in the Club World Cup. It is not yet known whether Müller will retire or continue his career elsewhere.
Kim Min-jae is also expected to team up with Müller for the last time at the Club World Cup. Manager Kompany stated that he will rest Kim in the remaining league schedule so that he can perform well at the Club World Cup.
[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited), Bayern Munich, FIFPro, Bundesliga, Coupang Play broadcast screen.
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