Kim Min-jae (29, Bayern Munich) became the first Korean player to conquer both Serie A and the Bundesliga. Bayern Munich, which had caused a 'passing controversy,' focused on him this time.

On the 12th (Korea time), Bayern released several photos showing Kim lifting the 'Meisterschale (Bundesliga championship trophy)' and enjoying the victory celebration with his teammates through the club's social media, stating, "The first trophy lifted while wearing the Bayern Munich uniform!"

This season, Bayern achieved their 33rd Bundesliga title right after new manager Vincent Kompany took charge. Thanks to this, they reclaimed the Meisterschale, which they lost to Bayer Leverkusen, who had gone undefeated last season, after two years. Kim Min-jae also became the first Korean player to claim titles in two of Europe's top five leagues.

The champions, led by Manager Kompany and the squad, celebrated their victory after winning 2-0 against Borussia Mönchengladbach in their final home game on the 11th. Amidst the roaring cheers of fans, they took turns lifting the trophy and roaring in celebration, while dousing each other with beer.

Captain Manuel Neuer handed the trophy to the 'legend' Thomas Müller, who is leaving the team at the end of this season. Müller received a standing ovation while raising the Meisterschale high above his head, prompting cheers from the crowd.

Kim Min-jae was not left out. He sat out the game due to injury management but stepped onto the podium wearing his winner’s medal. Though Kim took a step back to observe, his teammates wouldn’t let him stay out of the spotlight. Eric Dier and Müller repeatedly pushed Kim from behind to go out and lift the trophy, while Harry Kane, who was beside him, also pulled him forward.

Kim Min-jae shyly smiled and said he was fine, but the pushing did not stop. Ultimately, he was nudged to the front, and Müller placed his hand on Kim's shoulder. Kim pretended to lift it right away, paused once to trick his teammates, and then raised the Meisterschale high.

Having the trophy in hand, Kim Min-jae took commemorative photos alongside Müller and Japan's national team defender Hiroki Ito. He also embraced Kane, who succeeded in winning his first trophy in his life. Bayern shared an image of Kim enjoying the joy with his teammates, indirectly acknowledging his contributions.

This is a different image compared to the previous controversy. On the 5th, after the early championship was confirmed, Bayern shared a commemorative video titled "We brought the Meisterschale home" on the club's official YouTube channel. It reflected on the highlights of the season while celebrating the title.

The thumbnail of the video became an issue. Bayern set the thumbnail not with a winning poster featuring the entire squad but with an image including only 11 people, including Manager Kompany. Surprisingly, Kim Min-jae was not among them. Instead, Kane, Jamal Musiala, Müller, and Leon Goretzka were present.

Naturally, questions arose among fans. They included 10 core players, but Kim Min-jae’s face was missing. Ironically, Dayot Upamecano, who frequently missed games due to injury, and Goretzka, a semi-regular who played only 2147 minutes, took a rightful spot. This is certainly a puzzling point.

Moreover, Bayern had previously posted images celebrating the championship featuring the entire squad on social media. Yet, they made a new image for the thumbnail by deleting the faces of Kim Min-jae and other players.

A similar controversy unfolded even in the Bundesliga. The official Bundesliga YouTube channel also uploaded a short animation to commemorate Bayern's championship. Although 13 players appeared in the animated version, Kim Min-jae, who played a key role in Bayern's title run, was nowhere to be found.

Most of the core players were included, yet oddly enough, only Kim Min-jae was missing again. In contrast, Dier, who played as a backup resource for only 1747 minutes, appeared in the video alongside his close friend Kane. As the 'Kim Min-jae passing' continued to be hard to understand, some fans speculated whether there might be racial discrimination involved.

Fans who witnessed this left multiple comments protesting Bayern's actions. There were ongoing claims that excluding Kim Min-jae, an essential player for the victory, was racist. Ultimately, as the controversy escalated, Bayern changed the thumbnail to an image featuring all players, including Kim Min-jae.

Bayern also posted a separate commemorative image for Kim Min-jae, attempting to calm the situation. On the 6th, they shared a post on social media stating, "Congratulations to Kim Min-jae on his first Bundesliga championship. His passion and dedication over 27 Bundesliga matches and 2289 minutes were a great contributor to Munich this season. Congratulations on the first trophy lifted as a Bayern Munich player!" along with an image of Kim riding a flower palanquin while holding the trophy.

In fact, Kim Min-jae is an irreplaceable player in Bayern's championship this season. He literally ran himself into the ground. Since feeling pain in his Achilles tendon last October, he hadn’t been able to rest due to his teammates’ injuries.

Kim Min-jae became an 'icon of overwork' to the extent that the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPro) expressed concern. He participated in a total of 43 matches and 3593 minutes across all competitions, playing 2289 minutes in the league alone. This is the second-most playing time in Bayern after Joshua Kimmich.

Last month, FIFPro stated, "Kim Min-jae played about 55 matches this season, alternating between his club and national team. According to prediction systems, he could play over 70 matches by the end of the season, which ranks him first in the world." They emphasized, "Especially, he played 20 matches in the winter alone, averaging two matches a week, with only 3.7 days between games. He also traveled long distances, totaling 20 times, covering approximately 74000 km."

For this reason, fans could naturally voice complaints that Bayern has treated Kim Min-jae poorly in comparison to his contributions. However, it seems that Bayern is recovering public sentiment by posting a message for him, albeit a bit late. Bayern’s teammates did not overlook Kim Min-jae during the victory celebration, avoiding further controversy. The broadcast cameras also captured Kim joyfully holding the trophy.

[Photo] Bayern Munich, Bundesliga social media.

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