Bayern Munich came to South Korea for the first time in 34 years, since its founding in 1990, to play a pre-season friendly against Tottenham Hotspur, where ‘captain’ Son Heung-min (33) plays. Key Bayern Munich player Kim Min-jae was also on the field, but he was not available for post-match interviews in the mixed zone.
Bayern Munich hosted Tottenham in a preseason friendly at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on Wednesday. Kim Min-jae started the match and was cheered on by the 60,000 fans in attendance as the Bavarians shook off last season’s poor form under Vincent Kompany.
Kim joined Bayern Munich last summer as part of a deal to replace Thomas Tuchel, but after playing a heavy workload in the first half of the season, he slipped into the rotation in the second half. Tuchel put more faith in Eric Dier, whom he had acquired from Tottenham in the winter, and benched Kim and Upamecano.
His faltering second-half form led to criticism from European media beyond Germany after he conceded two goals in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first leg.
The faltering form has sparked a series of transfer rumors in Germany. Florian Platenberg, a reporter for German broadcaster Sky Sports, who is familiar with Bayern Munich news, said, “Bayern Munich is preparing to reshuffle the squad for next season. My guess is that either Kim Min-Jae or Dayo Upamecano will leave the team. The club is looking for a new central defender this summer.”
For Kim Min-jae, the 2024-24 season will be his chance to make the jump to the first team at Bayern Munich. With the departure of Tuchel and the arrival of Kompany at the helm, there is a new competition for the starting role. Kompany gave the attacking midfielder a passing grade for his defensive abilities, so there were high hopes for the upcoming season.
Against Tottenham, he was given the captain’s armband by Neuer in the second half after a steady buildup at the back. After the game, he embraced Son Heung-min and the 60,000 fans in attendance cheered as the two international players met.
After the game, the press was waiting for Kim Min-jae in the joint press area (mix zone). The interview was scheduled to be conducted in the order of 파워볼사이트 추천 Muller-Kim Min-jae-Neuer, and while Thomas Muller was being interviewed, Kim Min-jae was waiting behind him.
Joshua Kimmich walked in while Minjae was waiting and took two or three questions from the press. While I was interviewing Kimmich, Kim Minjae, who was waiting behind me, walked through the joint press area and got on the bus.
I was disappointed because I wanted to ask him about the game against Tottenham in a Bayern Munich jersey and his thoughts after the game. The tournament organizers said, “Kim Min-jae and Kim Mihi were interviewed in the joint press area, but Kim came in the middle. From Bayern Munich’s point of view, we wanted Kimmich to do the same. However, there were factors such as his physical condition during the interview, so we decided to go in early and take a break.”
Further clarification was later provided. “We wanted to give as many players as possible the opportunity to be interviewed in the joint press area, including Kimmich,” the organizers told the Bayern Munich club. Kim didn’t do the interview because of his team schedule. He was going to do it at first, but then he and Kim got tangled up and ended up on the bus,” he said, explaining that he was interviewed at several events, including the pre-match press conference.
There were plenty of external factors, such as the fact that Kim’s interview with Kim Mihi got lost in translation. It’s understandable, given the intensity of the match against Tottenham, which included flying from Europe to Korea, open training in the heat, and a fan meeting schedule. But as Son said after his trial in Australia after the 2023-24 season, “I had a press conference and a lot of interviews. I just want to rest today,” and left the joint press area with a smile.
After having fun with his teammates in Korea and being cheered on by 60,000 fans, Kim will head to Europe for the final leg of his preseason schedule. This time, the team will face Tottenham in London one more time.
