“Tuchel’s call was very decisive”
‘Monster’ Kim Min-jae on his decision to join Bayern Munich. He gave his first media interview since joining the Bavarians. Kim became a Bayern player on the 19th of last month. He signed a five-year contract until 2028 and wore the number three shirt. He is the second South Korean player to join Bayern after Jung Woo-young (Stuttgart). The transfer fee was not disclosed, but it is estimated to be around €50 million ($71 million). Kim became the third most expensive player in Bayern’s history after Luca Hernandez (€80 million) and Matthijs de Ligt (€67 million). “Bayern is every player’s dream. I was looking forward to coming to Bayern. It’s a new start for me. I will continue to develop here. It was clear from the start how much they wanted me. My first goal is to play a lot of games. In addition to that, I want to lift as many trophies as possible,” he said on joining the club.
Despite the intense attention from the German media, Kim did not give any interviews to the press, although he did hold one official press conference. He first revealed his intentions to Germany’s most respected newspaper, Bild. He explained how he chose Bayern over big clubs such as Manchester United, Man City, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. “The phone call from coach Tuchel was very decisive. I was very impressed. Tuchel spoke very positively about me. He knew and talked about everything about me and my game. Not only that, but he had a clear plan for me. It was very detailed. It gave me confidence, stability,” he said. “His thoughts on my game and my strengths were exactly the same as mine. After talking to Tuchel, I immediately decided to go to Bayern.”
As it turns out, Kim Min-jae was Tuchel’s pick. Tuchel, who has had his eye on Kim since 2021 when he was in charge of Chelsea, was overjoyed like a child when Kim joined the team. He smiled broadly when he saw him, hugged him, held his hand, greeted him and patted him on the cheek. Tuchel said, “It’s great to see you. I’m so happy for you. You’re going to do really well. I’m sure,” he said.
He also commented on the nickname ‘Monster’. “I really like my nickname,” Kim said. It’s positive because it describes my qualities on the pitch,” he said. “I want to live up to it at Bayern and make the fans see me as a combative and strong defender.” As for his unique physicality, the secret to his monster performances, he credits genetics and training. “I was born with good genes, so I have to thank my parents,” Kim said, “but I also trained a lot when I was younger. When I was a teenager, I used to run up hills with tyres on my back like Rocky Balboa.” It’s clear that he’s a product of blessed genes and gruelling training.
“I’ve lost some muscle mass. I’m eating a lot of pasta and meat,” he says, “I’m not happy with myself yet. “I’m not happy with myself yet, especially with my fitness level,” he said. “I still want to grow at Bayern. I need to get to know my teammates better. It’s better if there is feedback from the outside. I am rather self-critical,” he added.
Kim had a disappointing end to his final mock test. Kim started the pre-season match against AS Monaco at the Alpenbauer Sportpark in Unterhaining, Germany, on 8 August and played 63 minutes. It was Kim’s third game in a Bayern shirt and the final match of pre-season. For the third game in a row, he started and showed that he was the favourite for the starting spot, but he was still not at 100% as he conceded a goal. He ended the pre-season with the challenge of getting back to full fitness quickly before kick-off.
At left-back, Kim Min-jae had another solid performance. He made three clearances, one shot block, two interceptions, and three tackles. He won all three of his ground battles. Made several effective interceptions of opposition dribbles. With Fabar in a somewhat unfortunate position, Kim Min-jae was often called upon to play both build-up and defence, and he did a decent job. In attack, he had 86 touches, completing 65 of his 73 pass attempts. A success rate of 89 per cent. He still managed to make one key pass, which was less than usual. He attempted four long passes, completing two of them. His rating of 6.9 on Sofascore is the highest among centre-backs.
But then came the fatal mistake. In the 28th minute of the first half, a big mistake led to the goal. Kim Min-jae’s pass to Pavar was headed into the path of Aleksandr Golovin. Golovin’s shot after the interception was saved by the goalkeeper, but Takumi Minamino pushed it home. That he made such a ridiculous mistake is evidence of a lapse in concentration, which shows that his fitness is clearly not up to scratch. Kim Min-jae showed off his trademark versatility on the day, covering not only the left but also the centre and right, but he certainly wasn’t the same player he was in Napoli, perhaps due to the physical strain.
At times, he was still able to keep Bayern’s defence in check with his wide and quick cover, but his stability was not the same. He also looked physically exhausted. Kim came off in the 18th minute of the second half for Dayo Upamecano. This is how Kim ended his pre-season. It’s a shame that he didn’t get to play with Diricht, who is considered to be the main defender alongside Kim. Kim also struggled to link up with Benjamin Pavard.
It was a disappointing performance, and it was met with criticism. After the game, head coach Thomas Tuchel told the club’s official website, “We did a lot of things right, but there are still things we can improve on. We started the game very well and should have taken the lead. But our mistakes led us a little bit astray.”
The German media did not go unnoticed. ZDF wrote: “Against AS Monaco, Bayern showed both positive and negative aspects. The attacking line was positive. The biggest hope was Jamal Moussaouiallah. In defence, however, there were some bad passes from Kim Min-jae. Joshua Kimmich was not able to fill the defensive void left by his absence. Aventurer Zeitung Munich was a little more intense. They said: “Bayern showed pace and creativity in attack on the day. Defensively, however, they were incredibly shaky. When freshman Kim Min-jae faltered, the defence faltered with him. Kimmich’s absence was also felt.
It’s only pre-season, but it’s clear that the weight of the big club is being felt as criticism is immediately levelled at one mistake.
Kim Min-jae wrapped up his first pre-season. After joining the team, Kim started training straight away. However, he wasn”t in the best shape. He went to basic military training for three weeks. He received military service benefits for his gold medal at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games. After training, he took 10 days to rest before joining Bayern. Tuchel was overjoyed to have Kim join the team. He welcomed him with open arms, touching his cheeks and giving him a hug. Kim returned Tuchel’s smile with his characteristic sincerity. TZ said, ‘Kim Min-jae became a role model for Bayern after rejecting Tuchel’s offer. He is in the middle of Bayern’s training camp and has earned Tuchel’s praise. Kim could have joined the team to enjoy more time off, but he chose to join the team first. ‘He didn’t want to waste any time in becoming the boss of the defence and politely declined the club’s offer to join the Asian tour,’ TZ said. Instead of enjoying a holiday, Kim will be preparing for the season at full speed. With his body still out of shape from military training and rest, Kim gradually built it up through cycling and personal training.
On the 24th of last month, Kim greeted the home fans. Bayern held a ‘team presentation’ at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany. The team presentation is a sort of send-off ceremony for the Bayern squad as they prepare for the 2023-2024 season. Minjae Kim made his first appearance in front of the home fans, wearing the number 3 shirt, after Dayo Upamecano. The stadium announcer shouted “Monster Minjae Kim!” and the 45,000 fans in attendance erupted in applause and cheers. As he entered the pitch with his escort kids, he waved and responded to the roar of the fans. He trained in front of the fans to get acclimatised to the Allianz Arena. The event was held to mark the 10th anniversary of Bayern’s treble in 2013. The event was preceded by a Bayern-Dortmund legends match, and players from the Bayern women’s team also made an appearance to greet fans. Kim has since joined the Asian Tour.카지노
After missing the Man City game, Kim made her debut against Kawasaki Frontale in Tokyo, Japan, on 29 March. He formed a central defence alongside Benjamin Pavard. Despite being out of form due to military training, he made a strong impact with his performance. His trademark explosive speed and strength were still there. Kim Min-jae added to the attack with a bold overlap. Coach Thomas Tuchel responded with a smile. With a rating of 7.5, Kim was the highest rated of the Bayern defence. He was substituted alongside right-back Upamecano.
He then started and played the first 45 minutes of the pre-season match against Liverpool at the Singapore National Stadium on 2 February. Kim had another strong performance. Playing at left centre-back in the back four, Kim picked up his first offensive point since joining Bayern with a picture-perfect assist. Kim was most impressive in defence, where he earned another accolade. While his final game left something to be desired, he still put in enough performances to show why Bayern wanted him.
With pre-season now complete, Bayern will be looking forward to the start of the season.