He was almost kicked out due to the trade of Kim Min-jae, recognized by Germany's top media, but he made a wonderful return

Sep 20, 2025

He was almost kicked out due to the trade of Kim Min-jae, recognized by Germany's top media, but he made a wonderful return
Photo =Björn Munich SNS Capture



He was almost kicked out due to the trade of Kim Min-jae, recognized by Germany's top media, but he made a wonderful return
ReutersYonhap News
Kim Min-jae is turning his position into skills.

The German strong magazine Kicker highlighted Kim Min-jae's performance against Chelsea on the 19th (Korea Standard Time), saying, `How Kim Min-jae stabilized Bayern Munich.'

Bayern Munich won 3-1 in the first round of the European Champions League stage in the 2025-2026 season against Chelsea at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany on the 18th. Bayern got off to a good start to their journey in the top European leagues, catching Chelsea at home with Kane's multi-goal.




Kim Min-jae was one of the main players of the victory. Kim Min-jae did not start on the day. Coach Bang Sang Kompany has Dayot Upamecano and Jonathan Ta as the main players. However, I was nervous about other players' performance. Along with the unstable defense, he even collected warnings. At the start of the second half, Kompany took out the batting with a bold replacement and put in Kim Min-jae. Kim Min-jae lived up to expectations. Stable defense, fast cover and excellent competition ability stood out. Upamecano and firmly locked the back door of Bayern to finish the second half without losing a point. Kim Min-jae recorded a 92% pass success rate, three clearings, two interceptions, one recovery, and 50% (1/2) of aerial ball competition in 45 minutes.

He was almost kicked out due to the trade of Kim Min-jae, recognized by Germany's top media, but he made a wonderful return
ReutersYonhap News
It is an activity to shake off the disappointing evaluation until last season in earnest. Kim Min-jae has been raising the possibility of leaving Bayern after the 2024-2025 season. There was also constant news that Bayern was considering Kim Min-jae as a candidate for release. It was also evaluated that poor performance was the problem. However, it was an overly harsh evaluation. Kim Min-jae was injured throughout the second half of last season but had to play due to team circumstances. In the process of Bayern's return to the championship trophy, Kim Min-jae's dedication could not be left out. Nevertheless, the evaluation of the sluggish games has been particularly inflated.

The competition for the starting lineup also faltered. Eric Dier filled the place where he left with Taro, the undefeated winner of Leverkusen. Coach Kompany started the other from the league's opening game, suggesting that Kim Min-jae was pushed out of the competition. However, Kim Min-jae waited and aimed for the opportunity. He continued to play in matches as a substitute, and maintained his condition by steadily playing time in the national team. And against Chelsea, he took the opportunity and opened the door to the possibility of jumping back to the starting lineup.




He was almost kicked out due to the trade of Kim Min-jae, recognized by Germany's top media, but he made a wonderful return
ReutersYonhap News
Kicker also praised Kim Min-jae's performance against Chelsea. He evaluated it as a signal that will turn his position around. The kicker said 'Kim Min-jae was considered a candidate for release in the summer. But he made a great comeback with his performance against Chelsea and showed his ambition. It is never easy to replace Kim Min-jae. He had several options throughout the summer. In the process of pursuing Rafael Leão, there was also a plan to head to AC Milan with deals including Kim Min-jae's trade. But it was difficult to replace him, and renting was not an easy task because it was not considered.

"Kim Min-jae was replaced in the second half against Chelsea in order to prove his ability in the second half." "Kim Min-jae can be a big help when Bayern does not raise the line to the extreme." His speed and agile defensive style suits Upamecano well'

The main player position is not simply given. If you are shaken and taken away, you can prove it with your skills and come back. Kim Min-jae only began his journey to find his place in Bayern again.








This article was translated by Naver AI translator.