Big honor for Minjae Kim: The FC Bayern central defender was named Footballer of the Year for the first time in his home country of South Korea.
According to the South Korean Football Association KFA, Kim ended up ahead of Heung-Min Son (Tottenham Hotspur) and Kang-In Lee (Paris Saint-Germain) in the election.
Former Bundesliga star Son won the last four awards. Now Kim is following in his footsteps.
The defender secured the Serie A championship title with SSC Napoli last season. In the summer, Kim moved to FC Bayern, where he is part of the permanent staff under head coach Thomas Tuchel.
From mid-January, Kim will be competing with the South Korean national team at the Asian Championships in Qatar and will therefore not be available to the Munich team for the time being.
Will Kim lose his regular place at FC Bayern?
“I’m not completely satisfied with my first six months in the Bundesliga,” Kim gave an honest interim conclusion in an interview with “t-online” in mid-December. He is “still not sure” about being a regular player at FC Bayern.
During the Asian Championship he will have to make his place available for the German record champions. And if Upa [Dayot Upamecano] and Matthias [de Ligt, Anm.d.Red.] “If we play well during this time, the two will probably continue to be the defensive duo afterwards,” predicted Kim.
The Bayern star further revealed: “If another player plays well in my absence, he will continue to receive the trust. That is the inevitable reality. So when I return, I have to continue to fight for my place and perform well.”
FC Bayern is said to be interested in a new defender in the transfer market. Kim is threatened with additional competition on Säbener Straße.