South Korea Coach Slams Bayern Over Kim Min-Jae’s Injury
South Korea’s national team coach on Monday criticised Bayern Munich for their handling of Kim Min-jae’s injury after the defender was ruled out of crucial World Cup qualifiers due to an Achilles tendon issue.
The 28-year-old missed Bayern’s 1-1 draw against Union Berlin on Saturday and will not be available for South Korea’s upcoming 2026 qualifiers against Oman and Jordan.
Bayern’s coach, Vincent Kompany, had earlier stated that Kim would be sidelined for “several weeks.”
Ahead of the home fixture against Oman on Thursday, South Korea’s coach, Hong Myung-bo, expressed dissatisfaction, saying, “Munich failed to properly protect him in terms of injury prevention.”
Hong emphasised Kim’s significance to both Bayern and the national team, stating, “Kim Min-jae is an extremely important player not only for his club Bayern Munich but also for our national team.”
He also pointed out that there had been “continuous signs” of the defender’s struggles with injury since last year.
“We were fully aware of that,” he added.
A win against Oman, followed by another victory at home against Jordan next Tuesday, would secure South Korea’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Kim, a key player for his country, has earned 69 caps.
He joined Bayern from Italian champions Napoli in 2023 and has since made 73 appearances for the German club across all competitions.
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