Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel has welcomed the club’s new defender Kim Min-jae, 27, with open arms.
On Tuesday (July 20), Bayern Munich released a video of the first meeting between Kim and Tuchel on the club’s social media.
In the video, Tuchel approached Kim with a big smile on his face and said, “I’m really happy to meet you.” After a short hug, he said, “Bayern Munich.
After a brief hug, he said, “I think you’ll do really well at Bayern Munich. I’m sure you’ll be very happy in Munich.”
Tuchel, who took over the reins of Bayern Munich midway through last season, was keen to bring in Kim as part of a defensive overhaul. Having previously coached the likes of Park Joo-ho and Koo Ja-cheol during his time in charge of Mainz, Tuchel had a good opinion of the South Korean player and sent him an offer.
Tuchel went to great lengths to win over Kim, including a direct video call with the player’s representatives. In the end, Bayern Munich succeeded in landing the Italian Serie A defender of the year.
“Kim had an amazing season at Napoli,” Tuchel said in an interview with German outlet Rahn, “He’s tall, fast and very reliable. He played full-time in the Italian league. I’m happy that we were able to sign a player of the highest level.”
“I’m very happy that (Kim) chose Bayern Munich despite the fact that he had a lot of options,” Tuchel said, “Kim is the perfect replacement for Luca Hernandez, who left for Paris Saint-Germain. I’m happy that he’s at Bayern Munich,” he said, adding that he plans to actively recruit him.
After joining the team in training, Kim will join his teammates on their Asian tour. The Bavarians will play their first practice match against Manchester City in Tokyo, Japan, on July 26, followed by a match against Kawasaki F.Frontale (Japan) on July 29. On August 2, 고스톱 the team will travel to Singapore to face Liverpool (England).