Bayern Coach Kompany: Kim Min-jae Subbed Out for Rest, Wearing Captain's Armband Was Most Important

German professional football powerhouse FC Bayern Munich visited Jeju Island on their return to South Korea after two years, with Head Coach Vincent Kompany expressing satisfaction with the result and explaining that the early substitution of defender Kim Min-jae in front of his home fans was a measure to manage his physical condition.

Following the K League 1 match against Jeju SK held at the Jeju World Cup Stadium yesterday (August 4), Kompany stated, "Both teams poured a lot of energy into the game," adding, "It is a relief that both sides finished without major injuries."

Visiting South Korea for their pre-season tour for the first time in two years since their match against Tottenham Hotspur (England) in 2024, Munich defeated Jeju 2-1 on this day.

In particular, South Korean national team defender Kim Min-jae drew attention by starting the match wearing the captain's armband.

However, Kim was substituted for Tim Wanner before the 40th minute of the first half.

Kompany explained, "Min-jae is an important player for the team," adding, "We considered his physical condition, and since he needs to play more than 60 minutes in the match against Aston Villa, we thought playing him for a long time today would carry a risk of injury."

He further noted, "Above all, we thought it was important for Kim Min-jae to be able to play as Munich's captain in South Korea."

Following the match against Jeju, Munich will travel to Hong Kong to face English Premier League (EPL) side Aston Villa on the 7th.

Kompany, who gave opportunities to young players by including two born in 2010 in the starting lineup, said, "Not all the young players who came with us played the full game, but several showed good performances," adding, "We will continue to help the young players grow further."

Sharing his thoughts on the experience in South Korea, he remarked, "It was interesting to gain different ideas about football as well as the culture of Jeju from the match in South Korea," and added, "I was also surprised by how many South Korean fans cheered for Munich."

Jeju Head Coach Sergio Costa, who put up a hard fight against the European big club, evaluated, "It was a difficult match as expected, but it was also a game where we achieved our goal," adding, "Our goal was to play a good game, and we gave opportunities to players who hadn't been getting much playing time, and they did well."

Although Jeju was unable to field their core players fully on this day, they showed resilience, with Lee Chang-min scoring an equalizer to make it 1-1 after conceding the opening goal in the first half.

In particular, new foreign player Aias drew gasps from the fans by executing a brilliant rainbow flick past Kim Min-jae to orchestrate the attack and assist Lee Chang-min's goal.

Coach Costa stated, "Munich is a strong team whose level cannot even be compared," and added, "It became an even more difficult game after Munich's best players came on in the second half."

(Photo provided by Jeju SK, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.