# I thought you hated Kim Min-jae... 'Tuchel's great turnaround' is such a compliment that he is the "best player"

It's a reversal. Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel (51) has heaped praise on South Korea's "monster defender" Kim Min-Jae (28).

Bavarian Football reported on Tuchel's comments about the South Korean defender on Wednesday (Aug. 13). "I was very happy to be able to play with him this season," Tuchel said after the home match against Wolfsburg in the 33rd round of the German Bundesliga. Unfortunately, Kim made a mistake in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal against Real Madrid (Spain). But for the most part, he was an incredibly reliable player. He played every game until the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar and didn't take a break," he recalled.

"To sum up about Kim Min-jae, despite the slight problems that every footballer can have in his career, the way he behaved and the character he showed was very positive," he said. "With him coming here, Munich has the best player with the best mentality. We are lucky and very happy for him."

It's been a rollercoaster season for Kim since joining Munich last summer. At the beginning of the season, he was a key member of the team. He played a lot of minutes in every game, which led to [토토사이트](https://www.majortotosite.top) some controversy. But after the Asian Cup, the mood changed. In his absence, Munich's 'new signing' Eric Dier took over the starting role. Kim was relegated to the bench.

With less playing time, his performances were not good. Kim started the Champions League quarterfinal first leg at home against Real on June 1. However, he shocked his team by conceding two goals. In the first half, Kim played aggressive defense and allowed space behind him, which allowed Real's Vinicius Junior to score the first goal. He also conceded a penalty in the 37th minute after the team took a 2-1 lead. In the end, Munich drew 2-2.

At the time, Tuchel criticized Kim for being too greedy. He was benched and publicly criticized. It seemed as if Tuchel had turned his back on the player, but contrary to expectations, the coach showed his affection for him.

Kim Min-jae started the match and helped his team to a 2-0 victory. He partnered with French defender Dayo Upamecano at center back. He played a total of 74 minutes before being subbed out in the 29th minute, making one tackle, two clearances, and one interception. He also won one aerial contest and had a 99% pass completion rate.

Football stats site [totosafeguidecom9](https://totosafeguidecom9.wordpress.com) Footmob gave Kim a favorable rating of 7.3, while another stats site, FutbolScore, gave him a rating of 6.64.

On this day, Kim had to be substituted due to a left ankle injury. "Kim suffered a minor ankle injury," said Bild in Germany.