“Monster defender” Kim Min-jae (28, Bayern Munich), who joined the national soccer team for the Qatar Asian Cup after winning the first KFA Player of the Year award, laughed when asked if the match between Korea and Japan would be held during the tournament.
After being named the “2023 KFA Awards” Player of the Year award at the Mayfield Hotel in Seoul on the 2nd, he said, “It’s been a hectic year. I’ve achieved a lot. It was the most special year in my life.”
The male player of the year will be selected through a vote of 50 players, including the soccer team leader of KFA’s media outlets, a technical development committee member, and a member of the national team’s power enhancement committee. Kim Min-jae unfortunately ranked second in the KFA Player of the Year award, trailing only Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur) in 2021 and 2022. He received the highest score in the vote in 2023. With a total of 137 points, he pushed Son Heung-min (113 points), the most ever winner (seven times), to the second place. The third place is Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) with 84 points.
In the first half of last year, Kim won Serie A title as a member of Napoli. He also won the Serie A Most Valuable Player award in his debut season in the big league, proving that he is a “de-Asian defender.” Having proved that he is also a good defender on the top stage, Kim moved to Bayern Munich in a surprise move last summer. He started all 15 matches his team played in the first half of this season, establishing himself as an indispensable player. 에볼루션 바카라사이트
“I wonder if there is any more honor than this while playing soccer in the future. I should try not to stop here and develop, but I think it was the best season,” he said.
Kim Min-jae also played in eight A-matches for the national team last year, leading to a scoreless streak of six consecutive games. It is the first time in eight years that a defender has been named the KFA Player of the Year since Kim Young-kwon in 2015. “It is the second time I have received it (as a defender) after Young-kwon,” said Kim Min-jae, who opened his mouth, emphasizing, “I hope the defensive players will do it with confidence in the future.”
The national team is called the “strongest power ever” because not only Kim Min-jae but also many big leaguers such as Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) are active in their teams.
“The striker’s firepower is very good. (His team) is scoring in every game. I think the defenders need to focus more on it. (In the Asian Cup), we have a lot of games to play. If we take good care of ourselves and prepare well, I think we will get good results,” Kim said.
Fans are most excited about the showdown with Japan, which they can only meet in the final. In Japan, many European players are playing well like Korea. Twenty of the 26 players on the final list of the tournament are European leagues.
“We failed in the quarterfinals at the last competition. We cannot discuss the final already. No matter who is above us, we have to take each step forward,” Kim said. “There is nothing more to say (when we meet Japan). I will try to win no matter what.”