Bayern Munich’s dreams of playing in another Champions League final in Munich are over. There will be no chance to avenge the painful defeat of the 2012 finale dahoam (final at home) on May 31, and no fairytale farewell for departing legend Thomas Müller. The team looks set to win back the Bundesliga title by the end of this season, but the inquisition as to why Bayern are not seriously challenging for the Champions League title has already begun.
South Korean defender Kim Min-jae is in the spotlight, and not in the way he would have wanted when he signed from Italian side Napoli in 2023. Four minutes before he was substituted in Milan, former Bayern defender Benjamin Pavard beat him to the ball from a corner to score. It was one of a handful of tricky moments for Kim, who was the easy target after the loss. German tabloid Bild gave him the worst possible score in their individual player ratings, while online sports site Spox said he should not have allowed Pavard to win the header for his goal.
This criticism is a continuation of what was said in the aftermath of “Der Klassiker” just days before. In the draw against Borussia Dortmund, Kim made a mistake that led to a goal and was subsequently brought off after 54 minutes. Broadcaster Sky said that the defender had made six mistakes leading to goals this season, the most of any defender in Europe’s top five leagues.
But the familiar tale of player workload is at play here, as international player union FIFPRO highlighted before the Inter game. Kim Min-jae’s case is, in many ways, the perfect example of how modern players are used.
Overplayed and playing through pain
FIFPRO revealed that Kim has been playing through Achilles tendonitis since early in the season — an injury often linked to excessive workload. Recovery time depends on the severity of the injury, but generally the healing process is sped up by not doing any of the things that Kim is required to do for his job, such as running, jumping or stretching. For reference, just last season in the NFL, star running back Christian McCaffrey had the same injury and was sidelined for approximately eight weeks.
The FIFPRO report also revealed that the South Korean has traveled 74,000 kilometers (46,000 miles) this season across 20 international trips, and is still due to travel for World Cup qualifiers in Asia. With the Club World Cup also ahead on the schedule in the United States, Kim is projected to finish the season having played more than 70 games. Over the last winter period, Kim played 20 matches with an average of just 3.7 days rest in between — the most of any player in Europe.
“Without safeguards, extreme workloads can spiral and elite players risk long-term damage,” FIFPRO said.
Who to blame?
Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany was quick to defend Kim after the loss, and the defender himself has previously said that his teammates know he is a fighter. While his efforts to work hard draw praise, there is also a push to reflect how such a situation can occur after years of research pointing towards the importance of load management.
Indeed, nearly a month ago, Bayern Munich were furious about Canada’s decision to play defender Alphonso Davies despite concerns about his fitness. Davies suffered a season-ending injury as a result. The club’s defensive injury crisis — Dayot Upamecano, Davies and Hiroki Ito are all out — has certainly not helped, but FIFPRO would suggest more could have been done to manage this situation better.
In the modern football calendar, players are being pushed not just to their limit but beyond it. That approach appears to be costing Kim his health and form, which in turn is contributing to Bayern Munich’s inconsistency. This also often leaves coaches frustrated and fans disappointed. Failure to better manage player workload is costing every stakeholder in the game, but true action is missing.
Edited by: Matt Pearson
