Criticism from Italy for Bayern defender: ‘Playing as if he were still at Napoli this year’

Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae received a critical response for his performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday night, with commentators in Italy claiming he is playing ‘as if he were still at Napoli this year.’ 

The South Korea centre-back left Napoli in the summer of 2023 to join Bayern, who had activated a release clause that was reported to be in the region of €50m. 

He had enjoyed a statement first year in Serie A, helping Napoli to their first Scudetto in over 30 years, and being dubbed one of, if not the best defenders in Italy in the process. 

However, the 27-year-old has struggled in spells since his switch to Bavaria, and some have now drawn comparisons to his former teammates, who have also endured a rough season in Serie A after winning the Serie A title 12 months ago. 

Kim lost Vinicius Jr. for Real Madrid’s opening goal on Tuesday night, and was also at fault for a foul on Rodrygo, which led to the eventual equaliser from the resulting spot-kick. 

Assessing his performance on the night, SportMediaset commentator Sandro Sabatini said that “Kim played as if he were still a Napoli player for this year.”