Munich and Union Berlin were scheduled to play the 13th round of the German Bundesliga in the 2023-24 season at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, at 11:30 p.m. on the 2nd. Munich was second in the league with 32 points and Berlin was at the bottom of the league with only seven points.
Ahead of this match, a lot of attention was paid to Kim Min-jae's physical condition. This is because Kim Min-jae's injury, which I thought was a minor injury, was a little longer than expected. The game where Kim Min-jae collapsed was between Munich and Cologne on the 25th.
Concerns were raised as Kim Min-jae was expected to be selected even ahead of the match against Cologne. Immediately before starting the A-match in November, Germany's Sport 1 team said, "Kim Min-jae is busy during the A-match period as well. There will be games against China in Singapore on June 16 and Shenzhen, China on June 21. He will return to the match against Cologne on the evening of June 25, less than 80 hours later. It will be about 20,000 kilometers if all the travel distance is added together."
Germany's TZ also said, "Kim Min-jae is currently the only central defender of Munich. If he gets injured during the A-match period, it will be a huge blow to Munich. The failure to recruit him at the end of the transfer market is causing problems so far. If the defense is shaken, the whole team will be shaken," adding that Kim Min-jae should never get hurt.
He was Kim Min-jae, who had a near-excessive schedule, but Jürgen Klinsmann, the head coach of the Korean national team, said he would want to play, and hired Kim Min-jae in both games. Kim Min-jae, who moved to Singapore and China in Korea and played the match against China, played two second Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA North-China World Cup held in November, and immediately moved to Korea and boarded a plane to Germany.
Kim Min-jae, who might not have been able to adjust to the jet lag after arriving in Germany, picked Kim Min-jae as the starting pitcher. Despite concerns, Kim Min-jae, who showed good performance, got injured in the 14th minute of the first half. While competing with Cologne striker Davy Zelke for an air ball, he fell sharply. Kim Min-jae, who would have jumped up in normal times, could not stand up easily. Kim Min-jae, whose center of gravity collapsed in the air, failed to land stably and fell without absorbing the shock.
Immediately, medical staff were deployed to check Kim Min-jae's condition. Many fans worried that he might get injured while being abused, so everyone was worried until Kim Min-jae stood up. Kim Min-jae, who stood up after being taken action by medical staff, was put into the game after taking simple action. It didn't seem like a major injury, but it was enough to impress Munich fans with Kim Min-jae's sacrifice for the team.
Regarding this, Germany's AZ reported on the 29th that "Kim Min-jae is a hidden hero in Munich. Why we should not miss Kim Min-jae, a warrior in any situation." The media praised Kim Min-jae's dedication to the team, saying, "Since there is no substitute, Kim Min-jae left an impressive impression with his determination with a scene in the match against Cologne."
"Kim Min-jae almost exited the stadium in the 14th minute of the first half. After being caught in the air with Zelke, Kim was shocked by his hip. He rolled around on the ground with his face distorted by pain," AZ said.
I was shocked and could have asked for a replacement on the bench if it was really hard, but Kim Min-jae silently played full-time. Munich, with Kim Min-jae's flawless defense and Harry Kane's score at the forefront, overcame A-match humility well and gained three points.
Shortly after the match against Cologne, it was reported that Kim Min-jae fell into Munich team training. It was because of the injury he suffered while falling against Cologne. According to the German "Bild," Kim Min-jae did not train for the team on the 27th and 28th due to a bruised hip.
Coach Tuchel also did not overdo it when Kim Min-jae, who is an option and can never be left out of the team, had to rest due to an injury. In the UEFA Champions League Group A match against Copenhagen on the 30th, Kim Min-jae was excluded from the list at all.
The spot where Kim Min-jae was missing was filled by midfielder Leon Goretzka. Goretzka and Dayo Upamecano worked together to score no points. Munich had already confirmed its advance to the round of 16 with the top spot in the group, so it ran the match with some rotation. The result was a 1-1 draw.
Everyone expected Kim to return after the match against Copenhagen, as he played until the end of the match against Cologne after getting hurt. Kim's injury did not appear to be that simple, however. He trained himself, but he seems to have yet to recover to 100%.
"Saturday is expected to be enough for Kim. But we won't know until tomorrow or the day after tomorrow," Tuchel told a news conference ahead of the match against Berlin.
If Kim Min-jae played without fully recovering from his injury, it could be a recurrence, and in severe cases, the injury could be prolonged, so everyone paid attention to whether Kim Min-jae would play with a worried gaze.
However, he faced an unexpected variable. Hours before the match, the German soccer team Kicker said on Sunday that the heavy snowfall disrupted southern Bayern, and the Bundesliga match between Munich and Union Berlin scheduled for Saturday afternoon was canceled.
Soon after, Munich announced the cancellation through its official website. "Munich's Bundesliga match against Berlin, which was originally scheduled to take place today at Allianz Arena, has been postponed due to heavy snow overnight. Snow is not expected to stop until Saturday evening," Munich said. "It was inevitable to cancel the match."
"Even if we were able to secure the stadium at Allianz Arena when the game could be held until the afternoon, safety could become dangerous, and the cancellation was inevitable due to traffic conditions," Munich said. "Snowing from the roof of Allianz Arena can pose an immeasurable risk to spectators. It is almost impossible to enter the stadium at the moment."
Munich's weather suddenly turned sub-zero this week. This led to heavy snow, and the continued snow forced the game to be canceled. The heavy snow in Munich is predicted to continue until 8 p.m. local time on the 2nd. A heavy snow warning has already been issued in Munich.
The city of Munich is already paralyzed due to unexpected heavy snow. Munich said, "Many buses and trains were canceled, and many roads and highways were completely closed. The subway line U6 that runs to Munich's Froetmaning and Allianz Arena was also suspended. Munich police advised people not to go outside their homes. Under these circumstances, we cannot guarantee that the necessary security personnel will be able to reach Allianz Arena," he said, explaining the current situation.
Munich announced that it will proceed with an agreement with the Berlin club and the German Football Association on a new date. It also explained that tickets for the canceled games will remain valid. "It is very regrettable. However, the safety of our Berlin fans and our supporters is the top priority. Access to Allianz Arena is not guaranteed due to numerous roads blocked and public transportation suspended. We will let you know the new date as soon as possible," Munich CEO Jan-Christian Dresen said.
It is unknown how the sudden cancellation of the game will affect the future season. However, it is highly likely that the game against Berlin, which was canceled, will not proceed for the time being. This is because there is no more time to put in new games within 2023.
Munich will have matches in Eintracht Frankfurt (away), Manchester United (away) on June 13, Stuttgart (home) on June 18, and Wolfsburg (away) on June 21 before starting the winter break. The team will then begin its second half of the season from January 13. The match against Berlin is expected to be arranged in the second half of this season.
The sudden cancellation of the game is embarrassing, but it will be a wonderful break for Kim. It is the first time that he has been given two consecutive breaks this season. It could be a relief for Munich. Due to constant overwork, fatigue of the main players including the center back was increasing. Thanks to heavy snow, Kim Min-jae was able to rest and other players were able to relieve fatigue. 스포츠토토
Of course, no one can predict what kind of aftermath the game will bring, depending on when the postponed match against Berlin will take place. In the second half of the season, Munich has to closely follow its UCL schedule. Still, it might not be too much of a burden as it failed to pass the German Football Association Pokal Cup.