“The way is to rest. We need two days off to recharge and prepare.”
When the national team kicks off the first leg of Group C of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 North American Football Confederations Cup on Sept. 16 against Singapore at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, there will be plenty to worry about.
One of the biggest concerns is the fitness of central defender Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich). Kim joined Munich after undergoing basic military training before the start of the season. He didn’t play a full preseason.
He started every game in the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League (UCL). When his defensive partners Matthijs de Ligt and Dayo Upamecano were injured, Kim became the de facto leader of the defense.
He’s a “pillar of strength,” but you never know when an injury bomb will go off. “I think it’s fair to say that he’s playing with all the strength he has right now,” said a representative of Kim Min-jae’s team, emphasizing that they have a tough road ahead of them. Playing for the world’s best team, not another team, requires more concentration and energy than before.
German media outlet Sport1 rated Kim on Thursday, saying he played 959 minutes in 11 Bundesliga games, 360 minutes in four UCL games, one DFB-Pokal and one Super Cup, totaling 1,453 minutes in 17 games. That’s the third-most minutes in Munich. His last 16 Bundesliga-UCL-Pokal games have been full-time. Add in full-time in two European friendlies against Wales and Saudi Arabia in September, full-time in Tunisia at home in October, and 78 minutes in Vietnam, and you have 20 consecutive starts.
It’s odd that he’s not being criticized. The team is also showing some of the traits that were hard to see at Napoli last season, such as lapses in defensive concentration in the second half that led to concessions.
In response to this, Klinsmann met with some Korean reporters, including Sporting News, on the sidelines of the Lion City-North Korea Hyundai match in the fourth round of the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) group stage in Singapore on May 16, and said, “The way to manage Kim’s fitness is to rest. You have to take two days off to recharge and prepare. I’ve been watching the players for six or seven months. I know they are happy to be in the national team. As an athlete, fatigue is something you have to live with. It’s something you have to deal with as an athlete,” he said, noting that it’s something the world’s best have to deal with. 토토사이트
Klinsmann believes that the externalities lead to better performance: “Even if you’re tired, when you’re out on the field and the fans are screaming and the energy is there, you want to give it your all. Players are bound to get tired. They need to be well-rested, recharged and ready,” he said, revealing a perspective that is a bit far removed from scientific management.
For the first training session on the 13th, Kim did not come to Mokdong Sports Complex, but instead focused on building his body by utilizing the fitness facilities at the Yeouido luxury hotel where he was staying. A representative from the national team said, “Kim Min-jae discussed his physical condition with coach Klinsmann. It can be said that he received consideration and care.”
However, the pressure of playing a match three days after returning home is a concern. 60,000