As Kim Min-jae gets closer to joining Bayern Munich, the connection between the Korean league and one of Germany’s most prestigious clubs is being highlighted again.
Tuchel has worked with Korean players during his time in the Bundesliga, including at Mainz and Dortmund. He has even traveled to Korea to recruit players.
Tuchel took over the reins at Munich in March after Julian Nagelsmann was forced to resign. After falling to Man City in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League, Tuchel was knocked out of the DFB-Pokal and looked set to fail to win the Bundesliga for the first time in 11 years, but a dramatic return to the top flight, beating Cologne in the final, saw him return to the Munich bench next season.
And now, as his tenure begins in earnest, he’s looking to rebuild by bringing in Korean iron man Kim Min-jae. The first reason for Munich’s call is Kim’s outstanding skills in Italy, the “home of defense,” but Tuchel’s knowledge of Korean players’ skills is also important.
Tuchel has worked with two South Korean players, Koo Ja-cheol and Park Joo-ho.
Tuchel was the manager of mid-table Mainz in the Bundesliga from 2009 to 2014, and he utilized both players late in his tenure.
The first was Park Joo-ho, who can play left back and defensive midfield. Park joined Mainz in July 2013 and played 48 official games for the club over the next two years before following Tuchel to prestigious Dortmund in 2015.
However, Park’s playing time at Dortmund was limited, with him playing just 11 games in two years, from 2015 to 2017, when Tuchel was in charge for two years. However, there was enough trust between the two coaches that Tuchel personally asked for Park’s signature.
Park recalled Tuchel at the K League Winter Warrior Media Day earlier this year, saying, “I learned a lot about soccer from him. When I moved to Dortmund after Tuchel’s call, he used completely different tactics than when I was at Mainz. He was like a chameleon.” He also talked about his transfer background and his admiration for Tuchel’s tactical abilities.
Koo Ja-Cheol is another Korean midfielder that Tuchel worked hard to bring to Mainz.
Koo joined Mainz in January 2014, six months after Park Joo-ho, and said Tuchel showed up at his doorstep. “After my loan at Augsburg, I was supposed to go back to (original club) Wolfsburg,” he said on his video channel two years ago. “One day, Tuchel called me out of the blue and said, ‘I’m going to sign you unconditionally. Don’t go to Wolfsburg, come to Mainz,'” he said. “Then Tuchel came to my house and said, ‘You can grow like this, but let’s play for Mainz,’ so I went.”
Koo spent a year and a half at Mainz, scoring six goals in 39 Bundesliga games, before returning to Augsburg when Tuchel left for Dortmund.메이저놀이터
We don’t yet know the specifics of the situation that led to the strong offer from Munich. It remains to be seen if Kim will sign with the Bavarians. However, according to reports from European media, it is undeniable that Munich is the favorite, not United.
It is believed that Tuchel, who has a good reputation with Korean players, especially Park Joo-ho and Koo Ja-cheol, felt a strong desire to sign Kim Min-jae after watching him. It is likely that Kim Min-jae was also influenced by Tuchel’s history and interpreted the move to Munich positively.