Korean spine at elite Euro clubs
New Bayern Munich player Kim Min-jae, left, poses with the team CEO Jan Christian Dreesen after a press conference in Munich, Germany, Friday. AP-Yonhap
By John Duerden
There was a time when Korean soccer fans had a dream of seeing just one of their soccer heroes playing in one of Europe's biggest leagues. It happened for most of the eighties when Cha Bum-keun starred in Germany, but there wasn't much movement from East to West for the next few years.
As the 20th century came to an end, it started again with Ahn Jung-hwan heading to Italy and Seol Ki-hyeon off to Belgium. The heroics at the 2002 World Cup opened the doors wider. Park Ji-sung was winning titles at Manchester United and Koreans were starting to become increasingly common sights in Europe.
Son Heung-min has taken it to a new level. Not only has he played for big clubs in Germany and now England with Tottenham Hotspur, but he has been one of the best players in those leagues. Son has been at the top level for years.
He is no longer alone. Last week, central defender Kim Min-jae joined Bayern Munich. He helped Napoli win the Italian league title last season, establishing himself as one of the top center-backs in the world. Napoli is a big club but Bayern is a global power ― one of the top five or six in the world ― with only Real Madrid and AC Milan winning more than the German's six European Championships.
“FC Bayern is a dream for every footballer. I'm really looking forward to what's to come in Munich," Kim, who was also linked with a move to Manchester United, said. "It's a new beginning for me. I'll continue to develop here. In discussions with the club, it was made clear to me from the start how interested they are in me. My first goal is to play a lot of games. In addition, I want to win as many trophies as possible."
At the Bavarian giant, he is almost certain to win more trophies as Bayern has won 18 German championships in this century alone. Kim is now playing for one of the European elite.
And now there is another player at another huge club. As Bayern dominates German soccer, Paris Saint-Germain dominates France with nine league titles in the last decade. While winning the European title has still to elude the club that is one of the richest in the world, Lee will be lining up alongside megastars such as Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, if he stays in the French capital, perhaps the best player in the world right now.
Lee is a prodigious talent and has impressed during his time in Spain, another of the big leagues. The midfielder showed his skills in a pre-season friendly with Le Havre though he did seem to suffer an injury that is, hopefully, not too serious.
Fans back in East Asia will be looking forward to the new European season like never before. All are accustomed to seeing Son light up the English Premier League but as well as the attacker, there is a defender and a midfielder from the next generation now at two of Europe's biggest clubs. It bodes well for the future of Korean soccer.