Kim Min-jae (27, Naples), who wrote the history of Korean football with SSC Napoli, conveyed his overwhelming heart.
SSC Napoli drew 1-1 with Udinese in the 33rd round of the 2022-2023 Serie A held at Dacia Arena in Udine, Italy on the 5th at 3:45 am (Korean time). With this, Napoli recorded 80 points (25 wins, 5 draws, 3 losses) and confirmed the early championship regardless of the results of the remaining matches.
It is the first scudetto (a shield symbol meaning winning Serie A) in 33 years. Napoli managed to lift the league trophy for the first time since the 1989-1990 season. This is the third championship in his career following the 1986-1987 season and 1989-90 season, when Diego Maradona was active.
After the game, Kim Min-jae shared his thoughts on winning through social media. “We are champions of Italy. We are very happy and honored to be part of such a historic achievement. Congratulations to all the fans, colleagues and coaching staff. We want to share this joy with everyone who supports Napoli,” he said in Italian. “Thank you Naples! #forzanapolisempre (Cheer up, Naples. Forever),” he added.
Kim Min-jae even made a surprise transformation with blue hair. In the video released by Naples social media, Kim Min-jae dyed his hair blue with a blue spray sprayed by his colleagues. His teammates looked at him and shouted “KIM! KIM! KIM! KIM!”, and he smiled broadly as he ran his hands through his hair in an awkward way.
Kim Min-jae played a big part in this victory. As soon as he joined the team last summer, he became one of the best defenders in Europe. Kim Min-jae scored 2 goals and 2 assists in 32 out of 33 league games Napoli played this season, leading the league to the least goals (23 goals).
Kim Min-jae played full-time on this day and played a solid defense. In particular, he advanced beyond the center line several times and showed his ability to join the attack. Although it was Udinese’s home, loud shouts of “KIM! KIM! KIM!” resonated throughout the stadium. 먹튀검증
‘Italy’s legendary defender’ Alessandro Costacurta also highly praised Kim Min-jae. According to ‘Sky Sports Italia’, right after winning, he said, “Kim Min-jae allows Napoli to leave space behind and go up. If someone else makes a mistake, Kim Min-jae is behind them. Great speed, anticipation and the ability to read other players’ movements. He had the . He was just as important a signing as the attacking team. In fact, maybe more…”
Previously, Andrea Dosena from Naples also picked Kim Min-jae as the symbol of Scudetto. He praised Kim Min-jae’s performance, saying, “Replacing Kalidu Koulibaly was never easy. There seemed to be no player who could replace him.”
It is a meaningful victory for Kim Min-jae personally. After passing through China (Beijing Guoan) and Turkiye (Fenerbahce), he rose to the top as soon as he took his first steps in Europe’s top five leagues (England, Spain, Germany, Italy, France). He also made history by lifting the Serie A trophy for the first time as a Korean player.