Bayern Munich's Kim Min-jae, 26, has been named the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) International Player of the Year.
Kim was presented with the award at the 2022 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Annual Awards Ceremony at the Qatar National Convention Center in Doha, Qatar on Monday (Jan. 1). The award recognizes the best player from an Asian Football Confederation member nation who plays outside their home league.
It's the second time a South Korean player has won the honor. Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min won the award three times before, in 2015, 2017, and 2019. It is also the second time a defender has won the award after Yuto Nakamoto (Japan).
After playing for Turkkiye Fenerbahçe, Kim moved to Napoli in Italy last July, where he won the league title in the 2022-2023 season.
In July of this year, he made another move to Bayern Munich, where he secured a starting center back spot for the 2023-2024 season. On the national team, he helped South Korea reach the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. 바카라사이트
The Asian Football Confederation said on its official website, "Kim played a key role in helping Napoli reach the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League for the first time. In Serie A, he made 33 appearances, recording 16 clean sheets, two goals and two assists to help Napoli win the Scudetto for the first time in 33 years."
The day before, on Oct. 31, Kim became the first Asian defender to be nominated for the 2023 Ballon d'Or, finishing 22nd in the voting. This is the second-best finish by an Asian player, behind Son Heung-min's 11th place finish last year.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's Salem Dawsari (Al-Hilal) and Australia's Sam Kerr (Chelsea) were named male and female players of the year, respectively, at the Asian Football Confederation's annual awards ceremony.