By
SABC Sport
22nd January 2026
The South Korea international received a red card during the second half, forcing Bayern to dig deep to protect their lead. However, Kompany made it clear after the match that he had no complaints about Kim's contribution or attitude.
"He's experienced. He won the Scudetto in Italy and the Bundesliga, he's an international player," Kompany said in his post-match press conference. "The red card is part of football."
Rather than focusing on the dismissal, the Bayern coach highlighted Kim's overall performance and his importance to the team's defensive stability.
"If we talk about performance, Min-Jae and Tah helped us a lot in this game to not have any crazy moments," Kompany explained. "They defended well in the first half, when others maybe didn't have their performance."
Kompany, himself a former central defender, showed clear empathy for the situation Kim found himself in.
"As a defender myself, I know it can happen," he said. "However, I know Min-Jae, this won't affect him. He's not a 19-year-old youngster."
Bayern remained organised after the sending-off and saw out the match comfortably to maintain their positive momentum in the Champions League.
Kim, who is 29, will now miss Bayern's next European fixture due to suspension. He will be unavailable on 28 January when the German champions travel to face PSV Eindhoven, although Kompany stressed that the timing of the ban was manageable.
"He's suspended for the next game," Kompany added. "Luckily it's not a decisive game."
The Bayern coach's message was clear: Kim Min-Jae's red card was a moment in the match, not a mark against a proven and trusted defender.
