'Kim Min-jae, named alongside Maradona' Selected for SSC Napoli's 'All-Time Best 11' after just one season

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Min-jae (30, Bayern Munich) has been named in the SSC Napoli 'All-Time Best 11' selected by a local Italian media outlet. Despite playing only one season, he was recognized as the club's greatest defender of all time, adding further significance by being listed alongside Argentina's 'God of Football', the late Diego Maradona.

According to the Napoli All-Time Best 11 selected by Italian media outlet Arena Azzurra on the 21st (Korean time), Kim Min-jae was firmly chosen as the right center-back in a 4-3-3 formation. In just one season during the 2022-2023 campaign, he etched his name into the 100th-year history of Napoli, founded in 1926.

After leaving Fenerbahçe (Turkey) to join Napoli and successfully breaking into Europe's top leagues, Kim Min-jae immediately became a key defender for the team. He made 35 appearances in Italy's Serie A, recording two goals and two assists, and played a total of 45 matches (two goals, two assists) in one season, including nine games in the UEFA Champions League.

Kim Min-jae played a pivotal role in leading Napoli to the league title for the first time in 33 years, earning recognition not only as a key player for his club but also as the best defender in the entire Serie A for the season. After the season concluded, he was honored with the 'Serie A Best Defender' award, given to only one defender across the entire league. His inclusion in the 2022-2023 Serie A Best 11 was a natural progression.

Thanks to such outstanding performances, Kim Min-jae received interest from several top clubs within just one season and transferred to Bayern Munich, widely regarded as one of Europe's strongest teams. The transfer fee at the time was 50 million euros (approximately 86.7 billion won), marking the highest transfer fee ever for a Korean player. It was precisely because he made such a tremendous impact after just one season that Kim Min-jae secured a rightful place in Napoli's All-Time Best 11.

Looking at the other players selected alongside Kim Min-jae further underscores the significance of his selection. Notably, the media highlighted Maradona, the legendary forward who led Napoli to its golden era. Maradona played for Napoli from 1984 to 1991, making 188 appearances and scoring 81 goals. Napoli was the club where he played the most matches in his professional career. During Maradona's tenure, Napoli won five major titles, including two Serie A championships and one UEFA Cup. His stature was so immense that after his passing in 2020, the club renamed its home stadium to 'Stadio Diego Armando Maradona'.

In addition, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Paris Saint-Germain) and Brazilian striker Careca, who were key figures in Napoli's Serie A title win alongside Kim Min-jae, were selected as the left and right wingers. Marek Hamšík, who made 408 appearances and scored 100 goals exclusively for Napoli, Scott McTominay (Napoli), and Antonio Giuliano were positioned in midfield.

The defensive line consisted of Luit Kroel, Ciro Ferrara, Kim Min-jae, and Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), while Dino Zoff was selected as the goalkeeper. Di Lorenzo, like Kim Min-jae, was a key right-back in Napoli's Serie A title-winning campaign and was appointed captain when Kim Min-jae joined the club. He is an Italian national team player who has continued to play for Napoli since 2019 and remains active in the current season.

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*This content was translated by AI.