Giuseppe Bruce Colotti also wants Kim Min-jae to stay.
Bruce Colotti was the first person to have the nickname ‘Iron Pillar’. During his active career, Bruce Colotti served as Napoli’s captain and remains a Napoli legend to this day, setting the record for second-highest Napoli appearances. As much as he boasted of solid defense, he earned the nickname ‘Iron Pillar’, and this season fans gave Kim Min-jae the nickname of the Naples legend. This is thanks to Kim Min-jae’s outstanding performance.
Bruce Colotti was also happy that Kim Min-jae took over his nickname. In an interview with the Italian media ‘Naples Magazine’ in March of this year, when 안전놀이터 asked if Min-jae Kim could see himself, Bruce Colotti said, “Of course I do. Some fans call Min-jae Kim an iron pillar. That nickname was my historical nickname, and I “I’m happy that the fans call Minjae Kim that. In fact, the way Minjae Kim defends his opponent is similar to what I did.”
Kim Min-jae performed well afterward, as if to live up to the expectations of his senior, the ‘original iron pillar’, and eventually Napoli won the Italian Serie A championship after 33 years.
But Naples is in danger of losing its iron pillar. This is because Kim Min-jae is strongly linked to Manchester United. Kim Min-jae’s buyout clause is valid for 15 days from July 1st after the summer transfer market opens, and Manchester United plans to recruit Kim Min-jae by paying the buyout amount for Kim Min-jae at this time. There have been many stories surrounding Kim Min-jae’s buyout amount, but it is currently known to be around 50 million euros (approximately 72.8 billion won). That’s an amount Manchester United can afford to pay.
Napoli was thinking of removing Kim Min-jae’s buyout clause through a renewal contract. However, the renewal of the contract with Napoli and Kim Min-jae suffered difficulties, and President Aurelio De Laurentiis directly stepped forward, but did not get any meaningful results.
Bruce Colotti was also saddened by the news that Kim Min-jae could leave the team after one season. Through ‘Naples Magazine’, Bruce Colotti said, “Kim Min-jae is a special player. I hope that Kim Min-jae’s will to stay is strong,” and expressed his desire for his junior Kim Min-jae, who inherited his nickname, to remain in Naples.