Ask one of Italy’s hottest prospects to name the player who has impressed him the most, and the name “Iron Pillar” Kim Min-jae (27, Napoli) comes up.
Tommaso Baldanchi, 20, Empoli, spoke to Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport on Sunday (Aug. 2) about his first full season in Serie A this season. Baldanchi made his Serie A debut against Atalanta in May of last year and has been a regular this season.
“It wasn’t easy,” Baldanchi said. Coming from a youth team, there were stumbling blocks, but I was trusted by a fantastic team, and when you feel comfortable like that, you can reach your full potential. Empoli is a club that gives you the opportunity to make mistakes and improve yourself, and the results are showing,” he said of his first season in the top flight.
When asked which player has impressed him the most, he said, “If I had to pick one, it would be Kim Min-jae. The Korean defender has been really impressive.” Baldanchi, who has been capped at age-group level and has established himself as a regular in Empoli’s starting lineup at a young age this season, has been reminded of the heights of the top flight by Kim’s ironclad defense.
Baldanchi has gone head-to-head with Kim on two occasions against Napoli this season. Balanji started against Napoli in November of last year, but was substituted in the 28th minute of the second leg without making much of an impact. The team lost 0-2. In February, he played the full game at home but was unable to prevent Napoli from winning 2-0. It was all thanks to Napoli’s ironclad defense, anchored by Kim Min-jae.
Baldanchi is currently playing for the Italian national team at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina. Playing as an attacking midfielder or as a second striker, Baldanchi is characterized by his speed and quick feet despite his small stature (170 cm).
Baldanchi started the round of 16 match against the England U-20s on June 1, scoring the game-winning goal in the eighth minute to give Italy a 2-1 victory. Should they beat Colombia in the quarterfinals, they will face the winner of the match between Kim Eun-jung’s South Korea and Nigeria in the semifinals. They could also face Kim’s country. 메이저사이트
Kim was named the best defender of the 2022-2023 season by Serie A on March 3. He was named the best defender in Serie A for the first time. It wasn’t a personal decision by Baldanchi, but the league’s officially recognized top defenders. What’s more, he was recognized as the “World’s Best Defender” in Italy, a country known for its defense.
Kim was honored as the first Asian player to win the Positional MVP award, which was introduced in the 2018-2019 season. He was also named to the Team of the Year, making it a double win in his debut season in Serie A.
After becoming the first Asian player to be named Serie A Player of the Month in September last year, Kim was recognized as the Italian Football Players’ Association Player of the Month in October, laying the foundation for a top defender. In the end, he helped Napoli win its first Serie A title in 33 years. Kim, who is expected to return to Korea on June 6, will enter a training center for basic military training on the 15th.