Kim Min-jae’s Bayern Munich to Play Without Their Iconic Red Kit in UCL—Here’s Why

Bayern Munich will not be wearing their signature red home kit in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) this season due to a UEFA regulation violation.

According to German outlet t-online, Bayern Munich has been informed that they cannot wear their red home jersey in their upcoming UCL Round of 16 playoff first leg against Celtic on February 13 (KST).

UEFA's Visibility Rules Behind the Ban

Bayern’s current home kit features a red base with black lettering and numbering. However, UEFA deemed that the contrast between the two colors was insufficient, violating their visibility rules. To comply, the club would have needed to change the black markings to white, but Bayern opted against modifying the kit. Instead, Bayern has been alternating between their black away kit and beige third kit throughout the 2024/25 UCL group stage, wearing them in all eight matches so far.

This isn’t the first time Bayern has faced uniform-related issues in the UCL.

2014/15 season: Their fluorescent away goalkeeper kit originally had white numbering, but UEFA forced them to change it to black for better visibility.

2020/21 season: Their white-based away kit had orange numbering, which also violated UEFA’s regulations, requiring a switch to black.

Bayern Munich vs. Celtic—Key Matchup with Korean Players

Bayern Munich will travel to Glasgow, Scotland for their crucial UCL Round of 16 playoff first leg against Celtic at Celtic Park. Korean fans are particularly excited about the potential showdown between Kim Min-jae (Bayern) and Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic).

Despite battling knee and Achilles injuries this season, Kim Min-jae has remained a key player under newly appointed head coach Vincent Kompany, missing only one match (Round 17 vs. Hoffenheim). He is expected to start against Celtic, as Bayern aims to advance in the tournament.