Chance signing to Bayern tormentor: Can he fire BVB top of the Bundesliga?
· Yahoo Sports
That football writes the most beautiful stories may be something of a worn-out cliché—but it’s still true! Jae-sung Lee is a perfect example. When the South Korean signed for Mainz in the summer of 2021, it was anything but planned. In fact, Mainz needed a hefty slice of luck to land the man who now drives their midfield.
But first things first: after several impressive years at Holstein Kiel, Lee had long been on Christian Heidel’s wish list. Mainz’s sporting director even told 'Bild' at the time that the playmaker was his number-one target. However, with Mainz battling relegation, a move initially appeared to be off the table. Lee was determined to play in the Bundesliga, something Mainz could not guarantee him at that stage. Instead, all signs pointed towards a move to TSG Hoffenheim—even though the club later denied it.
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Heidel had therefore already given up on his transfer target. Until a chance conversation with an agent changed everything. The 63-year-old learned that Lee had not, after all, signed a contract that had reportedly already been agreed. Instead, his agent was negotiating with a Premier League club at the time, believed to be Crystal Palace. Heidel promptly picked up the phone himself and turned the deal into a covert operation: a medical at a South Korean hospital, a digital contract signature, and it was done. Their rivals never caught wind of it.
Lee has already tormented Bayern twice
A real stroke of luck, as the following seasons would prove. Mighty Bayern Munich felt that more than most, with Lee becoming something of a bogeyman for them. In the 2024/25 season, his brace almost single-handedly sank Bayern and handed Mainz a sensational 2-1 victory. A year later, he struck again in a 2-2 draw. In the return fixture, however, he was denied the chance to repeat the trick: a toe injury temporarily sidelined Lee in April.
That should make him all the more eager for another meeting on Saturday afternoon. The 34-year-old and his Mainz teammates are hardly brimming with confidence, though, following two consecutive defeats. A win would therefore be a welcome tonic for the battered spirits of the club from Germany’s carnival heartland. At the same time, it could also shake up the title race considerably.
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Because Borussia Dortmund are lurking right behind Bayern. Following the 2-2 draw in "Der Klassiker", BVB are level on points with the record champions and host SV Elversberg this weekend. So if Lee becomes Bayern’s nightmare once again and Dortmund take care of business, the Black and Yellows could actually leap to the top of the table.
From a transfer that almost never happened to a potential kingmaker in the title race: Lee would surely have no objection to adding another chapter to his own personal success story against Bayern.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.