Kim Min-jae is 'one of the best in the world': Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, left, and Kim Min-jae celebrate the victory at the end of a Serie A match against Hellas Verona on Aug. 15. [EPA/YONHAP]

Napoli forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia says teammate Kim Min-jae is one of the best defenders in the world, calling him an “iron barrel” that can always stop his man.

“He is a very strong defender,” Kvaratskhelia said in an interview on the official Serie A YouTube channel. “For me, he is one of the best in the world.

“If he is in the defense, you are in front of an iron barrel! You know he will stop the attacker and will not let the opponents score. This is why he is an extraordinary defender, which is why he is one of the best in the world.”

Kim and Kvaratskhelia are two of the standout stars of the 2022-23 Napoli squad that has quickly risen to top Serie A and emerge as a serious contender to claim the title of best club in Europe.

Kvaratskhelia joined Napoli in July from Georgian team Dinamo Batumi. He had previously played alongside Korean midfielder Hwang In-beom in Russia for Rubin Kazan, but had left when FIFA allowed players to terminate their contracts with Russian teams after the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

Kvaratskhelia has scored eight goals and picked up 10 assists so far this season, but has been out for the last three games with a back injury.

Korean center-back Kim has also got off to an impressive start with Napoli after arriving in July, playing the full 90 minutes in 14 of 15 Serie A games as The Partenopei remain undefeated in the domestic league.

He also played the full 90 minutes in every single Champions League game, where Napoli topped Group A with five wins and one loss.

Kim also scored two goals of his own early in the season, proving his strength in the air with two set piece headers, against Monza on Aug. 21 and Lazio on Sept. 3.

Both Kvaratskhelia and Kim have claimed Serie A Player of the Month honors already in their debut season. Kvaratskhelia was the EA Sports Player of the Month for August, with Kim immediately following in September.

They completed the exact same feat for the Italian Footballers’ Association’s Player of the Month, with Kvaratskhelia taking the award for August and Kim for October.

Both players are currently on international duty during the World Cup break for the next month. Kim arrived in Qatar to join the Korean national team squad on Monday night, with nine days to go before Korea play their first game against Uruguay on Nov. 24.

Georgia did not qualify for the World Cup, but Kvaratskhelia will still be joining his national team this week for a series of international friendlies.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]