Coach Luis Enrique sends trust, but the French media’s view of Lee Kang-in is full of doubts.
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) narrowly tied Stade Rennes 1-1 in the 23rd round of the 2023-24 season in Paris at 1:05 a.m. on the 26th (Korea time). PSG ranked first in the league with 16 wins, 6 draws and 1 loss (54 points), and Rennes ranked seventh in the league with 9 wins, 8 draws and 6 losses (35 points).
After finishing the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup, Lee Kang-in wore a PSG uniform again. He was absent in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 against Real Sociedad. Coach Enrique said abdominal pain caused by a viral infection was the reason for his absence.
He returned from the match against Nantes. “He is in very good condition. He could not participate in the last match (against Sociedad), but he suffered from abdominal pain. He can play this time. He is in 100 percent physical condition. He played in the Asian Cup without injury and showed high level performance. “He can play in the match against Nantes,” Enrique said at a pre-conference.
France’s Get Football News also said, “Coach Enrique can use Lee Kang-in, who returned from the Asian Cup, as a starter.” I saw him play in the midfield, but I expected him to compete with Marco Asensio. The strikers were Bradley Barcola, Kylian Mbappe and Usman Dembele. Lee Kang-in is likely to play with Warren Zaire-Emery and Manuel Ugarte if he starts as a midfielder.
Lee Kang-in, who started as an observatory player, showed a rather disappointing performance. Based on the soccer statistics media “Sopha Score”, Lee Kang-in recorded 73 ball touches, 90% pass success rate, 2 key passes, 9 crosses (successful twice), 1 long pass (successful once), and 1 decisive opportunity creation. The media gave a rating of 7.3, making it the sixth highest in the team. “After returning from the Asian Cup, he played the role of a right winger that clearly did not fit his qualifications, making little difference,” said Get French Football. “He was replaced by Dembele.”
After the match against Nantes, Lee Kang-in said he made up with Son Heung-min. Lee Kang-in is known to have been involved in the so-called Table Tennis Gate and has given Son Heung-min a step back. The Korea Football Association officially became a problem when it admitted the dispute between the two, and while the national team issue was causing public resentment, there was a loud voice of criticism as the internal strife came out. The arrow of criticism was directed at Lee Kang-in.
Lee Kang-in posted an apology on the 14th. “There was an article reported that I had an argument with Son Heung-min ahead of the semifinals of the Asian Cup. I am very disappointed in the soccer fans who are always supporting the national team. I am very sorry. I should have taken the lead and followed the other members’ words well, but I am just sorry to show bad performances to the soccer fans. I apologize to many people who would have been disappointed in me. I know the interest and expectations that soccer fans send me. From now on, I will try to help my older brothers and become a better player and a better person.” 업소알바
Nevertheless, the situation did not calm down. Unconfirmed rumors came out one after another, and rumors like “Now that I see it, it’s like this” came out one after another, and all eyes were on Lee Kang-in’s revolt and Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in’s fight. Lee Kang-in was slammed.