Lee Kang-in accompanied him as a representative of the team at the UCL pre-press conference. He also expressed his feelings that he would do his best for the team with 100% no matter what role or position he takes.
Paris Saint-Germain will have a showdown with PSV Eindhoven in the third round of the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League phase, which will take place at the Parc des Princes in Paris at 4 a.m. on Sunday (Korea time). Currently, PSG has one win, one draw and one loss for PSV.
Coach Luis Enrique and Lee Kang-in attended the pre-press conference ahead of the game. Lee Kang-in appeared at the Champions League pre-press conference for the first time since his transfer to PSG. Usually, major players accompany the manager for an interview, but this is a glimpse of Lee Kang-in’s position in PSG. The possibility of starting in the match against PSV cannot be ruled out.
Since the opening, Lee Kang-in has been showing off his versatility in various positions. He started four games in eight league games and replaced and started one game each in two Champions League games. He has already scored four league goals this season, even though he did not spend much time playing in Enrique’s tendency to prefer using so many diverse players. He scored three goals in 23 league games last season, but he has already exceeded his record.
Lee Kang-in said, “An aggressive player always wants to score or assist. But the most important thing is to help his team win. I can always do better, but I think it started well. I’m happy that I can score goals and help my team,” adding, “I was satisfied with my condition at the beginning of the season.
Recently, he has been playing the role of fake No. 9. With Gonzalo Harmus and Marco Asensio injured ahead of the match against Stade Rennes and without professional strikers, Enrique gave Lee Kang-in a zero-top role. He displayed not only his connection but also his unique technique and shooting ability, and exploded his third goal of the season. He even scored his team’s fourth goal against Strasbourg after the A-match period in October, even though he started as a substitute.
“Every time I play as a No. 9, Enrique demands a lot of mobility from me. I am satisfied. We can create space, we create opportunities through this space. Through this mobility, we can score more goals.”
“I simply want to play anywhere. All players want to play regardless of position. No matter how the role is given, no matter what position I take, I will give my all 100 percent and help my teammates and the team,” he said.
Lee Kang-in’s popularity in Korea is still enormous. Last summer, Koreans’ first entry into PSG raised a lot of expectations among Korean fans, and PSG was also aware of this. Lee Kang-in ranked No. 1 in sales of the team’s uniforms, and visited Korea for friendly matches in the pre-season. In terms of Asian marketing, he played several games wearing PSG uniforms made in Korean, and a large flagship store was also held in Seoul.
Regarding his popularity, Lee Kang-in said, “I don’t think it’s changed much. I’ve always loved soccer. Family and soccer are the most important to me. I have more pressure because I’m at a big club, but I’m always trying to become a better player.” He emphasized, “I’m focusing on soccer. That’s how I move forward. I want to make use of everything, and as I said, helping the team is the most important thing. It doesn’t matter if you play a good game or win. I hope you keep doing that.” 스포츠토토
“If you wear a Paris Saint-Germain shirt, every match is important including Ligue 1, Coupe de France (French Cup) and the Champions League. In this tournament, every match is the final. I will do my best to earn three points,” he said.
Lee Kang-in, who played on the Spanish stage, has been adapting to life in France for more than a year. Lee Kang-in said, “When you arrive in a new country or a new club, all the players have to adapt. All the team members try to help me. For me, it was simple. We are a very young team and we help each other. That helps a lot,” he said about his other life.