"Lee feels like he's getting preferential treatment. It's often disappointing when he starts."
Lee Kang-in (23, Paris Saint-Germain) received a humiliating evaluation from a French reporter.
France's "Le 10 Sport" said on the 15th (Korea time), "Reporter Daniel Riolo criticized Coach Luis Enrique. He said, "I think Coach Enrique is giving Lee Kang-in preferential treatment."
Lee Kang-in left Majorca last summer and joined the PSG team to take on a new challenge. He paid 22 million euros in transfer fee and had a five-year contract. It was reasonable considering the recent bubble-ridden transfer market.
It was a recruitment promoted by General Manager Luis Campos himself. He has been constantly paying attention to Lee Kang-in since he was in Mallorca, and he took charge of recruiting Lee Kang-in before Enrique took the helm.
Reflecting on the situation in November last year, Campos said, "I made a lot of efforts to bring Lee to PSG. From an economic point of view, I couldn't pay more than a certain transfer fee," adding, "From a sports point of view, I like Lee a lot. It suits what Enrique wants. But I didn't think he would have an impact on Asian marketing."
Lee Kang-in suffered from injuries at the beginning, but he began to show his true value after returning with a gold medal around his neck at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. He scored a great goal in October last year against AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) and scored his first PSG debut goal and UCL goal.
Since then, Lee Kang-in has become the main player. He helped Kylian Mbappe score with a sharp out-front pass in the away game in Brest, and in the match against Montpellier, he connected Mbappe's ball with a cannonball left-footed shot to penetrate the corner of the goal and accumulated attack points in three consecutive official matches.
Compliments were also pouring in for Lee Kang-in. Senior PSG players such as Jeremy Rotang and Didier Domi also voiced their opinion that Lee Kang-in should be used as a starter. Coach Enrique also said, "Lee Kang-in is small, but he can do everything. He can play front and rear, inside and side, and he can also score points in defense. He is a complete player. Our team's big signing," he said with a happy smile.
However, Lee Kang-in seems to be slowing down after visiting the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup earlier this year. He is fiercely competing with Vitinha, Usman Dembele and Fabian Lewis for the starting lineup.
Immediately after his return, the flow was not good. Lee Kang-in started two consecutive games in the league after taking a break due to abdominal pain, but failed to show any significant performance. In the match against Rennes, he was replaced at the beginning of the second half. Then, in the match against Monaco, he was put in in the 41st minute of the second half.
However, the second leg of the UCL round of 16 against Sociedad began to provide an opportunity for a rebound. Lee Kang-in showed his presence by helping Mbappe's goal with a sharp pass after being replaced as soon as the second half began.
Lee Kang-in also impressed with his full-time performance in the 90 minutes against Reims. It was the first time in about three months that he played all 90 minutes in the league since the match against Lille in December last year. Lee Kang-in played full time in the quarterfinals of Nice and Coupe de France on the 14th, but he swallowed the disappointment by hitting the net with a sharp free kick. So far, his performance has been three goals and three assists in 22 official matches.
Lee Kang-in also hit the jackpot in terms of marketing. "PSG believes only in Lee Kang-in to strengthen 'brand development' in Asia," said RMC Sport in August. Visiting Korea is an important step to expand its brand in the Asian market. In that sense, recruiting Lee Kang-in is a real asset."
PSG Talk also called Lee Kang-in a gold ball. "PSG, which recruited Lee Kang-in, may have won a gold ball," the media said. "As a result, Lee Kang-in's recruitment is a success. This is due to a harmonious combination of economic prudence, sports vision, and understanding of the commercial situation."
Lee Kang-in's popularity is beyond imagination. Beyond PSG, he has surpassed France's biggest star Mbappe's uniform sales. In December last year, League 1 said, "Lee Kang-in's uniforms are selling like hot cakes. Countless Koreans are flocking to the Parc des Princes," adding, "Paris is crazy about Lee Kang-in. PSG sold more Lee Kang-in's uniforms than Mbappe's. Europeans may not have realized it yet, but PSG has become a true superstar!"
PSG also wore Korean uniforms in the matches against Le Havre in December last year and against Reims in recent months. This event is a special event targeting the Korean market. The Korean market is known to be PSG's second largest in terms of e-commerce since July last year when Lee Kang-in joined the team. PSG even opened a flagship store in Gangnam.
However, Riolo, a reporter for RMC Sports, gave a harsh review to Lee Kang-in. Le10 Sport said, "Lee was one of the players that Luis Campos made a surprise recruitment. Despite his less convincing performance at the beginning of the season, he has been playing in consecutive games. This seems unfair to Lee."
According to the media, reporter Liolo said, "Lee Kang-in continues to participate, but he doesn't always deserve to play," adding, "I don't understand the way he is treated. Considering his performance and playing time, I'm not sure if it's always the right treatment."
"I got the impression that Lee was receiving special treatment. At first, I was fascinated by his dynamism. But I often feel disappointed when I start," he said bitterly.
Le10 Sport also expressed regret over seeing Lee Kang-in. "Lee might have been meaningless before he moved to PSG, but he was a valuable supporter of PSG. He helped advance into the Asian market by selling so many uniforms. However, his contribution to the stadium has not been consistent yet," he said. "Lee has only been playing on average recently, but he has continued to play." 메이저 토토사이트