After three years at Paris Saint-Germain and winning two Champions Leagues, Kang-in Lee chose to leave to return to Spain. A luxury replacement for the Rouge-et-Bleu, the former resident of Mallorca signed up with Atlético de Madrid in exchange for €40 million. For his comeback in La Liga, the South Korean attacking midfielder intends to justify his status as a double European champion and become one of the major players in the championship. An XXL challenge, especially since Lee did not hesitate to accept his choice to take the number 7 of the legend of the colchonero club, Antoine Griezmann.
A new hero in Madrid
But for those who know the South Korean, his discretion hides a strong character. The latter had also displayed his ambitions in recent days. “We are ready to win. This is the most important thing in football. We have fantastic players and technical staff. It’s essential to have that mentality of wanting to win everything. And I think we will be able to achieve our goals. Defining the level of LaLiga is difficult. When I start playing matches I will be able to see if the level has changed, but Atlético is ready to win. I see the team doing very well. This year we will win a lot of things and bring a lot of joy to Atlético fans”.
Yesterday, Lee did not start in the match against Malaga counting for the first day of La Liga, but he made the difference by coming on half an hour from the end. Author of a beautiful goal for his first at the Metropolitano, the former Parisian participated in the 2-0 success of the Madrilenians. And this morning, the press in the Spanish capital showered him with praise. “Oh, my, my, Kang-in Lee,” enthused A.S.referring to Griezmann’s successor. “Griezmann will no longer be there, but his number 7 has found an heir: Kang-in Lee. And his journey at Atleti couldn’t have started better. With a goal as magnificent and decisive as those the Frenchman used to score. »
“Griezmann was an irreplaceable player”
Same at Marca. “Atlético cheers its new hero. Kang-in makes his debut at the Metropolitano by breaking the situation with a sensational goal in a match that Malaga controlled with confidence, before Baena sealed the victory with a free kick into the top corner.. Asked about his player after the match, Diego Simeone indicated: “He is a player who must adapt to the demands of the match. He is a footballer committed to his team. We saw it with his national team, as well as with the teams he played for before.. For his part, the main person concerned did not hide his satisfaction at the microphone of Movistar+.
“Before I came on, the coach told me that there were a lot of spaces between the lines, that as soon as I received the ball I should try to shoot on goal and, thanks to his words, I entered the field very motivated. I can help the team in these moments of the match”he confided, before sending a message to his predecessor. “More than an heir to me, this is something I have to thank him for. Griezmann was an irreplaceable player and, rather than thinking about those things, I tried to help my team to be able to bring a lot to the collective and continue to do the same. I have a lot to improve on and I will work hard to improve. It was a very special moment and today is a very special day, but the important thing is the team. It’s important to get off to a good start and I’m very happy with this victory. » That’s what you call successful beginnings.
