Japanese netizens react with mixed praise and criticism to Lee Kang-in's move to Atletico: "Superior to Kubo" vs. "Stay on the bench again"

*This content was translated by AI.

News of Lee Kang-in (25) joining Atletico Madrid sparked simultaneous praise and criticism from Japanese netizens.

On the 25th, Japan's "Nikkan Sports" broke the news that Lee Kang-in had left Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to join Atletico.

Atletico officially announced the signing of Lee Kang-in via its social media (SNS) on this day. The contract runs until June 30, 2031, for a total of five years. His jersey number is "7," symbolizing the team's ace.

The media stated, "Lee Kang-in joined Valencia's youth team at age 10 and made his first-team debut in 2018 at age 17. After moving to Mallorca on a free transfer in 2021, he played alongside Takefusa Kubo." It then introduced Lee Kang-in's connection with Kubo, the ace of Japan's national team.

It further explained, "Lee Kang-in joined PSG for a transfer fee of €22 million (approximately 36.5 billion won) in 2023. Last season, he appeared in 39 official matches, recording four goals and five assists."

As news of Lee Kang-in's move to Atletico spread, Japanese football fans reacted immediately. Comments on the article showed a mix of praise and mockery directed at Lee Kang-in.

First, some netizens acknowledged Lee Kang-in's abilities and compared him to Japan's ace, Kubo. Netizen A praised him, saying, "Lee Kang-in's creative play will fit well with Atletico," and added, "The global evaluation is higher for Lee Kang-in than for Kubo."

Netizen B also expressed regret, stating, "While I support Kubo, it's undeniable that Lee Kang-in has accumulated far more achievements." He further added, "I wish Japanese players could also join top-tier teams in the EPL or La Liga," showing envy.

On the other hand, there are negative opinions mocking Lee Kang-in. In particular, many expressed strong resistance to local media identifying him as Antoine Griezmann's replacement. Netizen C commented, "Even setting aside prejudice, if we're talking about replacing Griezmann, Kubo is a more certain option than Lee Kang-in."

Comments also mocked the difficult competition for Lee Kang-in's starting position. They said, "Replacing Griezmann is unrealistic. Just like during his PSG days, endure without complaint from the bench," and "He was pushed out of a Champions League-winning team to join a third-place Spanish league side." Additionally, they ridiculed him by saying, "As the key figure who led Korea to third place in the World Cup's 'honey pot' group, expectations are naturally high."

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*This content was translated by AI.