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Lee Kang-in (25), who had been stuck in Korea for over two weeks after his transfer to the prestigious Spanish club Atletico (AT) Madrid was confirmed, has finally reached the training ground in Madrid, Spain.
Mundo Deportivo reported on the 11th (Korean time): "The AT Madrid squad departed from Seoul early Monday morning and arrived at Barajas Airport. Notably, Lee Kang-in visited Majadahonda for the first time since his transfer." The outlet also released photos of the AT Madrid players' arrival in Spain. Majadahonda is a city located west of Madrid, where AT Madrid's training facilities are situated.
The squad, including Lee Kang-in, immediately moved from Seoul World Cup Stadium to Incheon International Airport after finishing their 2026 Coupang Play Series match against Manchester City on the 9th and departed for Spain. Lee Kang-in traveled with the team and visited Majadahonda for the first time on this day.
Mundo Deportivo added: "All players and coaching staff who participated in the brief tour in Seoul arrived at Majadahonda today. Only head coach Diego Simeone temporarily left to spend a vacation with his family." The report noted, "While everyone showed clear signs of fatigue from the long journey, the most noticeable figure was Lee Kang-in, who visited Majadahonda for the first time. He was the last to leave the facility in a club vehicle and is scheduled to personally tour the training ground on Wednesday."
Lee Kang-in, who played for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) until last season, officially announced his transfer to AT Madrid on the 25th of last month after months of speculation. The transfer fee reached up to €40 million (approximately 65.6 billion won), with a five-year contract extending through 2031.
Lee Kang-in remained in Seoul after completing the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. However, even after his transfer to AT Madrid was confirmed, he struggled to depart Korea due to administrative procedures related to the military service exemption granted for winning the gold medal in men's football at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.
AT Madrid's pre-season had already begun, and on the 1st, they played their first pre-season match against Manchester United in Sweden. Spanish local media closely monitored when Lee Kang-in would join the team, depending on the timing of approval from the South Korean government for his departure. However, due to delays in administrative procedures, Lee Kang-in was forced to remain in Korea.
Fortunately, AT Madrid's visit to Korea for the Coupang Play Series allowed Lee Kang-in to join the squad in Korea rather than Spain. Lee Kang-in first joined team training on the 7th and made his unofficial debut just two weeks after his transfer confirmation by coming off the bench in the match against Manchester City on the 9th. With administrative procedures regarding his departure now completed, Lee Kang-in finally left Korea and boarded a flight to Spain.
After a short break provided to the squad, Lee Kang-in is scheduled to begin full team training in Spain starting on the 13th. He will conclude the pre-season schedule with a friendly match against Marseille (France) at Orange Vélodrome in Marseille, Spain, on the 15th at 0:30 AM. AT Madrid will open their 2026–2027 Spanish La Liga season on the 20th at 4:00 AM at Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain, against Malaga. This match marks Lee Kang-in's return to the Spanish stage and his home debut for AT Madrid.
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*This content was translated by AI.
