*This content was translated by AI.
Lee Kang-in (25), who left Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to join Atletico (AT) Madrid, now faces a difficult championship race. While he secured no fewer than 12 championship titles during his three seasons at PSG, Atletico Madrid is a team with relatively low chances of winning in either the league or European competitions.
On the 11th (Korean time), sports statistics specialist Opta predicted the winner of the 2026-2027 Spanish professional football La Liga through supercomputer simulations, estimating Atletico Madrid's championship probability at just 8.6%. Their projected league finish was third place. FC Barcelona is set with a championship probability of 45.6%, followed by Real Madrid at 31%, effectively establishing an absolute two-team dominance, with Atletico Madrid positioned behind them.
In reality, since last reaching the top of La Liga in the 2020-2021 season, Atletico Madrid has finished third three times and fourth twice up to last season. Although they occasionally broke the two-team dominance of Barcelona and Real Madrid to claim the title in seasons like 2013-2014 and 2020-2021, they have been unable to maintain that momentum consistently. In terms of club scale as well as objective squad strength, it is true that Atletico Madrid is far from being at a level where it can directly compete for the championship against Barcelona or Real Madrid.
This marks a stark contrast to his experience of winning championships 13 times across six different competitions during just three seasons at PSG alone. Lee Kang-in has built a championship career in various tournaments, including three titles each in the French professional football Ligue 1 and Trophée des Champions (Super Cup), and two consecutive UEFA Champions League titles (back-to-back). During his Valencia days, he also experienced winning the Copa del Rey (King's Cup) in the 2018-2019 season.
However, immediately after joining Atletico Madrid, the league championship race requires overcoming Barcelona and Real Madrid. The Copa del Rey competition is also notoriously fierce, with different teams winning each of the past five seasons. Atletico Madrid's last cup tournament victory dates back to the 2012-2013 season. Competing for European titles such as the UEFA Champions League is even more intense and naturally carries lower probabilities.
This is also the price paid for deciding to leave PSG and join Atletico Madrid. While this transfer strongly reflects his determination to become a 'key player' who plays consistently for the team rather than accumulating a championship career as a rotation resource, it inevitably reduces his chances of winning. Although leading the team to a championship as Atletico Madrid's ace would be ideal, the more realistic scenario is that he will inevitably experience more defeats and championship failures—more "frustration"—than during his PSG days. These are ultimately burdens Lee Kang-in must bear.
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*This content was translated by AI.
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