*This content was translated by AI.
Lee Kang-in (25), who has moved to the Spanish powerhouse Atlético (AT) Madrid to embark on a new challenge, is receiving high praise from local media for his proactive attitude since his transfer.
On the 12th (Korean time), Spanish outlet Marca highlighted that "Atlético Madrid players conducted training at their Majadahonda training ground," noting that "the most noticeable arrival was Lee Kang-in, who showed no desire to waste even a single second in improving his physical condition."
According to the media, Lee Kang-in participated in the team's afternoon training session on that day and worked alongside players who had competed in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final in North America. He trained for about an hour with Marcos Llorente, Alex Baena, Julián Álvarez, and others.
While it remains undisclosed exactly what instructions Lee Kang-in received after joining Atlético Madrid, his appearance at the training ground drew significant attention because he was technically in a situation where rest would have been acceptable. Players who participated in the World Cup final alongside Lee Kang-in were scheduled to begin full team training only on the following afternoon.
Marca added, "Lee Kang-in, who joined the Atlético Madrid squad from Korea, does not waste time. On this day, he personally toured the facilities at the Cerro del Espino training ground to gain experience." The outlet continued, "Although he is scheduled to train under coach Diego Simeone tomorrow, his efforts reflected a desire to make up for any missed training sessions due to his delayed arrival in Spain."
In reality, after concluding the North American World Cup, Lee Kang-in remained in Korea. Although his transfer from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to Atlético Madrid was officially confirmed on the 25th last year, he could not depart at that time because he had not received approval for overseas travel related to military service benefits tied to winning the gold medal in men's football at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.
As a result, Lee Kang-in was stuck in Korea and missed Atlético Madrid's pre-season friendly match against Manchester United held in Sweden on the 1st. He only joined the squad after Atlético Madrid traveled to Korea for a pre-season friendly against Manchester City.
Just three days after participating in team training in Korea, he made his Atlético Madrid debut in the match against Manchester City on the 9th. Immediately afterward, he headed to Incheon International Airport with his teammates and departed for Spain. Since then, Lee Kang-in has been fully engaged in preparing for the new season with a proactive attitude that has also earned praise from local Spanish media.
Atlético Madrid will play their final pre-season friendly against Marseille at 0:30 AM on the 15th in Marseille, France. Following that, they will face Málaga in the opening round of the 2025–2026 Spanish La Liga season at 4:20 AM on the 20th.
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*This content was translated by AI.
