*This content was translated by AI.
Lee Kang-in, the ace of the South Korean national football team, is expected to start in Atletico Madrid's (Spain) season opener. Local media even suggested he could play as a 'second striker.'
Spain's 'As' reported on the 17th (Korean time), "Lee Kang-in finally stepped onto the official stage wearing Atletico's red and white jersey." The outlet added, "Lee Kang-in held his official signing ceremony at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano Arena, becoming the third of four players signed by Atletico this summer."
According to reports, the signing ceremony was attended by Spanish football legend and current Atletico advisor David Villa, Atletico president Enrique Cerezo, Carlos Buscero, head of football operations, and others. The media highlighted that "Lee Kang-in's friends and family filled the audience seats."
Lee Kang-in said, "I am truly happy to join such a big club. I want to start quickly and help the team," adding, "I have ambitions to win many titles. I came here with the ambition to win everything."
Now attention turns to the season opener. Atletico will host Malaga at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain, on the 20th for Round 1 of the 2026–2027 Spanish La Liga.
Lee Kang-in is also eagerly awaiting his first meeting with home fans. He stated, "This will be a special day not just for me but for all Atletico people. I've heard that Atletico fans are the best in the world and always stand by the team." He added, "I hope the opener comes soon. I want to show the fans that I can be a player who greatly helps the team."
As Lee Kang-in hopes, he may appear as a starter in front of home fans from the very first match.
In another report, 'As' covered Atletico's recent training sessions and highlighted the competition for starting spots. On that day, coach Diego Simeone placed Koke, Alejandro Grimaldo, Ademola Lookman, and others in the starting lineup.
Changes also occurred during training. Giuliano Simeone and Alex Baena were moved into the starting group, while Lookman shifted to the forward position.
Lee Kang-in trained with non-starters including Morten Hjulmand, Marcos Llorente, and Julian Alvarez.
However, it is too early to say Lee Kang-in has fallen behind in the starting competition. 'As' projected that "the South Korean player Lee Kang-in is also among those who could theoretically start as a second striker against Malaga."
Football statistics site H2H also included Lee Kang-in in its predicted Best 11 for Atletico's match against Malaga. The site anticipated he would be placed in the second line of a 3-4-1-2 formation to support the two strikers.
Another statistical outlet, FotMob, also predicted Lee Kang-in would start. It projected he would play as a second striker in a 5-3-2 formation alongside Lookman to form the attack. Sofascore also placed Lee Kang-in as an attacking midfielder in a 3-4-1-2 formation.
Lee Kang-in is no stranger to the Spanish stage. After beginning his professional career at Valencia, he moved through Mallorca before transferring to French giant Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2023. After experiencing three league titles and two UEFA Champions League (UCL) titles with PSG, he began a new challenge at Atletico this summer.
Explaining why he chose Atletico, Lee Kang-in said, "The first thing I considered was the club itself." He added, "I have known since childhood how big a club Atletico is. From the moment agents conveyed Atletico's interest to me, my mind focused solely on joining Atletico."
He continued, "I want to win titles. That is the mindset and ambition I brought with me." He emphasized, "The most important thing is to help the team and work hard. If I do that, I believe I can bring great joy to the fans."
Regarding his return to Spain, he said, "After leaving Spain, I thought many times about wanting to play in Spain again someday. It is where I grew up. I am truly looking forward to playing in La Liga again."
He also did not hide his confidence regarding titles. Lee Kang-in stated firmly, "Atletico has excellent players. This season, we will win many competitions. I want to bring great joy to Atletico fans."
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*This content was translated by AI.
