'It's not perfect yet...' Lee Kang-in remains unsatisfied despite a historic debut, vowing "I will keep improving"

*This content was translated by AI.

Even after a historic debut performance, he was not 100% satisfied. Lee Kang-in (25), who scored a spectacular debut goal in his official debut match for Atletico Madrid and led his team to victory, pledged to continue improving.

On the 20th at 4 a.m. (Korean time), Lee Kang-in came on as a substitute in the 73rd minute during the 2026–2027 La Liga Round 1 home opener against Malaga at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, Spain. He scored the decisive first goal in the 65th minute, propelling Atletico to a 2-0 victory.

In an interview with broadcasters after the match, Lee Kang-in said, "It was a very important game. It is true that many players who returned from the World Cup had less training time, but I am very happy we secured the win." He added, "I will continue to train intensely to prepare for the next match at my best."

Regarding his substitution in the 73rd minute alongside Julian Alvarez and Alex Baena, which changed the flow of the game, he stated, "Everyone on Atletico played an excellent role. All three substitutes came on to help the team. Thanks to our teammates' hard work in the first half, we were able to win. I am very satisfied and will keep working hard."

On scoring his debut goal and being named the official La Liga Match MVP after playing approximately 33 minutes from the start of the match, Lee Kang-in said, "I still need to raise the game tempo and rhythm further." He emphasized, "Through training, I will continue to improve both individually and as a team. I hope we can secure many points and win the championship."

He also shared the behind-the-scenes story of his celebration immediately after scoring, where he ran to the bench and embraced teammates including Jose Gimenez. Lee Kang-in explained, "Gimenez on the bench told me beforehand that 'if I come on, I will score a goal.' I wanted to express my gratitude for the trust he placed in me, so I ran over."

Regarding his goal of winning all competitions announced during his official signing ceremony, Lee Kang-in added, "Atletico will always prepare for the best matches. I will do my utmost to win every game."

Starting from the bench on this day, Lee Kang-in broke through alone down the right flank in the 65th minute when the score was tied 0-0, then curled a sharp left-footed shot into the corner of the net for a spectacular debut goal. According to broadcast data, it was a cannonball shot reaching 114.7 km/h.

Playing about 33 minutes, Lee Kang-in showcased his signature killer passes and fluid pressure-breaking moves that drew a yellow card from an opponent. He swept the official La Liga MVP award with a rating of 7.9 points according to football statistics platform 'FootMob'.

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*This content was translated by AI.