"Filling the huge void left by Griezmann as well" Lee Kang-in has completely won over the hearts of Atletico Madrid fans... Named Player of the Month for September, "Everyone is convinced"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The 'ace' of the South Korean national football team, Lee Kang-in (25), has completely won over the hearts of fans just two months after joining Atletico Madrid (Spain).

On the 10th (Korean time), the club announced through its official channels that Lee Kang-in had been selected as the 'Five Star Player' for September. The club also released a photo of Lee Kang-in holding the trophy.

The award is presented by Maun, a Spanish beer brand and an official sponsor of Atletico Madrid, and selects the player who performed most outstandingly each month through fan voting.

The candidates were formidable. Five players made the list: Lee Kang-in, Julian Simeone, Jonathan David, Alejandro Grimaldo, and Johnny Cardoso. However, fans' final choice was Lee Kang-in.

After receiving the award, Lee Kang-in said, "This is truly something special for me. Since this is my first time receiving this award, I am very happy to be given the trophy."

He added, "I am also happy about the achievements we have accomplished together. I believe I was able to receive this award thanks to my teammates. Thanks to our collective efforts, we were able to enjoy this luck," crediting his teammates for the honor.

He delivered performances worthy of the recognition. Lee Kang-in appeared in all five official matches played by Atletico Madrid in September. In particular, he started all four La Liga matches.

In the match against Osasuna held on the 17th of last month, he scored his second goal of the season, leading Atletico Madrid to a 4-0 victory. He then started in the Madrid Derby against 'rival' Real Madrid, playing for approximately 89 minutes. Atletico Madrid defeated Real 2-1.

When he first joined, no small number of question marks followed Lee Kang-in. The pressure was inevitably great. Until the previous season, Antoine Griezmann had been at the center of Atletico Madrid's attack.

Griezmann is a club legend who holds the record for the most career goals in Atletico Madrid history. Having been responsible for orchestrating attacks and scoring goals for a long time, he left Atletico Madrid at the end of last season to transfer to Orlando City in the U.S. Major League Soccer (MLS).

Lee Kang-in joined Atletico Madrid to fill that role. The symbolism was significant. Lee Kang-in even inherited the number 7 jersey worn by Griezmann.

However, concerns quickly disappeared. Lee Kang-in immediately established himself as a key asset for Atletico Madrid, and this time, by winning the Player of the Month award through fan voting, he proved his standing with results.

Local evaluations in Spain are also enthusiastic. The Spanish media outlet 'Esto Es Atletico,' which specializes in Atletico Madrid news, highly praised Lee Kang-in while reporting on the award, stating that "Lee Kang-in has convinced everyone at the Metropolitano."

The outlet explained, "Unlike other newly joined players who needed an adjustment period, Lee Kang-in showed good performance from day one," adding that "he recorded two goals and one assist in his first eight official matches wearing the Atletico Madrid uniform."

It was not simply a high evaluation of his attacking points. The outlet stated, "Lee Kang-in's influence is beyond the statistics," praising him for having "excellent match analysis skills and the ability to add composure and order to the midfield. His breakthroughs in the opponent's half are also very useful for the team."

In particular, they even mentioned Griezmann, a 'legend' of Atletico Madrid. The outlet assessed that Lee Kang-in's such strengths are "filling the huge void created by Griezmann's absence to some extent."

They further noted, "Lee Kang-in is showing a fantastic start to the season," and expressed expectation that "his contribution will grow even larger going forward as we aim to lift the championship trophy this season."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original