The official website of France’s Ligue 1 website shed light on the 1st (Korea time), saying, “Lee Kang-in’s shirt is selling like hot cakes.” Lee Kang-in’s name stands out more than Kylian Mbappe and Usman Dembele.
The measure of popularity can be seen by selling uniforms. It was already known that Lee Kang-in was the best shirt seller in Paris Saint-Germain. Two months ago, French journalist Abdelah Bulma made headlines by saying, “Lee Kang-in is the biggest seller of uniforms in Paris Saint-Germain. He is ahead of Mbappe.” 안전놀이터
When Lee Kang-in made a meaningful record in the sale of uniforms last summer, Paris Saint-Germain even placed Lee Kang-in’s uniform in the center of the official store to respond to the enthusiastic enthusiasm of Korean and Asian fans. Lee Kang-in is also actively used in marketing. When Lee Kang-in was unveiled for the third time this season, he put Lee Kang-in as an official model.
France is realizing the popularity of Lee Kang-in. “The Europeans may not realize it yet, but the true superstar of Paris Saint-Germain is Lee Kang-in. Thanks to Lee Kang-in, Korean tourists continue to flock to the Paris Saint-Germain home stadium,” Ligne said. Such enthusiasm is the excitement that Lee caused when he played for Mallorca.
After settling down smoothly with one goal and two assists in his first year of joining Mallorca, Lee Kang-in exploded in his second year and gained popularity. He also succeeded in moving to Paris Saint-Germain by scoring six goals and six assists in 36 games last season. Lee, who was greatly loved by Mallorca fans, recently visited his former team and reaffirmed his affection.
Mallorca has gained a lot through Lee Kang-in. In July, when Lee Kang-in was sent to Paris Saint-Germain, Alfonso Díaz, CEO of Mallorca, said, “Every time many fans came from Seoul, it was directly linked to ticket sales on the day of the game. I felt competitive when I saw about 500 Korean fans come here to buy tickets and uniforms and even tour them,” looking back on the effect of Lee Kang-in.
The background of Lee Kang-in’s syndrome is his ability. Lee Kang-in, who leaped to a big club based on his performance in Mallorca, is solidifying his position as a key player in Paris Saint-Germain. He has scored one goal and one assist in six matches in Ligue 1 so far. The performance is not bad considering the injury he suffered in the early part of the season and his absence from his team for quite a long time due to his transfer to the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Moreover, Luis Enrique has been utilizing Lee Kang-in as the starting pitcher for all Ligue 1 teams. He has known about Lee Kang-in since he played for Spain recently. As you saw in today’s game, Lee Kang-in was a great performance. “He is small but has the ability to play anywhere. He contributed well to the defense and scored a goal. He is perfect.”
Luis Campos, the general manager who was in charge of recruiting Lee Kang-in, said in an interview with Le Parisien in the middle of this month, “I put a lot of effort into it. In terms of performance, I liked Lee Kang-in very much. It was exactly what Enrique wanted.”
Therefore, he is moving in all weather conditions in line with the tactics that coach Enrique wants. Lee Kang-in, who was limited to the side at the beginning of the season, is playing in various ways these days. Although the main duty is to release the game from the side, he also shows his capabilities in the middle of the front line. Just looking at the last match against Langs, he was positioned as a striker but came down and connected the ball.
In this regard, there have been a series of assessments that Lee Kang-in is showing the fake No. 9 of Paris Saint-Germain. Coach Enrique also admitted that Lee Kang-in used the pulse nine. According to the French media Paris Stream right after the match, “We couldn’t control the ball. We could have replaced Mbappe and Dembele, but they were two who did well in the first half,” he said. “So I thought it would be effective for Lee Kang-in to keep the ball in the middle. The second scoring situation is what we thought. We were able to move forward by using space.”
The reason why Enrique ordered Lee Kang-in to own the ball was based on his performance in training. “Good players can play in various positions. Lee Kang-in is an outstanding player and surprises me every day. He is a player who never loses his ball,” Enrique said in expressing satisfaction.
Coach Enrique never stops smiling, looking at Lee’s performance. Even as he continued his offensive point in three consecutive games, he said, “I know Lee well because he played in Spain. He always tries hard and is good at de-pressure without losing ball. He also knows how to score points,” adding, “Lee always has a desire to play. Such hunger is most necessary for development.”
The possibility of Lee playing in the central midfield cannot be ruled out. Despite Lee’s strength from the side, Didier Domi, who played for Paris Saint-Germain in the past, said, “We need a player to dominate and control the midfield. There is a limit to resources to overcome opposition pressure,” adding, “Lee is not afraid to catch the ball. He is not afraid to turn around even if the opponent sticks to him. He is very skilled. He often succeeds in such plays. He is a very useful talent as a midfielder.”
It could become a reality. Warren Zaire-Emery, one of the best talents discovered by Paris Saint-Germain this season, suffered a long-term injury while playing for the French national team during the A-match. Zaire-Emery has clearly secured a place in the midfield. Zaire-Emery, who is one of the top three players in collaboration with Manuel Ugarte and Fabian Lewis, has scored two goals and five assists in 16 official matches. Notably, he has three assists in four matches in the Champions League, instilling aggression in the midfield of Paris Saint-Germain.
Since Jair-Emery showed a significant proportion, it is urgent to prepare alternative tactics. If it is fortunate, Paris Saint-Germain has Lee Kang-in who can play both sides and center, which is a dominant alternative. That is why Lee Kang-in is becoming an indispensable card in Paris Saint-Germain. The flow that has been shown since October is being evaluated as a “game changer” by the French media Le Parisien.
After returning to the club thanks to strong support from the team, the team unfortunately stopped accumulating attack points in Paris Saint-Germain. However, the team has strong influence on the team. In the fifth Group F match of the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League against Newcastle United on April 29, it was the fourth highest rating in its team.
He played 82 minutes as a starter on the day. He attempted 71 passes in total, and connected 66 passes accurately, boasting a 93 percent success rate. He has played as many as six passes in attack zones and created one opportunity. He also participated in the defense line-up. He aggressively blocked opponents enough to make four attempts for tackles. He also posted excellent records in seven recoveries and four successful ball competitions.
As he demonstrated his skills, his popularity began to follow suit, and he gradually began to be compared to world-class players. “Lee Kang-in is the right person to replace Lionel Messi who left for Inter Miami,” legendary winger David Ginola, a former member of the French national team, praised Lee’s move by saying, “He looked a lot like Messi’s left foot when he was playing for Mallorca. When passing with his left foot, Lee has similar gestures and movements to Messi’s.”
It is not the first time that Lee Kang-in has been compared to Messi. At the end of the match against Lorient, where Lee Kang-in made his French debut, the Ligue 1 secretariat said, “Messi played well. Lee Kang-in, who became the first Korean to play for Paris Saint-Germain, must have been satisfied with his performance.”