South Korean star Lee Kang-in is set to make his much-anticipated return to home soil as he prepares to shine for his new French club, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The reigning French league champions will face off against nine-time K League 1 champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in an exciting match at the Busan Asiad Main Stadium in Busan on Thursday.
Lee, who recently played for South Korea against Peru at the same venue on June 16, is thrilled to be back in his home country. The talented midfielder was still a member of the Spanish club RCD Mallorca at that time. However, on July 9, PSG announced their signing of Lee, leading to his exciting return to Korea with his new team for a preseason match.
Known for his exceptional skills and being named the best player of the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, Lee is one of South Korea’s most beloved football players. Whenever he plays for the national team on home soil, the cheers from the spectators are only surpassed by those for captain Son Heung-min. Lee’s arrival at PSG has the potential to make the French club immensely popular in South Korea, adding to the star power of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
Although Mbappe didn’t join the team for their Asian tour due to a contract dispute, Neymar is with the club. However, he missed the match against Cerezo Osaka in Japan on Friday as he continues to recover from an ankle injury. Lee, too, was absent from that game but has been back in training since Sunday after sustaining a hamstring injury during a preseason match on July 22. To ensure his fitness for the match in his home country, Lee may sit out the final preseason match against Inter Milan on Tuesday.
Facing PSG is Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, a team that has dominated the K League for several years. With a record-breaking nine championships, including five consecutive titles from 2017 to 2021, Jeonbuk remains a formidable opponent. Despite a shaky start to the current season that led to the sacking of head coach Kim Sang-sik in May, the team has climbed to fourth place under new boss Dan Petrescu. Although they lost striker Cho Gue-sung to Denmark’s FC Midtjylland in July, Jeonbuk still boasts exciting homegrown talents like Moon Seon-min and Song Min-kyu.
The match between PSG and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors promises to be a thrilling encounter, showcasing the skills of Lee Kang-in on his homecoming. Football fans in South Korea will be eagerly awaiting the opportunity to witness their national hero in action once again, while the presence of PSG adds an extra layer of excitement to this preseason showdown.
