A Special 'Master-Pupil' Showdown: Lee Kang-in Says, "I Will Prove Myself Before My Mentor"

[Anchor]

Lee Kang-in, who has emerged as the ace of the national team, is facing a special showdown. Tomorrow, June 19, he will face Mexico's head coach Aguirre, his former mentor from his previous club, as an opponent. Now, it is his chance to prove his growth in front of his old teacher.

Reporter Ha Seong-nyong has the story.

[Reporter]

Lee Kang-in, who grew into a key player under Coach Aguirre's guidance during his time at Mallorca in Spain starting in 2022, has maintained a special relationship even after transferring to Paris Saint-Germain.

The two met and caught up during a friendly match last September, and when they were drawn into the same group during the draw last December, the mentor was the first to welcome the matchup against his former pupil with a joke.

[Aguirre/Mexico National Football Team Head Coach (Last December): I really love Lee Kang-in, who is like a son to me. I'm going to kick him (during the match), but I still love him.]

And ahead of their showdown on the dream stage, he was the first to express his wariness.

[Aguirre/Mexico National Football Team Head Coach: Lee Kang-in is a player I truly cherish. I think of him like a son. He is a very difficult player to defend against, so our players must stay focused when marking him.]

Lee Kang-in's performance in the match against the Czech Republic was dazzling enough to heighten Coach Aguirre's caution.

He assisted Hwang In-beom's equalizer with an exquisite through ball and recorded a 100% pass completion rate. He was ranked first overall in pass ratings—a comprehensive evaluation by a sports data analysis firm covering pass difficulty, creativity, and offensive contribution—earning recognition for having the best passing skills in this tournament.

Tomorrow, Lee Kang-in will set aside the bond between master and pupil and aim his spear at his mentor.

[Lee Kang-in/National Football Team Midfielder (Last April): He is a very special coach to me. However, this is the World Cup, so I must prepare and do my best to ensure we win.]

(Video coverage: Hwang In-seok | Video editing: Park Ki-deok | Design: Han Heung-soo)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.