Mexico Coach Aguirre: "I Will Stop My Former Pupil Lee Kang-in From Getting the Ball"

"I will stop my former pupil Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) from getting the ball."

Javier Aguirre, head coach of the Mexican national football team, has singled out his former pupil Lee Kang-in as the key player to watch out for in Hong Myung-bo's squad.

Mexico, a co-host of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, will face South Korea, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, at Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico, on June 19 (Korea time).

Attending a press conference on June 18, a day before the second Group A match against South Korea, Aguirre mentioned Lee Kang-in's name first when asked to name the players to watch.

He then pointed to Son Heung-min (LAFC) and Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord).

He knew Son Heung-min's name, and when pointing out Hwang In-beom, he referred to him as "the player wearing number 6."

Aguirre is a former mentor who coached Lee Kang-in at Mallorca (Spain).

Lee, who grew up in the Valencia youth academy, moved to Mallorca in August 2021 and established himself as a key attacking player.

Their relationship began in March 2022 when Aguirre took the helm at Mallorca.

Aguirre highly valued Lee's ability to escape pressure and his passing skills, utilizing him as a key figure in Mallorca's tactics.

Lee grew rapidly under Aguirre's guidance.

Aguirre said, "Lee Kang-in is very good at both attacking and defending. I know him well. He often plays as a winger in a 4-3-3 formation (these days), but he is a player who can picture the entire field in front of him and comfortably play with the ball."

He added with emphasis, "We have already analyzed Lee Kang-in and informed our players on how to respond. We can stop him. I will prevent him from getting the ball."

Aguirre spoke highly of South Korea's overall strength.

"Son Heung-min has good speed," he said. "Oh Hyeon-gyu (Besiktas) scored against us in a friendly match against South Korea (in September last year) and also scored in the recent match against the Czech Republic."

He continued, "Especially in the match against the Czech Republic, which looked like it would end in a draw, Hwang In-beom assisted a goal. The chemistry between Hwang In-beom and the wingers looked good."

Regarding the friendly match against South Korea in September last year, which ended in a 2-2 draw, he noted, "We were outpaced in transition between defense and attack in midfield. South Korea moves forward at a very fast pace."

As a World Cup host country, Mexico carries the burden of having to win in front of their home fans.

Aguirre said, "I didn't say many special things to the players this week. I hope we play well in tomorrow's match and maintain our performance," adding, "I will prepare for the match as simply as possible. Even when I was a player, I didn't think too complexly and just did my best."

The press conference lasted for more than 30 minutes.

Aguirre engaged in the press conference as if chatting with Mexican reporters, occasionally mixing in jokes.

When a South Korean reporter asked a question, he answered and then said "Gamsahabnida!" (Thank you in Korean), making the reporters laugh.

Mexican reporters comfortably asked for his thoughts not only on the match against South Korea but also on the tournament overall, as well as new regulations such as cooling breaks.

Regarding the cooling breaks, Aguirre said, "I don't think it's such a bad rule. From a manager's perspective, you can sometimes call the players over to give tactical instructions. It can be a time to correct what is going wrong."

The second Group A match between South Korea and Mexico will be held at Guadalajara Stadium on June 19 at 10 a.m. (KST).

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.