Atletico Madrid's Lee Kang-in comes on as a substitute at the direction of manager Diego Simeone during a preseason friendly against Manchester City at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Sunday. [Yonhap]
Atletico Madrid's Lee Kang-in comes on as a substitute at the direction of manager Diego Simeone during a preseason friendly against Manchester City at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Sunday. [Yonhap]

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has expressed confidence in Lee Kang-in following the South Korean midfielder's debut for the Spanish La Liga club.

Atletico Madrid fell 1-3 to Manchester City in the 2026 Coupang Play preseason friendly at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Sunday.

Lee joined the squad after Atletico arrived in South Korea on Thursday, leaving him little time to build chemistry with his new teammates. Despite that, Simeone sent him on in the 63rd minute and Lee made his historic debut.

Lee had been training individually after military service regulations prevented him from traveling abroad and was not yet in full physical condition. He still made a strong impression, firing two shots before the final whistle.

Asked to assess Lee after the match, Simeone said he had not had much training time. "He needs time to find his rhythm to play. That applies not just to Lee but to all the players," he said.

Simeone also described Lee as a versatile player. "He can play on the wing, in tight spaces between midfield and defense, and as a second striker — like today," he said.

Atletico Madrid open their new La Liga season Aug. 20 with a first-round match against Malaga.

Simeone said the World Cup semifinals and final were "a beautiful period in football," but added that the heavy involvement of several of his players in those matches was a personal concern heading into preseason preparations. "We don't have much time to function and train as a team, but we will prepare well," he said.


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