PSG, KFA in tug-of-war over Lee Kang-in transfer
KFA “had been in talks all along”
The Korea Football Association has responded to the controversy surrounding the unverified Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) emails surrounding Lee Kang-in.
Hwang Sun-hong’s men will be looking to win a third consecutive Asian Games title at Hangzhou 2022. In their quest for glory, South Korea have called upon their best resources, and Lee Kang-in is one of them.
Lee is classified as a mainstay in the A team. After a stellar season with Mallorca last season, Lee switched to PSG. This is where the loan issue comes into play. Lee had reportedly agreed with his former club to be sent to the Asian Games. However, with his move to PSG, it was back to square one.
During a visit to Korea last month, PSG coach Luis Enrique gave a cursory answer to Lee’s request, saying, “At the moment, I don’t know much about it.” “I know that when you go to an international tournament, the club makes an official request and you respond accordingly,” he said.
The tug-of-war negotiations continued and the threads were not resolved until five days before the first match. “PSG said they would give us an answer by the 13th, but there is no answer as to when they will send Lee Kang-in,” Hwang told reporters at the Paju National Training Center (NFC) on the morning of the 14th.
Later that afternoon, a new story emerged from the A team’s return home. “There is an email from PSG,” a media outlet quoted the association as saying, “A representative is on a flight from London with the A team. What it says is expected to be revealed in the evening.”
Fans criticized the lack of immediate access to emails ahead of a crucial loan window. Knowing that an email had arrived could have changed the content of Hwang’s interview.
An official from the association clarified on the 15th, saying, “It was a simple verbal confirmation, not a failure to check the email.” “There was an email, and there was a mention of the conditions,” he said, adding, “We were making last-minute arrangements, so we couldn’t share everything.” “They told us to contact them for more details as they would be returning home soon,” he said, adding, “It was still being finalized at the time.”
In the end, PSG allowed Lee to leave. “After discussions with PSG, it has been finalized that Lee Kang-in will join the team after the UEFA Champions League (UCL) match against Borussia Dortmund on Nov. 19 (local time),” the association said.
“Lee will travel to Hangzhou, China on the 20th local time to join the Asian Games squad,” it added.
“On the 13th, we received an email from PSG stating that they would allow him to join the Asian Games, subject to rescheduling his Asian Cup call-up,” the association said. “We discussed with PSG until late at night on the 14th and finally received an official response from PSG stating that they would allow him to join the national team without any other preconditions.”바카라
With the timing of Lee’s arrival, Hwang’s plans for the tournament also became clearer. Hwang will open the tournament against Kuwait on Nov. 19, followed by Thailand on Nov. 21 and Bahrain on Nov. 24. With Lee Kang-in set to play against Dortmund, Hwang is expected to make his debut in the third group game.