A Special 'Master-Pupil' Showdown: Proving His 'Class' in Front of His Mentor

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The personal connection between the Mexico head coach and Lee Kang-in is another key point to watch. Lee Kang-in was once coached by Mexico's manager Aguirre during his time in the Spanish league, but now it is time for him to overcome the team led by his mentor.

Reporter Ha Sung-ryong has the story.

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Lee Kang-in, who grew into a key player under the guidance of manager Aguirre at Mallorca in Spain starting in 2022, has maintained a special relationship with him even after transferring to Paris Saint-Germain.

The two caught up during a friendly match in September last year, 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 pupil with a joke.

[Aguirre / Mexico National Football Team Head Coach (Last December): I really like Lee Kang-in, who is like a son to me. I will kick him (during the match), but I still like 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 brilliant enough to heighten manager Aguirre's caution.

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

Lee Kang-in will set aside the bond with his mentor for a moment and aim his spear at him.

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

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