Former national team coach Paulo Bento, who led South Korea to the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, admits that Lee Kang-in was not the type of player he wanted.
“Whether it’s fans, coaches, or media, no one can refute the fact that Lee Kang-in is talented,” Bento, who is currently in charge of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) national team, said in a YouTube video on FC Online on Friday (KST), “but the manager and coaching staff need to analyze more. 바카라사이트 They shouldn’t be judged by talent alone.”
Bento was not a fan of Lee Kang-in during his tenure. He was called up to the national team ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but was only named on the substitutes’ bench. In particular, during the trials leading up to the World Cup, some fans were clamoring for him to start, but he didn’t play a single minute, which sparked controversy.
“I didn’t include him in the squad until just before the World Cup. But I couldn’t ignore his performance for Mallorca, and I thought he had changed a lot in his mindset, so I included him.”
“Lee has proven himself with his change of mentality and his performance in Mallorca. “I think the two most important people in his transformation are myself and Javier Aguirre, the club’s coach, who told him he had to change his style. I think he recognized that he needed to change his style and Aguirre gave him the confidence to do so.”
On South Korea’s quarter-final exit at the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar, Bento said: “We are always watching them, even though we are in different teams now. You can’t put too much pressure on them,” he said, adding, “They are playing for their country and their team more than anyone else.”