I'm sorry."

"I wanted to repay the constant expectations and support of soccer fans with good results at this Asian Cup, but I'm sorry I couldn't."

"Golden talent" Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) also delivered a sincere apology message to Korean soccer fans.

Lee Kang-in headed to Paris Saint-Germain (France) after finishing the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup. The Korean soccer team, led by coach Jurgen Klinsmann, failed in the semifinals at the Asian Cup. It sought after the team with the dream of reaching the top of the Asian stage in 64 years, but failed again. The last time Korean soccer won an Asian Cup was the second Asian Cup in 1960.

Lee Kang-in, who finished the Asian Cup, wrote on his Instagram on the 10th (Korea time), "I worked hard with the players, coaching staff, and support staff with the goal of the Asian Cup for a month, but I personally feel sorry for not achieving the desired results."

"I wanted to repay the constant expectations and support of soccer fans who always support our national team with good results at this Asian Cup, but I'm sorry I couldn't," he added.

Qatar`s Asian Cup is regrettable result. As the team boasted its all-time members, expectations were higher than ever. Along with Lee Kang-in, many of the main players in the European big leagues such as Captain Son Heung-min (Tottenham), Monster Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) and Bull Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton). In terms of name value, no team beat Korea. However, the team achieved disappointing result.

Korea ranked second in Group E with one win, two draws (three points) and advanced to the round of 16 teams. The team made a fresh start by winning 3-1 in the first match against Bahrain, but suffered a 2-2 draw against Jordan in the second match. The team was losing 1-2, but secured one point thanks to its opponent's own goal at the end of the second half. In the third match, the team secured a shocking 3-3 draw against Malaysia, ranking 130th.

Lee Kang-in played in six matches and scored three goals and one assist. In particular, he was the star of the group league. He scored multiple goals from the match against Bahrain. Most of all, his mid-range goal from a long distance was fantastic. Even Spain's Dario As said, "Lee is the new king of Asian soccer," adding, "Lee Kang-in pulled out his cane and performed magic. Lee's goal reminds me of Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), the greatest player in history."

In the match against Malaysia, Lee Kang-in displayed remarkable performance. He had an accurate cross from a corner kick chance in the 21st minute of the first half to help Jung Woo-young (Stuttgart) score a header. In the 38th minute of the second half, he also scored a fantastic free-kick goal. In the free-kick chance he obtained near the penalty arc, Lee Kang-in fired an exquisite shot. It headed to the corner of the goal. After hitting the crossbar, he hit the hand of Malaysian goalkeeper Ahmad Hazmi (Johor Darul).

AFC recorded goal by goalkeeper Hazumi, not Lee Kang-in's for the first time. However, Lee's shooting trajectory was aimed at the goal. AFC also corrected itself with Lee's goal a day later.

In the matches against Saudi Arabia in the round of 16 and Australia in the quarterfinals, Lee Kang-in constantly played on the ground to lead Korea's theater wins. Despite failing to score attack points in the two matches, the statistics media Foot Mob gave Lee a 7.9 rating against Saudi Arabia and a 7.7 rating. In the match against Saudi Arabia, Lee played 120 minutes, fired two shots, and successfully created seven chances. The pass success rate stood at 84 percent. He also took two tackles to contribute to his defense. In the match against Australia, he also played 119 minutes, successfully made three shots and dribbled two times. The success rate was 100 percent. The pass success rate was also as high as 86 percent.

In the game against Jordan where he lost, Lee Kang-in recorded 95 percent pass success rate and one dribble breakthrough (100 percent). He also tackled four times and achieved 100 percent success rate.

Meanwhile, as the Asian Cup was over, many Taegeuk Warriors sent apology messages through SNS. Captain Son Heung-min said, "I wasn't good enough as the captain. I didn't think I was good at leading the team," adding, "I was so proud of being a Korean soccer player because you gave me so much love and support despite this situation. Thank you and I'm sorry."

Kim Min-jae also said, "I apologize and thank the players, the coaches, and the fans who always supported us during the long competition. We did not produce the results that everyone wanted. I am sorry that we did not show as good performance as our fans supported us," adding, "As a player who plays on behalf of our country, I feel a great responsibility and need to improve myself so that I can play for the national team. As much as you support us, I will try my best to produce results. Thank you for your support during the competition."

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