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Ferran Torres and Lee Kang-in are expected to meet.
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) will play the second leg of the 2023-2024 European Champions League (UCL) quarterfinals against Barcelona at the Estadi Olympics Luis Company in Barcelona, Spain, on the 17th (Korea time). PSG needs to win after losing the first leg 2-3 at home.
Ahead of the match, France's L'Equipe highlighted the reunion of Lee Kang-in and Torres. L'Equipe said, "Lee Kang-in and Torres won't play on the same side of the stadium, but they will hug each other with a little emotion. Lee Kang-in and Torres from PSG have been together as prospects in an overwhelming fashion for several years since arriving in eastern Spain at the age of 10." The two players emphasized that they had been very close since childhood.
Lee Kang-in and Torres are developing talents in Valencia. Although Torres is a year older than Lee, the two players grew up together like friends. Having struggled together since childhood, the two players made it to the Valencia first team. Torres joined the first team a year before Lee.
Valencia fans had high expectations for the two players. Torres was a promising player who could display destructive power on the side, and Lee Kang-in was considered the team's future as he could bring genius to the center. However, life in Valencia for the two players was not easy.
Ahead of the 2019-2020 season, Valencia coach Marcelino Garcia broke up with the club. When the manager, who was playing well in Valencia, was suddenly kicked out, people in the locker room began to beat Lee Kang-in and Torres.
Marcelino did not actively utilize Lee Kang-in and Torres. Because the club wanted to actively foster young players, they decided not to accompany Marcelino anymore. Then, Valencia's key players took issue with Lee Kang-in and Torres.
After leaving Valencia, Torres told Spain's Marca about then-captain Dani Parejo and said, "He was not a good captain for me. The worst thing is that after Marcelino left, Lee Kang-in and I were named the culprits of the locker room. There was a time when he didn't talk to us for several weeks."
Torres also said, "I love Lee Kang-in a lot, and I know him, too. He has helped Lee Kang-in a lot. He will be a great player. I hope Valencia doesn't make the same mistakes as me. It is because I went through a hard time and felt alone (about Lee Kang-in). He had such a strong affection for Lee that he said, 'I need love and trust.'