Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), who plays in the German professional soccer Bundesliga, will join his club after a break to prepare for the new season.
After spending about a month and a half in Korea to recharge his batteries, Lee departed for Germany on the morning of the 19th through Incheon International Airport.
Lee signed autographs for dozens of fans surrounding him and responded to photo requests before heading to the departure gate.
“This is my sixth season in Germany, and I’m always looking forward to the new season,” Lee said, “I’ll do my best within the given circumstances, just as I’ve always done my best with integrity.”
Lee, who signed a two-year contract extension with Mainz until 2026, added: “I felt like they recognized my value and loved me. I wanted to achieve more success with Mainz and I am very grateful that I can continue to play in Europe,” he said.
“Even before I re-signed, the coach asked me when I was going to sign, and my teammates congratulated me,” he said, adding, “I hope to continue to make good things happen with my teammates at Mainz.”
“Whenever the local fans chant my name at the stadium and my name sounds prettier than any other player’s, I feel a strong sense of love,” said Lee Jae-sung. “I want to convey to young aspiring players the happiness of playing soccer while being loved by the fans.”
As for national team defender Kim Min-jae, who officially joined Bayern Munich earlier in the day and will be playing in the same league as him, he said, “I’m very happy to see him in the Bundesliga. We’ve always been on the same team, but now we’re enemies,” he laughed.
Lee Jae-sung and Kim Min-jae played together at Jeonbuk Hyundai in the K League 1 in 2017-18 and are pillars of the national team’s midfield and defense.
“As much as the people are looking forward to it, I’m also looking forward to seeing what will happen with Minjae,” Lee said, adding, “We will prepare well and give everyone a lot of joy and happiness.”
Speaking about the Bundesliga, Lee Jae-sung said, “Tactically, it is a league that is ahead of the global trend. I think Minjae should also prepare well as a team because the first thing you need to do is to move as a team,” he advised, adding, “He is a very good player and a world-class player, so I believe he will do well enough.”
On the news of Korean players like Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain) and Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) joining big clubs, he said, “It’s really good for Korean soccer. It makes me very proud as a Korean to see our players joining world-class clubs,” he said.
“I think the youngsters who are showing good form are the future of Korean soccer, and if this trend builds up, I think there will come a day when Korean soccer will be able to make a big impact on the world stage.”
When asked about his goals for the upcoming season, Lee Jae-sung said, “I would like to attach the greatest significance to my record of playing in all matches last season,” adding, “My personal goal is to play in all matches this season without getting sick.”
Regarding his future as a soccer player, Lee said, “I don’t think it’s the right time to talk about the future,” but he emphasized, “It’s my first season after re-signing, so it’s a very important season for me, and the team wants something from me, so I’ll do my best to live up to it.”
He also vowed to “improve my physical condition as much as possible” before the September A match.
In his second season with Mainz after moving to the club in July 2021, Lee made 34 appearances, scoring seven goals and providing four assists to reach double-digit attacking points for the first time in the Bundesliga. He is third on the team in goals alone.
Of the 24 matches he started, he played two full-time and 10 as a substitute, averaging 79.3 minutes per game.
Mainz completed its first training session from Feb. 2-15 this month, 먹튀검증토토사이트 and Lee will join the squad for the second session starting on the 24th.
Mainz will train in Austria from Nov. 26 to Nov. 2 before hosting English Premier League (EPL) promotion side Burnley in a friendly on Nov. 5 at the Meva Arena in Mainz, Germany.
Mainz then hosts Union Berlin in the first round of the Bundesliga 2023-2024 season on March 20 at 10:30 p.m. ET.
