By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, June 1 (Yonhap) -- Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has become just the second South Korean to win the prestigious UEFA Champions League title.
PSG routed Inter Milan 5-0 in the final of the top European club competition at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, on Saturday (local time). Desire Doue had a brace, while Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Senny Mayulu had a goal apiece for the victorious side.
Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain (R) sits on the bench during his team's UEFA Champions League final against Inter Milan at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, on May 31, 2025, in this Reuters photo. (Yonhap)
Lee joined former Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-sung as the only South Korean players to be crowned a Champions League winner.
Lee, however, did not play in the final, missing his fifth consecutive Champions League match starting with the opening leg of the quarterfinals.
PSG made a substitution in the 64th minute and again in the 78th minute. Then with a comfortable 4-0 lead, PSG made their final three substitutions in the 84th minute but Lee did not get the call.
At least Lee was on the substitutes' bench for the final. When Manchester United beat Chelsea on penalties to win the 2008 Champions League trophy, Park was rendered a spectator in the stands for the final despite starting both legs of the semifinals.
When Park did take the field in the finals of the 2009 and 2011 tournaments, Man United lost to FC Barcelona on both occasions, by 2-0 and then 3-1.
With PSG's dominant victory, Lee made another piece of South Korean football history.
Tottenham Hotspur and their South Korean captain Son Heung-min won the second-tier UEFA Europa League title on May 21. Son and Lee are now just the second set of South Korean players to win both of the European continental titles in the same season.
In 2008, when Park won the Champions League title, countrymen Kim Dong-jin and Lee Ho claimed the Europa League trophy with the Russian club Zenit Saint Petersburg.
This was PSG's fourth trophy of this season. They had earlier completed the domestic treble by winning the Ligue 1, French Cup and French Super Cup titles.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
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