Atlético Madrid star Lee Kang-in was subjected to racist abuse online following his team’s 2-1 victory against Real Madrid, while his challenge on Federico Valverde also sparked controversy.
The latest incident came only weeks after Lee faced another racist act following his Atlético debut, when a YouTuber appeared to make an “eye-pulling” gesture while celebrating the South Korean forward’s first goal for the club.
Atlético, managed by Diego Simeone, defeated Real Madrid in their La Liga match at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid on September 20. The result extended Atlético’s winning run to three matches and lifted the club’s record to five wins, one draw and one loss, moving them into second place.
Read more: Malaysia’s Johor Darul Ta’zim Are Football’s New World Record-Holders After 111 Games Unbeaten
Lee started as a striker in a 4-4-2 formation alongside Jonathan David and played a role in both of Atlético’s goals.
According to football statistics platform FotMob, Lee recorded five touches inside the opposition penalty area—the joint-highest total in the match. He also created several dangerous moments in attack, although both of his attempts were saved by the Real Madrid goalkeeper.
His best opportunity came in the 32nd minute, when he attempted a curling left-footed shot from the right side of the penalty area. The goalkeeper reacted quickly to deny the effort.
Lee was also at the centre of a refereeing controversy.
In the 45th minute of the first half, with the score still 0-0, Lee challenged Valverde from behind and appeared to step on the Real Madrid midfielder’s ankle. The referee awarded a foul but did not issue a yellow or red card.
Real Madrid manager José Mourinho later highlighted the incident during his post-match press conference, holding up a photograph of the challenge and arguing that Lee should have been sent off.
Spanish outlet AS subsequently reported: “The Committee of Referees and Technology (CTA) clearly stated that Lee Kang-in, who committed a rough tackle on Federico Valverde (Real Madrid), should have received a red card.”
The controversy escalated after Lee gave a halftime interview to a broadcaster.
Some fans reacted to the video with racist and abusive comments, including: “A player like this should obviously be sent off,” and “How does this Chinese person speak Spanish?”
Other users mocked Lee by sharing an old photograph of Valverde making a racial gesture.
The latest abuse follows an incident after Lee’s Atlético debut earlier this season.
Lee came on as a second-half substitute in Atlético’s 2-0 victory over Málaga in the opening round of the 2026–27 La Liga season. He scored the opening goal, marking his first appearance for the club with a standout performance that earned praise from Spanish media.
However, shortly after the goal, a YouTuber appeared to pull the corners of both eyes outward with their index fingers during a live reaction stream.
Sungshin Women’s University professor Seo Kyoung-duk called for the YouTuber to issue a public apology and urged Atlético to take stronger measures to prevent similar incidents.
“This YouTuber must issue a public apology,” Seo said. “The club also needs to take greater care to ensure this kind of incident never happens again.”
Seo described the gesture as a well-established racist act targeting Asians.
“Pulling one’s eyes into a slant with fingers has long been identified as a representative racist gesture used to demean Asians,” Seo said.
She also linked the incident to a separate controversy at the recent North and Central America World Cup, where a Korean YouTuber reportedly faced racial discrimination from a Mexican football fan during South Korea’s group-stage opener against the Czech Republic.
Lee has therefore faced repeated racist incidents during the early stages of his Atlético Madrid career, alongside heightened scrutiny over his performances and conduct on the pitch.
