After returning to the national football team after a year and a half, Wu Lei reaped a lot of happiness and praise. However, few people have noticed that because of studying abroad, he has actually not had enough vacation for three and a half years for recuperation. Because of the dream, so persist; because of persistence, so cherish.
At noon on June 17, the flight taken by the national football team landed at Pudong International Airport. After a month, Wu Lei returned to Shanghai, but as before, this time he still failed to go home the first time. According to the plan, the whole team will go to Suzhou for isolation; in the past 30 days, the Chinese team coached by Li Tie has successfully entered the top 12 games in Asia with a four-game winning streak. The performance of the team and the atmosphere of the team, Let people see progress and hope. And Wu Lei is the most shining part of it.
In the four games of the second stage of the World Preliminary 40, Wu Lei scored every field. Almost from the first minute of the game against Guam, part of the public who worried about whether Wu Lei had enough time to run in with the team was lost.了 meaning. For professional players, in order to have an outstanding performance on the court, ability is part of it, and good team protection and atmosphere are also essential. This time when I came back, Wu Lei’s greatest feeling came from this.
Eastern Sports: We review the game in a flashback manner. The team can successfully enter the top 12 matches. What do you think of your personal and the entire team’s performance?
Wu Lei: Being able to enter the top 12 in a four-game winning streak, I think it has successfully completed the task of the top 40. There are many difficulties in the middle. Originally we were playing at home, and everyone had a relatively high mentality and spirit. In the first game against Guam, the Suzhou home fans created a good atmosphere for us, and everyone was full of confidence. But then the game was transferred to the UAE, and the whole team would be affected more or less. The coaching staff worked hard to decompress us and help us adjust. After arriving in West Asia, although the weather and other aspects of the situation there are different from those in China, we have adjusted our mentality better with everyone’s efforts. Now that we are here, we will face it. Under such an objective situation, we can achieve I think the winning streak is still very satisfactory. This is inseparable from the efforts of everyone, including the logistics support team, who have done a lot of behind-the-scenes work.
Eastern Sports: You said before the game that this is your return to the national football training and competition after a lapse of 18 months. Judging from the situation on the field, you quickly integrated into the group. You think you can have such a performance. What is it?
Wu Lei: It is indeed a year and a half that I haven’t returned to China, let alone participate in the national team training. Although this is the first time I have returned to the national team since Director Li took office, I am familiar with most of the players in the team. They have played against the Super League before, and many of them have been in the national team, so there must be no running-in. what is the problem. In fact, I have a deep heart. I have been playing at the rhythm of Europe, so I don’t have to worry about it. For me, I have never considered such a thing (run-in).
Oriental Sports: In the eyes of the outside world, you are the key man of the current national football team. In your eyes, how do you feel about this team now?
Wu Lei: I said after the first game, we are a team, not relying on one person alone, everyone is the best player. The biggest feeling after coming back this time is that the team atmosphere is completely different, and the sense of belonging of the entire national team is also different. Under the stadium, the logistics support team has done a lot of things behind the scenes. Every training camp feels more ritual. For example, we have produced a lot of commemorative T-shirts, such as the cartoon images and photo albums of everyone in our room, which make people feel more cordial. This sense of ritual makes everyone feel more belonging to the team. In addition, the more important point is that we can clearly feel that the team is very united. Everyone’s ideas and goals are the same. This unity is not only reflected in the people who play on the field, but also in the players on the bench, Staff wait, this is the point that makes me feel the most change and the most impressive. Now, everyone is really twisted together. This is the most needed and fundamental atmosphere for a good team. Only with a good team atmosphere can we do the rest.
“After studying abroad, the mentality is completely different”
The Chinese team successfully advanced to the top 12 matches, but the Chinese team maintained a clear understanding of the result. Winning without arrogance and losing is the basis for achieving results, and judging from the overall results of the other teams in the Asian region, the strengths and weaknesses of Asian football are no longer as clear as in the past. Lebanon can push the South Korean team into danger, and it is not easy for Australia to play Jordan… All these realities force the Chinese team to continue to do better.
Eastern Sports: Facing the upcoming top 12 games, facing those stronger teams, are you confident?
Wu Lei: I feel that the current football pattern in Asia is completely different from previous years. In the past, when we heard of the Philippines and Maldives, they were all like traditional weak teams, but in fact, from the perspective of the process, including from several other teams From the score and process of the game, there is a message that is revealed, that is, Asian football may also be the same as European football. There are not many obvious differences between strengths and weaknesses. Even if it is against some traditional weak teams, the strong team has to win. It’s hard to talk about how easy it is, so we still have to be rational. Although we won the Maldives 5-0 before, in fact, I said after the game. If they continue to work hard to improve in the current way, they will definitely have good performance and results in a few years. Every team is improving and working in the direction that suits them, including Vietnam, Lebanon, etc. This has caused some traditional strong teams to lose points when they are playing against weak teams. Therefore, after entering the top 12, I feel that everything is possible. Although we are not a first-class team in Asia, as long as we go all out and play our own level, in Asia, any team has to beat us. It’s not that easy.
Oriental Sports: Throughout these four games, Wu Lei in the eyes of many people reflects absolute self-confidence and calmness. Do you think the reason for these changes is due to the accumulation of overseas study?
Wu Lei: After two and a half years abroad, there will be more or less improvement. This is actually all-round, not just on the court. I will actually observe how foreign clubs operate. Big clubs have big ones. The operating mode of the club, small clubs have the survival mode of small clubs, so I am going to learn and understand in all aspects. In fact, many aspects have a great reference for Chinese football. As for the more important thing on the pitch, the training rhythm and game rhythm of European football. Everyone can see that it is indeed much faster than the Chinese Super League. Before I went out, I made a lot of preparations to face difficulties, and I have also encountered troughs. , But still insisting, try to stand firm and adapt as much as possible. After these two and a half years, I think the most important improvement is in self-confidence. Through usual training and accumulation of competitions, when I return to the national team to play Asian-level competitions, I will feel more confident. After I went out, I understood deeply why we couldn’t play the Japanese and Korean teams in the past few years, and why everyone is an Asian team, but it is difficult for us to win. When I went out and felt it myself, the answer was clear at a glance. I will have a completely different mentality when I exercise in high-level, fast-paced competitions like Europe, and then come back to play in Asian competitions. Japan is now fully able to form two sets of lineups to play Asian games, South Korea may be less, but if a team can have six or seven players playing in Europe, even in the second league, the team’s overall self-confidence And temperament, will be different from other teams. So as I said before, I hope that more people will go out. Of course, the most important thing is to gain a firm foothold with their own abilities.
“Thanks to Director Li for his trust and help”
After the first game in Guam, the national football coach Li Tie took over the microphone to support Wu Lei’s remarks, which once became the focus of the topic after winning. At that time, Wu Lei was also a little surprised, but it was more thanks to the head coach for his empathetic trust. Next season, Wu Lei will return to the La Liga stage with the Spaniard. The challenge and competition will only be greater. Of course, Wu Lei has become more and more accustomed to these things.
Oriental Sports: After the first Guam game and after winning the Syrian team in the fourth game, Li Tie talked about you and expressed his support for you. At that time, you were sitting next to you (Wu Lei was commented after the game against Guam. Attend the press conference for the best player), how do you feel?
Wu Lei: To be honest, I was a little surprised, after all, I didn’t expect him to say this when facing the media. I was really touched and thanked Director Li for understanding me this way. He himself has also stayed in Europe. He knows how difficult it is in an environment like Europe. After experiencing it personally, he can feel more empathetic. I am very grateful to him for his trust and help to me, and I am also very touched that he can understand my situation so empathically.
Oriental Sports: The Spaniard will return to La Liga next year. What are your expectations for this?
Wu Lei: La Liga is definitely a more difficult league, but as for me, I still have the confidence to accept the challenge and face the competition. In terms of football, I went from a relatively underdeveloped place to a developed area. I still have to rely on my own efforts to win the game. I also hope that everyone can calm down. After all, our level and Europe are still very good. The big gap, at this stage, it is very difficult to get a firm foothold there.
Oriental Sports: After you have played a wonderful performance, many young players will inevitably regard you as a role model, and may even arouse a wave of overseas travel. For them, do you have any “coming people” stories or suggestions for them?
Wu Lei: I definitely hope that more people will go out. In fact, before I went out, I think we have a lot of players who have the ability to play in Europe, even in the second league, so we still have to stick to this step. If we have not been able to go out, as we age Under the influence of all aspects of the environment and rhythm of the Super League, players who had hoped to play in Europe may have fewer and fewer opportunities. On the positive side, going out has made me feel the European football atmosphere, and I cherish my career more; of course there are disadvantages. Under such an environment, once I suffer some injuries at my age, if I choose to stick to it, it will last forever. Life expectancy is shorter than when it is slowly recovering in the country. No one wants to play football with injuries, even if it’s just a few minor illnesses, but this is reality. There is no way. The competition in Europe is so fierce. There are a steady stream of young people waiting behind you. This is completely different from that in China. Even if you are a little older and have more injuries, you don’t have to worry too much, because in most cases, the young people behind you Players can’t make it, young players can’t make it, everyone’s sense of crisis is not so serious. In such an environment, it is naturally easy not to pay attention to it and not to cherish it. Anyway, the main position is still mine. But in Europe, it’s different. The cake is so big and there are so many meals. Everyone is staring. This is what you need to face when playing abroad. What everyone sees is the adaptation problem on the pitch. In fact, there are various factors that will affect the mentality. At this time, it depends on each person’s own thoughts. We go out to play football, unlike foreign players who come to the Super League. They have the capital. We go out to compete for positions. If you don’t work hard and persist, why stand? This is also the reason why Director Li can empathize with him. He has experienced it, so he knows it very well.
Oriental Sports: After returning to China to pass the quarantine period, what are your plans? I haven’t taken a break for a long time, right?
Wu Lei: It’s true that I haven’t returned to China for a whole year and a half, and I miss everyone very much. If you do your best, it means that you haven’t had much rest for three and a half years. There was no rest during the winter break in the first season (Europe). After playing the Asian Cup, I went directly to Spain. After that, I had surgery and recovery. Last season, it was Due to the epidemic, it is necessary to relax mentally and psychologically. By September of the second half of the year, the national team will have the top 12 matches. I will still come back to be with everyone at that time. In fact, there is such a schedule that it is good for me to come back one or two months to meet with you. Changing the environment will also be good for my mental state and psychological state. .Return to Sohu to see more
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