Key figures in shaping soccer careers
Li Lei: My youth coach had a profound influence on me, he taught me from a young age that I should play hard and put in more effort than others. He told me that playing soccer would not only change my family's environment, but also give my parents a better life. At that time, the simplest goal of playing soccer for me was to improve my family's life, which is the dream of many kids who play soccer.
The story behind the No. 4 jersey
Li Lei: In fact, the No. 4 jersey does not have any special meaning. Because when I was in Guoan, my predecessor wore No. 4, and I respected him very much. We are both side defenders, he also gave me a lot of guidance. He doesn't have to say much, and by observing my performance on the field and my attitude in training, he can give me a lot of improvement. For me, he helped me a lot technically and his ability I admire a lot, so I chose number 4.
Which game stood out to you?
Li Lei: That would have been my debut game in the Chinese Super League. At that time I was not yet 18 years old, the team had just experienced three consecutive losses, and the coach let me start in the fourth game. At the beginning of the game, I made a not-so-calm move when I served the ball in the center line, and I made a shoveling attack, which resulted in being sent off with a red card. I felt like the sky was falling. Luckily, we won the game, otherwise my career might not be what it is today.
Who is the most admired left back?
Li Lei: Before I liked Real Madrid's left back Marcelo, who played more flamboyantly. In recent years, with age, his physical condition has declined. Now I prefer Liverpool's left back Robertson, who plays under Klopp's system. I think he would be the best left back in the world right now.
When was the first time you had the idea of staying abroad?
Li Lei: It was around the time when I first started learning English in elementary school. My teacher asked me what I wanted to do when I learned English, so I said I wanted to be able to play soccer abroad in the future. I didn't expect that 20 years later, I would realize this goal.
Why Grasshopper?
Li Lei: At that time, the president of Grasshopper found me, I was not prepared in my heart first, because I had been playing in China for a long time and everything was more familiar. But after talking to him for an hour, I was determined to choose this club and prepared to stay in the ocean. After all, at my level, it's very difficult to go to the top five leagues, so I was prepared to go to the second tier of Europe. After communicating with him, there was a preliminary plan. Maybe at my age, I can't make some good decisions. I think Grasshopper is more suitable for me, the leagues in smaller countries are not as highly regarded as the big five, and I will try to get a chance to play. I also want to have a foothold abroad and try to break into the top five leagues.
How is the German language learning going?
Li Lei: German may not be too good, because when Schmidt comes, I will have some simple greetings and say hello. English is fine, I can communicate in English first, the club will arrange German courses for me, I will learn there slowly and gradually integrate.
How long have you been signed with Grasshopper?
Li Lei: now signed a year and a half, I want to use this year and a half of time to study well, broaden their horizons, to see what kind of advanced European soccer concepts, including their training and games, this high-intensity confrontation, to see whether they can actually jump out of this comfort zone, to a horrible circle around.
What is the difference between Grasshopper's league and the domestic league?
Li Lei: I think the biggest difference is the rhythm and physical confrontation, maybe there is more emphasis on physical confrontation and reciprocal rhythm. In the first few years in China, when there are more foreign aiders, we all pass the ball to the foreign aiders, or run the dragon set by ourselves. But there, no one is a runner, must be integrated into the collective.
Have you communicated with other players who have stayed in the country?
Li Lei: I can't talk about communication, because after I made this decision, especially like my character, once decided it's hard to change. Maybe now do face a lot of difficulties, including Chinese people go out to play football may not be recognized, people will think you are a soccer desert out of the people, and in my age. It's true that there are a lot of difficulties when you go abroad to play soccer. But the experience they gave me is that if you hold on, it might be different. After all, I've signed a one-and-a-half-year contract now, and I'd like to spend more time abroad in the future. It's important to communicate well with my family, after all, they have also paid a lot for me. Hopefully I can hold out abroad and get where I want to be.
Giving up a steady income
Li Lei: Since you chose to play abroad, you can no longer hold domestic standards to foreign clubs. You have to stick to what you choose. We all like money, but sometimes money is not so important compared to wishes.
Grasshopper has a Chinese background and his own joining will raise questions
Li Lei: Personally, I wouldn't have chosen to go abroad at this age if I had chosen to do so with some mission in mind. The team there told me, analyzed my 2019 and 2020 videos and said that I might have a foothold in Europe. I wouldn't have been so determined to go abroad if I didn't get recognition from the other side, including sacrifices made in many ways. You have to struggle on your own even when you go out, and you definitely can't have a very comfortable environment like at home. I think this is normal, after all, there are all kinds of comments, I do not resent this.
Your own strengths and weaknesses
Li Lei: I now have a No. 3 player in the same position is the Albanian international footballer, there is a No. 28, is a versatile player, can play midfield, left, right, relatively young. 3 left foot footwork is better, more reliable pass, as a veteran is more experienced, read the game ability, play very smart, often back to have assisted. 28 comprehensive ability is relatively strong, I belong to the integrated ability, you have to say that I have particularly good place; I do not; but you have to say that I have a particularly poor place is perhaps the right foot. I don't have any special outstanding place, but if you want to say I have a special bad place, maybe it's the right foot, except for this maybe there is no special bad place. So when you go there, you have to compete, you need to bring out your own strengths, and you need to start moving the coach from training, changing the coach's point of view about you, some of the points of view about Chinese players.
Own work objectives
Li Lei: The work goal is of course to help the national team to reach the World Cup. Including myself to go abroad to play soccer, I also very much hope that I can contribute to the national team, to accumulate some experience against high-level players. In the Chinese Super League, the overall pace is not so fast, it is indeed more difficult to play in intercontinental matches. I hope to help the national team through my own efforts, because representing the national team in the World Cup is the highest honor for a player. I think it's the highest honor for a player to be able to show himself on the highest stage and represent his country.
Which moment would you most like to return to?
Li Lei: I'd like to go back to 2017, when Schmidt first arrived, and that was probably when I was in the best physical condition, when I was 25. I hope that at that time I can have the same mature mind as now. At that time, I just entered the national team, and played a few years of good soccer at Guoan, and it's true that my mindset was a little bit drifting at that time. Maybe now the mentality is more mature, a lot of work to accept, can be viewed in a variety of directions. But at that time the viewpoint of the problem may be very one-sided. It is true that the technical and tactical, including their own on and off the field some things, not too self-discipline. On the contrary, I am now very grateful for that time, I do now want to go back to that time even more, and expect to have the mentality now. A lot of young players do the same thing, it's something that you need to experience for yourself, and if you never experience it, you'll never feel that way.
Words to the fans
Li Lei: I would like to say thank you to my fans and friends, I have received a lot of blessings since my official announcement of joining Grasshopper. I hope the fans will continue to support me. After all, Chinese soccer is in a relatively low stage now, and it needs more young players and more fans to support Chinese soccer. Maybe in the future there will be many young players going abroad to play soccer, which will bring a lot of help to Chinese soccer. I hope that the fans will support Chinese soccer from the beginning to the end, and also support me and pay more attention to my games in Europe.
