Lina Yang's insights on studying abroad in Serie A
Oct. 25 -- Chinese women's soccer star Yang Lina joined Serie A giants Lazio on loan this season. Recently, she shared her overseas study experience in an official interview with "Soccer China".
--On Rhythm
Lena Yang: In European competitions, the pace is generally consistent. Ligue 1 has a faster tempo, while La Liga is more technical and tactical, with a wealth of technical details. And in Serie A, the physical confrontation is particularly intense.
-On Language
Lena Yang: I moved around Ligue 1, La Liga and Serie A. None of the three leagues spoke English. I was a little bit uncomfortable when I first went to France, because I hadn't had this kind of experience before. Perhaps the climate in France is a bit cold, which makes people reluctant to communicate in depth. When I arrived in Spain and Italy, I felt that the locals were very welcoming. Despite the language difficulties, the international players in the team helped me a lot, they even translated for me, which was very useful.
The strength of my teammates at the top club was extraordinary, and at first I wasn't confident. However, after two months together and training, I realized that we were able to accomplish what they could do, and performed quite well in the matches without feeling a significant gap. As time went on, I gradually regained my confidence and my teammates' strength continued to improve.
-On target performance
Lena Young: I'm one of those players who can control the pace of the game. In the past two games, I was involved almost the whole time. In the first month I was still in the adaptation period, the coach may have thought that my physical condition was not at its best, and the team paid special attention to my health. In the high-pressure, high-intensity confrontation training, I may have struggled a bit at the beginning, and with the language problem, the coach may think that I am not yet up to the starting requirement. But as time goes by, the coach may think that I have already adapted to the environment and my condition meets the starting conditions. In the Napoli game, I proved myself, and the coach's opinion of me has changed positively.
--On Life in the Overseas
Lina Yang: I believe I can adapt to life here because the food in all three countries is very suitable for Chinese people. Those of you who follow my "Yang's Kitchen" know that I will cook for myself at noon and in the evening.
