As night falls, Shanghai's soccer world celebrates an event: on January 3rd, Li Jiayue officially joined the Galatasaray women's soccer team in Turkey, becoming the 13th female player in the team's history. 32 years old, she is eager to maintain her competitive status through frequent competitions in a foreign country and aim for a World Cup berth. Her club, on the other hand, has ambitions of league dominance and a place in the UEFA Champions League.
Facing the question from the soccer magazine, Li Jiayue frankly said, "There is no legend to join Galatasaray, it is just that teams from Spain, Norway, Italy and other countries extended the olive branch to me, and Galatasaray of Turkey was among them. After much deliberation, I chose it."
In the European half of the tournament, Galatasaray is not bad. Li Jiayue believes that if she joins Spain or Norway, she may be relegated to the bench, while Galatasaray's rise and its fast pace and fierce confrontation have strengthened her determination to stay in the world. In addition, the Turkish League's Champions League qualification is a factor that makes her heartbeat.
Talking about the difference between studying abroad and going to Korea in the past, Li Jiayue said that as she grows older, she is more mature and more calm in facing problems. In the team, she believes that she can better handle the friction with her coach and teammates and integrate into the new environment as soon as possible.
Some people questioned why the 32-year-old would still want to study abroad, to which Li Jiayue responded, "In China, I may feel like I'm in my twilight years, but abroad, I am well aware that everyone has a chance to get on the field. Age is just a number, and as long as my form, level and ability remain excellent, why can't I move on? Messi can still win titles at 35, why can't I blossom at the tail end of my career?"
She hopes to learn from the fast pace, high confrontation and confidence on the pitch of foreign teams, as well as their unique understanding of soccer, by staying abroad.
Talking about his goals, Li Jiayue wants to help his team win the league title and try to qualify for the Champions League next season.
Talking about getting along with her teammates, Li Jiayue said that the relative openness of foreign players, the relaxed atmosphere, and the friendliness and warmth among the players allowed her to quickly integrate into the team.
She believes that many Chinese women's soccer players study abroad, which helps to improve the players' individual abilities, broaden their horizons and deepen their understanding of soccer.
For the Chinese women's soccer team to win the Asian Cup, Li Jiayue believes that it makes more fans pay attention to and recognize them.
She said that she did not go abroad to prove anything, but to realize her goals and dreams. At the World Cup, she hopes to play and do well, but even if she fails to do so, she will not be discouraged.
Talking about her life, Li Jiayue shared a little story: when she first arrived in Istanbul, the owner of the fruit stand was familiar with her and gave her discounts. This made her feel the warmth of a foreign country.
In order to better adapt to life, Li Jiayue brought along a large number of daily necessities to ensure that she would not encounter any problems in life before familiarizing herself with the local environment.
