In the 2022 Qatar World Preliminary Round 40 Group A battle, China's soccer team with four consecutive victories, successfully entered the Asian Zone 12. In this group of "the only seedling in the ravine", playing in the Spanish club in La Liga, Wu Lei, with 8 games, 8 goals and 3 assists of excellent performance, repeatedly show the ability to save the tide, highlighting the team's core of the hegemony.
In an exclusive interview with Liu Wenchao, a reporter from the Oriental Sports Daily, a media outlet of the Shanghai Newspaper Group, the international player Wu Lei expressed his gratitude to Coach Li Tie and shared his experience and joy of staying in the world.
"Together we make a difference."
Reporter: The team advanced to the Top 12 with four consecutive victories, how do you think the individual and the whole team played?
Wu Lei: With four consecutive victories to enter the Final 12, I feel that we have already exceeded the task of the 40-team tournament. We did encounter a lot of difficulties in the process, originally we were playing at home and our mentality and morale were relatively high. In the first match against Guam, the Suzhou home fans created a good atmosphere for us and everyone was full of confidence. However, when the match was transferred to the United Arab Emirates, the whole team was more or less affected. The coaching team tried to reduce our pressure and help us adjust our mentality.
After arriving in West Asia, although the climate and other aspects of the situation there are different from the domestic, but with the joint efforts of everyone, we have a better mentality to adjust, since we are here, so we will face it, in such an objective environment to achieve back-to-back wins, I think it is still very satisfied, which can not be separated from the efforts of everyone, including the logistics team, who did a lot of behind-the-scenes work.
Reporter: You said before the match that this is your return to training and playing in the national soccer team after a gap of 18 months, and judging from your performance on the field, you have quickly integrated into the team, what do you think is the reason for such a performance?
Wu Lei: It's true that I haven't been back to my country for a year and a half, not to mention participating in the national team's training. Although this is the first time I returned to the national team after director Li took office, but most of the players in the team I am very familiar with, before they all played in the Chinese Super League, there are a lot of people have been the national team, so there is certainly no problem with the integration. In fact, I have a very good idea in my own heart, has been in Europe that kind of rhythm to play football, do not have to worry about, for me, do not have to think about this kind of work (integration).
Reporter: In the eyes of the outside world, you are the key man of this current national football team, so in your eyes, what kind of feeling does this team give you now?
Wu Lei: I said after the first game, we are a team, not relying on one person, everyone is the best player. The biggest feeling this time back is the team atmosphere is completely different, the whole national team's sense of belonging is not the same, under the stadium, the logistics team did a lot of work behind the scenes, each training feel more ceremonial, such as the production of a lot of commemorative T-shirts, such as our room is placed in the cartoon image of each and every person and photo album, which are all made to feel close to each other, so that a sense of ceremony so that everyone has more sense of belonging to the team. This kind of ceremony makes everyone feel more belonging to this team.
More importantly, it is obvious to feel that the team is very united, everyone's ideas and goals are the same, this unity is not only reflected in the field players, but also in the bench players, staff, etc., which is the point that makes me feel the most change and deepest impression. Now, we are really screwed together, which is the most necessary and basic spirit of a good team, and only with a good team atmosphere can we do a good job behind the scenes.
"The mentality is completely different after staying in the ocean."
Reporter: Are you confident in facing those stronger teams in the upcoming Round of 12?
Wu Lei: I feel that the pattern of soccer in Asia has been completely different from previous years, in the past we heard the Philippines, Maldives, etc., are like the traditional weak team, but in fact, from the process of view, including from the score of several other group competitions and the process of view, are revealing a message, that is, the Asian soccer may also be the same as the European soccer, there is not too much of a clear distinction between the strong and the weak, even if it is to some of the traditional weak teams to win is not much easier. Even against some traditional weak teams, the strong team to win is not much easier, so it is still necessary to look at it rationally.
We won 5-0 against the Maldives before, but I actually said after the game that if they continue to work hard to improve in the way they are now, they will surely be able to perform and achieve good results in a few years as well. Every team is improving and working hard in the direction that suits them, including Vietnam, Lebanon, etc. This creates a situation where some traditionally strong teams are also prone to dropping points against weaker teams.
So, after entering the Top 12, I feel that anything is possible, although we can't be considered a first-class team in Asia now, but as long as we do our best and play to our level, it's not that simple for any team to win against us in Asia.
Reporter: Throughout the four games, many people see Wu Lei, embodied a certain confidence and calm, you think the reason that brings you these changes, whether it is from the accumulation of the improvement of staying in the ocean?
Wu Lei: two and a half years abroad, more or less there will be a certain improvement, this is actually all-round, not only on the field, I will actually go to observe how foreign clubs operate, big clubs have big clubs of the mode of operation, small clubs have small clubs of the mode of survival, so I am equivalent to all-round learning and understanding, in fact, many aspects of China's national football team have a big I've learned and understood many aspects of the Chinese national soccer team.
As for the pitch is more important, or European soccer practice rhythm and competition rhythm, we can see, indeed to be much faster than the Chinese Super League, I went out to do a lot of preparation to face the difficulties, I also encountered a trough, but still insisted on, as far as possible to stand firm, to adapt. After these two and a half years, I think the most important improvement is in terms of self-confidence, through the usual training, competition accumulation, and then back to the national team to play at the Asian level, the heart will be more confident.
After I went out, I understood why we couldn't beat Japan and Korea in the first few years, and why it was hard for us to beat them even though we were both Asian teams. When I went out to feel the answer, the answer is clear, in Europe this kind of high-level, fast-paced competition training, and then come back to play in Asian competitions, the mentality will be completely different.
Japan is now fully capable of forming two lineups to play in Asian competitions, and South Korea may have less, but if a team can have six or seven players playing in Europe, even if it's the second division, the team's entire self-confidence and temperament will be different from that of other teams. So like I once said, I hope more people will go out, but of course the most important thing is to stand firm with their own ability.
"Thank you, Director Lee, for your trust and help."
Reporter: After the first match against Guam, as well as after the fourth win over Syria, Li Tie talked about the topic of you and expressed his support for you, what kind of feelings did you (Wu Lei was named the best player to attend the conference after the match against Guam), sitting around at that time?
Wu Lei: To be honest, I was a bit surprised, after all, I did not expect him to say this in the face of the media. I am indeed very touched, thanks to Li can understand me so much, he also stayed in Europe, know how difficult it is to be in Europe in that environment, and after experiencing it himself, more empathetic. I am very grateful to him for his trust and help, and I am also very touched that he can understand my situation so well.
Reporter: Spaniards are going back to La Liga next year, what kind of expectation do you have for this?
Wu Lei: La Liga is definitely a more difficult league, but as for me, I still have the determination to accept the challenge and face the game. At the soccer level, I am from a relatively undeveloped place, to the developed areas, to play on the game or rely on their own efforts to fight, but also hope that we can relax the mind, after all, our level and Europe is still a big gap, at this stage, to be able to stand firm there has been very difficult.
Reporter: After you played a wonderful manifestation, many young players are bound to see you as a model, and may even provoke a wave of stay in the ocean fever, about them, you have any "come from the past" story or advice to bring them?
Wu Lei: definitely still hope that more people go out. In fact, before I go out, I think we have a lot of players, have the talent to play in Europe, even if it is the second league, so we still have to insist on going out this step, if you have not been able to go out, with the increase in age, in the Super League in all aspects of the environment and the pace of the impact of the original hope of going to Europe to play football players, perhaps the opportunity to become less and less.
From a positive point of view, go out to let me feel the European soccer atmosphere, I cherish their own career; of course, there are also disadvantages, in that environment, my age, once a little injury, if you choose to insist on it, in the long run the career life is a little shorter than in the domestic slowly recovered state, no one would like to play with injuries, even if it is just a few minor problems.
But this is the reality, there is no way, the competition in Europe is so fierce, behind you there is a constant stream of young people waiting, which is very different from the domestic, even if the domestic older, more injuries, do not have to worry too much, because most of the cases, behind the young players can not come, young players can not come, we do not have a sense of crisis is not so heavy, in such an environment, naturally it is easy not to pay attention to, not to cherish. Naturally, it is easy not to pay attention to, not to cherish, anyway, the main position is still my.
But in Europe is different, the cake is so big, the meal is so much, everyone is staring, this is all in foreign countries to play football need to face, we see more or on the pitch habit problem, under the pitch in fact there are a variety of factors will affect the mentality, at this time it depends on the idea of each person himself.
We go out to play football, unlike foreign aiders who come to the Chinese Super League, they have capital, we go out to compete for positions, if you do not work hard, do not insist, on what basis? That's why director Li can empathize, he's felt it so he understands it.
Reporter: What are your plans after you return home to spend the quarantine period, it's been a while since you've had a proper break, hasn't it?
Wu Lei: Indeed a whole year and a half did not return home, I also miss everyone. If a full count, equal to three and a half years without much rest, the first season (Europe) of the winter break did not rest, after playing the Asian Cup went directly to Spain, and then did surgery, recovery, last season is because of the epidemic, so in the spirit and psychology, need to relax.
In the second half of the year, starting in September, the national team will have a 12-team tournament. I'll be back to be with you then, in fact, there is such a schedule, let me come back every one or two months to meet with you is also quite good, a change of environment for my mental state, mental state will also be good.
