In 2023, Wu Lei was honored with the Chinese Football Golden Ball Award, becoming the fourth ever recipient. In this regard, veteran journalist Yin Bo offered his insights.
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Wu Lei picked up the 2023 Chinese Football Golden Ball Award, but drew widespread mockery on social media. Wu Lei himself also looked quite embarrassed about this, he confessed in an interview that after the Super Cup loss, he originally did not have any expectations of winning the award. Although he eventually won the award, his expression as he stood on the podium still looked a bit unnatural, with joy and calmness difficult to capture. This is not a shame for Wu Lei, but a reflection of the current situation of Chinese soccer.
This is the fourth time that Wu Lei has won the China Golden Ball Award, and the first time he has been present to receive the award. The first three times he won the award, Wu Lei was playing for a Spanish club, and the trophy was sent to Barcelona by the organizers. These four awards are aptly mapped out the process of Chinese soccer's boom and bust. Wu Lei's first two awards came at a time when the Chinese Super League was the only player to play in Europe's top five leagues, and his youth, vigor and bright future made him an undisputed winner. The second award was the pinnacle of his overseas career, as he successfully broke through Barcelona's defense to win the much-desired honor. However, by the time of his third award, Wu Lei had been marginalized by the Spaniards, yet he still made the list three times, revealing the withering of Chinese soccer talent.
This fourth award, with "reluctant" to describe seems no longer appropriate, perhaps with "make up the numbers" or "had to let Wu Lei out as a target" more apt. Public opinion ridiculed Wu Lei and the organizers. But according to the survey, before the final results were announced, the first round of voting for the top three candidates are Wei Shihao, Wu Lei and Yu Hanchao. Wu Lei was at least a mainstay of the last Chinese Super League championship, Wei Shihao was able to perform well in the National Football League preseason on the eve of the vote, and Yu Hanchao, 37, unexpectedly made the list of candidates with his goal in the FA Cup final.
Obviously, it is not that Wu Lei personally must seize this honor, nor is it that the organizers intend to pull out the "general" from the "crippled", but that the Chinese players have provided a wealth of choices for the organizers and the fans. Even if the jury is changed to you and me, so what?
The Chinese Golden Ball Award is not an official award, but an award set up by the media. At first, Chinese soccer had not reached its peak, but it was far from the trough. With the golden dollar bubble, it even gave people an illusion of a bright future. The original intention of the media to set up this award was to imitate the FIFA World Footballer of the Year and the European Golden Ball Awards, seeking a balance between official awards and private awards, and reflecting the development of Chinese soccer from different angles. In order to support the progress of local players and coaches, the Chinese Golden Ball Awards specifically limit the scope of the awards to the local area, excluding foreign aiders and foreign coaches. While the motivation is wonderful, it is also a result of self-restraint. Nowadays, Chinese soccer is in trouble, and the role of the national football team is basically negligible, relying on the league and clubs whose fans have a home complex to support them. Therefore, after excluding foreigners, we should choose the "best" and not have any expectations.
Therefore, let Wu Lei go. It may even be difficult to find candidates for Wu Lei for the next selection early next year. If you want the award to continue to exist, either liberalize the restrictions on foreign aid and foreign coaches, or simply change it to Youth Future Star. The fact that the team won the award in this selection was not the club or the national team, but the footloose village super, seems to be a signal. Anyway, such an award can only convince the public when Chinese soccer is prosperous or at least normal. At present, Chinese soccer is hardly worthy of the word "Golden Ball".
