The God of Football starts with passive skills

Chapter 48 The European Golden Boy Award! Is he really Wang Shuo? A major upheaval in the Bundesliga, unprecedented in a decade! [10,000 words, please subscribe]

change!

Although the league has just begun, everyone believes that this will definitely be the main theme of this Bundesliga season.

After eight rounds of matches, the two newly promoted teams are ranked first and third in the standings.

That's outrageous enough.

In the top scorers list, three players who transferred from the German second division are ranked in the top three.

How can this be considered by a group of Bundesliga stars such as Luca Toni, Klose, and Kiessling?

The Bundesliga's transformation began when Bayern Munich invited Klinsmann to coach the team.

All teams are actively seeking change.

Bruno Labbadia took over as manager of Bayer Leverkusen under these circumstances.

Interestingly, he also comes from the German second division.

The head coach of Fiat last season.

Although he missed out on promotion to the top division, he was still favored by Bayer Leverkusen.

With one year remaining on his contract, the pharmaceutical company not only paid him the termination fee but also provided him with full support.

Helmes thus arrived at the pharmaceutical factory from Cologne.

They loaned Brazilian center-back Henrique from Barcelona and signed midfielder Renato Augusto from Brazil.

They also vigorously promoted their own U19 young players...

Bruno Labbadia spearheaded a massive wave of reforms at the pharmaceutical company.

He's even as good as Klinsmann at Bayern.

Currently, the pharmaceutical company is ranked 4th in the Bundesliga.

What about Bayern Munich?
It ranks 12th.

In the 9th round of the league, Bayer Leverkusen will host league leaders Mainz at home.

This is Labbadia's old rival.

Although Wang Shuo's appearances for Mainz in the 2. Bundesliga last season did not include the match against Fiat, Labbadia had heard about Wang Shuo, so he was still quite cautious.

The day before the match, after training, he announced the starting lineup for the next afternoon in the locker room and gave a special reminder.

"Tonight, watch more of Wang Shuo's match video in Mainz and study this player more."

"Don't let him score at the BayArena!"

After saying that, Labbadia turned and left.

He believed the players would listen.

Not only because he is the head coach, but also because he is a Bundesliga 100-goal player in the national team hall of fame!
Head coaches who were once players are often more likely to gain the trust of their players.

……

After the head coach left, the locker room became captain Simon Rolfes's home ground.

He also repeatedly encouraged his teammates.

Bayer Leverkusen is currently in a very favorable situation.

Everyone is at an age full of ambition, a stage where they are focused on building their careers.

For example, German goalkeeper Adler.

This kid is really unlucky.

After Euro 08, Lehmann retired, and Adler should have stepped up and become a key player for the national team.

Unexpectedly, he injured his shoulder and was replaced by Enke in the starting lineup.

He didn't become a starter until mid-October, during the recent national team training camp, and his performance was decent.

But the position is not stable enough.

Rolfes, Kiessling, Helmes, Manuel Friedrich, and others are all national team players, but their positions are not secure.

Everyone is now giving it their all to prove themselves, rejoin the national team, and compete in the 2010 South Africa World Cup.

Needless to say, Brazilian center-back Henrique is another example.

He couldn't get any playing time at Barcelona, ​​so he was loaned to Bayer Leverkusen to try and adapt to the pace of European leagues.

Midfielders like Vidal and Augusto also need to establish themselves in European leagues.

"Everyone, as long as we beat Mainz at home this round, we'll definitely be able to take another step forward!"

Upon hearing Rolfes' loud shout, everyone in the locker room responded.

“Manuel, are you familiar with Wang Shuo?” Rolfes asked with concern.

Manuel Friedrich is the former captain of Mainz, having played for the team for over a decade, and has a deep connection with it.

But as a professional player, he must do everything he can to help Leverkusen win.

"I've heard of him. He's fast, and judging from the game footage, his footwork is quite good," Friedrich said, unwilling to elaborate further.

Once on the field, he will give it his all, but being a spy is not within his professional scope.

“Wang Shuo came to our team for a trial.”

"Stéphane Reinac, the defensive midfielder from Bayer Leverkusen's U19 youth team, laughed."

The striker Richard Sukuta Pasu, sitting next to him, and Marcel Riise, on the right wing, both laughed at the same time.

Others may not know, but they are no strangers to Wang Shuo.

“Wang Shuo’s physical strength is poor, his speed is okay, and his technique is so-so, but he’s not as amazing as people say.” Marcel Riese said with a look of disdain.

"When he came for the tryouts, he performed very poorly, and it is said that the teams he tried out for before also performed very poorly. Richard even partnered with him on the front line in an internal scrimmage."

Pasu, who has Democratic Republic of Congo heritage, grinned, revealing a dazzling set of white teeth. "I think he's really been overhyped."

Friedrich glanced at everyone and looked at the three young players from the U19 team.

These three are not only Bayer Leverkusen's youth academy graduates, but also members of the German U19 team, who just helped Germany U19 win the European U19 Championship this summer.

They are all key players!

They're at that age where they're fearless and think they're the best, looking down on everyone else.

However, they rarely get to play in Leverkusen, so naturally they dislike Wang Shuo even more.

That kid who came for a trial and performed poorly back then has now become a Bundesliga star?
How can you have made such rapid progress in just six months?
is it possible?
As he pondered the thoughts of the three young players, Friedrich coughed deeply.

"Judging from Wang Shuo's performance, we must pay sufficient attention to him."

"That's because Mainz built their attacking tactics around him, which is why he seems so good. If..."

Pasu stopped mid-sentence, not daring to continue.

At 1.9 meters tall, Pasu has a very, very obvious advantage over his peers.

He has a strong physique, amazing speed, and, most importantly, his footwork is also quite good.

Unfortunately, Bayer Leverkusen has two homegrown center forwards, Kiessling and Helmes.

If Leverkusen were to organize their attacking tactics around Pasu, he might perform exceptionally well.

After listening to the three young players from the youth academy and glancing at Friedrich, Rolfes immediately stepped in and called a halt to the game.

"Alright, everyone stop arguing. In tomorrow's match, I need to focus more on Hainaul, so Manuel and Enrique will be in charge of marking Wang Shuo."

"We must all work together to win this home game!"

According to head coach Labbadia's plan, the second half will be the key moment to decide the outcome against Mainz.

……

On the afternoon of October 24, at the Bayer Stadium.

In the 9th round of the Bundesliga, Mainz will play away against Bayer Leverkusen.

From the very first minute of the match, Leverkusen's defenders sensed that Wang Shuo was completely different from what they had predicted before the game.

When the young Chinese player dropped back to receive the ball, he stopped, turned, and dribbled past Rolfes before charging forward, where he was knocked down by Friedrich just outside the penalty area.

The referee did not blow the whistle.

Bayer Leverkusen gained possession of the ball.

But in that instant, they knew that Wang Shuo was definitely not the young player that Pasu and the other two had mentioned, the one who couldn't even stay in Leverkusen's U19 team half a year ago.

If that's the case, then Bayer Leverkusen U19 is incredibly strong!

As the game progressed, this feeling grew stronger and stronger.

Wearing the captain's armband, Rolfes even had the urge to rush up to the stands, grab the three little devils, Pasu, and drag them off the field to personally experience what it's like to defend against Wang Shuo, and see if he was the young Chinese player they were talking about.
But that's clearly impossible!
From the very first second of the race, Wang Shuo was running nonstop.

He wasn't running at a constant speed; instead, he was running with many sudden accelerations.

This was a nightmare for the guards who were marking him.

Go ahead and follow along.

The physical exertion was too great.

Wang Shuo is 1.8 meters tall.

Leverkusen's two center-backs, plus Rolfes, are all at least 1.85 meters tall.

My physical fitness can't keep up!

Don’t follow?

Wang Shuo immediately found an opening and could create a threat as soon as he received the ball.

Bayer Leverkusen's players also have a wealth of defensive experience.

They wanted to try dividing the area into defense zones and taking turns guarding Wang Shuo.

Friedrich, Enrique, and Rolfes were like a triangular cage, trapping Wang Shuo inside.

But this cunning Chinese man quickly found a gap in the defense zone.

In the 17th minute, when Leverkusen launched a counter-attack near the left side of the center circle in their own half, Gunkel suddenly rushed forward and successfully intercepted the ball.

But the ball still landed at Rolfes' feet.

Hainaur pounced on Rolfes immediately, giving him no time to react.

The pharmaceutical company captain immediately sent another message forward, wanting to find Augusto.

As soon as the ball was passed, Feulner appeared.

Feulner blocked the ball, but it bounced high.

Rolfes jumped to head the ball over the bar.

Gunkel also rushed over, heading Rolfes a high ball near the center line, and then headed it back towards Rolfes' back.

Feulner made a forward run, turned sideways, stopped the ball with one foot, and then dribbled forward.

Labbadia's most important coaching principle is stability.

This 4-1-3-2 formation places great emphasis on pressing in the midfield and attacking third.

This especially allowed Vidal, who is good at running, to be completely unleashed.

However, their defense is quite solid.

Right-back Castro appeared just in time, blocking Feulner's path.

Wang Shuo charged from the top of the penalty area towards the penalty area.

Both center-backs, Friedrich and Enrique, stayed close by on either side of him.

Seeing that Feulner had slowed down, Wang Shuo guessed that he wouldn't make it.

Wang Shuo glanced around again and immediately chose to run sideways towards the open space on the right side of the penalty area.

Castro blocked Feulner outside the right corner of the penalty area, leaving the right side of the penalty area wide open.

As Wang Shuo ran, he raised his hand and shouted, "Marcus!"

Feulner immediately understood, feinted a shot, and then sent a diagonal pass directly to the right side of the penalty area.

After passing the ball, Feulner himself ran diagonally towards the edge of the penalty area.

The ball is here, and the people are here!
It wasn't that Feulner's pass was perfectly timed, but rather that Wang Shuo deliberately controlled his speed, keeping Enrique firmly behind him.

Inside the penalty area, the opponent dared not make any unnecessary movements, or even make any physical contact.

Wang Shuo stopped the ball with the inside of his right foot, directing it directly in front of him. With a slight turn of his body, he positioned himself perfectly between the ball and Enrique, preventing the Brazilian center-back from reaching it.

Weak physical resistance?

It doesn't necessarily have to be physical confrontation!
Although he was facing away from the direction of the attack, Wang Shuo could clearly see that he had two passing options.

Foylena and Hainaul.

However, Hainaul is on the other side of the arc, which is quite far away, and the pass might be intercepted by Rolfes.

Pass it to Foyle?

Wang Shuo glanced at Castro and immediately took another step forward.

It was at this step that Castro changed his mind about continuing to mark Feulner and instead lunged at Wang Shuo, wanting to attack him from both sides.

But the next moment, Wang Shuo struck with his right foot.

Feulner quickly cut diagonally into the penalty area and fired a shot.

The football traveled in a straight line and went into the right side of Adler's goal.

The entire Bayer Stadium, with 22500 people, fell silent!
Cheers from Mainz players, including Wang Shuo and Feulner, echoed through the stadium.

Meanwhile, in the stands, three young players, Pasu, Reinac, and Riise, were also watching in astonishment.

Is this Wang Shuo?

If they didn't look exactly alike, they simply wouldn't have believed what they were seeing.

Wang Shuo had a trial with Bayer Leverkusen U19, but back then he wasn't nearly as strong.

“Damn it, we seem to have said the wrong thing,” Reinertz said, shaking his head.

Pasu and Risser both nodded in agreement.

They provided false information before the match.

"But is he really Wang Shuo? How did he improve so much? He can even do back-to-the-basket moves now?"

Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Everyone thought that Wang Shuo shielded the ball with his back to the direction of the attack before passing it to Feulner.

Near the center line, Bayer Leverkusen striker Helmes was also watching with eyes blazing with fury.

Another assist!

Although Mainz's attack revolves around Wang Shuo, his goals and assists are understandable.

But Helmes still felt a bit uncomfortable!

He absolutely refused to admit that he was inferior to an 18-year-old!

……

The competition is getting more and more intense.

Bayer Leverkusen, playing at home, are no pushovers either.

Trailing in the score spurred the pharmaceutical company to play with even greater ferocity.

In particular, the strike partnership of Kiessling and Helmes, along with the second tier of players consisting of Schwegler, Vidal, and Augusto, put increasing pressure on Mainz's midfield and defense.

The most formidable of them all is Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal.

This player isn't very tall, but he's incredibly fast and makes a lot of big movements.

In the Chilean national team, he plays more as a deep-lying midfielder, or even a center-back or left-back.

But at Leverkusen, Labbadia unleashed his full potential, allowing him to fully utilize his running and grappling skills.

Vidal is like a troublemaker, wreaking havoc in the heart of Mainz.

The defense was under immense pressure, but Wang Shuo did not retreat too much.

This was something the head coach specifically instructed him to do before the game.

Klopp had anticipated that this would be a tough battle.

Therefore, his task for Wang Shuo was not only to try to score a goal, but also to extend the lead as much as possible in the first half.

All of Germany knows that Mainz is bad at playing in the second half, and bad at playing in the second half of the season.

A 1-0 lead is not secure!

Wang Shuo, on the other hand, was constantly looking for opportunities.

However, Leverkusen's midfield advantage was obvious, and their overall strength suppressed Mainz.

Wang Shuo had several chances to get the ball, but he failed to pass it out.

Each time, they could only return empty-handed and disappointed.

However, after repeated trials, Wang Shuo gained a clearer understanding of Leverkusen's defensive problems.

At least, the pharmaceutical company's defenses were not as impenetrable as they appeared on the surface.

Goalkeeper Adler performed exceptionally well, but the defense had some issues.

Especially Brazilian center-back Henrique.

He is 1.85 meters tall and weighs 78 kilograms.

As football fans know, this is a very good number.

Players with this height-to-weight ratio often find themselves at the perfect balance: not too tall and clumsy, not too thin and frail, and not hindered by speed.

Simply put, it's suitable in every aspect.

For example, Pepe, Real Madrid's player who is hailed as having the perfect physique for a center-back, is 1.86 meters tall.

Strength, combativeness, agility, speed, technique... Pepe has it all.

Enrique is also a Brazilian player, and his height and build are very similar to Pepe's.

That's why he was spotted by Barcelona while playing in Brazil, and they signed him for 800 million euros.

This is an astronomical price for a Brazilian center-back!

But physical attributes are only one aspect; Enrique's biggest problem is his mental state.

Like all Brazilian defenders, he suffers from weak tactical awareness, poor positional sense, and frequent lack of concentration. This led Barcelona to not keep him and instead loan him out to Bayer Leverkusen for development.

Although Enrique is gradually adapting to European football after arriving in the Bundesliga, problems still exist.

Before the match, Peter Kravitz's scouting report to Wang Shuo clearly listed this point.

During the match, Wang Shuo also observed Enrique's defensive positions and habits on multiple occasions, confirming the pre-match scouting report.

Meanwhile, Wang Shuo was patiently waiting for his opportunity.

Behind him were his teammates, who were under pressure and struggling to hold on.

Although Wang Shuo was anxious, he remained patient.

At times like this, he can only trust his teammates behind him.

Finally, the opportunity arose in the 39th minute!

Leverkusen still wanted to try to penetrate Mainz's penalty area through the flanks and take advantage of Kiessling's strengths.

But Subotic got there first, clearing the ball with a header.

The two sides were locked in a stalemate in the area from outside the Mainz penalty area to within 30 meters.

Vidal helped Leverkusen steal the ball from Pekovic, but Nowitzki cleared it.

The two sides fought fiercely.

Finally, Hoglund chose to pass the ball back to goalkeeper Wach.

Helmes rushed toward Wach immediately.

He wants to be the top scorer; he wants to score goals!
Wach had no time to think. After glancing at Wang Shuo ahead, he launched a long ball forward, just before Helmes could react.

That kick looked like a clearance.

The arc was high, but it flew very far.

It flew directly from near the penalty spot and across the center line.

The first landing was right at the bottom of the center circle in Leverkusen's half.

The long pass came rather suddenly; neither Wang Shuo, nor Enrique, nor Friedrich had time to judge its landing point.

They only caught up after the ball bounced off the ground.

Wang Shuo and Enrique, who were closest to the landing point, simultaneously chased after the second landing point after the bounce at top speed.

With his superior physical strength, Enrique seized the advantageous position, blocking Wang Shuo and preventing him from sprinting at full speed.

But Wang Shuo was also constantly observing the ball's trajectory.

The two judged the landing point almost at the same time.

Enrique got there first, but he tried to turn sideways and head the ball to Friedrich on the other side.

There are two of them, but there is only one Wang Shuo.

As long as we get past them, the worst that can happen is we have to pass the ball back to the goalkeeper.

Wang Shuo guessed his intention.

You definitely can't win by fighting head-on.

This guy has very solid muscles; he's as strong as a mountain.

Hit him?

Wang Shuo was worried that the rebound force could knock him flying.

But Wang Shuo is no longer a novice.

Especially during the summer training camp, Kramny taught him quite a few dirty tricks and underhanded tactics.

For example now.

Wang Shuo was constantly blocked by Enrique, but the two were very close together.

When Enrique tried to turn and head the ball, Wang Shuo took advantage of the moment when he shifted his weight and used his left shoulder to smash into him with all his might.

In a normal physical confrontation, Wang Shuo would definitely have no chance.

But now, Enrique is turning to the side.

It's like a heavy object that you can't move normally, but once you put it in water, you can move it with the help of buoyancy.

Wang Shuo's collision, though it didn't directly knock Enrique away, did cause the Brazilian center-back to lose his balance, stumble, and become disoriented.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Wang Shuo quickly seized the initiative.

He didn't catch the ball, but let it bounce back down.

Friedrich was nearby.

He never expected that Enrique would be easily pushed aside by Wang Shuo.
By the time he reacted and lunged at Wang Shuo, Wang Shuo had already seized the opportunity, quickly kicking the ball that bounced off the ground.

This flick sent the ball right over Friedrich's neck.

After lobbing the ball, Wang Shuo quickly changed direction and cut diagonally to Friedrich's right side, chasing after him and stopping the ball towards the penalty area, while also chasing after him.

Friedrich's reaction was undeniably quick, but at 1.89 meters tall, his turning and changing direction were inherently slow.

Wang Shuo suddenly lobbed the ball past him, and there was no time to react.
By the time Friedrich turned around and caught up, Wang Shuo had already broken into the penalty area and blocked the position with his body.

Adler abandoned his goal and attacked.

But just as Xiao Ying rushed out of the penalty area, Wang Shuo unleashed a powerful shot directly at the ball.

The football flew into the Leverkusen goal at incredible speed.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"

Goal!

"Mainz scores again in the 39th minute of the first half!"

"It's Wang Shuo's goal again!"

"My God, that's his ninth goal of the season!"

"2 to 0!"

"Mainz established a lead in the first half!"

Wang Shuo excitedly rushed off the court and ran wildly around the court to celebrate.

The entire stadium erupted in boos from the Bayer Leverkusen fans. Some even tried to rush out and punch him, yelling angrily at Wang Shuo.

But Wang Shuo didn't care at all; he jumped up excitedly, raising his arms and shouting!
……

“Wow!!!”

"Well done, Wang Shuo!"

"Good job!"

"Dear viewers at home, Wang Shuo has scored again!"

"This is the sports channel of Beijing TV. Wang Shuo, who plays in the Bundesliga, has scored another goal!"

"One pass and one goal!"

"These are our Chinese players!"

Duan Xuan, the commentator for Beijing TV, cheered excitedly the moment Wang Shuo scored.

Tao Wei, who was standing nearby, also cheered loudly.

"Wang Shuo handled this ball very cleverly, taking advantage of the opponent's shift in weight to throw the Brazilian center-back off balance and seize the most favorable opportunity."

"This is the experience gained from the competition!"

"We often say that Chinese players lack match experience, and this is actually reflected in these very small details!"

"But we can see that Wang Shuo played very intelligently."

"He's showing improvement in every match now, which is really remarkable!"

"Now, all the pressure is on Mainz's midfield and defense."

"A 2-0 lead at halftime, can they hold on for the second half?"

"Judging from the performance in the first half, it was really dangerous, and we can't say for sure."

Duan Xuan also agreed, saying, "Indeed, Mainz's strength is ultimately limited."

"Although Wang Shuo has performed exceptionally well, football is a team sport, and he cannot change the team's overall disadvantage."

At almost the same time, across the country, countless fans watching on television cheered for Wang Shuo's goal.

……

As it turned out, Mainz couldn't hold on.

After taking a 2-0 lead in the first half, Leverkusen launched a furious counterattack at the start of the second half.

Starting in the 50th minute, Mainz paid the price with 5 yellow cards.

Both center-backs, Pekovic and Gunkel, who were playing deep, and even Wang Shuo, all committed fouls while tracking back and received yellow cards.

This is the first time Wang Shuo has received a yellow card in his professional career.

But the result?

In the 67th minute, during a corner kick defense, Friedrich outjumped Noveski and headed the ball into the net.

This former Mainz captain and Leverkusen center-back is very familiar with Mainz's set-piece defense, and he used his heading ability to pull one back for Leverkusen.

After that, Leverkusen attacked even more fiercely.

Klopp was forced to make a series of substitutions.

Mainz maintained a 2-1 lead until the 84th minute.

But at the crucial moment, Vidal intercepted Pekovic and passed the ball to Augusto on the right wing.

The latter dribbled past Löw and crossed the ball, Kiessling headed it on, and Helmes poked it into the net, breaking through Mainz's goal once again.

2 is better than 2!

After the draw, Leverkusen continued their relentless attack, still trying to score more goals.

The atmosphere in front of Mainz's goal was tense and tense.

But in the end, Klopp's team held on for a 2-2 draw.

This was Mainz's first draw of the season.

The two sides shook hands and drew at the BayArena!
……

The 2-2 draw between Bayer Leverkusen and Mainz was the first match of the 9th round of the Bundesliga.

Wang Shuo contributed a goal and an assist, while Helmes scored again, igniting the battle for the top scorer title.

In the second match, Bayern Munich came back from a two-goal deficit at home to score four goals in a row and defeat Wolfsburg 4-2.

Grafite and Dzeko each scored a goal.

For Bayern, the best performer was Ribery, who returned from injury.

Wang Shuo's biggest concern is undoubtedly Hoffenheim.

Hoffenheim swept Hamburg 3-0 at home in this match.

No one expected that the battle for second and third place on the leaderboard would turn into a one-sided victory.

Obasi scored twice, and Ibisevic also scored a goal after being assisted by Demba Ba.

After this round of matches, Ibisevic continues to lead the top scorer list.

Wang Shuo and Helmes ranked second and third respectively.

On the league table, Mainz, who had been on a winning streak, finally showed signs of fatigue and drew a match.

9战7胜1平1负，拿到了22分，继续领跑。

Hoffenheim overtook Hamburg with 19 points to take second place.

Hamburg is ranked 3rd with 17 points.

Who would have thought that the two newly promoted teams would be ranked first and second in the Bundesliga?

The top three scorers are all transfers from the German second division.

This surprised the entire nation of Germany.

Last season's 2. Bundesliga was truly a place teeming with hidden talents!
Bayer Leverkusen's head coach, Labbadia, said in the post-match press conference: "The Bundesliga is undergoing a major transformation that hasn't been seen in a decade!"

……

Mainz's form is indeed not as good as it was at the beginning of the season.

Especially in the midweek Bundesliga Round 10 match, when they will host Borussia Dortmund.

Mainz's performance in the first half was less than ideal against Christopher Daum's Borussia Dortmund.

Despite playing two games a week and Klopp rotating the squad, Wang Shuo still started.

He orchestrated an attack every time he tried in the first half.

Amri, who was rotated into the starting lineup, assisted in scoring a goal for the team.

But in the 65th minute of the second half, Dortmund midfielder Klinger equalized for the Black and Yellows.

One minute after conceding the goal, Klopp brought on Bansey and Hajnal to strengthen the team's attack.

Unfortunately, little effect was achieved.

Wang Shuo was substituted by Bogavac in the 76th minute.

The two sides ultimately drew 1-1.

The results of the other matches in the 10th round of the Bundesliga have also been released.

Bayer Leverkusen defeated Werder Bremen 2-0 away from home.

Vidal and Friedrich each scored a goal.

Among them, the former Mainz captain scored in two consecutive rounds.

The good news for Wang Shuo is that Helmes didn't score.

The bad news is that Hoffenheim came from behind to beat Bochum 3-1 away from home.

Ibisevic scored a penalty that turned the tide of the game.

Wang Shuo was speechless.

As a Virgo born on September 13th, he doesn't actually like taking penalty kicks very much.

This falls under the category of a kind of mental fastidiousness.

But Ibisevic didn't care.

This is already the second penalty kick.

Dude, is it really that serious?

Helmes had previously been behind but caught up with a penalty.

You're in the lead now!
Bayern Munich came from behind to beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 away from home this round, thanks to goals from Klose and Ribery.

After this round of matches, Mainz has 7 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss, earning 23 points.

Hoffenheim, on the other hand, had 7 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses, earning 22 points.

Bayern Munich, on the other hand, only has 18 points, ranking 5th.

In addition, there is some less good news for Bayern Munich.

Klinsmann's locker room is starting to have problems.

First, there's Podolski.

German internationals, who have been unable to get playing time for a long time, have started to complain and have expressed their intention to leave Bayern Munich during the winter break.

The father of German midfield prodigy Toni Kroos also criticized Bayern Munich's management and Jürgen Klinsmann in the media.

The reason is that Toni Kroos is not getting playing time, is not valued by Bayern, and has not fulfilled his previous promises.

Klinsmann's poor performance as manager led to a series of conflicts surfacing.

This matter originally had absolutely nothing to do with Wang Shuo; he was just a bystander.

Besides, Wang Shuo himself was not happy about Mainz's two consecutive draws.

But to my utter surprise, while I was enjoying the food, the gossip ended up falling on my head.

The night after the match against Borussia Dortmund, the Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport published a shortlist of 40 players for the 2008 European Golden Boy award (under 21).

Ten Premier League players made the list, including established young players such as Walcott, Bendtner, Ramsey, Gareth Bale, and Anderson.

La Liga also has 8, such as Bojan, Busquets, Aguero, and Marcelo.

Serie A has seven players on the list, including Pato, Balotelli, Okaka, and Sanchez.

Six players from the Bundesliga were also included.

Bayern Munich has two of them: Brazilian center-back Breno and Toni Kroos.

Mesut from Werder Bremen, Rakitic, the talented midfielder from Schalke 04, and Augusto on the right wing from Bayer Leverkusen.

Finally, there's Wang Shuo from Mainz.

There's actually not much controversy surrounding this list.

Especially Wang Shuo.

The Bundesliga's top striker, 18 years old, has scored 9 goals and provided 5 assists.

Putting everything else aside, just look at this report card, isn't it good enough?
But the German media is just awesome.

Bayern Munich is the real traffic magnet.

Moreover, Black Klinsmann is now the mainstream.

There's nothing we can do about it; he has bad grades, a terrible temper, and offends people everywhere.

As a result, the media managed to find a novel angle for it.

Among the six young players selected for the Bundesliga, Wang Shuo, Mesut, and Augusto are already key players for their respective teams, and even Rakitic has a lot of playing time.

He started in 7 out of the first 10 rounds.

Only two young Bayern players, Breno and Toni Kroos, were present.

Breno has made one appearance so far this season, playing a full 90 minutes.

Note that he didn't play in either of the two German Cup rounds.

What about Tony Cross?

As a midfield prodigy widely recognized throughout Germany, he has started two games so far this season: the first round of the league and the first round of the German Cup.

He came on as a substitute twice, for 26 minutes and a disgraceful 1 minute.

In the second round of the German Cup, they simply didn't let him play at all.

Even in October, Tony Kroos complained about not getting playing time and was demoted to the reserve team by Klinsmann.

Hoeneß punished Tony Cross by prohibiting him from giving interviews to the media without permission.

Klinsmann previously stated that Tony Cross didn't get playing time because he was young.

But now?

The younger Wang Shuo is already ranked second on the top scorers list.

What about Tony Cross?

There's actually nothing wrong with this comparison.

Wang Shuo is innocent.

The crucial point is that at a local event in Munich, Kahn, who had a feud with Klinsmann in the national team, publicly accused Klinsmann, believing that his overly radical reform approach was ruining Bayern Munich's future.

"As far as I know, the main reason Wang Shuo rejected Bayern Munich this summer was that he couldn't see a chance to play under Klinsmann!"

Who is Kahn?
His words immediately ignited a firestorm in the German media.

The most outrageous thing is that half of that statement is true.

Wang Shuo did not go to Bayern Munich because he could not get playing opportunities.

But what does this have to do with Klinsmann?
No matter who the head coach is, Wang Shuo won't go.

But now?

When Kahn said that, everyone agreed that it made sense.

Do not believe?

Look at Tony Cross and Breno's dismal playing time, and then look at Podolski's eagerness to leave.

As long as Klinsmann remains in power, Bayern Munich will never see the light of day again!

……

"This is the pressure that top teams have to bear."

"When you're in a wealthy family, you never know when, who, or for some random reason, you'll suddenly be dragged into a media storm and get into a lot of trouble."

In a Western restaurant near the market square in Mainz's old town, Thomas Essien, who had come specifically for this purpose, explained the many intricacies of the situation to Wang Shuo.

Wang Shuo now deeply sympathizes with this.

It's like the Klinsmann and Bayern Munich situation.

Wang Shuo respected Kahn, but did Kahn really have no personal grudges?

And then there's Klinsmann; his conflict with Bayern's management was already evident from the beginning of the season.

Are Tony Cross and Lukas Podolski innocent victims caught in the crossfire?

"This incident taught me a lesson."

"What?" Thomas Essien looked at the young man opposite him with great interest.

"Never set foot in a wealthy family before you have sufficient strength and influence!"

Especially as a Chinese person.

Wang Shuo didn't say those words aloud, but he reminded himself of them silently.

The waters here are very deep!
Thomas Essien nodded approvingly. "That's right, you're right."

But he quickly changed the subject, sighed, and said, "However, small teams also have their own sorrows."

“Recently, I’ve heard some news.” The agent deliberately lowered his voice.

Wang Shuo looked over with a questioning gaze.

"Mainz may have to sell players during the winter break."

"Why?" Wang Shuo was taken aback.

The team is doing very well right now.

“I’m broke!” Thomas Essien shrugged.

Wang Shuo recalled the issue of unpaid wages. Although the professional league settled the matter after distributing the money, the wages were still not paid on time.

This situation is not new in the Bundesliga; many smaller teams are like this.

The main problem is low income.

Look at the ticket prices for Bundesliga matches; there are even cheap standing-room-only tickets available now.

The broadcasting fees are also low.

Of the three main revenue streams, commercial revenue doesn't really amount to much for Mainz.

With low ticket revenue and low broadcasting fees, their predicament is self-evident.

Unfortunately, the German Football League has a very strict financial system with regular audits, and once it incurs debt, it will be in trouble.

How to do it?

Sell ​​people!
"They're not trying to sell me out, are they?" Wang Shuo said with a wry smile.

He felt that he should still be worth a few million euros.

Didn't Bayern Munich offer 500 million euros before, but Mainz refused to sell?
"I don't know, it depends on the buyer and how Klopp tries to persuade them."

Klinsmann complained that he had no transfer rights at Bayern Munich.

In fact, this is the norm.

In the Bundesliga, the transfer rights are generally held by the general manager or sporting director, and the head coach can only make suggestions.

Wang Shuo asked himself honestly, and looking at Mainz at the moment, the only ones who could fetch a price were himself and Subotic.

Foylener?

This kid hasn't finalized his contract extension with the club yet, and he might even be able to transfer freely next summer when his contract expires.

That's it?

How much can it sell for?
"To be honest, apart from Bayern Munich, no other team in the Bundesliga is competitive at all right now."

"The only thing worth praising is its sound fiscal health."

"But look at Transfermarkt, a website created by us Germans. Not a single Bundesliga player can even make the top 10. In the top 20, there's probably only one Ribery."

"Look at the overall operations, do you know that the Bundesliga's television broadcasting fees are only 2000 million euros per season, which was sold to Arena TV, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom."

"Then, they bundled the Bundesliga naming rights and internet multimedia broadcasting rights together and sold them for only 4000 million euros."

All of these combined amount to only 6000 million euros.

Some of it also needs to be allocated to the Football Association, the German Second Division, and youth training programs.

How much money does each Bundesliga team get?

Although there are other sources of income, we must also consider the inputs and expenditures.

For example, youth training.

German youth training has been praised all over the world in recent years, hasn't it?

However, since 2002, German clubs have been investing a large sum of money every year in youth training.

The youth training investment of the 18 Bundesliga teams has increased from 4800 million euros in 2002 to nearly 8 million euros now.

The television broadcasting fees aren't even enough to cover this.

Of course, the German government, football association, and local governments are all subsidizing youth training.

But the majority of the profits still go to the club.

It's clear that television broadcasting is undervalued and generates less revenue.

But what can be done?

After the Kirch Group went bankrupt, Deutsche Telekom became the dominant player.

Premiere, as a television station under News Corp., a sister company of Sky Sports, and Germany's largest pay-TV channel, had absolutely no chance of competing and could only rely on subcontracting from Deutsche Telekom.

Oh, right, Deutsche Telekom is the giant T on the front of Bayern Munich's jerseys.

Wang Shuo has only just begun to show his talent, but he has already clearly seen where the ceiling is.

Mainz is destined to be a springboard.

Wang Shuo believes the same applies to the Bundesliga!
But before jumping out, Wang Shuo must do his best, make use of all available resources, and continuously improve himself.

Whether it's strength or influence.

"Thomas, do you think I have a chance to compete for the Golden Boy Award?" Wang Shuo asked with concern.

The influence of this award is neither particularly large nor small.

But right now, Bayern's internal conflicts are the focus of German media attention.

A list of 40 people?
who cares?
Wang Shuo, however, kept it in mind.

"That's hard to say."

Thomas Essien was somewhat surprised.

This was the first time he had seen Wang Shuo so clearly express some kind of ambition.

However, he felt that this was a good thing.

Napoleon said: "A soldier who doesn't want to be a general is not a good soldier."

The same applies to the world of football.

“All awards are selected by people.”

"In Germany, three media outlets participated in the selection: Bild, Kicker magazine, and Süddeutsche Zeitung."

"And as long as it is a selection by the media, there is bound to be some room for manipulation, and the big teams will definitely benefit."

"In the past five editions, it has been Van der Vaart of Ajax, Rooney of Manchester United, Messi of Barcelona, ​​Fabregas of Arsenal, and Aguero of Atletico Madrid."

"Which one of them isn't a player heavily promoted by top teams?"

Even Ajax, the least prestigious of the clubs, is still a renowned powerhouse in Europe.

Moreover, Van der Vaart was hyped up as the second Cruyff from the very beginning of his career, and was hailed as the Dutch golden boy and future leader.

This is similar to how Germans view Thomas Müller of Bayern Munich.

"The advantage of players from top teams is obvious. If you want to compete, you have to produce results that no one can ignore."

Wang Shuo understood.

Simply put, the goal is to make everyone feel that the award wouldn't be prestigious enough if it weren't given to you.

Mainz lacks brand recognition and cannot provide Wang Shuo with any support.

It's okay, it can also become famous because of Wang Shuo!
After Thomas Essien said that, Wang Shuo knew what to do.

He has now accumulated 61 passive points.

He can exchange for another passive skill card.

Besides telling Wang Shuo these things, Thomas Essien had another message to share during their meeting today.

That was the second collaboration between Huai Ren Football School and Adidas, facilitated by Thomas Essien.

The first stop of this trial is Mainz.

Moreover, he was Wang Shuo's best partner when he played in the country, midfielder Zhao Yifan.

Wang Shuo dissuaded Thomas Essien from talking to Tuchel about the matter.

"This guy has a bit of a strange temper. If you go and talk to him, it might backfire. I'll find an opportunity to mention it to him."

Thomas Essien thought about it and made that decision.

Wang Shuo and Tuher are quite close.

It's strange, but Tuher, with his bad temper and indifference to everyone, happens to really like Wang Shuo.

　Double update again! Please vote with your monthly tickets!!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)