Chapter 152 You are the ones who want to grow into big trees
The plane for the Olympic team departed from Madrid and arrived in Dubai after a five-hour flight. Here they will rest for two hours before boarding the plane to continue flying to the Chinese capital.
After arriving at Dubai Airport, the players of the Olympic team have completely recovered from the loss and depression of leaving the Olympics. Many people went to duty-free shops in groups to shop and bring gifts for themselves or their families.
Hu Lai was also thinking about buying some more gifts for his parents, so he asked his mother via voicemail on WeChat: "Mom, I'm in transit in Dubai now. What else do you want? I'll go to the duty-free shop to buy some."
It didn't take long for my mother's words to come back: "You don't need to bring anything, son. It would be great if you could bring a girlfriend back!"
Hu Lai looked like an old man on the subway looking at his phone:???
Then he replied: "Mom, transnational human trafficking is illegal!"
"If you don't cross the border, just us Chinese girls!"
“Human trafficking is also illegal in the country!”
"What are you talking about! Who asked you to traffic in people! I mean, when are you planning to date your girlfriend?"
"Mom, I'm only twenty years old, still a child..."
"What's twenty? I'll be twenty-one soon. I'm only twenty-two. I'm not too young!"
"Mom, why don't you say it louder? I'm twenty-five this year."
"Why twenty-five?"
"I stayed in your belly for three years!"
After a while, my mother's angry voice came from the WeChat: "What are you talking about? Are you shaking after participating in the Olympics? It's Nezha who was born only three years ago! You are cursing your mother!"
!”
"Not mom? Why did I curse you?"
"You still said you didn't curse me... Nezha finally cut off his flesh to return his mother's flesh and became a god. Do you think you cursed me to give my white-haired person to a black-haired person?!"
"What a mess! Is this the key, mom..." Hu Lai held the phone in one hand and pulled his hair with the other. He scored goals against Nigeria, Argentina and Spain in the Olympics, facing young players.
Meili, the world's No. 1 player, also won. No matter how hard his opponent pestered him, he could always get rid of the defense and find a chance to score... But now, facing his mother's rudeness, Hu Lai had no chance at all.
Hu Lai was chatting on WeChat beside him, and Luo Kai was sitting on the waiting chair at the airport, looking at the terminal building with people coming and going.
It was here that he met Li Qingqing half a month ago, and then they cheered each other, waved goodbye, and made an appointment to meet in Madrid.
Now that he is back here again, he is alone, without the person opposite him.
He saw things and missed people.
Luo Kai's mind was filled with Li Qingqing's frown and smile, but in the end it came to the scene where Li Qingqing made a wild celebration during the game.
He woke up suddenly, just in time to see Hu Lai walking around in front of him while chatting on WeChat.
He was in a worse mood.
Why?
Why do all good things belong to this person?
In terms of talent, I have been countless times better than him since high school...
In terms of appearance, I am countless times better than him...
I was the one who went to the professional team first, and now I am the one who plays in the professional team...
But why did he end up being more successful than me?
Am I not working hard enough?
I practiced so damn hard that I got hurt!
What about him?
Even if I hold a party and invite my teammates to play football at home, it will be in the news and trending... I train so much every day, why can't I compare to him?
What exactly went wrong?!
Luo Kai felt depressed, and saw Hu Lai wandering in front of him all the time, so he couldn't help shouting: "Hu Lai."
"Ah?" Hu Lai, who was talking on WeChat, turned to look at Luo Kai.
"Can you stop dangling in front of my eyes? I'm going to be stunned by you." Luo Kai moved his hands towards Hu Lai's figure, motioning for him to step aside.
"Oh, okay." Hu Lai quickly took his mobile phone and walked to the glass curtain wall of the terminal building in the distance, and went to the airport runway to apologize and explain to his mother.
Luo Kai looked at his back, but his mood was not relaxed at all.
How many sins did I commit in my previous life to be tied to this kid?
Luo Kai was in a very low mood all the way. Seeing him like this, Zeng Chi, who was on the same team with him, still sighed in his heart that a genius is indeed a genius. He is so competitive. He has always been upset because he did not score a goal in the Olympics.
Until now...
No wonder people can achieve success!
Zeng Chi really admired his club teammate.
In Hedong Thunder, he was only a substitute player, but Luo Kai is now almost an unstoppable main force.
If his momentum continues, it shouldn't be difficult for Luo Kai to directly transition from the Olympic team to the national team...
And what about yourself?
You have to work hard.
Luo Kai had no idea that he had become an inspirational role model in the hearts of his teammates. He was still frustrated by his failed life.
During the long flight, his other teammates all fell asleep leaning on the backs of their chairs. Although he was also very sleepy, he refused to close his eyes.
Because as soon as he closed his eyes, he couldn't help but think of the scene of Li Qingqing making Hu Lai's celebration gesture.
Zeng Chi woke up after a nap and saw that he was still looking out the window with his eyes open, so he asked strangely: "Luo Kai, are you still awake?"
"I'm jet lagged." Luo Kai made an excuse.
"Awesome..." Zeng Chi gave a thumbs up. This is the self-discipline and professionalism of an excellent player...
※※※
After the plane landed at the Capital International Airport, the entire Chinese Olympic team was warmly welcomed by domestic media and fans at the airport.
The leaders of the Chinese Football Association also came to the scene to pick up the plane.
Send flowers to the head coach of the Olympic team, Shi Wuyin, who led the team to victory.
The media reported and the fans cheered.
He was obviously a loser, but after he came back he was treated like a hero like a winner.
This is something that Chinese men’s football teams have rarely enjoyed before, but now it’s really happening.
For these Olympic team players, everything that happened before and after this Olympic Games was a brand new experience, and they gained a lot.
This kind of gain is not only their insights after playing against high-level opponents on the court, but also the changes that have occurred in the surrounding environment.
In the past, Chinese football players, especially men's football players, were always in a bad public opinion environment. Everything they did was wrong. Being scolded and ridiculed was a common occurrence.
This is of course a problem of Chinese football itself, but if you grow up in an environment where you have been scolded for a long time or made fun of, will there be any psychological problems for young players?
It seems that no one has studied this topic. But if the same situation happens to a child, everyone knows what will happen - a child who has been scolded since childhood will never be successful.
Chinese football's performance is not good, they are scolded and ridiculed by others, Chinese players have psychological problems, so Chinese football's performance is even worse, they are scolded more fiercely and ridiculed even more...Chinese football and the people in it have fallen into this trap.
A vicious cycle, generation after generation.
New young people come in full of expectations, but will soon be dyed black by the cruel reality.
But by their generation, the situation has changed.
The results of these National Olympic teams during the National Junior Team and National Youth Team were mediocre. I cannot say that they are good, but they can say that they are bad... The level of Chinese football is just like that. Even if the results of this team are bad, they are still good.
It hasn't reached the point of breaking through the bottom line.
But since the East Asian Cup in 2023, the world in front of them has suddenly changed.
It is no longer just depressing black and gray, but becomes colorful.
Praise began to ring in their ears. It even happened that if someone made fun of the Olympic team on the Internet, more fans would speak for the Olympic team...
How could you have been treated like this before?
On the Internet, it is politically correct to criticize Chinese football. If you dare to talk back, you will be scolded even more fiercely.
Why is this happening?
This is of course because the team's performance is good.
East Asian Cup champion, U23 Asian Cup champion, and recent performance in the Olympics...
So now even if they lose the game in the Olympics and are eliminated and go home, no one is disappointed with their performance.
As the praises increased, the mentality of young players gradually changed.
They have become more confident - this kind of confidence is not the "arrogance" pretended to be bluffing before, but a real and steady self-confidence.
In addition, the most important impact of consecutive victories on them is the establishment of a new tradition in the minds of these young players - the tradition of winning.
In the final analysis, competitive sports still require the winner to win. Failure is the original sin. Only victory can establish a positive and good cycle and play a positive role in promotion.
Of all the wealthy clubs in the world, none became wealthy because of consecutive failures.
Where did the spirit of the women's volleyball team come from? If it weren't for the women's volleyball team always winning championships, how could the spirit of the women's volleyball team become a symbol of Chinese sports?
The Olympic Games emphasize participation, so why do they need to set up gold, silver and bronze medals to rank participating athletes?
To put it bluntly, we must win.
When these young people taste victory, many things will slowly and subtly change.
Maybe they can't realize these changes now, but one day they will benefit from it.
For example, when they make an action on the court, they will be more decisive and confident than before.
When they encounter difficulties in the game, they will think of the victory against the Argentina Olympics, so they have the confidence to deal with the difficulties.
When enough wins are accumulated, Chinese football may have reached a critical stage of shifting from quantitative change to qualitative change.
※※※
The players of the Olympic team did not disperse directly at the airport.
Although some clubs may very much hope that players can return to their teams as soon as possible, the Chinese Olympic team still followed the procedures and returned to the Hongmangling training base to hold an Olympic summary meeting.
This summary meeting lasted a whole day. In the morning, the leaders of the General Administration and the Football Association gave speeches, gave instructions, and encouraged the players to have high hopes. In the afternoon, there was an internal meeting of the Olympic team.
Using the video highlights of the Olympic games, Shi Wuyin and Li Zhifei led the team to review their performance in the Olympics.
Just like they did after every game before.
It's just that I did this in the past so that the team would not make mistakes and perform better in the future.
But if you do this now, there will be no future.
After playing in the Olympic Games, the historical mission of the Olympic team has ended. After this summary meeting, the team will announce its disbandment.
From now on, they are no longer players on the Olympic team. Those who are capable and lucky may be able to enter the national team.
There are still some people who may drift away from the national team and eventually disappear from the public.
Shi Wuyin put down the remote control of the projector, looked at the twenty-some people sitting in the audience, and sighed in his heart: What will these young faces look like in many years?
With everyone watching, he said: "When I was competing for the head coach of your team, I told the leaders at the time that I wanted to plant a tree for Chinese football. I don't have to enjoy the shade of a big tree.
It was cool, but in the future there must be people who can benefit from this tree to shelter them from wind and rain. The leader later told me that it was for this reason that the Football Association finally chose me. I knew that in terms of cultivating young people's concepts,
I am in agreement with the Football Association."
The players of the Olympic team all looked at their head coach intently and curiously. Director Shi had never said these words to them.
"After so many years, I dare not say how good I am at my job." Shi Wuyin shook his head and smiled, "But at least I have the confidence to say 'with a clear conscience'. Of course you can't be considered that now."
A towering tree, but it finally survived. By sending you away and handing them over to those who come after you, I have lived up to the trust the organization has placed in me."
Shi Wuyin paused here and pursed his lips tightly.
Li Zhifei looked at his partner, speechless.
"What's next..." Shi Wuyin took a breath and continued, "Some of you should be selected for the national team, some of you may not, and some of you may have to wait a little later, many years later to join the national team.
Team... But no matter which team you play in the future, whether you make it to the national team or not, remember my words. This is also the last time I give you a task as your head coach..."
Many of the Olympic team players sitting in the audience raised their chests and sat up straight as a reflex, just like they were waiting in the locker room for instructions from Director Shi.
"You...are people who want to grow into big trees."