Chapter 293: Press conference
After the speech, on behalf of Real Madrid, Sande handed the No. 10 jersey to Wang Feng, and the two of them jointly accepted the photographers' shooting.
Later, Wang Feng changed into the jersey and circled the stadium. Many enthusiastic fans wanted to rush past the barriers to get to him, but Real Madrid had anticipated this and increased security forces.
At the end of the ceremony, Wang Feng also needed to attend the press conference organized by Real Madrid and answer questions from reporters. In addition to major European media outlets, he also noticed many Asian media, with domestic sports channels prominently featured.
Wang Feng first thanked the club and the fans for their warm welcome, saying, "To be honest, the grandeur of the welcome ceremony exceeded my expectations. I can only contribute to the team and repay the love of the fans with a more positive attitude on the field."
A journalist from Italy couldn't wait to ask the first question: "Did you leave Inter Milan because of the impact of 'Calciopoli'?"
Wang Feng scratched his head and said, "I served Inter Milan for five years, during which my skills and level improved significantly, and I also won many honors there. The decision to leave was definitely a bit reluctant."
"Now I think it's time for a change of environment. Perhaps there was external interference, but more importantly, it was my own career plan. Real Madrid is a great club, and I hope to help her regain her glory."
The journalist seemed dissatisfied with Wang Feng's ambiguous answer and continued to ask about "Calciopoli." "Undoubtedly, it was a terrible scandal. The investigation and handling results have been clearly announced, and I have no objections to that."
Spanish media did not ask about "Calciopoli" but inquired about Wang Feng's confidence in adapting to La Liga and his expectations for Real Madrid's performance in the new season.
"I am confident, of course. Don't forget that I jumped directly from the Belgian Pro League to Serie A." Wang Feng joked, "As for the goals for the new season, I want to help Real Madrid regain the league title and Champions League trophy!"
With these words, whispers erupted in the audience, and reporters hurriedly recorded Wang Feng's bold statement. This could be tomorrow's headline news!
Many of them doubted that Wang Feng could achieve such accomplishments shortly after arriving at the Bernabeu. Currently, La Liga is dominated by Barcelona, and Real Madrid has been stuck in the round of 16 in the Champions League for several years.
A journalist from Catalonia asked this sharp question, and Wang Feng replied calmly, "Undoubtedly, Barcelona is a strong club. I've just faced them, but anything is possible, right? At least I'll be laughing in the end."
Many reporters also cared about the core issues of the team. Ra��l was the core of the Galacticos before Wang Feng's arrival, and his arrival would inevitably bring competition. Who would be the first?
"Ra��l is a great player, and his position in Real Madrid will definitely not change. We have communicated many times, and I believe we will get along very well."
A reporter from a domestic sports channel, Mao Yun, asked, "Hello, Wang Feng. In the just-concluded World Cup, you led the national team to historically reach the semi-finals. Besides you, which other players do you think have the ability to go to Europe to play?"
"Our team's overall strength is still very good. I think Dong Fangzhuo is the first. He definitely has the ability to play as a starter in mid-table teams in the top five leagues. Others such as Chen Tao, Zheng Zhi, and others also have a good chance. I hope more and more players can go abroad and hone their skills in higher-level leagues."
"We noticed that you are proficient in Spanish and have been communicating with fans and reporters. When you were at Inter Milan, your Italian was also very good, and even earlier, during your time at Genk in Belgium, your Dutch communication was smooth. I would like to ask, how do domestic players solve the language problem when they go abroad?"
Wang Feng smiled, "Maybe I have some language talent myself. When I have free time, I learn a little bit, and in a few months, I can achieve basic communication."
"For domestic players going abroad, this is indeed a tricky issue, but in fact, many players from Europe, South America, and Africa also face this dilemma."
"So it will never be an obstacle for us. I suggest learning English well because most of the time, English is more universal. Secondly, if you stay in a club for a long time, you can also learn a little bit of the local language."
"The most important thing is to communicate more with teammates. Improving listening and speaking skills through continuous dialogue is beneficial to better integrate into the team."
Wang Feng answered the reporters' various questions reasonably and politely, until the news department staff prompted that it was the scheduled time to end, they reluctantly stopped.
It was already around eight o'clock in the evening. The Chinese superstar was invited to attend a dinner hosted by the club's senior management. Lu Yao and Wang Tian naturally went together. The newly appointed head coach, Schuster, was also present, while other Real Madrid players were still on vacation and did not attend.
This was the first time Wang Feng had met the new head coach. The German was very friendly and had a very good attitude towards him. "Wang, rest assured, in the new season, I will build an offensive tactic around you as the core and fully unleash your attacking threat."
Schuster, like Wang Feng, was new to the club, and the situation in the Galacticos' dressing room was extremely complicated. He thought the simplest way was to support Wang Feng. With the club's trust in him and his own abilities, he could definitely carve out a place for himself.
Wang Feng naturally gladly accepted the German's goodwill. They immediately discussed the club's transfer plans. Real Madrid's attack did not need much adjustment, but the focus needed to be on solving problems in the midfield and defense.
After the grand welcome ceremony, the Galacticos officially began their actions in the summer transfer window. Zidane had officially retired, and Beckham had joined the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer on loan.
The club first brought in Juventus defender Cannavaro for �7 million. The Italian national team captain was an old friend of Wang Feng's, and the two had fought side by side before. They didn't expect to reunite in Madrid.
Another Juventus midfielder, Emerson, also came to Real Madrid with Cannavaro. This was a defensive powerhouse trained by Capello, and the club paid a transfer fee of �11.5 million for him.
Schuster knew that one of the reasons for the decline of the first era of the Galacticos was the loss of the sturdy midfielder, Makelele. So he suggested to the club to introduce Mali international Mahamadou Diarra, who helped Lyon win the Ligue 1 title four times. The club paid �5 million for this midfield core.
Then, they borrowed Spanish midfielder Reyes from Arsenal to replace Beckham's position. This midfielder debuted in La Liga with Sevilla and transferred to Arsenal for a whopping �35 million in 2004.
For the past two years, his performance in the Premier League had been excellent, appearing in 110 matches for the team and contributing 23 goals. As an additional condition of this deal, the underperforming Baptista was sent to Arsenal. With Wang Feng's arrival, the Brazilian had no place in the team anymore.
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