Chapter 753: A Farewell Interview Unlike Any Other
The morning after winning the Champions League, the Real Madrid team boarded a chartered plane back to Madrid, where a grand championship parade awaited them.
At this moment, thousands of Madrid fans had already taken to the streets, surrounding the airport, eagerly awaiting the triumphant return of their heroes.
When Wang Feng stepped off the plane, hoisting the Champions League trophy high, the deafening cheers pierced the sky, with the crowd's enthusiasm even stronger than in previous years.
Boarding the parade float prepared by the club, they displayed the league championship trophy and the UEFA Super Cup inside.
"It seems a bit thin, not as luxurious as the six trophies from last season," Ramos quipped, raising an eyebrow.
The others couldn't help but laugh. If they had to choose, they would prioritize winning the league and the Champions League, considering the other trophies as mere icing on the cake.
"You guys take the trophies upstairs, I'll sit here for a while," Wang Feng said, usually the one at the forefront, but now wanting to quietly observe.
His teammates understood completely, hoisting the trophies onto the open-top deck to show them to the fans, singing and laughing all the way.
After half a day's journey, the bus finally arrived at the Plaza de la Diosa de la Cosecha, and the celebration officially began. On the makeshift stage, coaches and players took turns expressing their gratitude for the awards and their future prospects.
The Chinese superstar was the last one to speak. As he took a step forward, the surrounding crowd shouted his name and title in unison.
"Stay! Stay! Stay!" someone shouted out, quickly echoed by everyone else, until it seemed like the entire Madrid was resounding with the same voice.
Wang Feng opened his mouth, wanting to say something but feeling choked up. He could only force himself to calm down.
"Thank you to my teammates, the coaching staff, all the club staff, and the countless fans. Without you, there would be no glorious achievements for Real Madrid!"
"Ten years ago, when I first set foot on the Bernabéu pitch, an unparalleled sense of shock and responsibility surged within me. This is one of the greatest stadiums in today's football world, and I cannot let her down."
"Since then, every day, every training session, every match, I have carried this sense of mission, and here, many people have given me various kinds of strength, helping me get to where I am today."
"Joining Real Madrid was the most important decision of my life. I love it here!"
After finishing his speech, Wang Feng suddenly raised his left hand high, shouting with all his might, "Hala Madrid!"
Hala Madrid!
Everyone joined him in shouting this exhilarating slogan. Upon closer inspection, many fans could be seen with tears in their eyes, some even sobbing uncontrollably.
Wang Feng's words were filled with farewell, signaling that they would never see him dominating the game in a white jersey again!
The silent departure of the Chinese superstar kept his head low, trying to hide his red eyes.
Two days later, the Real Madrid club and the official website and social media of the Spanish newspaper "El Nacional" jointly released a video titled: "Farewell, Our Legend!"
Fans who had been waiting for the latest news quickly clicked on it. The scene in the video was the Hall of Honors at Real Madrid, with Wang Feng sitting in front of numerous trophies, facing Pepe Bueno, the editor-in-chief of "El Nacional."
The Hall of Honors seemed a bit small, with trophies piled up! Many people's first impression was like this, but these were not important. What mattered was that this video was an interview.
"You've decided to leave Real Madrid?"
"Yes, I have."
"When did you make this decision? Why?"
"Well, if you want to talk about when I made up my mind, it should be at the end of this season, but I've been considering it for two or three years. As you know, a player's career peak is limited. I want to leave the most powerful, confident, and composed version of myself at the Bernabéu."
"Being able to win an unprecedented ten consecutive titles is, in my opinion, the best conclusion to my story with Real Madrid."
"Is your departure related to the club's top management, such as contract renewal issues, or concerns about losing your starting position?"
"No, no, no, neither Mr. Florentino nor Mr. Baldano, the general manager, has tried to keep me more than once. They offered extremely generous conditions, and I feel very sorry for them."
"Here, both the club and I have achieved everything we wanted. The Galacticos need to set sail again, and I also intend to embark on a brand new adventure."
"For football, ten years is long enough, long enough to renew a generation, two generations, or even three generations of lineups. I don't want to lose my passion on the field, nor do I want to become a stumbling block for the team in the future."
"So I chose to leave. It's an extremely difficult decision. Day or night, I keep questioning myself whether this decision is correct."
"But I have to summon the courage to take this step!"
"What if some extreme fans resent you? They won't understand all this; the club is their faith."
"Oh, I would be very sad in that case. Making this decision itself has torn my heart apart."
"But I want to emphasize that for the club, a player is too insignificant. Real Madrid was already a champion before I came, and they will still be champions after I leave."
"Don't be too sad or resentful. Someday, I will come back and continue to contribute to the team's cause."
"What are your plans for continuing your football career?"
"Well, yes, I won't leave the top five leagues. I will do my best to maintain my technical and tactical level. After all, I still want to participate in the World Cup two years later."
"But I'll be 35 by then, which is indeed a bit difficult, haha."
"As for where specifically to go, I won't hide it from you; I've already made a decision. But I think it's better to wait for the club to announce it. There are still some details to be finalized."
"Details? Does that mean you haven't chosen to transfer freely?"
"Yes, that's right. It can also be considered my last insignificant contribution to the club."
"Finally, what do you want to say to Real Madrid, to the fans?"
"The most I want to say is, of course, thank you. Thank you for the club's nurturing, thank you for the fans' support. My success would not be possible without them, and this is my heartfelt thought."
"I believe the future of Real Madrid will be very bright. We have never lacked championships; this is a heritage and a dignity!"
In addition to the above important questions, Bueno also asked many other small questions about achievements, honors, personal life, and views on the current football situation.
The entire interview lasted about an hour, but within less than a quarter of an hour of its release, both websites crashed, with views on Twitter and Instagram exceeding a billion, and countless people leaving comments expressing their current feelings.
"Wang Feng is really leaving, sob sob sob!"
"Our legendary sir, wish you a smooth journey, looking forward to starting a new story again in the future!"
Most people, amidst their sadness, expressed their respect and blessings. Many fans who were originally puzzled or even angry, upon seeing Wang Feng's sincere words, were deeply moved by him.
Only a few extremists voiced irrational opinions, with one blogger even uploading a video burning the Chinese superstar's jersey.
This undoubtedly angered many, and while people criticized, they also released counterattack videos.
In the footage, a hand slowly approached Wang Feng's jersey with a lighter, then abruptly extinguished the flames and threw it away, gently stroking the number ten and the word "Wang."
The two clips had completely different rhythms, with the first accompanied by a suspenseful and stirring melody, and the second with a lyrical one, highlighting the contrast and sincere emotions between them.
This video resonated with all fans, and everyone rushed to imitate it, becoming a hit on short video social platforms for a while.
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