Wu furthering his Euro education — through good times and bad
Wu Lei is happy to take the rough with the smooth at Espanyol — just as long as it helps him become a better player.
After an impressive debut season in Spain, the Barcelona-based outfit’s relegation from La Liga last season threw a spanner in the works, and Wu now finds himself struggling for minutes in Spain’s second tier.
The humble and hardworking Wu, though, is clearly not the type to jump ship at the first sign of rocky waters. Even away from the glamour of La Liga, Wu is adamant that his soccer education continues apace in Spain.
“I came to study and learn. I want to feel not only Spanish soccer but also the culture,” he told Xinhua in a recent interview. “In the last two years, I have learned and experienced a lot in both La Liga and the second division.
“This season I have learned about the atmosphere of the second division, with the survival methods of each team, and that has helped me to live every aspect of Spanish soccer.
“For that reason, I don’t really feel that I am missing out after dropping from La Liga to the second tier.”
Wu was an instant hit on his arrival at Espanyol from Shanghai Port (then called Shanghai SIPG) in January 2019. As the only China international to be playing in one of Europe’s major leagues at the time, the transfer generated global headlines. And Wu quickly disproved the theory that the move was motivated more by marketing considerations than his ability on the pitch.
Along with a string of impressive performances, Wu racked up a number of historic milestones, including becoming the first Chinese player to score in Spain’s top flight and netting against the mighty Barcelona in the Catalan derby. Wu’s form ultimately helped Espanyol pull clear of relegation trouble and earn qualification for the Europa League.
Espanyol, however, was unable to escape the drop in the pandemic-interrupted 2019-20 campaign, and this season Wu has found starts hard to come by under Vicente Moreno — remarkably the sixth head coach Wu has worked with in his two years at the club.
So far this term, the 29-year-old has made 19 appearances, averaging 33 minutes per game — down from the 52 minutes he averaged last season.
With club-record signing Raul de Tomas often preferred up front, Wu says the intense competition for places is something that “existed from the first day I came here”.
Despite his own struggles, Wu remains as committed as ever to second-place Espanyol’s promotion bid, insisting he has “a lot of confidence” the club can return to La Liga at the first attempt.
There have been some encouraging signs for Wu, including two goals in the Copa del Rey, while his ability to play out wide or more centrally in any formation offers versatility that many players lack.
“The key is in me,” Wu said reflecting on his current dip.
In March last year, Wu and his wife were diagnosed with the coronavirus as the pandemic swept across Spain. The striker described that period as a “really difficult time”, recalling how he had to isolate from friends and teammates.
“To be honest, I had the idea that I should go back to China. But at that time, with the support of my family and so many fans who care about me, our family finally got through it,” he said.
With fans still banned from Spain’s stands to stop the spread of the virus, Wu reckons playing in empty stadiums has taken the edge off some of his performances.
“I have always said that the fans are our biggest motivation. Now that no fans can enter the stadium, the whole atmosphere is very different and that has also had a big impact,” he said, adding that he hopes for an end to the pandemic to allow “the fans to cheer us in the ground and once again share the joy of victory with us”.
Despite all the setbacks of the past year, Wu is adamant that his decision to stay in Spain last summer was the right one.
“At my age, adapting to European soccer and being able to stay here makes me feel that I should not regret the decision. There are also family reasons. My family is happy here, so I think I made the right choice.”