In the afternoon of August 11, Beijing time, La Liga powerhouse Espanyol officially released heavy news, the former famous Wu Lei will once again land on the Shanghai beach, to join the Shanghai Harbour Club.
In an official statement, Espanyol Football Club warmly welcomed Wu Lei's return and highly valued the professionalism, strong commitment and all-out effort he showed during his time at Espanyol, while also wishing him more success in the future.
It is worth mentioning that, according to Yan Xu, a Spanish reporter for Sports Weekly, up to 95% of Chinese fans may no longer pay attention to the team after Wu Lei leaves Espanyol.
In an interview with As, Yan Xu pointed out that Chinese fans follow Espanyol not simply because of the club itself, but because of Wu Lei's presence, and they are proud to see Chinese players in La Liga. After Wu Lei's departure, it is expected that only 5% of fans will continue to follow Espanyol, and even then, its fan base may still outnumber Villarreal, Betis, Real Sociedad and others.
Why as the Chinese background of the Spanish team but failed to attract the attention of Chinese fans for a long time? Yan Xu analyzed that although Chen Yansheng has acquired the Spaniards for six years, it was not until Wu Lei joined that Chinese fans began to pay real attention to the team. After Wu Lei left the team, the Spaniards have rarely introduced Chinese players, because it is difficult to find talent that can match.
