Espanyol drop puts focus on Wu
Print Edition
Chinese international Wu Lei鈥檚 Espanyol lost to Barcelona 0-1 on Wednesday night, condemning the Catalan club to relegation to Spain鈥檚 second division next season, and prompting fans across China to engage in a heated debate on what Wu鈥檚 next move should be.
A multiple winner of the Chinese Super League鈥檚 Golden Boot award during a 12-year spell with Shanghai SIPG, Wu has scored eight goals for Espanyol so far in the 2019-20 season, leading some to suggest the Nanjing-born forward should consider moving on to pastures new.
鈥淲u Lei has scored in all competitions this season, including La Liga, the Europa League and the Copa del Rey. The club鈥檚 relegation is not on him. What鈥檚 more, it鈥檚 hard for a 28-year-old to improve when playing in the second division, so he should leave in the summer transfer window,鈥 said a fan named 鈥淟iverpool legend Virgil鈥 on China鈥檚 All Football app.
In a survey featuring 25,000 fans discussing Wu鈥檚 future, 67.5 percent wanted him to leave Espanyol. Only 14.3 percent hoped the Chinese forward would stay at the Barcelona-based club, although Wu said in a recent interview that he had no plans to leave and would stay with the club as long as it needs him.
鈥淲u Lei鈥檚 choice to stay on is the most appropriate option. If he quits the style of the Spanish league and environment to which he has adapted, and moves to another league, he would have to once again adapt to a new environment and a new club. That route is a bit adventurous,鈥 said a netizen named 鈥淗ubert-zhu鈥 on the Hupu forum.
Wu had been linked to English Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers, who are owned by Chinese investment firm Fosun. Although Wu dismissed those rumors, some fans expect to see him in the EPL soon.
鈥淲u Lei is waving the flag for Chinese football, just like Son Heung-min has done for South Korea, so he should have a go in the EPL,鈥 said an Internet user named 鈥淣anshan Kid鈥 on the TikTok platform.
However, China鈥檚 well-known football commentator Huang Jianxiang isn鈥檛 sure how well Wu would adapt to English football. 鈥淭he EPL is not suitable for Wu Lei. In my opinion, the league needs footballers who are physically strong, and few Asians are able to adapt to these tough games,鈥 Huang explained.
In addition to England, some fans want Wu to consider playing in other major leagues in Europe, such as Germany鈥檚 Bundesliga or the Italian Serie A.
鈥淚 think Serie A suits Wu Lei well. Italian teams attach more importance to tactics and the counterattack would be more suitable for him,鈥 said Hupu forum user 鈥淜omalai鈥.
鈥淐hinese players Yang Chen and Shao Jiayi had a good time in the Bundesliga, and the league may be more friendly to Asian players, I鈥檇 like Wu Lei to continue his career in Germany,鈥 鈥淐hen Xiaoyang鈥 said on Sina Weibo.
The victory kept Barcelona鈥檚 title hopes alive, sealing the rival鈥檚 relegation for the first time in nearly three decades.
Luis Suarez scored the winning goal early in the second half to move Barcelona within a point of leader Real Madrid and send Espanyol to the second division after 26 straight seasons in the top flight.
Real can reclaim a four-point lead with three rounds left with a home win against relegation-threatened Alaves today. Real, seeking its first league title in three years, has a perfect record since the league resumed following the coronavirus break.
Only a win in the city derby could have kept last-place Espanyol with a chance of staying in the top tier. The club owned by Chinese businessman Chen Yansheng hasn鈥檛 played in the second division since the 1993-1994 season. It had been among the teams with most consecutive seasons in the top flight, along with Barcelona, Real and Athletic Bilbao.
It was the sixth straight loss for Espanyol, and its 11th consecutive league defeat away to Barcelona. It has 24 points from 35 matches 鈥 11 points from safety.
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