Capítulo 24: Unexpected Fame, Even Messi Was Shocked!
After De Bruyne was substituted, the organization in the midfield and forward line of Werder Bremen somewhat declined.
Combined with the players' decreased physical condition, the score remained unchanged until the final whistle.
Cottbus, despite their efforts to salvage their dignity with a goal, couldn't penetrate the opponent's unethical five-defender formation. Their attacks were like hitting a wall, impossible to break through.
Thus, they had to accept a 0:3 defeat to Werder Bremen.
After the match, Coach Schaaf led the players to thank the attending fans around the field.
Though the attendance wasn't high, every fan who came to watch the match deserved appreciation.
The revenue from their annual home game ticket sales accounted for about 30% of Werder Bremen's total income, making it crucial for the team.
Since it was a friendly match, there was no post-match press conference, and there weren't many journalists present, only a few local media journalists from Bremen.
Due to his outstanding performance, a reporter from the Bremen Citizen's Post found Lin Quan outside the stadium and wanted to interview him.
However, the team's media officer refused the interview on the grounds that Lin Quan was still a minor.
"Lin, after you go back, you'll have to undergo some training. It's unavoidable for a professional player to interact with reporters."
Outside the locker room, team manager Allofs patted Lin Quan's shoulder and said to him.
He had watched the entire match from the box and was very satisfied with Lin Quan's performance. Therefore, he was paying more attention to Lin Quan.
"Thank you for the reminder, I will attend the training sessions!"
Compared to Lin Quan, De Bruyne, who was of legal age, couldn't use the excuse of being a minor to avoid interviews.
So he reluctantly accepted interviews from the Bremen Citizen's Post and the Bremen Daily.
"Kevin, congratulations on winning the match. How do you feel about your performance in this match, and if you were to rate yourself, how many marks would you give yourself?"
Upon hearing the question, De Bruyne thought seriously for a moment and then replied, "I didn't play very well in this match. If I had to rate myself, I think I can only give myself a 75."
"I didn't expect you to have such high standards for yourself. The fans all think you were the best player in this match!"
Hearing De Bruyne's response, the reporters were quite surprised.
In their opinion, De Bruyne showed exceptional quality on both offense and defense in this match.
His presence filled the gap left by Mesut Özil's departure, solving the team's attacking problems for Werder Bremen.
Moreover, his active defensive contributions reduced Captain Fritz's defensive burden, making the team's defense more solid.
Such a performance could easily earn him a score of at least 85.
"No, no, no, I'm not the best in this game!"
"Then who do you think performed the best?"
De Bruyne replied without hesitation, "I believe my teammate Lin Quan performed better than me. He scored an incredible goal and created multiple threats. His impact in the attack was unmatched!"
The journalists got the answers they wanted and then went on to interview Werder Bremen's captain and other team members.
Surprisingly, everyone agreed that Lin Quan should be recognized as the MVP of this match.
"Undoubtedly, Lin is a player with unlimited potential. Considering he's only 16 this year, he still has immense room for growth!
I think, if he continues performing like this, in a few years, people will start comparing him to superstars like Messi and Ronaldo!"
Captain Fritz was even more complimentary, suggesting that Lin could challenge Messi and Ronaldo's dominance in the football world.
However, such statements haven't gained widespread recognition yet since Lin only played a friendly match and hasn't proven himself in the top leagues.
But as Werder Bremen's supporters, both the Bremen Citizen's Post and the Bremen Daily are optimistic about Lin's future.
They not only reported honestly the team's praise for Lin but also arranged for Werder Bremen legend Marco Bode to provide an evaluation of Lin.
"Yes, I've seen this young man play, and he has left a profound impression.
Fritz said that he could reach Messi and Ronaldo's level, and I can't guarantee he will achieve such heights. A young player's career is full of uncertainties.
But if he remains healthy, avoids injuries, and continues to improve his dribbling and breakthrough abilities, at least in the forward position, he could become a historical player!"
The regular opinions of Werder Bremen players might not have much impact.
However, when legends of the team speak highly of Lin, everyone starts to take notice of him.
Some fans who didn't watch the game in person began asking around about Lin, while others opted to watch match replays on video websites.
Upon watching these clips, they were amazed by Lin's sharp breakthroughs!
How can one be so sharp in breaking through defenders?
They couldn't wait to share these exciting moments, particularly Lin's breakthroughs, with their friends and family.
What started as Werder Bremen fans sharing these videos quickly spread among a wider audience.
Almost everyone who watched couldn't resist sharing with others, igniting a viral sensation online in just a few days.
---
Spain, the capital of Catalonia, Barcelona.
Within the training base of FC Barcelona, players who had just finished training walked in twos and threes, chatting as they headed towards the locker room.
Having returned two weeks later than others after playing in the Euros, Iniesta, Xavi, and Busquets were lagging behind.
The three seem to be engrossed in something, discussing while walking.
"Looks like Messi!"
Dubbed the Professor, Busquets furrowed his brow, analyzing thoughtfully:
"Yeah, it is indeed quite similar; the start of his run, the ball control, and his dribbling style are very akin!"
Iniesta and Xavi exchanged glances. If even Professor Busquets said so, then it must truly resemble Messi, no wonder the video was titled this way.
"What are you talking about?"
At this moment, Messi curiously turned around and saw the trio discussing something. So, he asked curiously.
"Leo, come take a look at this!"
Iniesta, who was closest to Messi, gestured him over and handed their tablet to him.
"What am I looking at?"
Messi was unsure what they were up to; were they watching another amusing video? Some team members enjoyed watching light-hearted videos before major competitions to unwind, but the new season hadn't begun yet, and they hadn't played any matches.
"Look, and you'll see!"
With a shrug, Messi looked down at the tablet where a short video was titled quite dramatically:
"The player most similar to Messi in history!"
Surprised by this comparison, Messi clicked on the video, curious to see how this player resembled him.
As the video played, it showed a match between two teams, where a young player in green broke through, dribbled past six defenders, and scored while falling.
This...
Messi was stunned!
Could someone resemble him this closely?
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