CHAPTER 52: CHAPTER 23: DISCUSSION

"Chen! Chen!"

Some staff members stopped Chen Zhong, who was thanking the fans with his teammates, and informed him of an unexpected news: he had been selected as the MVP of the match.

"Me?" Chen Zhong was a bit surprised, but it wasn’t until he held the red cup-shaped souvenir that he confirmed it wasn’t an auditory hallucination; it was real.

Other Real Madrid teammates couldn’t help but laugh seeing Chen Zhong like this. Raul even patted Chen Zhong on the shoulder affectionately and said, "Go on! Enjoy it all."

goal, 1 assist, 7 tackles, 15 ball recoveries, 9 successful aerial duels, 5 clearances, 62 passes, 89 successful defenses.

In a normal match, a center-back typically makes 1-2 tackles, fewer than 10 ball recoveries, 4-5 aerial duels, and 1-2 clearances. Chen Zhong’s statistics show both his excellent performance and Real Madrid’s midfield shortcomings on defense.

Making 7 tackles in a single match for a defender is as impressive as scoring a hat-trick for a forward. If this were a World Cup stage and a center-back accomplished 7 tackles, the media would lavish praise, earning him fame from a single battle.

Chen Zhong stood before the camera, while not far away, Marcelo was making faces, acting as the "vibe crew" behind him.

"How do you feel now?"

"It’s wonderful." Chen Zhong’s voice was a bit altered, a residue of intense physical activity: "I imagined winning an MVP from a single match, but didn’t think it would come so quickly."

The interviewing reporter laughed and, looking at Chen Zhong, asked, "I noticed you’re from China, and I’d like to ask something many are curious about. If the national team calls you up, would you choose to report to the national team at possibly inconvenient times, or decline?"

"As far as I know, many clubs have reservations about Asian players because their schedules can be unfriendly. How would you choose?"

"I’m a player for Real Madrid, where competition is fierce, and everyone around me is a genius. I think I’ll focus on club fixtures first, needing to improve myself and ensure I can play in the starting lineup before considering national team duties. Besides, I don’t want to shuttle back and forth for some warm-up matches and friendlies, as it’s unfavorable for maintaining form and would put me at a disadvantage in team competition."

"Of course, the premise is that the national team considers me; discussing this with you, I might not receive the national team’s invitation."

"Oh~" the reporter sighed, looking at the confident, composed young man before him, feeling he was not like a typical reserved Asian: "Then you could choose to become a member of the Spain National Team."

"Hahaha, that’s not possible. I can’t bear to give up my Chinese nationality, and besides, that 250 euros fee, I’m reluctant to spend it, plus the Spain National Team doesn’t fancy me."

"That’s a real pity."

Chen Zhong’s statements sparked discussions among fans, with some thinking he’s correct: "I think he’s right; it’s Real Madrid." "He shouldn’t be distracted by some friendlies, warm-ups." "I think it’s fine, play more high-level matches without running back and forth." "Serving at the club is also national glory." "Keep pushing, strive to become a world-class star!"

Yet, some fans were very displeased, saying: "Even the Manchester United Director wouldn’t dare speak like him." "Surely staying abroad too long makes one lose that purity of the older generation, look at General Fan." "They think the foreign moon is brighter, they haven’t proven themselves but already act this way, I suggest we directly block him." "If he doesn’t participate in warm-ups or friendlies, why would the national team call him?" "I won’t follow any more of his news."

"How do you view your performance in the 2002 World Cup?"

"We performed well." Chen Zhong straightforwardly replied, leaving the reporter a bit taken aback, but he quickly explained: "After all, in our group, Brazil won the championship, Turkey the third place, and Costa Rica was the strongest in their history."

"Hahaha." The reporter laughed and then said: "To my knowledge, you’re the first Chinese player to play in La Liga, simultaneously scoring record-setting goals and assists."

At this point, the reporter shifted focus and asked: "La Liga has seen the rise of many genius players like Messi, Rossi, Granero, etc. Who do you think will become the world’s best player?"

"Me."

"Hahaha."

"Because Real Madrid always wants the world’s best players." Chen Zhong, looking at the laughing reporter, earnestly explained: "So, I will become the world’s best player."

The 16-year-old Chen Zhong revealed his ambition in front of the camera for the first time.

Some praised, some mocked, and some ignored.

However, Chen Zhong didn’t care much, he would steadily walk his path, step by step.

...

In the post-match press conference, when Schuster heard the reporter relay Chen Zhong’s words from the interview, he couldn’t help but laugh and said: "Many people may not be familiar with Chen; he’s the most outstanding genius player from Castilla in recent years, referred to as a monster by young players in Sports City."

Chen Zhong had been with Real Madrid’s youth training for just three years, and a player for Castilla for only half a year. In La Liga’s youth training circle, especially among players, due to his rapid promotion and performance on the field, he was nicknamed "Monster". This nickname broke into circles not long ago known by some fans following youth training.

But it hadn’t been widely spread, so in the eyes of most who don’t follow youth teams, even only recognizing celebrity players, Chen Zhong seemed like just an ordinary youth player, similar to the last season when Capello promoted Torres to the first team.

Such players are termed "Crown Prince" or "Heir Apparent" in many clubs.

Some reporters in the audience did their homework and knew about it, while others were less clear or didn’t much care, as football never lacks geniuses.

Nonetheless, Schuster seemed dissatisfied with the lack of shocked reactions he desired, thus spoke out: "He’s an excellent player; if he continues to perform like this, I think he might become the second me in the future."

In Schuster’s view, becoming the second himself was already incredibly high praise.

Previously, when asked how he viewed Sneijder’s free-kick goal, Schuster merely gave a thumbs up, smiling broadly: "Sneijder’s goal reminded me of some past events; his goal was much like mine in those days."

Therefore, for Schuster, the highest level of compliment for someone is to say "like me."