Football: I am only 16 years old, and you want me to retire and make a comeback?

Chapter 638 Westfalen Giant Tifo, Eskeriva's Second Thought-Type Forward

Dongqiudi pinned post: Tang Ye makes his debut at Westfalenstadion.

Dortmund fans are truly heartbroken; they never imagined that Tang would be playing in the Bundesliga.

[A Bundesliga player worth 2.4 million euros, can you handle that? I certainly can, because I'm a Bayern Munich hater, hehe]

Dortmund really gave him face, giving him a formal inauguration ceremony even for a one-season loan; it felt like Cristiano Ronaldo's debut at the Bernabéu.

Spending 7000 million euros in a single season, how can you not take that seriously?

The stadium, which can hold 8 people, was almost full. Tang Ye clapped as he walked toward the center of the stadium.

Several Bundesliga match balls were laid out on the grass.

boom!
He tapped the ball with his heel, juggled it as he walked toward the center circle, where the host and translator were already waiting in their designated positions.

"Welcome, Tom (German)"

Tang Ye performed a few fancy ball juggling moves, then unloaded the ball at his feet.

"Heja BVB! (Go Dortmund!)"

"Heja BVB!"

At this point, Dortmund fans were practically insane, chanting the team's name and Tang Ye's name incessantly.

Regardless of what tactics Eskriva devises, or whether Tang Ye can fully integrate into the team, Dortmund fans don't care.

All they knew was that a Ballon d'Or winner had arrived at Westfalenstadion, and that he would lead Dortmund to greater heights.

"Hoohoo!"

"Hoohoo!"

A sound came from the south stand. Tang Ye turned his head, and then his pupils suddenly contracted.

A huge tifo was seen moving upwards from the bottom of the south stand at Westfalenstadion.

The tifo was huge, gradually covering the entire south grandstand and revealing its contents.

This is a pink pig wearing a yellow outfit with the "BVB" logo.

The pink pig is sitting on the ground, holding a silver shield in his arms, and looks very happy.

Because this silver shield is the symbol of the Bundesliga champion.

"Wow"

Having witnessed Dortmund's South Stand before, but having always been the target of his attacks, it's understandable that he feels a bit strange to become the main character of the tifo this time.

Borussia Dortmund is fortunate because they have very good fans.

Tang Ye took the microphone from the host and, under the spotlight, delivered the lines he had prepared long ago.

"I'm so happy to be here, to Dortmund, Germany... (in German)"

"Regarding the questions the host just asked me, and the questions you all sent me in private messages on Instagram, I feel I should now give an answer (in English)."

I think I'm ready (in English)

Tang Ye took a deep breath and shouted the words under the expectant gazes of the Dortmund fans.

"heja BVB!!!"

"Wow!!!!"

"Tang Ye!"

"Tang Ye!"

"Tang Ye!"

Holding a microphone in his right hand, Tang Ye, along with the translator and host, slowly walked out from the center of the court: "Who wants the first ball?"

Tang Ye bent down and picked up the ball from the grass, held it in his hand, and switched the ball between his left and right hands. Now the ball was in his right hand.

"here!"

“TY!”

"Damn it, give it to me! Give it to me!"

"TY, I'm a fan of the Chinese team!"

"..."

Tang Ye shook his head left and right, then quickly locked onto his target on the second-floor stands: "Um, the second floor of the east stands, the one in the black short-sleeved shirt, yes, the one with the beard."

The translator relayed Tang Ye's words, and the director quickly located the black-bearded man Tang Ye had mentioned.

Ok……

Tang Ye nodded slightly, dropped the ball on the ground, and started to back away after the ball came to a steady stop on the grass.

"What do you want to do?"

The translator looked at Tang Ye beside him, who was holding a microphone in his right hand and had already started his running start.

Snapped!
A powerful long pass was launched, and the ball flew higher and higher, quickly reaching the second floor.

It plummeted, flying precisely towards the lucky fan Tang Ye had just mentioned.

"Wow!"

The fans raised their hands and held the ball firmly in the air.

"..."

The translator looked at Tang Ye and said, "...shit."

"There are 24 balls left. Anyone who wants them can shout it out!"

The female host said.

"Wow!!"

"Here! Here!"

"I'm Tom, a fan of your looks, look here!"

……

Dongqiudi Match Report: In the third round of the Bundesliga, Dortmund defeated Freiburg 2-0, with Haaland scoring. Bellingham had a mediocre performance in his Bundesliga debut, while Tang Ye watched from the bench. (109352 comments)

He didn't even play, yet a single match report still garnered over 10 comments, demonstrating the ever-growing number of football fans in China.

Sports Illustrated front page headline: Dortmund's form is stable this season with 2 wins and 1 loss in 3 rounds.

"Judging from Bellingham's performance in the first match, he didn't meet expectations and needs more time to be observed. If Dortmund really wants to win the league title this season, TY must integrate into the team as soon as possible, and Sancho also needs to return from injury quickly."

"Dortmund has a strong squad, but Bayern Munich, as one of the favorites to win the Champions League last season, should not be underestimated," commented a reporter from Sport Illustrated.

Appendix: 2020-21 Bundesliga standings (Round 3 not yet fully completed):
1. RB Leipzig, 9 points.

2. Wolfsburg, 9 points.

3. Bayern Munich, 7 points.

4. Frankfurt, 6 points.

5. Borussia Dortmund, 6 points.

……

The season has only just begun, and it is clearly inappropriate to judge the situation of this season's Bundesliga based on only three rounds of matches.

But the basic situation is not much different from last season. Leipzig, Wolfsburg, and Bayern are still strong teams, and Dortmund is also excellent.

Kicker's front page headline: Third summer signing, Paris Saint-Germain defender Meunier joins Borussia Dortmund on a free transfer.

Kicker's front-page headline: Eskreva is interested in West Bromwich Albion striker Yuning Zhang.

Escriva is up to his old tricks again. After selling Wu Lei to Villarreal, he now wants to buy another Chinese player for Dortmund.

However, unlike the case with Wu Lei, the news that Eskriva wanted Zhang Yuning did not encounter opposition from Dortmund fans. On the contrary, many Dortmund fans chose to stand firmly on Eskriva's side.

Sky Sports Germany interviewed local fans in Dortmund.

"I think this is reasonable. Tom doesn't know any friends in Germany, and if he's homesick, it might affect his performance. Buying another Chinese player is the best option, and Francisco (Ferran) did the right thing."

The fan seemed excited, telling reporters that he attended Tang Ye's unveiling ceremony today, and that Tang Ye was only two rows away from him when Tang Ye kicked the 17th ball.

"But German fans don't seem to like Chinese players, you know, because of the 18 World Cup in Russia."

The reporter offered a reminder, but his words were quickly met with opposition from the interviewed fans: "That was all a joke. I don't know what other German fans think, but Dortmund fans love Chinese players the most, hehe."

"..." "So, what do you want to say on camera?"

A Dortmund fan raised an eyebrow, pointed at the photographer's lens, and shouted, "Bayern is not far from death. Do you really think you can keep winning titles forever?"

……

With two weeks until the next match, it might seem like there's plenty of free time, but in reality, Dortmund fans have been incredibly busy lately.

Eskreva has made it clear that Tang Ye will start in the next game, so finding a suitable tactical system is very important. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, these two weeks are Dortmund's last chance.

Because later on, there might not be such a long gap between matches!
"When you run forward, you need to make sure there are people in the middle, otherwise it won't be good."

Tang Ye and Bellingham stood on the field, the latter looking serious as he tried to understand what Tang Ye was saying: "But shouldn't I be playing as a defensive midfielder?"

When Eskrim spoke with Bellingham before, he made it clear that if the Englishman came to Dortmund to play, he would most likely only be able to play as a defensive midfielder, and if he didn't play as a defensive midfielder, he would be Tang Ye's substitute.

"A defensive midfielder can also make forward runs, and we don't necessarily have to play a 4-2-3-1 formation. To be honest, I don't feel that a 4-2-3-1 formation suits us very well."

Tang Ye shared his thoughts: "Anyway, before you run, go check the middle. I used to just go straight to the byline without paying attention to anything, which was a big problem. It led to disastrous counter-attacks. And during the training match just now, you could have easily switched the ball to the weak side, why did you insist on forcing it? You need to be calmer when you play."

"Think before you kick; the movement might be slower, but the result will be much better."

Bellingham was learning from Tang Ye, while Royce and Brandt, seeing the commotion, slowly crept over and stood listening.

Haaland sat on the grass, pointed in Bellingham's direction, and then asked Pogba, "Aren't you going to come over?"

Pogba shrugged: "Everyone has their own way of playing; there's no point in just copying them."

Pogba seemed relaxed, and Haaland laughed heartily: "Why don't you learn his free kicks and his dribbling skills?"

Pogba remained seated: "Those things are either born with them or they aren't. I wasn't born with them, so what can I do?"

"This... haha, okay."

Haaland patted Pogba on the shoulder, then rubbed his own head.

He's been practicing headers for the past few days, which has caused him a terrible headache.

……

dong dong!

After training, Tang Ye knocked on the door of Eskeriva's office.

The door was open, and Escriva seemed to be watching a video on his computer. Hearing the knock, he looked up and gestured for Tang Ye to come in: "Tom, what's wrong?"

"Um... that's it."

Tang Ye looked hesitant for a moment, then finally sat down in the chair in front of Escriva: "I saw in the news that you're going to buy Zhang Yuning, the West Brom center forward. Mr. Ferran, I just want to ask why."

"..."

Eskeriva didn't speak immediately, but Tang Ye keenly sensed something: "So... is it because of me that you wanted him, like the news said?"

Looking into Escriva's eyes, Tang Ye appeared hesitant: "Mr. Ferran, I really don't think it's necessary. It's unfair to the club; you don't need to buy players for my sake."

The news that Dortmund wanted Zhang Yuning caught Tang Ye's attention as soon as it appeared, because according to the reporter's analysis, Dortmund's move was inseparable from Tang Ye.

"Don't you two get along well?"

Escriva doesn't seem to have grasped the key point.

“No, no, no, it’s not about whether we’re good friends or not. Zhang Yuning and I are very good friends, but you can’t buy players for my sake. Of course, I want him to go to a good club; he’s my national team teammate. But if your transfer isn’t for the team’s needs, but for my personal reasons, then that’s not right. You’ll put me in a difficult position, Mr. Ferran.”

"Making you stronger is what the team needs."

Eskeriva looked into Tang Ye's eyes, leaving the latter speechless.

"I get along very well with Erling and the others. Besides, don't you think what those reporters said was problematic? I miss home, if I miss home I can just go back to China, right?"

"You're arranging this transfer for me, which is putting a burden on me, Mr. Ferran."

Tang Ye spoke sincerely.

It's certainly a good thing that Zhang Yuning can come to Dortmund to play.

But Dortmund would have to spend at least several million euros to buy Zhang Yuning from West Bromwich Albion.

Dortmund has already done enough. If they were to buy more players just for their own benefit, Tang Ye would definitely feel incredibly guilty, given his personality.

Tang Ye understood this, so he was certain that he needed to step forward and explain the situation clearly at this time.

"..."

"hiss……"

Escriva took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled: "I know, um, I'll think about it."

"Yes, thank you, Mr. Ferran."

Tang Ye patted Eskeriva on the arm and then left the office.

"Tom, is that Haaland kid coming over?"

Haaland stood at the office door, his eyes filled with anticipation.

"call……"

Tang Ye sighed, "I'd like him to come too, but it's not certain we can do it that way. He's not a good fit for our system, and the club would lose money if he transferred here."

"OK then"

Haaland shook his head.

……

In the office, Escriva was pondering Tang Ye's words, while Matti advised him, "Hey, Ferran, don't overthink it. Tom's just afraid of feeling guilty. We can just stop the transfer. He said he doesn't need company, so he doesn't need company."

"No, no, no, it's not that simple, it's not that simple."

Escriva raised the time and held it in front of him.

The transfer window is almost closed, and he must make the right choice as soon as possible, otherwise he, as the coach, will be criticized if Tang Ye is not in good form during the game.

"Ferland!"

While Matti was still trying to persuade him, the assistant coach's shout instantly cleared Eskeriva's mind.

correct!

The Spaniard opened YouTube and found a video in his favorites.

Open the video and drag the progress bar to a position based on your memory. The video blogger is a black guy wearing glasses, who looks like a wise man.

"The inherent element of Chinese culture is balance. If you don't believe me, go to the streets of Shanghai or Hong Kong and ask people to rate themselves on a scale of 0 to 10. No matter what they rate themselves on, most people will choose 5 or 6."

The Black guy shrugged: "That's just their culture. You'll see if you try it."

"Then, you go shopping with your Chinese friend and you want to give him a gift, but he says he doesn't want it. What should you do then?"

Does your friend really not want a gift?

At this point, Escriva squinted, leaned forward, and placed his head only 20cm away from the computer screen.

"wrong!"

!

The young man's words startled Escriva, who quickly leaned back.

"You're all wrong!"

"Big mistake!"

"When Chinese people say no, they really mean yes!"

"Don't hesitate, just buy it!"

Eskeriva took a deep breath.

Indeed, this is one of the benefits of the information age.

If it weren't for such advanced information technology, Eskeriva would probably still be completely unaware of this.

Pulling out the keyboard, Escriva slowly typed "Thank you" in English in the comments section.

……

Bild's front-page headline: Is West Bromwich Albion's center forward ZhangYN's transfer to Dortmund confirmed?

Today's Headline News – The third player from one of Europe's top five leagues! Zhang Yuning transfers to Borussia Dortmund.

(End of this chapter)