WITH all due respect to Barcelona’s 1-0 victory in Saturday’s Clasico at the Bernabeu, the biggest global story of the La Liga weekend took place at the other club from the Catalan capital.
Espanyol’s new attacker Wu Lei becoming the first Chinese player to score in any of Europe’s top five leagues for over a decade – with the former Shanghai SIPG star having almost immediately become one of the biggest names in all of Spanish football.
That all seemed very unlikely to many outside observers when Wu arrived at the RCDE Stadium in late January. The feeling then was that reported 3.5 million euro transfer had been ordered by Espanyol’s Chinese owner Chen Yansheng, not requested by the team’s coach Rubi.
Wu Lei became the first Chinese player to score in the La Liga at the weekend and then did this after the game ÃÂðÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂðÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂèÃÂðÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂó pic.twitter.com/ogQFhyIKdY
— COPA90 (@COPA90) March 4, 2019
These were particularly worrying times for everyone at Espanyol, as they had lost nine of their previous 10 La Liga games. A team which through the autumn had seemed set to challenge for a Europa League spot were now looking right into a relegation battle, not the ideal place for a new player settling into a new culture and language.
Locally based reporters checking Wikipedia [ahem] discovered that Wu was the all-time top goalscorer in Chinese Super League history with 102 goals. But 15 goals in 63 senior caps for China suggested to the skeptics that the 27 year old might struggle at La Liga level.
Once local fans and pundits actually saw Wu play however, the skepticism quickly started to melt away. His very lively 12-minute debut off the bench coincided with Espanyol coming from 2-0 down to get a morally crucial 2-2 draw at fellow strugglers Villarreal. He entered earlier in their next game, replacing injured Pablo Piatti before half-time with Rayo Vallecano 1-0 ahead, with a clever dribble winning the penalty which drew Espanyol back into a game they eventually won 2-1.
Wu then started Espanyol’s next two matches, creditable draws against in-form Valencia and Huesca, before Sunday brought a moment a lot of people had been waiting for. A well timed run behind the defence and neat finish sealed a 3-1 win at home to Valladolid, lifting Espanyol 10 points clear of the drop zone.
Wu Lei isn't by any any means a shirt seller or some attempt to crack the Chinese market. He is a very good player, lots of intelligence on the ball.
— David Cartlidge (@davidjaca) March 2, 2019
“He is like a feather,” said a clearly impressed Rubi last week. “You don’t notice him, neither do the defenders. He is fast, direct, links with his teammates, and is good technically. He is meeting our expectations, should not stop now.”
The new arrival is of course not personally responsible for the entire upturn in Espanyol’s form. Teammates Borja Iglesias and Sergi Darder have been excellent recently. But it’s fair to say Wu has shown he knows how to handle himself both on and off the pitch.
“It's a dream," Wu said to Espanyol’s club website on Sunday. “Surely it is a goal that I will remember all my life. I am very excited. Three months ago I was scoring in the Chinese Super League and now I have achieved in the best league in the world.” The club’s media officers also added that the player spoke ‘with a shy gesture of happiness that confirms his quick and easy adaptation to Espanyol’ and also modestly credited half the goal to Darder’s fine assist.
Espanyol’s media team also made that interview available to TV stations back home, with one Chinese news presenter wearing a blue and white Periquitos jersey as she announced the clip which also featured Wu handing his jersey to a delighted young fan after the game.
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ESPN reported a 25 million TV audience for Sunday’s game, with the 8PM Chinese time kick-off [noon in Catalonia] helping lift already impressive numbers of 10 million for his debut against Villarreal and 19.7 million for his first start against Valencia. Espanyol’s kit suppliers Kelme have also claimed to have already sold more ‘Wu Lei 24’ jerseys than those of any other player this season.
By happy coincidence La Liga president Javier Tebas attended this weekend’s game between Shenzhen FC and Hebei FC as part of the ever strengthening partnership between La Liga and the CSL. “The Wu Lei phenomenon will serve to open up the Chinese market,” Tebas said during his visit. “Espanyol should play here this summer. It is tremendous what is happening, and very good for Spanish football.”
The news is certainly more positive than when Granada got new Chinese owners in summer 2016, and were relegated the following season with ex-Arsenal and England manager Tony Adams having an unfortunate stint as manager. It also comes as Wanda Group are apparently reducing their relationship with Atletico Madrid, although the exact connections there are always difficult to decipher.
What is clear is that Wu Lei has been easily the most impactful of LaLiga’s January signings, and could well turn out to be the most important new arrival in Spanish football in a decade. The only thing that could top his first few weeks is a 'derbi' goal against Barcelona, with Espanyol visiting the Camp Nou later this month. The audience for that game should break even more records.
