Chanted by the crowd that gathered outside the RCDE Stadium, last Sunday, Wu Lei finished his funny speech by singing the “A Primera, oé!” ubiquitous these days among parakeets. And the battle cry will be practically real, well will be the first of the Espanyol footballers to meet again with his team and fans in LaLiga Santander. The reason is that the attacker will leave the blue and white discipline this weekend, after the dispute of the match against Cartagena. No one before him will leave the Second Division.
Neither Wu Lei is injured nor should he serve any sanction. The reason for his premature departure lies in the crucial commitments of his team, to which he returns after 18 months of absence. You will need to travel to China to join a two-week concentration in a bubble, in Shanghai, which the women's team already used before qualifying for the Tokyo Olympic Games, to face immediately after, having complied with all health protocols and without the threat of COVID-19 – although he already passed it a year ago -, the four meetings with which the Asian giant will try to access the World Cup of Qatar-2022.
Also those parties will be played inside a bubble, specifically in the stadium of the Suzhou Olympic Sports Center, curiously visited by Espanyol on their 2005 preseason tour. Not only those of the Chinese team, but all those of Group A. But, paradoxically, Yes there will be an audience, to the point that the entire capacity can be filled. Specifically, Wu Lei must be measured on Sunday May 30 against Guam, June 2 against the Maldives, on 9 against the Philippines and on 14, against Syria. Precisely this last selection is the rival to beat, since it had 15 points in five games, for the seven in four days added by China before the pandemic postponed the entire competition.
Wu Lei, in the stands that during the pandemic is used as a bench.
Eric Alonso (Getty Images)
Behind will leave Wu Lei a much more irregular season on an individual level than could be presumed, especially in light of his previous performance in First. Although he has participated in 30 games, he has only been able to score two goals and provide as many assists, and has only started in seven days. Not in vain, except for a surprise against Cartagena, the player will leave for China having completed one lap as a substitute.
On his return, already in First, Wu Lei will have other contract seasons with Espanyol, with which he renewed last August. Because his intention is none other than to continue wearing blue and white. And succeed in the European elite, as it has been carving out since its landing in February 2019 and with highlights like qualifying for Europe, with his goal included, or lthe target with which the parrots achieved a very famous draw against Barcelona, on January 4, 2020. But first, it goes into World mode.