As the 40-man shortlist for the Golden Boy Award was released, Mark also received good news:
Kicker magazine was preparing to invite him and Ronaldinho for an exclusive interview!
In the eyes of Kicker's producers, a meeting between the German Elf and the Samba Elf would certainly be interesting!
Mark naturally accepted this invitation with pleasure!
It was because of his playing style, which was very similar to Ronaldinho's, that he earned the nicknames "German Ronaldinho" and "German Elf"!
And so, under Kicker's arrangement, later that day, Ling Feng, dressed in casual clothes, arrived at a photography studio in Berlin.
Just as he was shaking hands with the on-site staff, a familiar figure suddenly appeared before him.
With his hair tied up and that brilliant smile, it was Ronaldinho!
Although he had gained a little weight,
the smile on his face was still as joyful as ever!
Mark stepped forward and greeted Ronaldinho in Portuguese, a language he had practiced at least ten times: "Roni, how are you?"
Facing Mark, his junior, Ronaldinho also showed a brilliant smile and shook his hand: "Very well, and you..."
Ronaldinho, already 34, had just terminated his contract with Atlético Mineiro this summer and then transferred to Querétaro FC in the Mexican Super League.
Although far from the mainstream European football world, the Samba Elf was still enjoying the joy of football on the pitch!
And this interview also made Ronaldinho feel very interesting.
Although Ronaldinho had been following this football junior in Germany since the semifinals of the Brazil World Cup,
and they had interacted on social media and followed each other,
this was still his first offline meeting with Mark.
After a hug and some small talk with the help of a translator, the two sat on a sofa and began the exclusive interview facing the camera.
"Mark, you have repeatedly stated on social media and in public that Ronaldinho is your football idol. Now, how does it feel to be interviewed with your idol?"
Upon hearing this, "This feeling is like a dream!"
"You know, I grew up watching Roni play, and I never thought I'd be able to sit on the same sofa with him one day..."
"Of course, it's still a bit regrettable that we're not playing together on the field."
Mark was speaking 100% truthfully.
Before transmigrating, he had never imagined that he would one day be able to meet Ronaldinho face to face.
Let alone sit together for an interview!
Learning Mark's answer from the translator, Ronaldinho's smile also became even brighter.
This young man really knows how to give face!
"Roni, have you watched Mark's games?"
Facing this question, Ronaldinho first nodded, then replied in Portuguese: "I watched his games in the World Cup, and I thought, this is a genius!"
"This excellent young man beside you has been shortlisted for the Golden Boy Award and is highly favored by many. As a senior who once lifted the Golden Ball, how much chance do you think he has of winning the Golden Boy Award?"
Facing this question, Ronaldinho answered almost without hesitation: "He is definitely the best candidate!"
After a pause, Ronaldinho added: "He reminds me of Lionel, both young and equally talented..."
Through the translator, Mark learned that Ronaldinho actually compared him to a young Messi, and ripples rose in Mark's heart... However, Mark's achievements before the age of nineteen had already surpassed Messi's!
To become the world cup golden boot at eighteen and lift the world cup trophy, even Messi couldn't do that!
However, what surprised Mark and everyone even more was Ronaldinho's next words: "Actually, after the World Cup, I called Bartomeu and recommended Mark to them."
What?!
Ronaldinho actually recommended himself to the Barça president?!
This exclusive news, revealed by Ronaldinho himself, also surprised Mark a bit.
As soon as these words came out, the interviewer seemed to have caught something, his eyes lit up, and he immediately pressed on;
"Did you really do that?"
"Why not? I mean no offense to Wolfsburg, but I just feel that every team would want a talent like Mark."
According to Ronaldinho, Mark suddenly remembered:
During the summer transfer window, among many offers, there was indeed an offer from Barça!
Although Barça had Neymar on the left wing and Messi on the right wing.
And compared to established superstars like Neymar and Messi, Mark was merely an emerging supernova.
However, it was understandable that Barça tried to introduce him as a substitute for Neymar and Messi.
After all, he was only nineteen years old and had a lot of room for improvement.
Moreover, his transfer fee was not expensive; tens of millions of euros were small change for a giant like Barça.
However, Mark was not ready to leave Wolfsburg at that time.
Furthermore, at an age where he was developing rapidly, going to Barça to be a substitute would not help his growth much.
"Mark, how did you reject Barça?"
"Barça is a great club, but I was only focused on helping Wolfsburg achieve good results in the Bundesliga at the time, and I hadn't thought about transferring..."
"Of course, if I could play with Roni, that would be something hard to refuse."
At this moment, Ronaldinho suddenly reached out and patted Mark's shoulder, saying: "I will hold a charity match this winter, you must participate then."
"It would be my honor!"
As the conversation deepened, the interview continued.
"After you scored the Nolookshoot in the German Cup, you made the Brazilian greeting gesture. You also said in an interview that this was a tribute to Ronaldinho, is that right?"
"Yes, and the Samba dance on the Bundesliga field was also like that."
Through the translator, Ronaldinho also understood Mark's words and then said: "I saw your Samba dance online, it's very good!"
With that, Ronaldinho actually stood up from the sofa and waved to Mark.
Seeing this, the translator on the side also promptly explained: "He means he wants to dance a segment with you."
Upon hearing this, Mark suddenly understood and immediately got up, standing beside Ronaldinho.
Immediately after, Ronaldinho taught Mark a Samba dance in front of everyone.
And Mark, with his super learning ability, learned this new Samba dance after only two attempts. Seeing Mark's learning progress, Ronaldinho, as a mentor, patted Mark's shoulder with great satisfaction and then said: "You can use this to celebrate after you score a goal then!"
"No problem!"
After a high-five, the two sat down again.
After a small interaction, the exclusive interview continued: "This is only your first full Bundesliga season. As a young player, you have shown an extraordinary state from the very beginning."
"This season, you are in full swing, having scored nine goals in seven Bundesliga matches. With just one more goal, you will become the youngest player to score ten goals in a single Bundesliga season. Also, what made your goals suddenly become so numerous?"
Ronaldinho, hearing about Mark's goal-scoring efficiency, also gave a thumbs up: "Nine goals in seven games? Wow, excellent goal-scoring efficiency!"
Even in his prime, top strikers who could achieve nine goals in seven games in the top five Leagues were few and far between!
Not to mention, Mark is only nineteen years old this year!
And Mark's answer was also very humble: "I think the reason I can score so many goals is largely due to the trust of the coach and teammates..."
"They are all very willing to pass the ball to me, and the team's tactics make me feel at ease..."
After talking about his feelings about playing in the Bundesliga, the interviewer shifted the topic to the National Team: "By the way, Mark, tell us about your feelings when you were selected for the National Team?"
"I remember that morning I was preparing to return to the team base when I suddenly received an unfamiliar call."
"It was a call from Mr. Hans Flick, the National Team assistant coach, who informed me that I was called up to the 30-man squad for the World Cup..."
"Then, I arrived in South Tyrol, Italy..."
"I remember very clearly that the first teammate I saw was Thomas (Müller)..."
"Then I met my teammates in the locker room..."
"Of course, I understand very well what a huge trust it is to take a rookie who just started playing in the Bundesliga to the World Cup..."
The entire exclusive interview program lasted for thirty minutes.
It was mainly the reporter asking Mark various questions, both on and off the field, and then Ronaldinho also talked about his experiences.
After all, many fans hoped to learn more about Mark, this great German star who made a name for himself at the World Cup, and what kind of young man he truly was.
Was he a down-to-earth idol who liked to interact with fans on social media, or a happy boy who always smiled on the pitch no matter what?
Or a new-era idol superstar who performed exceptionally both on and off the field?!
Through this exclusive interview, fans would certainly gain a better understanding of him.
A few days later, video clips of this exclusive interview appeared on the homepage of Kicker's official website.
And the title of the program was also very fitting: "A Dialogue Between the German Elf and the Samba Elf!"
An interview with the German Ronaldinho and the Real Ronaldinho?!
This wave of buzz and traffic went through the roof.
In just a few hours, the viewership exceeded 200,000!
It's worth noting that since the German Team crushed the Samba Army in the World Cup semifinals, Mark had gained many Brazilian haters.
However, after learning that Mark had paid tribute to Ronaldinho after scoring, and defeated their arch-rival Argentina in the final, many Brazilian fans felt that this kid was pretty good, and they all turned from haters to fans.
After watching the entire exclusive interview, Barça fans finally learned that Ronaldinho had once recommended Mark to Barça!
However, for Barça fans, whether Mark joined or not actually had no impact.
Because the team's trident was the already powerful MSN trio!
Even if Mark joined Barça, he would only be a substitute for MSN.
If Mark came, the team's bench depth would be stronger.
If he didn't come, they wouldn't have any loss.
In their opinion, even if Mark topped the Bundesliga scoring charts and led Wolfsburg to ten consecutive victories in various competitions;
And had scored the winning goal in the World Cup, directly defeating Messi.
However, he was ultimately no match for an established superstar like Neymar.
Mark didn't know that the noble Barça fans looked down on him.
He only knew that this exclusive interview had significantly increased his social media followers.
Most of these new fans were Ronaldinho's fans and supporters.
Seeing Ronaldinho think so highly of Mark, out of love for Ronaldinho, they also began to pay attention to this young man who debuted with the nickname "German Ronaldinho"... October 26th.
Bundesliga Matchday 9, Volkswagen Arena.
Wolfsburg hosted Mainz, led by Tuchel.
The match reached the sixtieth minute, with the score at one-all.
De Bruyne once again assisted Olić, helping the team take the lead at home.
Unfortunately, in this match, Wolfsburg faced stubborn resistance from Mainz at home.
Under Mainz's defensive counter-attack tactics, although Wolfsburg suppressed their opponents, they didn't have many ways to score, and instead, the opponent equalized with a limited counter-attack.
Seeing the situation deadlock and unable to score for a long time, Hecking on the sidelines naturally thought of his ace!
"Mark, go warm up!"
"Alright!"
..
Seeing Mark get up to warm up, a cheer immediately erupted in the stands.
"Mark!"
"Great, Mark is about to come on!"
"Mark! Take them down!"
The live broadcast camera also immediately focused on Mark, who was warming up on the sidelines.
"Mark Lane is warming up!"
"He has been out for two games due to injury since he was tackled in the international match against Ireland on the 15th."
"Especially in the Champions League group stage match against Sporting CP, Wolfsburg, without their top attacker, had their winning streak ended..."
"Before this match, Hecking admitted that Mark's recovery was promising and he should be able to return from injury in this match."
"It seems Wolfsburg is about to unleash their ultimate weapon..."
A few minutes later, after finishing his warm-up, Mark took off his substitute vest and down jacket, revealing the long number ten jersey underneath.
He walked to the sidelines, stood beside head coach Hecking, and prepared to enter the field.
Taking advantage of the play not being dead yet, Hecking also seized the opportunity to give Mark tactical instructions before coming on: "Mark, once you're on, you have one mission on the left flank!"
"That is to tear open their defense!"
Upon hearing this, Mark nodded seriously.
Two minutes later, a dead-ball situation.
Caligiuri, who started as the left winger in this match, was substituted, and Mark came on as a substitute!
After high-fiving Caligiuri, Mark jogged onto the field amidst the enthusiastic applause of all the fans.
Smelling the familiar and fresh scent of grass in the air, and hearing the applause and cheers echoing in his ears, Mark couldn't help but squint his eyes.
This feeling was truly captivating.
De Bruyne also actively came forward and high-fived him: "Partner, welcome back!"
...
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