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at a time when chinese football was at a low point, an encouraging news came from spain.spanish club levante officially announced that chinese player zhang ziqi from shenzhen atlético españa youth training has officially joined the team!

signing with a spanish professional club is not the end but the beginning. ziqi's efforts finally allowed him to step onto this bigger stage. along the way, there were countless difficulties. only those who have experienced it know how difficult this road is. but the light of dreams always illuminates ziqi's way forward on this road. let us learn about zhang ziqi's story of pursuing his dream in madrid.

ziqi has a solid foundation since he was young. his outstanding football skills make him favored by coaches wherever he goes. his magical left foot can often deliver exquisite passes and score wonderful goals. he has an easy-going personality and comprehensive skills. he can play any position the coach asks him to play. his father also jokingly calls ziqi a jack of all trades.

however, ziqi's football growth path was not so smooth. although ziqi's technical ability is very good, as he grows older, his performance in some high-level games is sometimes not satisfactory.

after joining the spanish atlético youth training in 2016, ziqi suddenly became enlightened under the constant guidance of the coach. under the pure spanish training system, the training of different intensities allowed ziqi to better adapt to the rhythm of the game. at the same time, the subtle tactical concepts were constantly accumulated in the usual training. ziqi made rapid progress and soon became the captain of the spanish atlético 07 team.because he has a pair of big ears, ziqi is also called "ears" by everyone in the team.

during the vacation, erduo went to madrid and successfully passed the trial, but what he saw and heard in spain made him realize that he still had a long way to go.

"in the spanish youth team, we can participate in an official match organized by the madrid football association every week, but in china, we may have to wait for several months before we have the opportunity to play, and we will play all the games in a few days." the idea of ​​going to spain to play football became firmly established in erduo's mind.

in order to realize his dream of playing football in spain, despite many unknown difficulties ahead, erduo continued to train and started learning spanish, looking forward to that day coming as soon as possible.

during the spanish competitions, many chinese super league clubs saw his potential and wanted to invite him to join, but they were all rejected without exception. because once he signed the contract, it would be difficult for him to study abroad. erduo and his parents knew clearly that spain's advanced high-quality training methods and a large number of high-level competition opportunities were not available in china.

in september 2021, as the plane landed at madrid barajas airport, erduo's overseas study trip to spain officially began.

in china, erduo's ability was obvious to all, and he was full of confidence and expectations about studying abroad. however, when he first arrived in spain, erduo discovered how cruel the reality was.

for erduo, the match against the first-level team of the same age group left a deep impression on him. in that match, his biggest feeling was that the gap between him and the opponent was too obvious in terms of rhythm, intensity, awareness, positioning, etc. usually, he could handle the ball calmly, but in the game, if he didn't think about the next step in advance, he would have no time to make the next move. in addition, the pace of the game was very fast, and his physical strength was completely unable to keep up.

faced with this gap, the ears cannot change in a short period of time. they can only gradually narrow it through repeated training and game after game. only by improving their own strength can they prove themselves to their teammates and coaches. when continuous efforts accumulate to a certain level, the ears that focus on games and training have gradually adapted.

the three years in madrid passed very quickly. my ears improved and grew in all aspects, and i also celebrated my 16th birthday.

in terms of study, erduo has excellent academic performance in mirabal, an international school ranked in the top five in spain, and his teachers are reluctant to let him leave. in three years, he has also learned spanish very well. in terms of football, erduo has completely adapted to the rhythm and scored various goals with his own skills in the game. he also enjoys the football atmosphere in spain. even if it is just a team game, there will be spectators coming to the scene every week to cheer and encourage him.

last september, when he was two years younger, erduo represented emfo club u19 and won the championship trophy in the cup in oviedo.

although erduo still has considerable physical disadvantages due to the age difference, he is fully capable of keeping up with the pace of the u19 in terms of awareness and technical and tactical aspects.

it is not easy to get recognition from local clubs in spain, especially for chinese players, who need to perform better than others to dispel the stereotype that chinese football has long been backward among spaniards. erduo's three years of hard work in madrid did not disappoint those who supported him behind the scenes, and his performance eventually won the recognition of local spanish clubs.

for erduo, joining the team does not mean the end, but a new starting point. on the road to professional football, erduo will face more intense competition and a higher level of league. of course, erduo will also gain more growth. he will continue to work hard and fight for his dream!

atlético de españa will continue to stick to its original aspirations and work hard on youth training, striving to enable more "ears" to gain a foothold in spanish clubs and grow with the best spanish players. i hope that we can see chinese players appear in spanish professional competitions again soon!

content source | spanish atlético fc