Lance knew that his rhythm would be quite intense.
German and English media are cut from the same cloth; they would definitely seize his statement and widely publicize it, labeling him as a young man who doesn't know his place.
It was like the World Cup Asian Qualifiers, where the Chinese National Football Team had just been defeated by Indonesia.
Chinese National Football Team players, when interviewed by the media, publicly stated:
"We want to defeat Japan and Korea and qualify as Asia's top seed."
It looked just as ridiculous.
As expected, the news frenzy was even more intense than Lance had imagined.
Bayern München's throne in the Bundesliga was as stable as an old dog, and they had the six-time champion coach Pep Guardiola at the helm.
Jürgen Klopp's Borussia Dortmund was also at its peak, creating a significant gap with other Bundesliga teams.
And here you are, a little kid, talking about winning the Bundesliga?
"Bayer Leverkusen's Away Comeback + Last-Minute Winner Against Schalke, Miracle Boy Points to Bundesliga Title"
"[Bild Report] Last night, in the Bundesliga's 4th round focus match, 16-year-old Belgian-Chinese genius Lance came on as a substitute and scored twice within 10 minutes, then sealed the win against FC Schalke 04 in stoppage time with a 25-meter volleyed world-class goal!
This Chinese teenager, with two spectacular goals, broke three records: youngest player to appear in the Bundesliga, youngest goal-scorer, and 'fastest brace as a substitute'!
...After the match, the 'Miracle Boy' publicly stated that Bayer Leverkusen's goal this season is the Bundesliga title.
Lance's performance was indeed stunning enough to make him an overnight sensation, arguably the biggest surprise signing for Bayer Leverkusen this season.
However, his post-match comments still sparked some controversy.
'Winning the Bundesliga? We need to focus on the next match.' Head coach Sascha Lewandowski's awkward smile at the post-match press conference said it all.
The last time Bayer Leverkusen won a title was the UEFA Cup in the 1987/88 season;
Their last league title was the 2. Bundesliga championship in the 1987/88 season.
Since the Bundesliga's inception, Bayer Leverkusen's best result was runner-up in the 1999/2000 Bundesliga season,
That year, they regrettably earned the 'Triple Runner-up' title, narrowly missing out on the championship.
Since then, the Bayer Leverkusen team has generally hovered in the middle to upper ranks of the Bundesliga...
German football legend Lothar Matthäus wrote in his column:
'It's good for a young man to have ambition, but I hope Lance's intention is merely to motivate the team to keep striving, and not genuinely to target the Bundesliga title, as that would bring a lot of unnecessary pressure.
Currently, Bayer Leverkusen has 3 wins and 1 loss at the start of the season, and they have a chance to maintain a top-four position and strive for qualification for next season's Champions League group stage..."
Traditional newspapers, television, and other official media were generally supportive of Lance,
They mostly praised his on-field performance, commending Lance's ability to seize opportunities, as well as his courage to fight hard and execute.
The evaluations were generally positive.
It's harmless for young people to say something ambitious.
But on the internet, German netizens were not so polite.
On Twitter, the comment sections under official media posts were full of sarcasm:
"@SouthStandBeerBelly: When Bayer Leverkusen last won a title, his parents were probably still in diapers, right? This kid scores two goals and starts dreaming of the salad bowl? Let Manuel Neuer retire first!"
"@Jason7799: Youngest Bundesliga goal record? Sorry, you're already being watched by Bayern München scouts."
"@BeastJack522: The last one who said he'd overturn Bayern München, Mario Götze, is currently warming the bench. This kid from Bayer Leverkusen has a faster mouth than his feet."
"@BVBforever: He looked so cool scoring two goals to overturn FC Schalke 04, but it's a shame the kid is too young and a bit carried away."
"@MinerSoul: It's true we lost to a high schooler, but at least we know we're bad. Does Bayer Leverkusen really think they're good? Keep dreaming, kid!"
The next day, as Lance rode his bicycle to the base,
He walked into the cafeteria and found all his teammates turning to look at him.
"What's wrong?"
"Our hero is here!!!"
"Lance! You looked so cool saying we'd win the Bundesliga!"
"Exactly, why can't we win the Bundesliga?"
"We're only 3 points behind Bayern München now, maybe we can do it!"
"Alright, stop messing around, let Lance eat quickly, don't delay training."
Captain Simon Rolfes dispersed the teasing teammates.
"Lance, don't take the public opinion to heart. The media will say anything; they'll stop at nothing to create news. I hope it won't affect you."
???
Lance was still confused. What was going on?
It wasn't until Julian Brandt showed him his phone and he saw the Twitter comments that Lance realized he was trending.
"Just because of this? I just said it casually, can this even be news?"
"That's how journalism is, there's no helping it."
"And what I meant was at least win a title, I didn't say it had to be the Bundesliga. The DFB-Pokal is also a title, isn't it?"
Lance realized that the reporters had twisted his meaning into an absolute claim of winning the Bundesliga title.
Subtle differences in wording lead to different perceptions.
Bayer Leverkusen competing for the DFB-Pokal title isn't news.
Bayer Leverkusen aiming to overthrow Bayern München's dominance—that's news.
"Oh, man! A bit unfair."
"It's nothing, professional players inevitably make headlines, you'll get used to it. Keep up the good work, keep pushing next time."
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
The reason Lance decided to sign with Bayer Leverkusen was because during his one-week trial there, he felt the team atmosphere was quite good.
Although there was Philipp Wollscheid, that racist idiot,
Most of his other teammates were kind and friendly, and relatively united.
When Son Heung-min started, everyone tried their best to set him up, maximizing his offensive advantages.
When he came on as a substitute, no teammate intentionally isolated him or anything.
As soon as Lance came on and found an open space, the ball was passed to him by a teammate without any hesitation.
Perhaps they weren't the best of friends in private,
But on the training ground and the field, they were comrades fighting side by side.
The team cohesion in the locker room was excellent.
Simon Rolfes also hoped to use his position as captain to help Lance grow as much as possible.
After training, in the cold water bath, Lance let out a long sigh.
Diving into the icy cold water was a bit of torture at first, but then his leg muscles gradually relaxed, and Lance still felt quite refreshed.
"Lance, training's over, want to go have some fun?"
Julian Brandt had a mischievous grin.
"Fun?"
"Exactly, I know a place..."
"Alright, don't lead the kid astray."
Julian Brandt's words were cut off by the main striker Stefan Kießling before he could finish.
Looking at their expressions, Lance knew without even thinking that they were definitely going to a nightclub to have fun.
"No, I have remedial classes today, and I still have homework to do tonight."
"Homework? Why bother with that when you're playing football?"
Julian Brandt couldn't understand.
He himself, after becoming a professional player, had just barely scraped by with his high school diploma, never really studying.
Forget it, there was no explaining it to such a typical brainless jock.
Lance left the cold bath, took a shower, changed into casual clothes, and cycled to his school.
Halfway there, Lance suddenly noticed that the system in his mind seemed to have undergone a new change,
He quickly concentrated to check.
Template: Nagi Seishiro - S (Fusion Value 52%)
--Skill: Perfect Ball Control
--Skill: Unlocks at 55% Fusion Value
Rage Value: 0%
Hmm? If he got a few more chances to play, wouldn't he have the opportunity to unlock a new skill?
Lance hadn't even had time to get excited...
Screech—
A piercing sound of tires rubbing,
Feeling a huge impact, Lance was sent flying into the air!
At that moment, his heart was filled with despair.
"Is my football dream going to end just as it's beginning to set sail?"
Who can withstand encountering a road killer halfway through?!