Ye Chen's attitude towards the national team.
Actually, the difficulty of scoring four consecutive hat-tricks doesn't need much explanation. If it were easy, the record would have been broken long ago.
Even legendary players like Maradona, Pelé, Ronaldo, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Messi have never achieved such a feat.
Because of this, Ye Chen made history by appearing in an authoritative sports publication like Kicker.
Ye Chen's success in achieving so many hat-tricks is not just due to his own efforts but also thanks to the support of his team.
After all, Dortmund is one of the strongest teams in the Bundesliga. Moreover, among the four opponents he faced, aside from Werder Bremen, the others—Mainz, Augsburg, and Cologne—are all relatively weak teams.
Thinking back, the match against Bremen was the toughest...
After all, Ye Chen had to face Brazilian international Naldo!
That guy is seriously strong!
Taro Tano sat down, but other reporters still had plenty of questions to ask.
"I just received the latest news from our station: Cologne's official website has announced the termination of their contract with Tomoaki Makino. What do you think about this?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Chen chuckled slightly, but then his expression became serious. "Hearing such news is truly regrettable. I think this is a sad moment for the forwards of other teams."
"Pfft..."
Everyone thought Ye Chen would give a standard, polite response, but who knew he would suddenly change his tone...
Savage!
Absolutely savage!
Taro Tano clenched his fists in the audience and raised his hand high again.
Unfortunately, the press officer completely ignored him!
At this moment, Li Xinran was given the opportunity to ask a question. The press officer was quite familiar with her, as Klopp had spoken with her several times before.
"We all know why you left the U17 national team, but I'd like to ask—if the senior national team calls you up, will you join? Do you hold any resentment towards the national team?" Li Xinran asked Ye Chen seriously.
This was the question she cared about the most, but it was also the one her news agency had forbidden her from asking.
After all, the agency had a cooperative relationship with the football association.
But she wanted to know the answer, and so did millions of fans.
If the national team calls Ye Chen up, will he represent them?
Countless fans are eagerly waiting for Ye Chen to join the national team and lead them to victory!
To be honest, Ye Chen was also surprised by this question. He even found it strange—why would Li Xinran ask such a sensitive question?
But he didn't avoid it because he wanted to make his stance clear.
"First of all, I must tell everyone that I have always been proud and honored to be Chinese! That is something engraved in my bones, and I will never forget it!"
"Before I turned 17, I dreamed of being part of the Chinese national team. Even if it was just to train with them, pick up balls, hand out towels, or bring water to my teammates, I would have been happy to do it!"
"But now, I no longer have that dream."
"When football becomes impure, when even getting playing time requires understanding 'the rules,' what is the point of me going back?"
"I know that many fans hope to see me play for the national team."
"But let me emphasize one thing—it's not that I don't want to play for my country, it's that they don't want me."
"Of course..." Ye Chen smirked coldly and said, "Now, I don't care to be associated with them either!"
Li Xinran trembled slightly.
Was the Ye Chen before her really just a 17-year-old boy?
Why did he exude such a sense of dominance?
"Who exactly are you referring to when you say 'they'?" Li Xinran swallowed nervously and pressed on.
"Of course, the entire football association!" Ye Chen smiled. "Until the football association undergoes a complete reform, I won't step into that mess!"
Before he was 17, his dream was to play for his country and bring the red jersey to the grandest stage.
But expecting one player to single-handedly take the national team to the World Cup?
Right now, he wasn't a football god!
Ye Chen had even imagined a scenario—when he was desperately trying to win, his teammates wouldn't even bother to run.
Not because they were too tired, but simply because they didn't want to.
For them, just appearing on the field was enough. As long as they had enough appearances, they would receive generous salaries.
The football association was already rotten to the core, and it wasn't something he alone could change.
So he expressed his true thoughts directly.
He knew that saying these words would bring endless criticism and online hate.
But he said them anyway.
"Even if ten million people stand in my way, I will press forward!"
Facing the devastated state of the football association, someone had to stand up.
Even if, right now, his voice was weak...
Li Xinran was completely stunned.
She felt like she had opened a massive can of worms with this question.
If this interview got out... the consequences would be unimaginable.
However, Ye Chen had spoken in German.
So all the reporters on-site understood what he had said!
"What's the situation with the Chinese national team?"
"Why was Ye kicked out of the U17 team? Does anyone know?"
"You don't know? And you call yourself a sports journalist?"
"What exactly happened? I don't follow Chinese football news!"
Gossip is human nature.
Ye Chen's words had piqued everyone's curiosity.
But at that moment, Ye Chen simply stood up slightly and said to Klopp beside him, "Boss, I'm heading back to the locker room first!"
"Alright, go ahead!" Klopp smiled warmly and spoke to Ye Chen dotingly.
To be honest, he truly felt for Ye Chen.
At his age, Ye Chen should be surrounded by love.
But he was all alone.
Sometimes Klopp wondered, if he were in Ye Chen's position, would he have been able to persist?
There was no answer to that question...
Because he could never truly understand the depth of that loneliness.
A person alone in the world, like a floating weed without roots...
Who knows how strong he had to be to shine so brightly in the Bundesliga?
It was precisely because of this resilience that Klopp repeatedly emphasized that Ye Chen was capable of anything.
He firmly believed that in the future, Ye Chen would stand at a height that even he would have to look up to!
Watching Ye Chen walk away, Klopp's smile vanished and was replaced with a serious expression.
"What's your name again?" Klopp pointed at Taro Tano. "Oh, never mind. From now on, tell Tokyo Sports to send someone else to the press conferences. Also, don't ever disrespect Ye again!"
"Wh... why?"
"Do I need to explain myself to you? My rules are my rules!" Klopp slammed the table, cutting him off.
In front of true strength, the Japanese journalist immediately shrank back.
The room fell silent.
Klopp rarely got angry like this—not even after losing a match.
But now, Ye Chen had become his untouchable bottom line.
Anyone who crossed it would pay the price!
Klopp then turned to Li Xinran. "Miss Li, you are Ye's friend, but I hope that from now on, you won't ask him about the national team anymore!"
"Alright, I understand!" Li Xinran nodded quickly.
Klopp nodded in satisfaction. "To be honest, if I were Löw, I would personally invite Ye to join the German national team. That way, I wouldn't have to struggle between Gomez and Podolski!"
The room was instantly shocked.
Did Klopp really think Ye was better than Gomez and Podolski?
As everyone was still in disbelief, Klopp smiled. "Don't question my words. Just ask Löw if he wants Ye Chen in the German team, and you'll have your answer! Oh, and in the next match, Dortmund will do everything to help Ye set a Guinness World Record!"