Coaching career started as a college team coach

The Great North Road, also known as the A1, divides England in two from south to north.

It is worth noting that on the west side of this road is the prosperous territory of English football. On this land, many football cities such as Liverpool, Manchester, and London were born, and the teams in these cities are famous all over the world.

The West Midlands, like a horizontal thumb, occupies an inconspicuous position on the land west of the A1. People pay attention to this administrative region not only because of the University of Wolverhampton in Wolverhampton, but also because of the strong football culture.

Speaking of Wolverhampton Wanderers, perhaps no one can react, but if you tell people that the team's other nickname is "Wolves", then people will suddenly realize it.

The Wolves have experienced the ups and downs of a team in the past few decades. Founded in the second year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty, that is, 1877, the Wolves have a legendary history. Wolves once dominated the top English football league, which was then called the "League One", and has won the FA Cup trophy many times.

But at the same time, Wolves also wandered in the third-level league at that time.

At the turn of the century, Wolves became one of the founding teams of the English Premier League, but now the Wolves seem to have lost their mighty image.

"Is this really where we should be?"

When the referee's three long whistles rang through Molineux Stadium, the stadium fell into a dead silence, the cheers of Preston players were particularly harsh, and the clear 0-3 on the scoreboard told the few fans who came to watch the game that the team had not tasted victory for seven games.

No one could answer the question of the burly fan named Todd who wore an ill-fitting Wolves jersey.

Maybe it was, because they were just a League One team a few seasons ago. Today's League One is not the version of decades ago. Now the League One is the third-level league in England.

But maybe not, because everyone remembers that in the not-too-distant past, Molineux Stadium also made visiting Manchester United and Liverpool return home in defeat. At that time, Todd would throw his scarf with the Wolves logo high into the sky to pay tribute to the heroes who were much taller than him at the time.

Head coach Kenny Jackett forced a smile and greeted the exhausted players to go back to the locker room.

Todd sighed and staggered into the fan tunnel. Walking out of the stadium, the sun set, and more than 10,000 yellow figures separated at the end of the road and gradually disappeared in the night of the small town.

Spring has not yet arrived, Todd wrapped his coat tightly, and a glass of beer could not warm his heart.

In the past winter, Wolves had just undergone a transformation. After the painful precipitation of the English Championship, the team's ranking did not rise but fell. Faced with major economic pressure, the frustrated team chairman Morgan had no choice but to choose to trust the team.

At this moment, a businessman from the far east became the new owner of the team. Guo Guangchang and his Fosun Group have entered the blue ocean of England.

Rumors about personnel changes came one after another, and the losses in one game after another hit the hearts of everyone who supported Wolves again and again.

In February 2016, the news that a young coach from the East came to the U21 youth training team of Wolves as an assistant coach did not attract attention.

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After the final of the college team competition, Gao Hongbo had a long talk with Wei Le. Gao Hongbo was very interested in Wei Le's experience, and Wei Le also told him everything he knew. Gao Hongbo found that Wei Le had a deep understanding of the players and teams active in the professional arena, and his understanding of football tactics had reached an amazing level among people of the same age.

The school did arrange a match between the college team and the Beijing Tenglong team, but of course it was not the first team that came to face it, but the U18 youth team of Beijing Tenglong. In any case, the gap in the hard power of the players eventually led to a small loss of 1-2 for the law school team. Yang Qi returned to the place where he grew up and scored a goal on the field he was familiar with.

Soon, after Wei Le and his family made a joint decision, Wei Le went through the procedures for taking a leave of absence. With the recommendation of Gao Hongbo, he flew to Shanghai to participate in the China Football Association C-level coaching certificate training. He successfully completed his studies and graduated early in the surprised eyes of the training instructor. As an outstanding graduate, he boarded a plane to England and studied in the Department of Sports Management at Loughborough University.

If it is said that Wei Le's entry into the field of professional coaching was due to the help of a master, then Wei Le's ticket to the UK was the result of his own efforts.

"He deserves this job." Hearing Wei Le's rapid progress, Gao Hongbo said:Hongbo was silent for a long time. Although he saw Wei Le's talent, he didn't expect that Wei Le could do what most domestic coaches failed to do in just a few months.

Wei Le's rapid progress also made him famous in the domestic football circle. Although he still hasn't set foot in any professional team, his experience in "speed pass" training and his college background have made many people know him. He also met many people who could only be seen on TV.

Among them, Wei Le's best friend is Cai Huiqiang, who also returned from studying abroad and serves as the head coach of the Shanghai Port Youth Team. Cai Huiqiang is not much older than Wei Le, and he is also an alumnus of Loughborough University.

What surprised Wei Le the most was that Cai Huiqiang also played Football Manager! This gave them a lot of common language. The enthusiastic and cheerful Cai Huiqiang also has a strong interest in tactics. The two of them were free to talk on QQ. Wei Le got a lot of help from Cai Huiqiang, not only academic experience, but also help in life after going to England.

In the winter of 2015, Wei Le successfully passed the UEFA B-level coaching certificate and began to seek internship opportunities. In his spare time, he also signed up for the community team and played in the "Sunday League". At this time, Gao Hongbo, who was far away on the other side of the earth, called.

At this time, the Chinese national team was preparing for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Gao Hongbo, who was getting busy, did not forget to take care of Wei Le, who he was optimistic about. In his opinion, Fosun Group's acquisition of Wolves may be a great opportunity for Wei Le.

So, in this chilly spring season, a newcomer stood in front of a magnificent stadium on Waterloo Street in Wolverhampton.