Chapter 336: Chapter 78: Combo Skill! Dribbling Past Three! Is That Really Wang Shuo? Sidelining the Head Coach? The Juicy Scoop on Klopp

Buvac had no such qualms, twisting the knife on the spot. "He really did. Spoke better than you."

After saying that, the two assistant coaches ran off.

Klopp was so angry he looked ready to explode.

’So, does that mean I, the head coach, am just a useless decoration? Is that it?’

...

But it had to be said, after the second half began, Dortmund’s morale was absolutely explosive!

From the restart, Dortmund pushed forward aggressively, relentlessly pressing and harrying Cologne.

In the 46th minute, Podolski committed a foul trying to win the ball back after losing it and was shown a yellow card.

In the 50th minute, Cologne’s left-back Wormer fouled Kuba while defending and was also shown a yellow card.

Then it was Maniche...

Dortmund attacked nonstop, constantly creating dangerous situations.

Wang Shuo, having already scored two goals, was heavily marked, but he used his presence to draw Cologne’s defenders and create opportunities for his teammates.

In the 57th minute, it was a pass from Wang Shuo after dropping back. Reus made a breakthrough run with the ball on the left flank, winning a corner. Shahin’s precise delivery found Hummels, who headed it into the net.

3-0!

Then, in the 63rd minute, Wang Shuo again dropped back to orchestrate the play. Kuba powered through on the right wing with the ball, once again winning a corner. This time, Shahin’s assist found Subotic, who headed it home.

4-0!

And in the 68th minute, Wang Shuo sent a through ball to Kuba, who broke into the right side of the box and sent a cross to the far post. Reus followed up with a tap-in, sealing the score at 5-0!

Throughout the second half, Cologne paid the price with a total of six yellow cards.

Dortmund had only one.

The result left Klopp, Buvac, and the others on the sideline staring in disbelief.

"Jurgen, how about we let Wang Shuo handle the pre-game and halftime pep talks from now on?" Buvac suggested.

A flash of temptation crossed Klopp’s eyes, immediately followed by a wave of resentment. He let out a cold snort.

He looked incredibly conflicted.

It was the first time a certain thought had crossed his mind: ’When your apprentice is this good, the pressure on the master is immense!’

Especially after the match ended. As the team captain—albeit only the temporary on-field captain—Wang Shuo still had to go to the sideline for a television interview.

As usual, Wang Shuo credited all the success to his teammates.

These kinds of interviews were no longer difficult for him.

Finally, he led his teammates to the corner of the stadium where the visiting fans were to thank the hundreds of Dortmund supporters who had traveled for the away game.

After the match, numerous German media outlets, including Bild and Kicker Magazine, immediately published their game commentary and reports.

They all gave extremely high praise for Wang Shuo’s performance in his debut as Dortmund’s on-field captain.

The 5-0 thrashing of Cologne was also the best performance of any team in this round of the Bundesliga.

However, in the same round, Bayer Leverkusen also defeated Mainz 4-2 at home. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Schalke 04 beat Nuremberg 1-0 at home.

So, overall, Dortmund still maintained the lead they had at the end of the first half of the season.

But as time passed, more inside details began to leak out.

First, at the post-match press conference, Klopp was full of praise for Wang Shuo’s performance, but not for his two goals. Instead, he lauded Wang Shuo’s role on the team.

"In this match, he truly became the team’s undisputed leader!"

Spurred by Klopp’s statement, the German media dug deeper and soon uncovered more inside stories from the locker room.

Things like the teammates’ reactions to Wang Shuo’s pep talk and his general conduct all received unanimous approval from within the locker room.

In the end, the media reached a conclusion.

Klopp was right!

After the match, Dortmund also officially announced the details of Weidenfeller’s injury.

A minor muscle strain, sidelining him for a month.

...

January 24th, 12:30 AM Capital time.

This was the late match on the second day of the Bundesliga’s 19th round.

Dortmund was at home, facing Hamburg.

Before this match, Capital Television had sent a special interview crew to Dortmund, Germany. They not only followed and reported on Dortmund’s training but also interviewed members of the coaching staff, including Klopp, as well as club executives like Laubal, Watzke, and Zorc.

Several of Dortmund’s players were also interviewed.

Almost everyone had nothing but praise for Wang Shuo.

And of course, Wang Shuo himself was interviewed.

He was the first Chinese player to wear the captain’s armband in a top European league.

This was not only an affirmation of Wang Shuo but also a form of recognition for all Chinese players.

The interview was officially released before this Bundesliga match, attracting a huge number of viewers.

Through this interview, everyone gained a clearer understanding of Wang Shuo’s life and career in the Bundesliga, as well as the weight he carried among Dortmund’s management, coaches, players, and fans.

And before broadcasting the match live, Capital Television also aired several pre-game interviews with Dortmund fans.

When they heard the reporters were from Wang Shuo’s home country, they all became even more polite.

They all enthusiastically cheered for Wang Shuo on camera, hoping he would keep scoring goals!

One elderly, white-haired fan, wearing Wang Shuo’s number 9 jersey, said emotionally to the camera, "I hope that in my lifetime, I can see Dortmund lift the Bundesliga championship shield!"

"Go, Wang Shuo!"

This moved countless fans back in China who were waiting in front of their televisions for the live broadcast of the match.