Chapter 106 Domestic Media Interview
The interview with Fino by Sports Weekly was originally scheduled to take place at Fino's home, but AC Milan intercepted it.
Upon learning of this, the publicity department immediately reported it to Galliani, who then made the decision to discuss with Fino whether the filming location for "Sports Weekly" could be moved to Milanello, which would be a good opportunity to promote Milan's youth training program.
AC Milan has plans to open youth training camps in China. On the one hand, they can use the reputation of the AC Milan club to earn training fees one session at a time. On the other hand, they can also try out and select talented young players to provide talent for AC Milan.
Since Chinese media outlets are interviewing Fino, why not take advantage of the publicity?
Fino himself had no problem with it, so he called Liu Yangfan to ask for his opinion.
Liu Yangfan also said that it was no problem, it didn't matter where the interview was conducted. In Milanello, they could also take some footage of the club, which would be even better.
This interview was arranged in a photography studio in Milanello, which was fully equipped with backdrops and various shooting equipment for the Sports Weekly team to use. A Milan photographer was even arranged to assist, showing Sports Weekly the utmost respect and support.
Liu Yangfan was very satisfied. This is how the relationship between the media and the club should be: friendly cooperation and mutual benefit—how wonderful! He saw Milan's sincerity and naturally didn't mind doing more positive publicity for Milan, since the fans would love it anyway.
This interview will primarily be presented in print media form, but the entire process will also be recorded, and some short videos will be edited and published on the Sports Weekly's online platform—in the internet age, traditional print media must also keep pace with the times.
Mendes brought a stylist to do light makeup for Fino, and at the strong request of Milan's publicity department, she wore AC Milan's home jersey and a long training jacket for this season.
Therefore, the stylist simply styled Fino's hair and added the thin black headband that Fino always wears when he goes on stage, emphasizing a free and casual sporty style.
Yes, he looks good. Mendes is very satisfied.
The topics of this interview were relatively lighthearted. Sports Weekly aimed to introduce the real Fino to domestic fans, so the interview covered a lot of Fino's upbringing, work, and life. The questions were carefully selected and moderate, without deliberately stirring up controversy to grab attention, and certainly not as gossipy as tabloids.
Mendes was deeply moved when he saw the interview outline. He wished all the media in the world were as friendly as the Chinese media!
After a brief exchange, the interview began.
Liu Yangfan opened with a smile: "Hello, Fino, come and say hello to our fans in China!"
Fino smiled and waved to the camera: "Hello to my fans back home, I'm Fino Cabrini, 20 years old, and I play for AC Milan as a striker. I'm very happy to be interviewed by Titan Sports, and I hope you can support me and AC Milan."
Liu Yangfan raised the first question, which is also the question that domestic fans are most concerned about.
"There has always been discussion about your bloodline in China, but the information that has been sent back to China is too vague, with all sorts of different claims. Could you personally introduce your family structure and answer everyone's questions?"
Fino nodded.
“My maternal grandmother is Chinese. She came to Italy when she was very young, I guess it was during the Anti-Japanese War. There are old photos of her in Italy when she was a teenager. As for why she chose to travel across the ocean and how she got to Italy, we don’t know. My maternal grandfather and father are both Italian, so I have one-quarter Chinese blood.”
Liu Yangfan then asked, "There are reports that you were in a car accident when you were a child and lost all your memories, including your language. But you speak Chinese very well, without any accent. Did you remember it later?"
"Because I am a pure Chinese, reborn in an Italian body," Fino answered in his mind, but saying it aloud was too shocking.
"No. My memories begin after the car accident. Information about the time before the accident can only be found through old family photos, diaries, letters, and other items, as well as records from relevant departments. I also had to learn the language again, but I think my relatives must have taught me, so I still have memories of it deep in my mind, which is why I was able to learn Chinese quickly and well."
"You were born and raised in Italy, and you also work and live in Italy. You don't have any relatives or friends around you who can communicate with you in Chinese. Why do you want to learn Chinese again?" Liu Yangfan asked another question.
This question is for Fino to explain its pro-China stance, which will be very helpful for Fino's business development in China, and it also reflects Liu Yangfan's goodwill.
“I have no blood relatives left, and I am all alone in this world, but I always feel that China holds a part of my emotions. Language and culture are the only connection between me and China, and I don’t want to sever this connection.”
Fino understood Liu Yangfan's goodwill, and he could have said something very emotional to please Chinese fans, but he thought about it and decided against it. He was Chinese, and he had only survived to his teens thanks to the help of his country and society; his love for his country didn't need to be faked. In the end, he spoke his true feelings.
Liu Yangfan patted him on the shoulder and changed the subject.
"Could you tell me your story with Milan?"
"It all started with the 1998 World Cup in France. During the World Cup, the football atmosphere in Italy was extremely enthusiastic, and that's when I started to fall in love with football. Then I came to Milan for a trial and was lucky enough to pass. I was very tall when I was a child, and after joining Milan's youth academy, I started training as a goalkeeper. But when I was 16 and ready to sign an apprenticeship contract, I found out that I was just a precocious puberty and my growth plates were almost closed, so I couldn't grow any taller."
Liu Yangfan added, "So you changed your position to striker."
Fino nodded: "Yes. That period was super tough. I was playing as a goalkeeper in the youth team matches while trying out other positions. Luckily, I did pretty well as a striker. At that time, the first team was short of players, so I was promoted to the first team to train with the team. I would occasionally get some substitute time on the field, and last season I slowly started to play as a starter."
Liu Yangfan raised an eyebrow: "Isn't that too modest? Is this what you call 'playing alright'? You played amazingly well, scoring hat tricks multiple times, winning several games in a row, and even a beautiful bicycle kick. You've gained a lot of fans in China."
Fino laughed: "Am I being modest? Perhaps it's because I'm half Chinese. Thank you for your support, fans."
"How was your integration into the Milan dressing room? Tell us about your teammates!"
Fino nodded: "It went very smoothly. Milan is a big family, and the locker room is very harmonious under Maldini's leadership. When I first started training with the team, my teammates were very friendly to me, and I quickly became familiar with everyone. Not only my current Milan teammates, but also Cafu, Serginho, Ronaldo, and others in the locker room back then, they were all very friendly seniors who taught me a lot."
Liu Yangfan interjected, "Which senior do you like the most?"
“Without a doubt, it’s Maldini. He’s the soul of Milan and an idol for all youth players. His attitude towards football, his performance in training and matches, and his style of dealing with people are all role models for us to learn from,” Fino answered quickly.
"When you were on the radio show, you said you were closest to Kaká, Pirlo, and Nesta. Could you tell us about them from your perspective?"
"Nesta is like a loyal and reassuring older brother. He always protects me on the field and cares for me in life. He's very cute in private, not like the cool guy on the field. He likes to eat and chat, and he's a great person. Kaka is a mischievous younger brother, but he was the first person in the locker room to show me kindness. He's also my mentor in Milan. He's also very cute and loves to eat. Pirlo is a master of pranks, full of whimsical ideas. We get along very well, like destined best friends."
Liu Yangfan was somewhat surprised: "Is Kaka your younger brother? He's six years older than you."
Fino laughed and said, "A younger brother is a kind of temperament and feeling. Kaka can be really childish sometimes, always laughing like an idiot, which makes you want to pamper him without even realizing it."
One is loyal and makes you feel safe, one makes you want to pamper them without even realizing it, and one is your destined best friend. It all sounds a bit... well...
Liu Yangfan suddenly remembered the message that asked him to ask Fino whether he loved Kaká or Pirlo more, and a chill ran down his spine.
Liu Yangfan quickly changed the subject, banishing the question from his mind: "Besides your teammates at Milan, have you made friends from other clubs?"
"Yes, because I was selected for the Italian national team, I have a good relationship with the players on the Italian national team, especially Buffon. We exchanged jerseys and contact information the first time we played against each other. Last summer, when I was on vacation, I ran into Xabi Alonso of Liverpool on the southern coast of Italy. We had a great chat and have kept in touch ever since."
Liu Yangfan then shifted the topic to life: "Besides football, what are your hobbies?"
"I love cooking, so I've been researching how to make Chinese food. I also occasionally make some snacks, which my teammates really enjoy. Last year, I even found a teacher to teach me to draw. Although my progress has been a bit slow, I can now draw plaster casts."
...
The interview went very smoothly. Sports Weekly possesses a unique integrity characteristic of Chinese official print media: it is objective, fair, and does not sensationalize.
Fino and Liu Yangfan had a very pleasant chat. It had been a long time since anyone had chatted with him in Chinese, and he was really happy.
After asking Fino about his expectations for AC Milan's performance this season, the interview officially ended.
Liu Yangfan stood up, shook hands with Fino, and somewhat shyly made his personal request.
“Fino, could you give me some autographed cards? I posted our photo on Chinese social media yesterday, and fans commented that they wanted autographed cards as a giveaway prize.”
Fino immediately agreed; it wasn't easy for someone from his hometown to come, so this small wish of his should certainly be granted.
"Of course, no problem. It's no big deal. I'll give you a dozen autographed cards and ten autographed jerseys. You can take them all back for a raffle. Are you guys rushing back today? If you're not in a hurry, come watch us train at Milanello tomorrow. You can have whoever you want. I know Maldini, Kaka, and Nesta are all very popular in China. You can use them all for the raffle!"
"You can have whoever you want," this sentence made Liu Yangfan instantly understand Fino's status in the locker room.
How exciting! Unfortunately, the newspaper booked them evening flights. They were supposed to take photos at Milanello in the afternoon and interview the Milan youth academy, but they had to catch their flight that evening, so they had to miss it.
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Author's Note: Thank you everyone for your support! [droopy-eared rabbit head]
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