While Ramos was receiving treatment in the hospital, he learned that he had been handed such a severe punishment and slammed his phone to the floor.
After the dust had settled, Li Mingyu agreed to an interview with Mundo Deportivo.
Li Mingyu had become so popular that Mundo Deportivo, one of the major media outlets with close ties to FC Barcelona, had long wanted to conduct an in-depth interview with him.
However, FC Barcelona didn't want the media bothering Li Mingyu so soon. With the most crucial stretch of the season coming up, when every point mattered, they also didn't want him distracted. So they had continually turned Mundo Deportivo down.
After the Century Derby, Li Mingyu had become so popular that FC Barcelona could no longer keep him out of the spotlight, and had no choice but to approve the interview.
Li Mingyu gave the interview in the manager's office at the training ground.
The interviewer was a beautiful reporter named Miranda.
When Miranda saw Li Mingyu, a trace of resentment flashed in her eyes.
Miranda would never forget that the first time she met Li Mingyu was on his professional debut.
At Camp Nou, with his team trailing by two goals and Messi sent off, Li Mingyu had been called upon in an emergency and brought on as a substitute. In just eight minutes, he scored three goals to complete a hat trick and set off an incredible scoring spree for FC Barcelona.
When the match ended, Miranda had eagerly tried to interview Li Mingyu. But, caught up in his excitement, he had jogged right past her, ignoring the microphone in the beautiful reporter's hand.
The commentators in the studio had teased Miranda about it, too.
From then on, Miranda had held a grudge against Li Mingyu for ignoring her beauty.
Miranda smiled and said, "Hello, Mr. Li. Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed by Mundo Deportivo!"
Li Mingyu nodded. "Sure. I was in a closed training camp before, so I didn't have time to speak with your paper."
Miranda said, "First of all, congratulations on your unprecedented achievement in El Clasico. You scored five goals at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. That's incredible!"
Li Mingyu smiled faintly and replied shyly, "It was nothing. I wouldn't have played so well without my teammates' help."
Miranda asked curiously, "Mr. Li, I'm curious. You played for Barcelona's youth and reserve teams before, but you never showed the kind of dominance you do now. Why is that?"
Li Mingyu scratched his head and said with a smile, "I'm not really sure. Maybe something just clicked."
His answer made Miranda burst out laughing. Her large, pale headlights swayed, leaving Li Mingyu dizzy, and he quickly lowered his head.
Seeing the bashful Li Mingyu, Miranda was surprised. When she interviewed other players, their eyes often wandered to her headlights, but Li Mingyu had looked away instead.
Miranda brushed a hand through her hair and asked with a serious expression, "Now, about the racism scandal involving Ramos that's been all over the news these past few days. Do you have anything to say in response?"
Li Mingyu's expression turned serious as he looked straight at the camera. "First, I'm very pleased and impressed that the Royal Spanish Football Federation enforced the rules impartially and issued its punishment so quickly. Second, everyone knows this incident really happened. I'm furious about Mr. Ramos's remarks. I hope everyone lets their skills do the talking on the pitch instead of resorting to such cheap, low-down tactics. Ramos's words and actions brought shame on the badge on his chest. He disgraced the great club Real Madrid!"
"This punishment also shows how resolute the Royal Spanish Football Federation is. It has zero tolerance for racism. That's the kind of leadership the governing body of a great football nation should show. I commend the federation."
Miranda was impressed to hear such forceful words from a young man of only nineteen.
Miranda continued, "Messi is injured and won't be able to play in the upcoming matches. He may miss the decisive game against Atletico Madrid. Mr. Li, as a key player on the team, what are your plans for the matches ahead?"
Li Mingyu looked directly into Miranda's eyes, his gaze bright and resolute. "The championship. It's all I can think about. Our captain can't fight alongside us, but none of us at Barca have wavered. Our only goal is the title!"
After saying this, Li Mingyu suddenly gave a shy smile. "I'm not a key player. I'm just a substitute who got thrown into the deep end because the team was hit by injuries. We have a strong squad. Griezmann, Dembele, and De Jong are all excellent attackers. They're the key players. I'm just a rookie!"
Seeing how modest Li Mingyu was, Miranda beamed, and her headlights swayed again.
The interview ended in a cheerful atmosphere.
That evening, the interview aired on television, with La Sexta broadcasting the entire segment.
It was the first time football fans across Spain had gotten a proper look at Li Mingyu off the pitch.
With his good-boy looks and the shy smile he flashed from time to time, Li Mingyu's bashfulness around the sexy, beautiful Miranda made the women watching at home swoon.
His answers also had the fans nodding in approval.
Li Mingyu hadn't relentlessly attacked Ramos or Real Madrid in the interview. He'd made his point and left it at that, while still showing respect for Real Madrid in particular.
After the interview, Li Mingyu's popularity in Spain was unstoppable.
With Cristiano Ronaldo having left for the Apennine Peninsula and Messi left carrying the team alone, Spanish football's popularity had plummeted.
Real Madrid had spent three years trying and failing to heal the fans' pain over Cristiano Ronaldo's departure.
As Cristiano Ronaldo kept getting better at Juventus, Real Madrid fans grew even more indignant.
Was this the Cristiano Ronaldo you said was too old to play anymore?
In his three years at Juventus, Cristiano Ronaldo had scored a total of ninety-five goals. That wasn't as prolific as he had been at Real Madrid, but it was still an impressive tally for a veteran in his thirties.
By comparison, since Cristiano Ronaldo left, Real Madrid's six new forwards had scored only thirty-five goals.
They couldn't begin to fill the void Cristiano Ronaldo had left.
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