Becoming a football god from Arsenal

Chapter 184 The second grand prize of the year! Grand Slam in progress! Proud of Maher [asking for monthly votes]

Maher kept greeting others along the way, and only started to pay attention to who was sitting next to him after he arrived at his seat.

The excitement at the scene made it impossible for him to concentrate. The little attention he had left was used to experience the first Golden Globe Awards ceremony in his life. He was too busy to pay attention to anything else.

"Hello."

When he sat down, Neymar, who had a blond crew cut, smiled and stretched out his hand to him, "I saw the candidate goal. Losing to you and Rooney will not make me sad."

“Haha.” Maher realized he was talking about the Puskas Award. He shook hands with him and nodded. “I won’t be sad if I lose to you two.”

Neymar at this time was more like a playboy than later. He sat here with the youthful vigor and full of expectations, not knowing what kind of future would greet him after today.

When Maher looked at him, he easily thought of himself. He had an inappropriate thought: Neymar was so dazzling, so he wondered what kind of impression he would give people now.

The smile on his face deepened a little. It's not that he is narcissistic, but sometimes people need comparison to get feedback.

"Mael."

A voice sounded from behind, and the person sitting behind him called out, "Do you recognize me?"

Maher turned his head and saw an old but familiar face. It was the 1993 Golden Ball winner, the Italian melancholy prince, Roberto Baggio.

"Of course I recognize him." His expression changed, and he leaned forward to shake hands with her, and said with a polite smile: "Why are you sitting here? You should be on the stage as an award presenter."

Baggio leaned back and laughed, very pleased with the compliment, and smiled at Maher: "Because I want to sit with this year's Golden Boy."

The two laughed together and hugged each other. Then they heard the music suddenly change and the lights began to flash violently.

“Ding-dang. Thump-thump-thump!”

"Bang bang. Bang!"

Amid the intense symphony, the spotlights on the roof began to randomly shine, sometimes on Messi, sometimes on Xavi, and sometimes on Rooney and others, each time triggering a round of applause.

"boom!"

After the excitement, all the spotlights suddenly turned and shone towards the center in front of the rostrum!
There, a door emitting golden light slowly opened, and the two opening guests of this award ceremony walked out and came to the podium.

The award ceremony is about to begin!

The annual event has kicked off, and some of the most valuable trophies in the football world will be awarded here!

"Clap clap clap!"

Warm applause broke out. Maher clapped his hands and stretched his neck to look, and saw the two opening guests. He knew one of them, the legendary Dutch player Gullit.

He had never seen the other woman before, but he thought she must be a star in the film and television industry or from other circles.

"good evening!"

Gullit cut his hair short, came to the podium, and began his opening speech in a serious manner.

Colney training ground, London.

The first-team conference center was now packed with people, not only the first-team players, but also Hans and all the members of his U19 youth training team.

"Van Persie!"

"Koscielny!"

"Let's take a photo together!"

It was very noisy here, with the U19 players all surrounding the first-team members, asking for photos and autographs. There were not many opportunities to get close to the first-team stars like this.

The first-team stars did not reject them. They still need to be more patient when staying with kids from their own youth training.

"Come on."

Van Persie signed autographs and touched their heads, encouraging them: "You are in the same group as Maher. He is now standing at the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony. Even we have to form a team to come and watch, haha.
"You have to work hard towards his goal. 19 is a crucial year. Maybe you often hear words that hit you, but don't give up.

"There are not only geniuses like Maher in football, but also late bloomers like Klose."

He finally touched the head of a U19 player and came to sit down in his seat.

Since Maher was shortlisted for the Ballon d'Or, Wenger organized all the first-team members to watch the award ceremony and also called the U19 kids, probably to enhance team cohesion.

It may also be that he simply likes the player Maher so much that he brought everyone together to witness his important moment.

After Van Persie sat down, Alexander Song came over and joked: "You and Maher are on the same team. He is now standing."

“Fuck!” He smiled bitterly and waved his hand, interrupting Alexander Song’s spellcasting, “Wait for me to perform in the 12 European Cup, and I will definitely be there by the end of next year.

"Actually, I should have been there this year. If there was another candidate, it would have been me. Maher's stats aren't much higher than mine."

Such discussions were taking place in many places in the conference room, not only between first-team members and first-team members, but also between first-team members and U19 team members.

“Arteta.”

A courageous U19 player sat in the empty seat next to Arteta and nervously asked a curious question, "What kind of player is Maher in the team now? Does he have a big say?"

Arteta glanced at the man, smiled and said, "Are you worried that he is too young and won't have a say even as the second captain?"

The player was a little embarrassed, but finally nodded.

"Haha." Arteta showed his two rows of teeth and shook his head: "No, I am 11 years older than Maher, but I am convinced by him.

"As long as the skills are good, age doesn't matter. And Maher is a person with a high basketball IQ. He is not as rough as he is shown in the highlights. He uses his brain and is very smart, so everyone admires him."

The U19 player nodded slightly, turned to look at the screen in front of the conference room, and was extremely envious of Maher.

In Sheffield City, Sheffield United Conference Centre, a group of people also gathered here to watch the awards ceremony.

Although the scale is not as big as Arsenal, Maher's former coaches and teammates are all here, and they naturally want to witness Maher's important moment.

Although the goal that Maher scored for his entry into the shortlist was scored against Sheffield United, the game is over, Maher apologized after the game, and they had let it go long ago.

Today, they are watching this award ceremony on their own behalf and in their personal capacity, and are looking forward to Maher winning the award!
“What will be awarded first?”

Gilbert looked around and asked anxiously: "Is it the Puskas Award?"

"I don't know." Joelson beside him shook his head, "The rhythm and order of each award ceremony are different, no one can say for sure what will be awarded first.

"Let's see. It'll only take 40 to 50 minutes. The results will come out soon."

Next to him, Januhans poked Evans' arm and looked at the screen with a smile on his face, as if he wanted to ask Evans what he thought about this moment.

Evans gave him a puzzled look, "What?"

"What do you think?" Januhans asked helplessly.

"What do you think?" Evans smiled, glanced at the screen and said, "I'm not Maher, and I didn't attend the ceremony. What can I think?"

"I mean my former teammates are standing on this stage." Januhans was even more helpless, he wanted to strangle Evans to death.

"This."

Evans thought for a while, his face turned serious, "It just feels too fast, only half a year has passed, and he has reached there.

"Remember? When he first came here, he couldn't even start."

“Haha.” Januhans laughed when he thought of this. “You’re right. Kevin didn’t use him at the time, and he didn’t have a clear advantage over left midfielder Mark Artes.”

He also cast his gaze towards the screen, thinking about Maher's past, with complex emotions in his eyes, including happiness for his good brother, envy, shock, emotion, etc.

He knew very well that even though they were both Premier League players now, the gap between them and his former teammate must be greater than the gap between Championship players and Premier League players.

There is a world of difference!
In the front row, where no one noticed, Gary Speed ​​took a bottle of wine and drank it alone. In the dim light, his limbs trembled from time to time, which was because his excitement had overflowed.

In a suit shop in London.

Isabella and her good sister sat on the sofa, watching the broadcast on TV, their eyes full of anticipation.

"Speak."

Her sister turned to her and smiled meaningfully, "Mael is perfect in every way. Don't just think about yourself. If you have the chance, introduce me to a similar player.

"Football players must have a lot of energy, and they have wealth and fame. It must be a great experience to be in love with them."

"Don't think about it, Elsa."

Isabella watched the award ceremony with a smile on her face. "There's only one player like him."

"Yo yo." Aisha pouted and took out her phone. "Then you can watch it by yourself."

After looking at her phone for a while, she put it down again and asked curiously, "So where are you two at now? Have you confirmed your relationship?"

"Who told you that we were going to be in love?" Isabella asked back with her head raised, as if she didn't want to answer the question.

"That means no." Aisha shook her head and went back to her phone. At the end, she reminded him, "I advise you to do it as soon as possible. I remember when you first mentioned it to me, he was still on your dad's team.

“I was at Arsenal a while ago, and now I’m going straight to the awards ceremony.

"If he continues to develop at this pace, he will surely have the same international influence as David Beckham did back then."

At the Zurich Conference Center in Switzerland, Gullit's opening speech has ended.

"clap clap"

Maher clapped along with everyone else. His excitement had not yet worn off and everything before him was new to him.

He also secretly vowed in his heart that he would put in a better performance in the new year and strive to win some valuable championships so that he could continue to sit here next year!

And strive for more honors, so that your seat will be closer to the front and your rankings will be higher!
"Next, I will introduce the three candidates for the Puskas Award. Please look at the big screen."

Host Gullit then pointed to the screen, where Rooney's name appeared and highlights of his overhead kicks began to play.

Maher's heart was suddenly aroused. He felt nervous and expectant, and stared at the screen intently.

Will the Puskas Award be presented first at this year's awards ceremony?
"Rooney!" On TV, Rooney scored a goal with a stylish overhead kick. He then excitedly rushed to the side of the field, leaned back and spread his arms as if he was hugging the entire field.

After this goal, Neymar's goal in Santos where he dribbled past several players also appeared on the screen. Neymar in the camera seemed to be possessed by an elf. He broke through two players in a row and then cooperated with his teammates by ramming the wall.

Finally, he used a juggling double-pull to dribble past the opponent's central defender, entered the penalty area and scored with the outside of his foot!

It’s also absolutely wonderful!
After the playback ended, the scene of Maer playing the violin to celebrate finally appeared on it, showing his elegance and handsomeness, which attracted many people to turn their attention to him.

Mael suddenly felt a little embarrassed, his cheeks turned slightly red, and he tried to suppress the smile on his face.

Watching my own goals with so many football superstars and coaches, I can’t help but feel uncontrollable shyness.

As he continued to accelerate and change directions in the camera, he reached the penalty area in the blink of an eye, and then finished with a shot from right to left!

The breathless English commentary then sounded, playing around the Zurich Congress Center: “Incredible long-distance goal!

"Wow! Amazing! Wonderfulwonderfuland wonderful!!!"

Maher lowered his head slightly. He noticed that more people were looking at him, but this slight shyness did not affect the glow on his face.

"Clap, clap, clap!" Applause rang out, and everyone in the center of Zurich clapped their hands, applauding the three goals.

Maher glanced to the side and saw that Neymar's reaction was more intense than his, and the other party could no longer stop trembling.

He quickly turned his gaze forward, waiting for Gullit to announce the final winner.

The other party suddenly changed the subject and said something else, "Let's take a look at the three finalists for this year's men's football Golden Ball Award.

"Since one of them was unable to attend this year's awards ceremony, only photos can be used to represent his perspective."

Gullit waved his hand, and the screen played Ronaldo's goal highlights again, followed by Xavi's and Messi's.

They are the three finalists for this year's FIFA Ballon d'Or, with the others likely to be ranked slightly lower.

Maher was stunned, it turned out to be just a formality. He changed his sitting position, calmed down and waited for the final award ceremony.

"."

After a long period of highlights, Gullit finally invited the first award presenter, the King of Football Pele.

He came on stage amid applause, bowed slightly and said: "This is not only a grand event for some people, but also a grand event for the big football family.

"Next, let me announce the FIFA Best 2011 for 11!"

He picked up a paper card and started reading directly, "Goalkeeper position, Casillas! Spain!"

Because the shot happened too quickly, the broadcaster behind him didn't react in time and paused before showing Casillas' highlights.

"Alves, Brazil! Pique, Spain! Ramos, Spain! Vidic, Serbia!"

As names were read out one after another, highlights began to play, and everyone in the audience looked at the screen with excitement.

The same is true for Maher, but he knows that with his performance this year and the honors he has accumulated, it is unlikely that he will be included in the All-NBA Team.

The competition for the striker position is very fierce, especially on the left wing where he is located. Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is an insurmountable gap for him now.

Only if he strives to achieve better results than him, or results similar to his, will FIFA consider whether to let him replace Ronaldo or put him in the center position.

"Iniesta, Spain! Alonso, Spain! Xavi, Spain!"

The names of the three best midfielders were then read out, all of them were Real Madrid stars and all of them were Spanish.

There are 8 players in the midfield and backcourt, 6 of them are Spanish players. This is the dominance of La Liga and the Spanish national team in world football during this period!

"Leo Messi, Argentina! Wayne Rooney, England! Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal!"

As the last three names were read out, all the players in the 11th FIFA Best Team were announced, including 5 from Barcelona, ​​4 from Real Madrid and 2 from Manchester United.

"Clap clap clap!"

Applause rang out again. This is the norm at award ceremonies. Players who didn't win important awards don't need to be discouraged. At least they can get a pair of numb hands after the ceremony. "Buzz buzz buzz!" The music followed, and all the award-winning players stepped onto the podium to receive the commemorative trophies.

Maher looked at them with envy in his eyes. He didn't envy others very often. But it didn't matter, he was young and had a lot of capital.

Set a goal to make it into the best 11 in world football next year and become the best player in your position!
"."

Next, FIFA President Blatter came up and said a lot of nonsense, and then shamelessly awarded Ferguson the "FIFA President Award" he had established.

He is now in high spirits. After all, he has not been involved in the corruption scandal that followed, and has not had money thrown at him by comedians.

Maher looked at him, as if he had seen that classic photo of football, but his face did not show any expression. This old man will have to stay in this position for a few more years.

He continues to wait, waiting for his only hope of winning the Puskas Award.

Being nominated for this award at the age of 18 is a great honor for him. If he wins the award, he will be so happy.

"The best women's football coach of the year is Norio Sasaki! He led the Japanese women's football team to a miraculous victory in last year's World Cup!"

"Clap clap clap!"

"Men's football coach of the year, Guardiola! He led Barcelona to win five titles last year!"

"Clap clap clap!"

The pace of the award ceremony became much faster afterwards. It was not until Guardiola came on stage to receive the award that Maher perked up a bit and raised his head to look at the center of the podium.

He still has admiration for this coach. His coaching philosophy and honorary achievements are truly the best at the moment.

He thought of his coach Wenger. He originally thought that he and his coach would attend the award ceremony together, but Wenger unexpectedly rejected the invitation because he was said to have a strained relationship with Football Association Chairman Blatter.

I wonder when Mr. Wenger will be able to stand there and receive the Coach of the Year award.
There was a smile on his face. This was a wonderful expectation. Good results and the best title required everyone's efforts.

“Wonderfulwonderfuland wonderful!!!”

After the award ceremony for the best coach, the three goals of the Puskas Award candidates were suddenly replayed on the big screen.

This time it should be correct.

Maher sat up straight, Neymar next to him began to tremble his legs, and Rooney at the far end also had a nervous expression.

"The next award to be presented is the FIFA 2011 Puskas Award, the award for the best goal of the year!"

The female host next to Gullit smiled and pointed behind her, "The award presenter is the greatest player in Mexican history, Sanchez!
"He scored 45 European goals in 47 European games for the club!"

Amidst the applause, Sanchez came to the podium, greeted everyone, and started speaking Spanish.

Of course, Maher was confused after hearing this, but the tension in his heart grew more and more intense. He knew that the outcome was about to be revealed.

Whether he can win the Puskas Award and add another trophy to the hall of fame depends on whether Sanchez can call out his name next.

If he succeeds, this will be his second big award of the season. If he can win one or two more championships in the end, his debut in the top league will be perfect.

He will bring Golden Boy, Puskas and the championship trophy to attack the European Cup, the continental tournament in 12 years!

If he succeeds in winning it, he will surely be among the top three in next year's Ballon d'Or ceremony!

"Swish!" Soon, the screen behind Santos changed.

Instead of just him, he is placed at the top center, with the three candidates' real-time reactions at the bottom.

Maher was on the far left. He could see Neymar, who was so nervous that he couldn't breathe, and Rooney, who had a serious face.

"Puskas, the winner of the 2011 Ballon d'Or is"

Santos changed this sentence to English, and his face became excited, "Mael!"

Won the award!
As soon as he finished speaking, Maher opened his mouth slightly, his whole body filled with joy and happiness.

He glanced subconsciously and saw Neymar on the screen forcefully smiling, then turning away with a polite smile. Rooney still had a calm and serious expression, but he could feel that he should grit his teeth.

Second Prize of the Year!

coming!

"Clap, clap, clap!" Warm applause rang out in the Zurich Conference Center, and everyone clapped their hands.

Maher stood up and returned to the real world. The first person he saw was Neymar, who was about to come up to him and hug him.

"Congratulations, brother." Neymar's smile was inevitably a little uncomfortable, but he still congratulated him enthusiastically, "You deserve it, that goal was incredible!"

"Thank you!"

Maher thanked him a few times, and when he saw several unfamiliar men and women behind him extending their hands to him, he high-fived them as well.

He walked around Neymar, around several coaches, down the steps step by step, and walked to the center of the hall, his mind blank.

He hadn't come to his senses until he arrived at the podium and shook hands and hugged Santos. His extreme joy even diluted his awkwardness at the beginning.

He came to Gullit and the hostess, shook hands with them one by one, and then took the Puskas Award trophy from Santos.

After taking it, he lowered his head to take a look and found that it was a well-made crystal trophy made of two pieces of crystal.

A tile with a line of words on it: - "In 2011, the Puskas Award winner, Maehl!"

One piece is cut diagonally towards the flat piece, and there is a football pattern on it.

He walked to the microphone unconsciously, looked at the superstars, coaches, agents, celebrities, etc. in the audience, put aside the idea of ​​​​putting on a show, and chose the more stable acceptance speech.

"Thank you! As a goalscorer, the Puskás Award means a lot to me.

“This is the best summary of my 40+ goals in the second division and 20+ goals in the top division last year. It will be a great encouragement to me.

"I once said that I wanted to win all the awards in football, and after winning the Golden Boy Award, I won the Puskas Award. There are almost no other special awards, right?

“Now, there is only one way ahead of me, and that is to keep moving forward and become the best with more stable and better performances!
“Finally, thank you all. I hope that when we meet here again next year, everyone will have different feelings!”

He held the trophy high and bowed slightly to everyone under the spotlight, his manner was very elegant.

"Clap, clap, clap!" Another round of applause rang out, more intense than the last time.

Maher left the stage amid everyone's gazes and applause, and walked towards his seat. His winning of the award also sparked discussion among many people at the scene.

"He's very ambitious." Blatter said to Shakira, the guest next to him, in the front row: "Really?"

"I can tell."

Shakira was wearing a hot red jumpsuit today. She kept her eyes on Maher's back and said absentmindedly, "He is not only very capable, but also very charming."

"Haha." Blatt laughed twice and couldn't help but joked: "Compared with Pike?"

Shakira also laughed, but she kept looking at Maher without turning her head.

This action was soon discovered by Pique, and a hint of jealousy appeared in Pique's eyes, and his brows were tightly furrowed.

"Who do you think should win the award?"

On the other side, Iniesta was also chatting with Xavi, "I think there is really nothing to say about this goal."

"That's right." Harvey nodded, clapped his hands and turned sideways to say, "He said he wants to win all the awards. Does that include the Grand Slam or the individual awards?"

"It should be all."

Iniesta smiled and analyzed: "Didn't he say that he has won two special awards? The special ones he refers to, I guess, are one with age restrictions and one with various luck factors.

"Except for these two awards, as long as you are strong enough, you can always strive for the remaining awards."

Harvey also laughed, and he didn't stop clapping his hands. "It seems that he has thought about this problem seriously, but it's too difficult. There are so many different awards. How can he win them all?"

Iniesta shook his head and pursed his lips and said: "If there is a day, I might also congratulate him on crutches."

Beside them, Rooney and Ferguson sat together, and the expressions of both master and apprentice were a little unhappy.

"I think it's yours." Ferguson saw that the camera wasn't looking at this side, patted Rooney on the shoulder and comforted him, "Try again next year."

Just after he finished speaking, he heard Mendes' voice coming from the back row, "Oh! Finally there is something to gain, this award must be given to him! I'm so happy for him, I'll call Puma and ask if they will give him extra bonus.

"Haha. The Puskas Award has been established for 3 years and my players have won 2!"

He seemed to have drunk some wine, and was showing off to the person next to him excitedly, but he completely forgot who was sitting in front of him.

Inside a suit shop, London.

".Puskas Award is!"

Isabella and Aisha held hands, looking at Mahel's handsome face in the camera, and nervously held their hands tighter and tighter, until they were hurt by each other's nails and did not react.

They were waiting for the final award announcement, each with different expectations.

Needless to say, Isabella knew that as long as Mael was happy, she would be happy too.

As for Aisha, she must be expecting someone to step onto an important podium wearing a suit made in her shop.

Before this, she actually didn't know that the person her sisters always mentioned to her actually had a chance to win the award. Isabella only told her halfway through the award ceremony.

Aisha just complained to Isabella that if she had known this would happen, she should have told her earlier that this store is a family-owned store.

If her family knew that someone who might be at the center of an awards ceremony wanted custom clothes, they would be happy to come together and make a dress for her and be proud of it.

But it was good now. If Maher could win the award, she could take all the credit and leave a memorial on the wall of the store.

"Mael!"

Sanchez on TV said Maher's name with a smile. Maher in the lower left corner of the camera immediately smiled and then stood up.

"what!"

A sharp scream came from here, and the two of them completely ignored their image, jumping up and screaming, and clapping their hands continuously.

In the broadcast camera, Maher had already stood up and walked to the center of the podium. This time his walking posture was much more natural, fully reflecting his handsome demeanor.

"Mael!"

Isabella's emotions reached their peak. She kept jumping excitedly, just like she did when she celebrated his goal before, "So cool!"

"Isabella!" Aisha came over at this time, looking excited and serious, and grabbed her hand, "When he comes back, you must bring him to see me. I want to take a photo with him!

"I'm going to hang that picture in the center of the store so everyone knows a star won a championship wearing my apparel.

"You can pay him some advertising fees, but he must help me make the contact!"

"Heh." Isabella raised her chin and joked with her best friend, "Last time I went to your house, you were still in a bad mood. You're dragging your feet and not wanting to do it? Are you playing big shot?"

“Oh.” Aisha stood beside her awkwardly, shaking her hand. “Just help me. After all, I helped you once.”

"OK OK."

Isabella opened her lips slightly and smiled sweetly, "I'll tell him and see if he agrees."

".Mael!"

At Sheffield United's training base, in the conference room, Sanchez read out the best goal of this year's Puskas Award on the broadcast camera.

"Oh!"

Jolson and Gilbert instantly stood up, holding each other's hands, like athletes in a team sport stepping onto the Olympic podium.

They both then turned to each other and hugged each other tightly, patting each other on the back.

As people who left the Kearney base in the same car, the relationship between them and their relationship with Maher were naturally different from those of others.

"I said he could!"

Gilbert was so excited that he almost tackled Jolson: "If that goal was scored against another team, we could celebrate more wildly."

"Isn't that outrageous enough?" Jolson broke away from him and laughed. "Seeing him have such a big moment, we can't even remember that this goal was against Sheffield United."

He can be said to be the one who was most emotional. When he first saw Maher in the youth training camp, the player only had one long shot. He used all his courage to sign him to Sheffield United.

I didn't expect to achieve a successful signing, nor did I expect that the other party would become a top player more than a year later.

"Ha ha.!"

Behind them, Januhans and Evans also stood up, as well as Lorton and Robert who came here today, all stood up and applauded, with excitement on their faces.

"awesome!"

Evans was no longer slow at this time, and was the first to say, "He is the first person I have ever met to win a big prize, and he may be the only one!"

"Me too." Januhans nodded and hugged Lorton beside him, "What about you?"

"Need I say more?" Lorton smiled and told them their current situation, "For players of our level, if we want to know a superstar who will win important honors in the future, we can only do so when he is a child.

"Over the years, how many young players have we met who can be called geniuses? So he is most likely the only one."

Ahead of them, Gary Speed's trembling felt even worse, as if he were shivering in extremely cold weather.

But everyone understood that, just like before, it was the body's natural reaction when in an extremely excited state.

"Gulp gulp." Gary Speed ​​suddenly took a few more sips of wine, then suddenly stood up and waved excitedly, "He is our pride and will always be!"

On this day, everyone in this room was proud of Maher!

I haven’t finished writing yet, so I’ll continue with the next chapter, which will serve as a connection to tomorrow’s 20,000-plus words.

The award ceremony is not easy to write, so when I write the competition schedule next time, I will not be late and update one or two thousand words less, and the monthly word count will not be less. 31.5 words per month.

(End of this chapter)