Football: Starting from the Ronaldinho template

Chapter 293 The Golden Globe Award nominees are out! Top three!

December in London is characterized by cold winds and unpredictable weather.

The EFL Cup resumes with Arsenal facing Southampton.

Without Van Dijk, Southampton were not very strong. Arsenal took a two-goal lead in the first half, and Qin Ming was substituted by Wenger to conserve his strength for the league match three days later.

Arsenal ultimately defeated Southampton 2-1, advancing to the EFL Cup semi-finals.

"This year, France Football and FIFA ended their partnership, with France Football resuming its independent awarding of the Ballon d'Or, while FIFA continues to award the FIFA Best Player Award!"

"On December 2nd, tonight, France Football magazine officially announced the final three nominees for the 2016 Ballon d'Or!"

"The number one spot goes to Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Real Madrid from Portugal!"

"The second place goes to Qin Ming, who is from China and plays for Arsenal!"

"Third place goes to Lionel Messi from Argentina, who plays for Barcelona!"

"Let's take a look at the statistics and honors of these players: Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Champions League and the European Championship, with 42 goals in 51 games, including a Champions League Golden Boot with 16 goals!"

"Qin Ming is a Premier League champion, Community Shield champion, and EFL Cup champion. He scored 58 goals in 53 games, breaking the Premier League goal record and winning the Premier League Golden Boot and the European Golden Boot!"

"Messi is a La Liga champion, a Copa del Rey champion, and a Copa America runner-up. He has scored 41 goals in 49 games, including 26 in La Liga!"

"Currently, with Ronaldo's outstanding performance in winning both the Champions League and the European Championship, bookmakers have set odds of 1.02, practically guaranteeing him the prize!"

"Although Qin Ming's statistics are more impressive, his elimination from the Champions League semi-finals and lack of outstanding performance for the national team have greatly impacted his competitiveness!"

"While Messi has won La Liga and the Copa del Rey, his Champions League quarter-final exit and Copa America final defeat make it difficult for him to win the Ballon d'Or!"

"As for Griezmann, who is in fourth place, even though he won the runner-up titles in both the Champions League and the European Championship, his overall statistics are significantly different from those of the top three!"

Sky Sports launched a new program after France Football announced the shortlist.

The host displayed a list of 25 people on the big screen.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Qin Ming, Messi, Griezmann, Suarez, Sanchez
Most of the players are European, with Qin Ming being the only Asian player selected. Moreover, many defensive players were included, such as Pepe, Ramos, and Modric.

Qin Ming's old friend De Bruyne ranked twentieth.

The camera cuts to the next scene.

Pascal Ferré, editor-in-chief of France Football, appears in the footage.

"This year's Ballon d'Or returns to tradition, decided entirely by journalists' votes, ensuring fairness. Cristiano, Qin, and Rio are the favorites, but the performances of other players are equally worthy of respect."

"The final results will be announced in Paris, France on December 12."

After watching the TV, Qin Ming pressed the remote control. Unlike the final results of the Ballon d'Or, the top three players were not notified in advance.

In other words, he only just found out himself.

To be honest, I was quite surprised. I thought the best result would be third place, but I didn't expect Messi to be behind me.

And Griezmann.

This guy must be furious right now, right?

Qin Ming felt cheerful when he thought about this. He called his parents to tell them the good news, and then received greetings from his professor, teammates, and many other people.

"I wonder if I can make a breakthrough next year."

After a long while, Qin Ming lay on the sofa, looking at the boundless night sky outside.

He knew there was no chance this year.

After all, Cristiano Ronaldo has won both the Champions League and the European Championship, plus the Champions League Golden Boot; his accolades are simply too impressive.

But what about next year?

If we can defend our Premier League title and then win the Champions League, that's all we need.

That must be pretty hard, right?
"One year, two years, three years. Time flies."

Qin Ming slapped his thigh, recalling the Xinhua News Agency interview. Compared to club honors, the path to the national team seemed much more difficult.

So far, they've only finished third in the Asian Cup.

I wonder if I'll ever get to experience being escorted by fighter jets in my lifetime.

12 month 4 day.

The 14th round of the Premier League kicks off, with the Hammers facing off against the Robin Hoods.

Arsenal's attack was thwarted at the start of the game, and they were held to a goalless first half, while West Ham United scored on a counter-attack.

But after 65 minutes of the second half...

West Ham United's high-pressing intensity dropped sharply as their physical condition declined.

Arsenal found their familiar passing and possession rhythm, scoring a goal in the 66th, 70th, 81st and 89th minutes.

"Qin! A brace! He scored his second goal with a long-range shot!"

West Ham United have been completely thrashed!

"They held on for 65 minutes, giving the fans hope for a draw, only to concede four goals in the last 25 minutes!"

"It seems Arsenal are in hot form this December!"

The score remained unchanged until the end of the match.

Arsenal have won 14 consecutive league matches.

而在他们之前的比赛，曼城1-2不敌切尔西、热刺5-1斯旺西、利物浦4-3伯恩茅斯、曼联1-1埃弗顿。

The landscape of the Premier League has become clear once again.

Arsenal leads the title race, followed by Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Tottenham, with a gap of 5 to 9 points behind them.

As for Manchester United, they have already dropped out of the top six.

"Manchester City seems to be in pretty poor form." Qin Ming took the towel and wiped his sweat.

"It seems like Guardiola is working on some new tactic. Does he often do this in the Bundesliga?"

"Cazorla asked."

"Yeah, he's pretty good at pulling off some surprises. In some crucial matches, he even dares to use formations he's never used before."

Qin Ming nodded.

"By the way, they're all playing with three center-backs now, why don't we give it a try?"

Morata suddenly stood up.

“You’ll have to ask the coaching staff,” Qin Ming said, looking at Pat Rice.

Arsenal's 4-2-3-1 formation is effective and has been well-established for a season. The variations are not limited to positional changes but also include various adjustments that can be made depending on the situation.

However, they can occasionally be targeted by their opponents.

“We have recently been studying a three-center-back system, which places extremely high demands on player roles, positioning, and discipline, and the two full-backs also need to have very strong individual abilities.”

Pat Rice didn't say it explicitly, but he hinted to the players that a three-center-back formation wasn't a good fit for them.

“Indeed, we rely more on passing and control, as well as sudden forward variations,” Qin Ming said thoughtfully after a moment.

As his career progressed, his tactical concepts also gradually improved.

Moreover, Arsenal has a lot of tactical information, a large part of which is confidential and would not have been made public without Wenger's approval.

Qin Ming felt that his football thinking was reaching new heights.

But he also kept his core style in mind.

Post-match press conference.

"Mr. Wenger, what are your thoughts on the 2016 Ballon d'Or nominees? For example, is this ranking reasonable?" a reporter from The Sun asked.

Wenger straightened his suit, making no attempt to hide it.

"I think this ranking is fine. Cristiano is ranked first because his performance in the Champions League and the European Championship is decisive."

"But we must admit that the Ballon d'Or is increasingly leaning towards 'team honors' rather than individual talent."

"In other words, the Ballon d'Or is now increasingly dependent on the number of goals and titles. But football is not just about statistics, and the influence of some players cannot be measured by numbers."

Wenger recalled Qin Ming's goals, and if described solely by statistics, it would only give one a cold feeling.

What if we presented it visually?

It will be a completely new experience; it represents the beauty and romance of football.

"Let me share my understanding of football. It should be a balance between artistry and competition. The Ballon d'Or should not just be an award for 'champion players,' but should truly recognize those extraordinary geniuses who define football."

"Otherwise, we might miss out on truly masterful performances."

Wenger has always been protective of his own.

However, he is also a rational person and knows that the data-driven nature of the Golden Globe Awards makes for a relatively objective selection process.

Subjectivity will inevitably be influenced by other factors.

However, he still believes that technology, decision-making, and the impact of the game should account for a larger proportion.

"Mr. Wenger, how do you evaluate Qin's rise from the top ten to the top three in the Ballon d'Or in just two seasons?"

A question from a reporter from Sina Sports.

"He had a phenomenal performance in the Premier League, winning more honors than he did at Wolfsburg, and taking his personal statistics to a whole new level."

"This makes him one of the most eye-catching young players in football right now."

"But what I'm more concerned about is that he has been improving. Even now that he has integrated into the overall tactics and has stronger tactical support, he still puts his own strength first."

"For example, his ball control reminded me of Dennis, which is a kind of ball control that can be called art."

"This is a skill he didn't have last season."

Wenger smiled and talked a lot, as if he could talk endlessly about Qin Ming every time he mentioned him.

Do you think Qin Xia has a chance to compete for the Golden Globe Award this year?

The reporters in the audience asked another question.

"Of course, I think he's come very close to Cristiano and Leo, and I feel like I can't see where his ceiling is."

Wenger spoke with certainty.

"By the way, Arsenal will give him plenty of help, and I hope I can witness that historic moment."

Wenger's gaze lingered in remembrance.

To date, no Arsenal player has won the Ballon d'Or.

The closest is Thierry Henry in 2003, with a double 20 record of 24 goals and 23 assists in the Premier League, leading Arsenal to an unbeaten league title.

However, the season was not over when the Ballon d'Or was being awarded, so Nedved won the award.

Later, Henry won fourth and third place, but he never won the trophy.

Therefore, Arsenal fans are still waiting for their own prodigy to be the first to lift the Ballon d'Or.

Professors too.

The final round of the Champions League group stage on December 7th.

Arsenal play away against Atletico Madrid.

Since Arsenal had already secured first place in the group, they fielded a rotated squad and played casually.

It's wise to save your energy for the tough Premier League schedule to come.

In the end, Atletico Madrid scored three goals, with Griezmann scoring twice. However, when he looked at the bench, he couldn't even see Qin Ming.

Where is Qin Ming?

He is enjoying the rare winter sunshine in London.

"Mr. Simeone, what are your thoughts on the Ballon d'Or rankings?"

The Sun's correspondent in Spain started stirring things up.

Everyone knows Griezmann's statistics, which should theoretically rank him in the top three, but in terms of honors, he can't compare to Ronaldo, in terms of statistics, he can't compare to Qin Ming, and he doesn't have Messi's connections.

Then they'll just have to be squeezed out.

"Football is a team sport, but the Ballon d'Or is always awarded to players from the championship team. Sometimes, the losers deserve more respect!"

Simone opened fire right away.

It wasn't referring to Qin Ming, but rather a veiled criticism of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Cristiano Ronaldo's performance in the 2016 Champions League final was mediocre, and he left the European Championship final early due to injury, but he still ranked first in team honors.

He definitely doesn't agree.

"Football is fair, but awards never are!"

Simeone added.

In fact, he thinks that it is a reasonable selection for Qin Ming to rank second.

Because he admires players who can carry the team in adversity.

Unfortunately, the two are on opposing sides, so naturally they won't speak up for each other.

"I think the Ballon d'Or needs reform. It should give more weight to defensive players and team leaders, rather than simply relying on championships and goals."

Simone concluded.

Griezmann did not express any dissatisfaction during the interview.

However, The Sun analyzed his lip reading based on conversations with friends and arrived at the following conclusion.

"Cristiano Ronaldo only played 25 minutes in the European Championship final, while I played all seven matches, but people only remember the champion!"

"Messi only had the La Liga title that year, but the judges valued his name more!"

"Qin? He lost to me in the Champions League semi-finals. What's the point of his good stats?"

This caused a huge uproar in the football world; the combined fan base of the three individuals was enough to sweep through the sports world.

Griezmann offended three people at once.

He quickly stated on social media that these were all nonsense and sent a lawyer's letter to The Sun suing them for defamation.

Atletico Madrid also held a press conference to clarify the situation regarding Griezmann.

Qin Ming chuckled as he watched; this is what happens when you say the wrong thing.

The Sun: Coaches such as Wenger and Simeone slam the Ballon d'Or, arguing that it only awards the best player from the best team, ignoring players with better individual abilities and performances!
Marca: Neymar extends his contract until 2021, with a release clause of €2.5 million! Enrique's Barcelona are aiming for the Champions League title this season!
The Mirror: Messi's father, Jorge, said in an interview that artistic football is being stifled when awards are judged solely on the number of championships won!

Dongqiudi: Arsenal lose 0-2 away to Atletico Madrid! Messi announces his return to the Argentine national team!
[Is this because they're unhappy about Ronaldo winning the award?]
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To be honest, Ronaldo's performance in the two competitions wasn't exactly decisive.
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The Champions League Golden Boot award was also rigged.
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Others might want to do it but don't even have the chance, and besides, Ronaldo has won two major tournaments, so it's not surprising he gets awards.
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True satisfaction comes from the field, not the podium!
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[Now that Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Ballon d'Or, he'll most likely win the FIFA World Player of the Year award as well, right?]
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It's hard to say. The FIFA World Player of the Year award is more about individual statistics. Messi has 19 more assists than Ronaldo, and Qin Ming has more goals than Ronaldo. They both have a chance.
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【wrong. 】
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The FIFA Best Player award focuses more on overall performance throughout the year, while the Ballon d'Or prioritizes performance over the calendar year.
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[The main issue is that this is the first year since the teams separated, and nobody knows the specific criteria. The voting is also based on a 25% weighting for the national team captain, coach, journalists, and fans.]
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[It can only be said that the core members of the tournament champions have a natural advantage.]
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【.】

The 15th round of the Premier League on December 10th.

Arsenal, after recovering from injury, defeated Stoke City 3-0, with Qin Ming, Sanchez, and Kante each scoring a goal.

After the match, Qin Ming packed his things and embarked on his journey to France.

(End of this chapter)