Team Spirit

Chapter 191 Double Happiness: World Footballer of the Year?
December 18th, the 18th round of the English Premier League.

Dartford suffered a defeat away to Manchester United.

Manchester United fans then mocked Manchester United fans, saying that the Ballon d'Or winner was nothing special.

But Green Gun retorted, "At least we have the Golden Ball!"

Winning or losing, it's just a matter of ninety minutes, it'll be over in two or three days.

However, winning the Ballon d'Or requires at least a year of sustained brilliance, with an influence that can last for several years to more than a decade.

Manchester United fans won the game, but lost the verbal battle, which is quite disheartening.

In a way, this is Manchester United's biggest regret.

The Red Devils dynasty, invincible in England, dominated all of Europe, yet they have yet to produce a Ballon d'Or winner.

Manchester United must be feeling incredibly bitter to have been overtaken by their old rivals Liverpool, who have been sidelined by the previous administration, and for Owen to win the Ballon d'Or.

Fortunately, Owen left the Premier League this year and went to La Liga.

Out of sight, out of mind.

But now the nightmare is playing out again, with Green Gunners producing another Ballon d'Or winner. How can the Premier League's all-time greatest team possibly accept this?

Countless fans couldn't help but angrily criticize the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year winners from previous years, especially the years when Beckham was second.

If Beckham had been able to prove himself at Manchester United, how could he have allowed the defeated Green Gunner to turn the tables on him?
Manchester United fans listed the shortcomings of award-winning players in recent years, using their own strengths to attack the weaknesses of their opponents, sparking a media frenzy.

After all the calculations, Lu Kai is actually the least controversial player to be selected in recent years.

It's not that Lu Kai is the strongest, it's just that he has reaped all the honors, and no one else can compete with him in this year.

In the past few years, there have been many cases where "anyone could win the top three prizes".

Of course, Manchester United is a champion team, not only the team but also the fans.

Manchester United fans quickly found the "weak point" in Green Gun's shot.

“Irving won the Ballon d'Or, but then his career quickly declined. Lu Kai might follow in his footsteps.”

"Lu Kai's attendance rate is much higher than Irving's. He participates in too many games every year, which is overworking his body and putting him at risk of serious injury!"

"Even with a Ballon d'Or winner, Liverpool still hasn't won the Premier League. They've only managed to barely qualify for the Champions League every year."

"Green Gunners are far inferior to Liverpool in terms of strength and history. It's uncertain whether they can even avoid relegation this year!"

"Datford is dragging Luka down. If he wants to achieve a higher historical standing, it's time for him to join another top club. Manchester United is the best choice!"

"Only Manchester United can help Lu Kai become the number one player in football!"

This argument quickly gained traction in Britain.

Because what was said was indeed the truth.

Manchester United did indeed have designs on Lu Kai.

If Lu Kai can join Manchester United, the Red Devils, who have struggled somewhat in the past two years due to the need for generational change, can complete their rebuilding in an instant.

They could also use Lu Kai's Ballon d'Or to suppress Liverpool's only chance to fight back, and also suppress Henry, who had almost made a breakthrough for Arsenal several times, so that they would never be able to turn things around.

Killing multiple birds with one stone!
This is at least much easier than waiting for players like Van Nistelrooy, Ferdinand, Eastwood, and Rooney to win the Ballon d'Or.

As for players like Cristiano Ronaldo whose talent is only adequate, there's no need to count on them.

even……

This move could also allow the green gun to become the next red gun, stopping at "runner-up".

This runner-up title doesn't refer to the second-place team in the Premier League, but rather the second-most successful team in the history of the Premier League and even British football.

The most successful team used to be Liverpool, now it's Manchester United.

Because Manchester United has defeated the top team and brought about a change of dynasty, they know who their real opponent is.

Their opponents are not just one club, but all the other clubs in the Premier League.

Conversely, it could also be said that their opponent is not the other eighteen clubs, but the club that is about to threaten their position.

This club is Arsenal.

But second place will always be second place.

Arsenal may seem to be on par with Manchester United in recent years, but in reality, Manchester United has won most of the titles. In a few years, if Arsenal fails to win any titles or even becomes a top-four contender, then who will know who Arsenal is?
In competitive sports, only the first place can accumulate experience and strength; the second, third, and fourth place finishes will fade away in a few years.

So don't be fooled by Arsenal's current equal footing with Manchester United, or even their unbeaten title win last year.

But Manchester United believe that Arsenal's fate is sealed and they are no longer a threat.

They've fought against the Red Devils their whole lives; it's time for a generational change. By then, they might not even be as good as the current Red Devils.

On the contrary, Green Gun has countless honors.

Even if it is dismembered one after another, as long as Lu Kai is there, Green Gun will never fall completely.

If they take a break for a few years and then make a comeback, they will truly challenge Manchester United's historical status.

That's the real threat.

Therefore, if Lu Kai can leave Green Gunners, even if he doesn't come to Manchester United, Green Gunners will never surpass Manchester United again.

Even if Lu Kai achieves greater success at other clubs, he is ultimately just a player, and he is not on the same level as clubs like Manchester United.

That's the eye of a top-tier fan.

Ordinary fans watch a game to compete and decide who wins.

A seasoned fan analyzes the championship standings of a season.

But top fans look at the big picture, compare historical status, and insist on a definitive conclusion.

Manchester United's comments have also piqued the interest of other European clubs.

It's one thing that Lu Kai didn't reach the top, but he was competing with everyone else for a piece of the pie.

But now that Lu Kai has won the Golden Globe Award, whoever gets him will get a bigger slice of the pie.

Among the three Italian giants, the two Spanish powerhouses, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea, who wouldn't want to sign Lu Kai?
It's just that everyone used to think there was no chance.

But upon closer analysis, it turns out the opportunity is actually quite significant.

The "Green Gun Penguin Park" project is extremely expensive. Although Green Gun has successfully launched the project and has some surplus funds, if Green Gun fails to qualify for the Champions League for two consecutive seasons, or fails to qualify for European competitions for three consecutive seasons, or is relegated, then Green Gun's cash flow will be in serious trouble.

In order to complete the project, Green Gun will have no choice but to sell Lu Kai.

Therefore, if you want to get Lu Kai, you must first defeat Lu Kai!

On the field, and in all competitions, defeat them decisively!
……

December 20, Zurich Opera House, Switzerland.

The FIFA World Player of the Year award ceremony was held in grand style.

Compared to the Ballon d'Or interview program, the FIFA Men's Player of the Year award is an annual celebration held by FIFA, and its scale is incomparable to the Ballon d'Or.

They even included a red carpet segment.

The red carpet event started from the back to the front according to the ranking.

The first person to step onto the red carpet was Lion King Kahn.

Then came Nesta, Lampard, Larsson, Ibrahimovic, Gilardino, Giggs, Baroš…

The overlap between these lists and the Golden Globe Awards is not high, which once again reflects the difference in the selection criteria between the two.

The Green Gunners, who had seven nominees for the Ballon d'Or, have seen a sharp decrease in nominees for FIFA World Player of the Year.

Only four players were present: Lu Kai, Drogba, Valbuena, and Gilardino.

The rankings of the last three have all dropped significantly compared to their Ballon d'Or rankings.

Drogba ranked eleventh, Kaka twelfth, Rooney thirteenth, Ronaldo fourteenth, and Valbuena fifteenth; none of them made it into the top ten.

Drogba's achievement was his Green Gun honor.

Kaká relied on his performances for both Milan and the national team.

Rooney and Ronaldo relied on their performances for Manchester United and their national teams.

Valbuena relies on the Green Gun honor and the strong support of Barcelona.

In the selection of the FIFA World Player of the Year, besides well-known veterans, top clubs' promoted and successful young players have an advantage in the rankings.

Van Nistelrooy came in tenth place with 64 votes.

Ronaldo, who came in ninth, received 67 votes, but was not nominated for the Ballon d'Or due to injuries and other reasons.

Deco came in eighth with 96 votes, a significant drop compared to his Ballon d'Or win. Adriano came in seventh with 96 votes; the Brazilian and Inter Milan brand still works its magic.

Zinedine Zidane came in sixth with 98 votes, and he was just one of the lowest tiers of nominees for the Ballon d'Or this year.

Nedved received 150 votes, placing fifth.

Shevchenko, who came in second in the Golden Globe Awards, received 178 votes, a mere fourth place, and didn't even make it to the final round.

Public opinion was uproar.

It is quite rare for two of the top three nominees for the two major awards to be different.

In particular, Ronaldinho's entry into the final competition after failing to win any major trophies gave many people a sense of foreboding.

Could it be FIFA...?

However, the winner of the grand prize was not revealed during the red carpet event.

The three candidates, Lu Kai, Henry, and Ronaldinho, walked the red carpet together.

The awards ceremony then officially began.

The first award presented was "Esports Player of the Year".

The winner is... Ashley Young!

When Bald Young appeared on the podium, the Celtics players were stunned.

This is... Ashley Young has taken a completely different approach!
As professional football players, we never imagined that we could win awards through esports.

You're trying to avoid peak competition, huh?
Lu Kai immediately gave Ashley Young a hug: "Congratulations!"

Ashley Young laughed and said, "Lu, even if you don't win the award, you don't have to be sad. At least we won't go home empty-handed."

Ashley Young then took the stage to give his acceptance speech: "Here, first I want to thank my parents, my brothers, my... second I want to thank Mr. Alfred and Lu, and... third I want to... then I want to... next I want to... finally I want to... lastly I want to... lastly lastly I... lastly lastly..."

The host looked embarrassed and tried to interrupt several times: "Well, Ashley Young is very excited and has a lot to say. But we're broadcasting live, and time is limited, so thank you Ashley Young for speaking, and next..."

Ashley Young was quite dissatisfied.

He checked the time.

three minutes.

It lasted quite a while, though.

Although the award he received was a minor, insignificant one, his speech was quite lengthy.

Other awards, even the acceptance speech for the FIFA World Player of the Year, could not possibly last as long as his own, right?
Hahaha!
Ashley Young returned to his seat, completely satisfied.

The "Best Indoor Football Award" was then presented, and the winner was Brazilian indoor player Falcao.

This year marks his first time winning the honor; he will win it four more times in 06, 11, and 12, and is considered the greatest player in the world of futsal.

After winning the award, he was recruited by football clubs such as São Paulo and briefly participated in 11-a-side football matches.

The biggest difference between futsal and eleven-a-side indoor football lies in "space".

The former has a small space and relies mainly on skillful control; fancy moves are essentially techniques.

The latter offers much more room for development and demands higher levels of speed, stamina, and physical strength from players. These characteristics can create a vast difference in skill level between two players.

If Ronaldinho were to play futsal, he would be just as dominant.

But if you put Lu Kai or Cristiano Ronaldo in futsal, they would likely just be mediocre at best.

This is also one of the current misconceptions in football aesthetics: using evaluation standards more suitable for futsal to judge the talent and ability of eleven-a-side football players.

Following that is the "FIFA Zhu Xi Special Award," which was awarded to the Haitian national team.

Most Improved Player Award: Team Zhongguo.

For Guo fans, this year can be described as a groundbreaking year.

Not only did he win the Most Improved Player award, Lu Kai also won the Golden Globe Award, a double celebration.

Of course, this only applies to fans.

For some people, since Lu Kai was not a product of the system, they could not gain any credit or benefits.

They would rather Lu Kai not win the award.

Because Lu Kai won the award, it proves that his move to Europe is valid, so the domestic government should give him the green light and facilitate his move. This puts pressure on the company to ruin a player's future in order to demand exorbitant transfer fees.

The interests of clubs, associations, and other organizations will be greatly harmed.

Next was the "Fair Play Award," which was awarded to the England team.

Stanley went on stage to accept the award.

The biggest reason for England's victory was the moment they applauded Greece after taking a commanding lead in the European Championship final.

When the image of Lu Kai leading the applause appeared on the big screen, enthusiastic applause rang out in the audience.

Only four final prizes remain.

Prinz won the title of FIFA Women's World Player of the Year.

England once again won the title of Team of the Year.

Stanley invited Lu Kai and Alfred to the stage to receive the honor together.

This marks the second consecutive year that England has won the award, making them yet another team to retain the title of "World's Number One".

Last year, the main reason was winning the Confederations Cup.

This year, they won the European Championship.

If there was some controversy last year, then this year it's completely convincing.

The competition for the best head coach is quite fierce.

The four are Mourinho, Wenger, Ferguson, and Alfred.

The football website Dongqiudi refers to the latter two, along with Florentino Pérez, the "Zhu Xi" of Real Madrid, as the "Three Great 'Buddhas' of Football".

The White-Robed Pharmacist of Madrid in the East, Tathagata...Lorentino.

The Manchester Red Devils of the West, Amitabha... Gerson.

Shakyamuni, Green Penguin, Vairocana Buddha, Alfred... Red.

Wenger: Should I leave?

Mourinho: What about me?
Ultimately, Alfred won the award for his seven titles, including those with the England national team.

Wenger, who was unbeaten, still lost.

Finally, the FIFA World Player of the Year was announced.

Henry received 353 votes, a significant lead over the fourth and fifth place players.

Ronaldinho received 452 votes, a significant lead over Henry, and the high number of votes seemed inexplicable. When his vote count was announced, the entire stadium fell silent.

Clearly, many of the star players present were dissatisfied with this.

Ronaldinho himself seemed a little embarrassed, and his smile wasn't as natural as usual.

He himself felt sorry for his brother Henry, who should have been the second oldest!

It's a baguette, after all.

Lu Kai won first place with 620 votes without any suspense.

While it may not be considered a clear leader, it's not so much that it's "highly controversial."

For a moment, there was thunderous applause at the scene.

The fifth player in world football history to win both the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award has been born! The previous winners were Ronaldo, Zidane, Rivaldo, and Figo.

Meanwhile, a third player in world football history has emerged to win both major honors in the same year. The previous two were Ronaldo and Zidane.

Lu Kai stood between Henry and Ronaldinho, raising the trophy high: "Luuuuu!"

The victor takes all, and Henry and Ronaldinho cooperated with Lu Kai, with all the guests chanting:
"Luuuuu!"

Only Ashley Young turned on the stopwatch on his phone: "One, two, three, four... ten seconds!"

"Lu is as fast as I was at the beginning!"

[PS: Update count will be updated tomorrow]

(End of this chapter)