When playing football, you should call it GOAT.

Chapter 72 showed no grief for the departure of the Mexicans.
That night, European football witnessed a "double crown night": Rangers defeated Dundee United 1-0, winning both the Scottish Premiership and the Scottish Cup within a week.

Bayern Munich easily defeated Kaiserslautern 3-1 in the German Cup final, with Ballack scoring twice to end the "three-time runner-up" curse.

Despite losing 0-1 to Roma, AC Milan still won the Italian Cup on away goals, achieving a double of Champions League and Italian Cup titles.

The French Cup final was the last match of the day, with Auxerre securing a last-minute victory against Paris Saint-Germain. Goals from Cissé and Boumsong brought a tragic end to Ronaldinho's Paris career.

The champions of the four major leagues and cup competitions were decided overnight.

June 2003 officially began.

The Confederations Cup, held on home soil, will kick off this month and run from June 18 to June 29.

The assembly time is June 11th, when they will begin intensive preparations at the Clairefontaine training base.

France, as the host country and defending champion, is in Group A with Colombia, Japan, and New Zealand.

Group B consists of the United States, Turkey, Cameroon, and the world champions, Brazil.

France's national team coach, Santini, officially announced the squad for the Confederations Cup in June today. Several key players from top clubs were excluded from the squad, clearly indicating Santini's intention to give his players experience and assess new talent. However, Roy and Henry will still lead the attack.

In addition, Rothen and Giuly were also drafted.

Roy's gaze once again fell on Sochaux's Bonois Pedretti on the list.

This 1.77-meter-tall, 69-kilogram midfielder may not seem remarkable at first glance, but he reminded him of Real Madrid's tireless number 24.

Pedretti's defensive style was extremely fierce, with abundant stamina, precise tackles, and a wide coverage area.

But what Roy cares about most is the difference between him and Makelele – he has a precise long pass.

From his debut at the European Under-21 Championship and selection to the best XI, to becoming a key player for Sochaux at the age of 23, Pedretti's growth trajectory is clearly visible.

More importantly, his style is very similar to Deschamps himself – solid defense, precise distribution, and he has even been dubbed "Deschamps II" by the media.

Last summer transfer window, Deschamps wanted to bring him to Monaco, but the deal fell through due to the club's financial situation and poor performance.

Now, as the core of the Ligue 1 champions, Roy naturally understands what kind of midfield shield the team needs.

If Deschamps is still hesitant, he wouldn't mind giving him a heads-up and a push.

After all, once a player like Pedretti is targeted by other top clubs, it becomes very difficult to snatch him up.

Max's transfer is not yet finalized.

But Roy showed no grief whatsoever for the Mexicans' departure.
That evening, Roy watched the Monaco Grand Prix final.

Williams driver Juan Pablo Montoya won the championship, McLaren driver Kimi Räikkönen finished second, and Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher finished third.

On June 2nd, the French Ligue 6 Players' Union Season Awards Ceremony

Roy was the biggest winner of the night, taking home three awards: Ligue 1 Best Young Player, Best Player, and Golden Boot.

When he took to the stage for the third time to receive the trophy from Fédéric Thierry, president of the Professional Football League, Thierry could not hide his excitement and said half-jokingly, "I never thought that such a supernova would suddenly emerge in Ligue 1."

Pauleta lost to Roy in both the Best Player and Golden Boot awards, looking gloomy and managing only a forced smile throughout.

The competition for Best Young Player is equally fierce – Guingamp's Malouda, Lyon's Govou, Auxerre's Cabo and Mexes are all nominated, but when your opponent is the best player in Ligue 1, such a competition loses its meaning. The only consideration is whether the Ligue 1 Players' Union has discussed whether the award should be passed on to another player.

Roy ultimately won.

This is based on a dual consideration of commercial value and competitive influence.

Roy's rise is not only a pleasant surprise for Ligue 1 on the competitive level, but also a comprehensive upgrade in commercial value, brand exposure, and league competitiveness.

Roy is not a "good boy"; on the contrary, he has a rebellious and flamboyant personality. His controversial remarks, off-court personality, and even conflicts with opponents can become the focus of the media.

Before the final round of Ligue 1, he publicly mocked Pauleta for "only being able to score easy goals," saying that if he had joined the league a round earlier, the Golden Boot would have been a foregone conclusion. This prompted Pauleta to break down and perform exceptionally well in the final round.

His handsome appearance gives him idol appeal, attracting non-traditional fans (especially female viewers) to pay attention to Ligue 1.

In addition, he scored over 20 goals in half a season.

It is a unique style of play that combines violent aesthetics (high-speed breakthroughs and long-range shots) with delicate technique (chip shots and curved shots), making it highly entertaining to watch.

Ligue 1 has long been criticized for its "dull tactics," while Roy's style of play is full of improvisational individual heroism, which is a great asset to Monaco, a team that highly values ​​attacking play.

After the award ceremony, Drogba came over to congratulate him.

Roy smiled and shook hands with "Warcraft," exchanging pleasantries, inwardly thinking, "I really wish I could partner with such a top-tier pivot."

Drogba's explosiveness and playmaking ability are exactly what he's looking for in a strike partnership.

In Monte Carlo, Ferdinand clarified the recent "conflict" again, saying it was just a misunderstanding caused by language barriers.

At the time, he and Terry invited the hotel staff to play billiards, saying in English, "Let's have a match between England and Spain," but this was misinterpreted as a provocation, and the other party even called security.

“It’s ridiculous, we just wanted to play ball,” he said helplessly. “The matter was resolved that night.”

When discussing Ligue 1's rising star Roy, Ferdinand had mixed feelings: "He impressed me, but he was too rude. I look forward to this top scorer being tested in a higher-level league."

—In response, Monaco Morning Post and Côte d'Azur Sport, which interviewed Ferdinand, published a joint commentary: "It's hard to imagine that the label of 'rude' would be applied to Roy—after all, his goals that tore through the defense are more worthy of being called 'rude'."

But that's Roy for you!
On June 3, Roy appeared at Roland Garros' central stadium.

Wearing sunglasses, he sat in the players' box and witnessed the entire process of Serena Williams' crushing 6-1/6-2 victory over local star Amélie Mauresmo in the French Open women's singles match.

When Serena Williams' final ace hit the sideline, Roy suddenly stood up and applauded.

Interestingly, when Mauresmo collapsed in the second set, the television broadcast gave Roy a close-up for five seconds—the French tennis star's defeat and the triumphant Ligue 5 champion in the box created a cruel yet poetic contrast in the language of the camera.

"Her dunk reminded me of Michael Jordan's dunks," Roy told L'Équipe after the game, "that kind of irrational, violent aesthetics."

The French sports newspaper published a commentary titled "His applause lacks respect": "While our female warriors were battling under the scorching sun, this rising star of Ligue 1 cheered for every kill by his opponents." Columnist Pierre Leroy wrote: "That sunglasses acted as a barrier, filtering both the June sun of Paris and the empathy that should have been shown to the local players."

Sports commentator François pointedly stated on the program: "This is the paradox of the globalized era—our stars idolize those who destroy our pride."

"This is the price of fame."

In response to the controversy, Roy gave a brief interview to L'Équipe, saying, "Every movement is distorted and reflected in countless mirrors."

He refused to apologize for cheering for Mauresmo's opponent, but added, "Next time she wins, if I'm there, I promise I'll give her an even bigger round of applause."

The female reporter frowned: "Aren't you planning to do anything else besides this?"

Roy raised his eyebrows: "I will try my best to get my supporters to cheer for my 'killing,' that's what competitive sports are all about."

From June 3rd to 7th, Roy's schedule in Paris was packed.

This rising star in Ligue 1 has to complete 3-4 commercial activities every day: shooting his second advertisement for APM on Tuesday morning, attending Cartier's new product launch in the afternoon; and appearing at the opening ceremony of the flagship store on the Champs-Élysées on Wednesday.

At a charity gala hosted by the Luis Figo Foundation, Roy donated 10,000 euros to support sports programs for disabled youth.

A foundation staff member revealed, "He specifically requested that the funds be used to purchase sports prosthetics."

Paris Match paparazzi followed Roy around the clock, capturing images of his Mercedes-Benz V-Class van returning to his residence at 2 a.m. every day; some paparazzi even posed as cleaning staff to separately collect and remove his household garbage. In response, Roy's spokesperson stated, "We have changed our cleaning service provider and will consider legal action."

On June 8, Roy plans to return to Boulogne to help his family move to Monaco.

His landlord confirmed to the media: "Roy's apartment in Monte Carlo has been renovated."

Regarding the contract renewal, Roy's agent stated clearly: "We are currently listening to offers from various parties and will conduct a comprehensive evaluation after the Confederations Cup. Monaco needs to understand that there will always be competition in the market for top players."

They are expected to travel to Clairefontaine on the 10th for a training camp in preparation for the Confederations Cup.

This tournament is of great significance to French football.

With most of the 1998 World Cup champions retiring, the French team urgently needs a new generation of talent.

Especially in the shadow of being eliminated in the group stage of the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, winning the championship on home soil will be the best remedy for their wounds.

Santini's assistant told the media: "Due to Trezeguet's possible absence, the coaching staff is paying special attention to the chemistry between Roy and Henry, and we have designed several tactical plans for a two-striker formation."

An article in France Football points out that this Confederations Cup, held on home soil, has special significance for French football: "Following the disastrous defeat in the 2002 World Cup, we need a championship to revive the glory of the Azzurri. And a new generation like Roy is the hope for the revival of French football."

Roy's agent revealed that more than five top clubs have inquired about his transfer intentions through informal channels, but all have declined: "He is now 100% focused on the national team. His performance in the Confederations Cup will determine many things, including his future position in the national team."

On the morning of June 4, Ribery arrived at the Boulogne stadium, his feet wet with dew.

He was wearing faded training clothes, and the scar on his right cheek was particularly noticeable in the morning light.

The rusty iron fence at the side of the court reminded him of the scene when he made his professional debut here in 2000.

"Fifty euros, and another fifty if we win."

The organizer said, chewing gum.

Ribery nodded and tossed his worn-out sports bag onto the concrete stands.

During his time playing for Allais in the French third division, he was owed a significant amount of salary – after the club went bankrupt, he had to return to work for his father's road construction team.

Before the match began, he habitually touched the scar on his face.

The scars left by the car accident seventeen years ago still ache faintly when I run vigorously.

But today he played exceptionally fiercely, dribbling past three opponents in succession before unleashing a powerful shot that blasted the ball into the net.

Scattered applause rang out from the sidelines—a few children recognized him as the "scarred-faced" man who scored the crucial goal for Boulogne three years ago.

As the final whistle blew, the organizer handed over crumpled banknotes.

As Ribery stuffed the money into his pocket, his phone vibrated: a trial notification from Brest.

He gazed at the cranes in the distant harbor and suddenly remembered the headline he'd seen that morning when he passed a newsstand—Roy was watching a tennis match in Paris.

The two Boulogne children have now taken completely opposite paths in life.

57-year-old "Football Emperor" Beckenbauer is expecting another child, as his partner, former Bayern Munich employee Heidi, is four months pregnant.

This will be the couple's second child. Three years ago, after the birth of their son Joel, Beckenbauer ended their 12-year marriage.

Speaking to Bild, he excitedly said, "I hope it's a girl, but according to family tradition, it's very likely to be a boy again. Seven out of my eight grandsons are boys."

Heidi is currently in good health and recently played golf. Beckenbauer jokingly remarked that his large house is "big enough to run a kindergarten," clearly showing his joy at having a child late in life.

—Bild

Ronaldinho told the British newspaper The Independent without reservation: "The thought of joining Manchester United is like a wonderful dream. It's not only a great club, but the team's style is a perfect match for me."

His brother and agent recently traveled to Paris to meet with the new president of Paris Saint-Germain, and he optimistically stated that Ronaldinho's future will be revealed within the next two weeks.

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I'm very sorry that I may only be able to post two updates totaling 7,000 words today.

Because I don't usually keep drafts in reserve, my typing speed is relatively fast, but the way I write means that I need to synthesize a lot of information before I start writing. I spend about two or three hours reading information and news for every four hours I type.

I need to put together some chapters for the big update before it goes live.

It will be available for purchase tomorrow at noon. I can guarantee at least five chapters and 20,000 words. Of course, I'm working hard and hope to exceed that by then.

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(End of this chapter)