When playing football, you should call it GOAT.

Chapter 80 The Battle for Roy

Roy leaned against the window of his dormitory at the Clairefontaine training base, his phone tucked between his shoulder and ear.

"You know what! This young man is a real gem." The voice of the old assistant coach, Jean-Pettit, came through the phone, brimming with undisguised excitement. "That explosiveness, that change of direction—my God, when he dribbles past people, he's like a goat possessed by a cheetah! When he breaks through on the left wing, even the grass trembles!"

Roy's lips twitched slightly.

“But,” old Petit’s tone suddenly shifted, “this bastard’s ball handling is more selfish than a drunken Spanish bullfighter! He could have easily done a one-two, but he insisted on dribbling past three men and then shooting wide. Passing? That word probably doesn’t exist in his dictionary.”

Roy stared at the dissipating morning mist, his voice eerily calm: "Just tell him—"

Suddenly, whistles and shouts came from the training field on the other end of the phone. You could vaguely hear a young man yelling something in a heavy northern French accent.

“Tell him,” Roy’s voice suddenly sharpened, “that your talent is alright, but it’s far inferior to Roy’s at 18. If you don’t correct these flaws, you won’t even see his taillights.”

There was silence on the other end of the phone for three seconds.

Then came a deafening burst of laughter, followed by Jean-Pettit's reprimand, which was delivered without missing a single word.

And then came the faint roar of Boulogne's accent: "Merde! Who the hell wants to look at his damn taillights!"

Roy hung up the phone.

Stade de France, June 22, 2003.

France vs. New Zealand.

The commentator spoke with a playful tone:
"Santini fielded a rather controversial starting lineup tonight – Monaco's Giuly and Rothen on the wings! This is reminiscent of Monaco's formidable wing pairing that struck fear into the hearts of Ligue 1 last season. But what's interesting is..."

The camera suddenly cut to the substitutes' bench.

"Their club teammate Roy is currently sitting on the bench wearing headphones."

The commentator spoke with a professional tone:
"Several heavyweights are seated in the stands tonight, first and foremost Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, the French godfather as composed and dignified as ever. After narrowly missing out on the Premier League title at the last minute this year, he may understand that Arsenal's championship puzzle is incomplete."

Wenger's lean, six-foot-three frame was encased in a dark gray suit. He stood with his arms crossed, his face serious, his back ramrod straight, and his grey-blue eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses were always half-closed.

He has just personally clarified the rumors linking him to Real Madrid and announced that he has renewed his contract with Arsenal.

"And with Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson having just lost his blond boy, is he looking for a replacement in the French national team? Rothen is indeed a blond boy, but I don't think he can replace Beckham. He has someone else in mind."

The red nose was still conspicuous in the June sunlight.

The black suit wrapped around his sturdy frame, and his chewing gum cheeks looked like a perpetual motion machine.

"As for Didier Deschamps, the former French captain and current Monaco coach, he sat upright with a serious expression. As Roy's current coach, Roy is the most important tactical figure in Monaco's squad this season, and whether he stays or not will directly determine Monaco's performance next season."

"Two legendary coaches and a young coach are gathered together, and the focus of their attention—Roy—is sitting quietly on the bench, waiting for his moment."

France easily controlled the first half of the match almost from the very beginning.

In the 16th minute, Giuly assisted Capo to score! 1-0.

Canal+ commentator: "Giuly is moving like there's no one on the right flank! New Zealand's left-back, Buknog, can't keep up with his pace at all!"

Giuly feinted past the defender, then delivered a low cross to Capo, who met the ball with a shot that rolled close to the grass into the corner of the net.

Wenger nodded slightly, Ferguson chewed gum expressionlessly, while Deschamps lowered his head, put his arm around his daughter's neck, and said something to her.

In the 22nd minute, Giuly provided another assist, and Henry scored! 2-0.

Commentator: "It's Giuly again! New Zealand's defense is as flimsy as paper! Henry easily slots the ball home, and goalkeeper Uttin has no chance!"

Giuly crossed from the byline, and Henry appeared like a ghost in the six-yard box, slotting the ball into the net.

Ferguson glanced at Wenger, seemingly observing his reaction.

Deschamps looked up at the replay on the big screen, seemingly lost in thought.

Among a group of substitutes who were shaking their legs, chewing gum, and frequently getting up to warm up, Roy seemed to have been put on pause.

A white headphone cable meandered out from the MP3 player, and a young face gleamed coldly in the shadows.

When Henry scored, he merely glanced at the replay on the big screen before looking down and fiddling with his iPod's scroll wheel.

In the 43rd minute, Henry assisted Cissé! 3-0.

"Henry broke through on the left wing and cut the ball back, Cisse tapped it into the empty net! The game is no longer in doubt!"

Henry made a sudden stop and cut back near the byline, completely fooling the New Zealand defender, and Cissé easily pushed the ball into the net.

Wenger was writing something in his notebook, while Ferguson began to talk quietly with his assistant coach.

Deschamps yawned, seemingly uninterested in the match.

The second half.

After Santini issued the order.

Roy stood up from the bench and took off his headphones—he had just been listening to Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger," an electronic track full of mechanical rhythms, as if foreshadowing the impact he was about to bring to the game.

In the 55th minute, Roy replaced Henry, and many fans at the Stade de France stood up and applauded.

"Santini makes a substitution! Roy replaces Henry! The Stade de France erupts in cheers!"

"This young star has become the most watched young man in France in just six months. According to the recent statistics of France Football, he is second only to Zidane in the eyes of French fans, and even surpasses Henry."

Roy jogged onto the field and high-fived Henry.

Wenger put down his notebook and leaned forward slightly.

Deschamps suddenly sat up straight, as if he had caught a whiff of something interesting.

Ferguson stopped chewing his gum, stared sharply at Roy, and suddenly took off his reading glasses and wiped them vigorously—his signature move when he was seriously observing a player.

When Roy appeared on the big screen, he nudged assistant coach Walter Smith with his elbow.

Not long ago, Vicente del Bosque announced that he would be sacked at the end of the season. After several unsuccessful negotiations with Arsène Wenger, Real Madrid chose Manchester United assistant coach Carlos Queiroz as the new manager for the next season.

“That kid isn’t David, but every number seven at Manchester United is never the same,” Ferguson said in a low voice.

However, Roy's agent, Migliaccio, made it clear: "The Confederations Cup is Roy's first chance to win a title in his national team career. He is 100% focused on winning this title to bring new confidence to French fans who are depressed after the painful exit from the World Cup. He will not make any decisions about next season before the tournament ends."

After the Confederations Cup, Roy's first priority is to take a good vacation—the schedule set by that bastard FIFA President Blatter was too tight, and he felt extremely tired.

After that, he will face a lot of business activities, as well as contract renewal negotiations with Monaco.

But before renewing his contract, he needs to negotiate with some top clubs.

No matter how far Monaco goes in the Champions League next season, he will leave next summer.

On the one hand, he wants to leverage the interest of these clubs to secure a lucrative contract for himself; on the other hand, this is also paving the way for his destination next year.

"Winning the Confederations Cup is my first goal with the national team," Roy said briefly before the match.

This move won him more support, and many French fans now see him as the new flag bearer after Zidane, hoping he can use this trophy to wash away the shame of the World Cup.

Ronaldinho told the Daily Mirror: "I feel both honored and under immense pressure to receive invitations from two great clubs at the same time."

After "missing out" on Beckham, Barcelona announced they were joining the race to sign him.

Laporta announced to two Barcelona mouthpieces, Diario Sport and Mundo Deportivo, that he would bring the "RORO" duo to Catalonia, along with a number of new talents, including the outstanding Turkish goalkeeper Rustu and Roy's Monaco teammate Max.
Thus, "making Barça great again".

"Make Bara Great Again", or MBGA for short.

Despite acknowledging his desire to join Manchester United, Ronaldinho also insisted on waiting until after the Confederations Cup to make a decision.

Last Friday, Ferguson met with Ronaldinho at the Corot-les-Etangs de Ville d'Avray hotel where the Brazilian national team was staying, focusing on tactical positioning.

The current transfer situation is delicate: Real Madrid may withdraw from the race for Ronaldinho due to their acquisition of Beckham. It has been revealed that Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain may have reached a three-way agreement – ​​Beckham will go to Real Madrid, Ronaldinho will join Manchester United, and the two top clubs will provide compensation to Paris Saint-Germain.

This potential deal directly excludes Barcelona, ​​even though Barcelona vice president Rosell has secretly contacted Ronaldinho's agent, Assis.

Manchester United hold a significant advantage in the Ronaldinho transfer saga.

According to The Sun, Manchester United, with its strong financial resources, has proposed a £1000 million lump-sum payment, far exceeding Barcelona's proposed four-year installment plan.

In terms of personal terms, Manchester United offered a weekly wage of £5.5 and an image rights contract worth £1350 million, completely outperforming Barcelona's offer of a weekly wage of £4.

Paris Saint-Germain has realized that there is no hope of keeping their players, while Manchester United, with its overwhelming financial advantage, is far ahead of Barcelona, ​​which is mired in financial crisis, in this transfer battle.

61 minutes.

"Roy breaks through on the left wing! His change of direction is as sharp as a blade! He passes across to Giuly, who slots the ball home!"

Roy used a series of changes of pace and explosive dribbling to get past the defender before breaking into the penalty area from the left byline. He then delivered a low cross, which Giuly easily slotted home.

Wenger's lips curled up slightly.

Ferguson's fingers began to tap lightly on the armrest of his seat, a calculating glint in his eyes.

Deschamps rubbed his nose, his expression calm, seemingly unsurprised by Roy's reaction.

In the 74th minute, Roy scored the first goal!
"Mexes long pass! Cissé lays off to Capo, Capo delivers a curling cross, Roy beats the offside trap! Calmly slots it home! BUT!!!"

Roy's positioning was perfect; after receiving the ball, he didn't hesitate at all and unleashed a powerful shot into the net.

Wenger and Ferguson stood up simultaneously; the former nodded slightly, while the latter took off his reading glasses, seemingly to confirm he wasn't mistaken. Deschamps suddenly sneezed for some reason, a moment captured by the camera.

The commentator joked, "Looks like the battle for Roy has gotten on some people's nerves!"

The game has ended at the end of regulation time.

The referee added three minutes of stoppage time. Cissé's shot from outside the penalty area was blocked, and France was awarded a corner kick.

Rothen takes the corner kick!
Desailly headed the ball towards the far post, and Roy tapped it in! Match ended! 6-0!

Roy cleverly caught the second ball in front of the goal line and easily pushed it into the empty net to complete his brace!

Wenger and Ferguson left the room at the same time; the former quickly headed toward the players' tunnel, while the latter spoke quietly with his assistant coach.

After the match, Ferguson had a brief conversation with French Football Federation officials.

Deschamps stood still, watching Roy celebrate with a complicated expression.

He knew that Monaco would likely have a hard time keeping him this summer.

The final whistle had just blown when the door to the French team's locker room was gently pushed open.

Arsène Wenger walked in, impeccably dressed in a suit, his gaze behind his gold-rimmed glasses gentle yet sharp.

Pires, Henry, and Wiltord stood up almost simultaneously, their faces showing obvious respect.

Thuram, who had played under Wenger at Monaco, quickly stepped forward, bowed slightly, and respectfully addressed him as "Mr. Wenger!"

Wenger smiled and shook hands with each member of the French team, exchanging a few pleasantries. Finally, his gaze fell on Roy's face.

The young Monaco prodigy had just taken off his jersey, still covered in sweat from the match, but his eyes remained calm.

Wenger approached him and said in a seemingly casual tone:
“From the moment you arrived in Ligue 1, our scouts have been sitting on the sidelines watching your every move.”

The other players in the locker room fell silent, their eyes shifting back and forth between the two.

“We used to determine a player’s quality based on at least ten matches,” Wenger continued, a slight smile playing on his lips, “but after just three matches, Kagigao called me—”

He paused, mimicking the excited tone of scout Francis Cageco:
“'Mr. Wenger, we should sign him.'”

Roy raised his eyebrows, a slight smile playing on his lips, but his gaze remained calm.

“It’s my honor,” he replied briefly, his voice low but clear.

Wenger nodded in satisfaction, patted him on the shoulder, and then turned to continue his conversation with Santini.

But everyone understands – Arsenal have already shown their hand.

Based on personal preference, Roy had a strong liking for Arsenal, and at that time the Gunners' squad was at its strongest, and they were about to usher in their most glorious milestone of the 21st century - the unbeaten season.

Even without winning the Champions League, the world only remembers Barcelona as the footnote to the founding of the Dream Team II era.

The problem is that even twenty years later, this will still be Arsenal's most glorious achievement in the 21st century.

If it were at the old stadium in Highbury, Roy would certainly prefer to work with this famous French coach and appreciate his football philosophy more.

But forget about the brand-new, luxurious Emirates Stadium.

Roy's fondness for Arsenal is not unfounded – Wenger's football philosophy, the Gunners' dazzling attacking style, and the upcoming unbeaten season are all highly appealing. However, realistically, the team's current attacking lineup is not a suitable choice for Roy:
He and Henry cannot coexist in the starting lineup.

Style clash: Both are atypical center forwards, excelling in high-speed counter-attacks and dribbling breakthroughs, but their combined heading ability cannot match that of Trezeguet. Against a solid defensive formation, their attacks may stall.

Ball possession distribution: Henry needs to hold the ball a lot. Although Roy was a playmaker who held the ball on the wings during his time at the club, and his style of play was to drop back to receive the ball and then quickly pass it to the wing for off-the-ball runs, the right to shoot is the bottom line - commercial value is linked to personal statistics, and he cannot be content to play a supporting role.

Dressing room politics: Bergkamp is getting old and is gradually relinquishing ball control to focus on dropping back to organize, but how could Henry, who is in his prime, tolerate another "core"?
If a power struggle is initiated immediately upon arrival, it could lead to a split within the dressing room.

Whether it's the national team or the club.

Roy prefers to partner with pure shooter-type centers (such as Trezeguet), one tall and one fast, making them highly complementary.

Arsenal's tactical system is built around Henry, and Wenger may not be willing to overturn the existing framework.

This is not just a matter of tactics and competition, but more of a game between capital and sponsors.

Every goal equals greater exposure and a more lucrative endorsement deal.

If Arsenal is forced to sacrifice data, its long-term value may be damaged.

Manchester United, in contrast, has many potential advantages: compared to Arsenal, Ferguson's Manchester United may be more flexible, and with the legendary number 7 jersey vacant, Roy has the potential to become the absolute core player.

Tactically, there's no need to "steal the spotlight" from Henry, and Manchester United's combination play on the wings and in the center can maximize their dribbling ability.

Ferguson's Manchester United had one of the most terrifying strikers in Europe in 2003 – Ruud van Nistelrooy – but the Dutch striker's playing style did not clash with Roy's; on the contrary, it created an excellent complementary effect.

Van Nistelrooy is a typical pure number 9 striker in the penalty area, with ghostly movement, superb shooting skills, and especially adept at delivering a fatal blow inside the six-yard box.

Although not known for dribbling, he excels at back-to-the-basket play and acts as a pivot, creating second-chance opportunities for his teammates.

Standing at 189cm, Van Nistelrooy was extremely dominant in aerial duels, perfectly compensating for Roy's lack of heading ability.

Roy's playing style combines the characteristics of a false nine and a winger. He excels at dropping deep to receive the ball, advancing with the ball, and breaking down defenses on the flanks.

During his time at Monaco, Roy often cut inside from the left flank to shoot or cross from the byline, which was exactly the kind of ball delivery Van Nistelrooy needed.

Roy has an excellent sense of offside traps, and his interaction with Van Nistelrooy in the penalty area can create a double-team effect.

弗格森的4-4-1-1或4-3-2-1体系可最大化两人优势：

Van Nistelrooy positioned himself at the far end, drawing the attention of the center-backs and creating space for Roy to make runs from deep.

Roy can roam on the left wing or as a second striker, capable of both cutting inside to shoot and making diagonal passes into the box to find Van Nistelrooy.

During the counter-attack, Roy's ball-carrying advance combined with Van Nistelrooy's sprint and poaching was a template for fast breaks.

In the 2002-03 season, Van Nistelrooy scored 12 goals in 10 Champions League games, but Manchester United were still eliminated by Real Madrid. What they lacked was a player like Roy who could create his own chances.

If Roy joins, Manchester United's attack will be upgraded from "Van Nistelrooy dependency" to a dual-core drive, putting opposing defenses in a dilemma.

Mark Van Nistelrooy closely? Roy will tear his ribs; defend Roy closely? Van Nistelrooy can kill him with a single blow.

But this is the most suitable path right now. What will happen a year from now?
He doesn't need to rush into making choices; he just needs to consistently deliver top-level performances, making every game a plus in the scouting reports of top clubs.

This very stance is a form of power—it's not that he's begging the wealthy, but rather that the wealthy are begging him.

The advantage of top players is never rushing to make choices, but rather having all options open to them.

What Roy needs to do is make sure he is always in the position of being "chased" rather than "chaser".

At 9 p.m. that evening, the 2002/03 La Liga season will come to a close.

Real Madrid defeated Athletic Bilbao 3-1 at home to win their 29th league title.

Ronaldo scored twice to win his first league title.

Barcelona defeated Celta Vigo 2-0 at home, securing a place in next season's UEFA Cup.

Real Sociedad, the only team remaining unbeaten at home, secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Atletico Madrid. In an earlier match, Real Betis defeated Villarreal 4-1 away.

Before the match, Real Madrid fans displayed a huge banner on the sidelines that read "Welcome 'Beckham'".

Real Madrid is about to launch its Far East commercial tour, and four senior executives from AutoNavi are finalizing the terms with Real Madrid.

Real Madrid had previously scouted Shanghai Shenhua and Kunming Hongta training bases, but their visits were boycotted due to the $2 million appearance fee and €750,000 training fee. The focus of this Asian tour includes the BJ vs. China match on August 2nd, as well as commercial activities in Japan and India.

European powerhouses typically utilize the off-season for commercial development, and Real Madrid's upcoming Far East tour is expected to boost revenue from the Asian market (China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and India) by 42%. Beckham's jerseys officially went on sale in Japan on June 21st for £40 each, with pre-sales proving extremely popular.

It's hard to believe that Beckham alone will bring Real Madrid $5000 million in direct revenue from this Far East trip, with an estimated total value of $3.5 million including long-term commercial development potential.

（5000万包括：日本首日售出3万件球衣，每件约60美元，单日销售额180万，持续热销两周约2500万美元；中国内地及中国香港地区销售约800~1200万美元；商业赛中国行出场费单场200万美元；日本三菱、西门子等新增赞助约1500万美元。）
Of course, this was also influenced by the historical context. 2003 marked the beginning of commercialization in Asian football, and Beckham, as the first global icon-level football star, experienced a short-term surge in commercial value. Modern football stars (such as Messi and Ronaldo) have more diversified revenue streams across social media, personal branding, and other areas.

However, at the time, this was already a milestone event in the commercialization of professional football.

Recently, Sensi and Capello have been playing mind games, creating a chaotic atmosphere within the Roma club.

Meanwhile, Roma captain Totti was engrossed in the joy of "Totti's Jokes Collection".

Mondadori, Italy's most prestigious publishing house, is currently publishing "The Totti Joke Collection," which has soared on the bestseller list due to a powerful media campaign. After being teased so much, the Roman prince grew somewhat annoyed and resentful, exclaiming, "Enough! I'm all grown up now!"

Half of the proceeds from the book will be donated to UNICEF.

Totti jokes mainly mock his poor Italian, ignorance, and stupidity. Many of them are based on homophones and mispronunciations. Some traditional Italian jokes have also changed the protagonist to Totti, making them even more hilarious.

Totti has recently been telling jokes on television and giving an interview to the Italian edition of Who magazine. However, during the interview, Totti expressed some displeasure at the ridicule, saying, "When I published the book, I told the editor to try to minimize the harm the jokes caused me and that they should only be directed at me personally. But now they've dragged my family and Blasi into it!"

The Totti Joke Collection contains many jokes about Totti and his girlfriend Blassi, one of which is quite outrageous and even mentions Blassi sleeping with Cassano.

Who asked Totti, "So, when are you and Blassie getting married?"

Totti replied, "I won't answer now. In a couple of days I'm going on a long vacation with Blasi. Being with Blasi makes me feel wonderful, cared for, and simple."

This is yet another Totti joke.

(Blassie has a sex addiction and frequently cheated on her husband with multiple partners.)

(End of this chapter)