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Chapter 777: Unspoken Acknowledgment
"Wang Feng Continues Legend, Manchester City Welcomes Ballon d'Or!" The Manchester Evening News featured news of the Chinese superstar winning the European Ballon d'Or award on its front page.
The report pointed out that Manchester United has always been an influential club in the history of the Ballon d'Or, with Best, Charlton, and Dennis Law bringing home this honor for the Red Devils.
They were the founders of the giants and it can be said that no giant is complete without the Ballon d'Or.
Now, the city's team, Manchester City, has taken this step as well, welcoming its own Ballon d'Or winner, and the team will enter a new phase of history.
The Times quoted Wang Feng during an interview: "The Blue Moon will eventually shine over European football!"
There is no doubt that Manchester City's transfer of the Chinese superstar from Real Madrid this summer was a great success. They identified Wang Feng early on and paid a great price for him.
Wang Feng did not disappoint Manchester City's trust. His diligence and hard work were evident to everyone. He genuinely wanted to fight for honors for the team, rather than just making money.
The Guardian's headline read: "After 49 Years, the Premier League Finally Welcomes the European Ballon d'Or!"
The article stated that since George Best won the award in 1968, no player has lifted this highest trophy while playing in the top tier of English football.
The closest players were Michael Owen in 2001 and Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008, both coincidentally missing out on the award due to Wang Feng.
This is embarrassing and awkward for the Premier League, which has always boasted as the top league in Europe, and it also inadvertently diminishes its ability to attract top stars. 𝒻𝓇𝘦𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝑚
But now, with the Chinese superstar personally coming and bringing back the Ballon d'Or with unmatched dominance, it also makes up for the league's regrets over the years.
Most media outlets around the world praised and congratulated Wang Feng for winning the award, while some Portuguese media were dissatisfied.
The Daily Express stated that Cristiano Ronaldo's performance at the European Championship in the summer was evident, and he is a true football hero who deserves the Ballon d'Or.
"Wang Feng has already won numerous trophies, why can't he give way to Ronaldo? What's the point of such a monotonous selection?"
At the same time, the Daily Express also called for the cancellation of the Chinese superstar's eligibility for the Ballon d'Or in the future, arguing that his presence would only make the award more boring.
This statement naturally met with unanimous opposition from both domestic and foreign audiences. Domestically, whenever there were negative comments about Wang Feng, countless compatriots would step forward to refute them.
Even many rational Europeans also refuted them on social media: "First, there's the best player, then there's the European Ballon d'Or!"
"The purpose of the Ballon d'Or is to honor the best player of the year! If a player is excluded from the best of the year just because he has performed too well and for too long, what's the point of the best? What's the point of the Ballon d'Or?"
"The Daily Express has implicitly acknowledged Wang Feng's performance surpassing Ronaldo's, and only based on achievements, he should be selected. That's why they're resorting to arguing from the perspective of number of wins and consecutive wins." A careful netizen discerned different meanings, which was quickly accepted by the public.
For a moment, the world was in an uproar. This Portuguese newspaper, which has the largest circulation in Portugal, intended to defend its own players but ended up showing weakness and being ridiculed.
Praise or controversy, Wang Feng didn't care.
After participating in the simple Ballon d'Or award ceremony, he went to Hertfordshire to join the rest of the team, preparing for the 16th round of the Premier League, an away game against Watford.
This team has been fluctuating in lower-level competitions since its establishment, only rising to the top tier in the 1970s.
The season they were promoted, they finished as league runners-up, becoming a true dark horse. After a few years of glory, they fell into the quagmire of relegation and ultimately returned to the bottom of the league.
One of Watford's most talked-about figures is the club's honorary chairman, Elton John. He is a famous English singer who has won Oscars, Grammy Awards, and even holds a knighthood.
Before becoming the honorary chairman, John served as the club's chairman twice, balancing his singing career with club management, achieving success in both fields.
Although Wang Feng sat on the bench, most of the away team's main lineup was complete, and they quickly established a dominant position in the game.
It can be seen that although Manchester City relies on the Chinese superstar as the core of their attack, they also maintain a complete offensive and defensive system and do not rely entirely on him.
It can only be said that Wang Feng's addition will further enhance the team's attacking ability, giving them a greater chance against strong opponents. He is the key man on the field, rather than a versatile player.
This change in identity made the Chinese superstar feel relaxed and happy. After all, with age catching up, he can no longer continue to dominate in every aspect.
In the first half, De Bruyne assisted Aguero to open the scoring, and David Silva's long shot extended the lead.
In the 70th minute, Guardiola substituted the Chinese superstar, who had been active on the sidelines.
The fans at Vicarage Road Stadium looked at this world-class superstar with curiosity. To be honest, most top players are too far away from them, and many Watford fans may never meet them in their lifetime.
In the last 5 minutes of the match, Stones made a run down the right and crossed into the box.
Wang Feng leaned against Watford's defender Holebas, stopped the ball with his chest, then immediately jumped and volleyed, sending the ball directly into Watford's goal, making it 3-0!
This score held until the end of the match, and Manchester City continued their relentless march forward.
On December 19th, Manchester City returned to the Etihad Stadium to face another tough opponent, Arsenal, in the 17th round of the Premier League.
The Blue Moon is currently stable at the top of the table, while the Gunners are just fourth, once again starting their top-four pursuit.
Arsene Wenger, the head coach, is also helpless. With the increasing dominance of capital today, with stars flocking and oligarchs abound, it is already very difficult for him to keep the team in the leading group.
Just look at his squad, his first-choice goalkeeper Petr Cech is already 34 years old.
On the defensive line, Mertesacker, Debuchy, Gibbs, and Johnson, except for Gibbs who came through Arsenal's youth academy, the others all came from mid-table European teams.
Perhaps the Gunners are the highest platform they can reach, and obviously, this group of people cannot lift the team to a higher level.
The midfield is even more unknown, with Walcott, Sanchez, Xhaka, Elneny, and Iwobi, none of whom have been selected in the top 30 midfielders in football.
Up front, Giroud is indeed potent, but without effective support, he also struggles to unleash his full potential.
Therefore, the Frenchman is tired of the days without trophies and is constantly seeking opportunities to transfer.
Before the game, Manchester City held a somewhat grand Ballon d'Or display ceremony for Wang Feng. As the Chinese superstar circled the stadium with the trophy in hand, fireworks were set off around the stadium to add to the excitement.
Teammates reached out to touch the golden ball, representing the highest individual honor in football, showing envy and longing.
This spectacle not only made the away team envious and jealous but also generated resentment. Amidst the cheers and laughter from the outside world, Wenger solemnly said in the dressing room, "Are we here just to watch them celebrate recklessly?"
"Get your spirits up and give the opponent a head-on blow to disrupt their good mood!"