Chapter 297: Preview of the European war
Before the opening of the new season, Real Madrid hosted the 28th edition of the Bernabeu Cup at the Bernabeu Stadium. This event is a traditional warm-up match for the Real Madrid club, aiming to commemorate the former president of Real Madrid, Santiago Bernabeu.
The invited team was the Belgian Jupiler Pro League champions, Anderlecht. Both sides were fine-tuning for the new season. In the 27th minute of the first half, Guti opened the scoring for the Galacticos with a long shot from the edge of the penalty area.
Just five minutes later, Wang Feng received the ball, dribbled past two defenders, and scored in the penalty area, helping the team expand their lead.
In the second half, Schuster continued to make extensive substitutions, and it proved that Real Madrid's defense was not stable enough, as Anderlecht pulled one back in the 71st minute.
The final score settled at 2-1, with Real Madrid lifting their first trophy of the new season. Although it was insignificant, it was a good start for the team.
Looking at the large trophy in front of him, Wang Feng couldn't help but feel curious. Does any team really want this thing?
They were invited to participate in the competition probably for player training purposes and the substantial ticket and broadcast revenue. Real Madrid would distribute all the proceeds from the game to the participating teams.
On August 25th, the UEFA annual awards ceremony and the Champions League draw were held at the Grimaldi Forum Cultural Center in Monaco. As for the ultimate award, the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year, there was not much suspense. It could only be between Wang Feng and Ronaldinho.
Due to Wang Feng's outstanding performance in the Champions League final, defeating Ronaldinho, he lifted the trophy for the third time in four years. When receiving the award, he thanked Inter Milan and stated that winning the Champions League last season and the efforts of every player were inseparable.
He also expressed his belief that despite Real Madrid's recent struggles in the Champions League, under the guidance of the new coach, the Galacticos would surely regain the glory of being the "Kings of Europe."
Wang Feng's award sparked heated discussions among major media outlets. The focus of their discussion was not the award itself, but rather, who would win the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards this year?
Traditionally, in World Cup years, the annual awards are naturally given to the best-performing players in the championship-winning team. However, with Zidane retired from the victorious French team and Henry absent due to injury in many games, only Thuram, Vieira, and Trezeguet remained as contenders.
Wang Feng led the weak Chinese team to the semi-finals of the World Cup, creating a dark horse miracle, so he also became a popular candidate. Whether to break tradition and select based on skill or adhere to the tradition of choosing from the champions, this question would surely pose a dilemma for the judges.
After the awards ceremony, the tense Champions League group stage draw took place as scheduled. The teams drawn in the same group as Real Madrid were Lyon from Ligue 1, Bucharest Stars from the Romanian Liga I, and Dynamo Kyiv from the Ukrainian Premier League.
Upon hearing this result, the Spanish media couldn't help but marvel at Real Madrid's luck. Apart from Lyon, the consecutive Ligue 1 champions, Bucharest Stars and Dynamo Kyiv were relatively weak. It seemed that they didn't need to worry too much about the group stage.
However, when interviewed by the media, Wang Feng denied this statement, saying, "Bucharest Stars and Dynamo Kyiv have excellent players in their teams. We will do our best to advance."
Barcelona was not as lucky as Real Madrid. They were drawn in the same group as Chelsea, Werder Bremen, and Levski Sofia. Both the Blues and the Bundesliga powerhouse had their eyes set on the knockout stage spots.
Valencia would face Roma, Olympiacos, and Shakhtar Donetsk. Only three La Liga teams could participate in the Champions League group stage, and as for the qualifying spot, Sevilla failed in the third round and could only participate in the Europa League.
From this, it can be seen that even if the top four in the five major leagues qualify for the Champions League qualifiers, they may not necessarily beat the champions of the smaller league.
Perhaps dominating the Europa League is their destiny. However, unless they can win the Europa League championship bonus, the prize money and broadcast income from participating in the Champions League will far exceed that of the Europa League.
Back in Madrid, to celebrate winning the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year and to strengthen the bond with his new teammates, Wang Feng invited all the players and coaching staff to dinner.
Ronaldo recommended a very famous traditional Spanish restaurant, Casa Alberto, and Wang Feng personally booked the entire restaurant.
On the day of the dinner, luxury cars appeared at the entrance, and all the first-team players of Real Madrid showed up for the appointment, even the head coach Schuster came. Upon hearing the news, reporters camped outside the door, constantly flashing their cameras.
Entering the restaurant, the rich elements of old Madrid taverns filled the entire space, with tin water pitchers, agate bars, wrought iron pillars, and more. Each item seemed to tell a piece of history.
It is said that the great literary figure Cervantes once lived here, where he wrote works such as "Don Quixote" and "Journey to the Parnassus."
Everyone found their seats, choosing between the bar or small tables. Traditional Madrid delicacies such as oxtail, Atlantic sturgeon, tripe, meatballs, pig's trotters, fried ham balls, as well as traditional stews and homemade desserts were quickly served.
As the league opener approached, players were prohibited from drinking alcohol, but the feeling of eating meat was still enjoyable. Even Wang Feng, who usually avoided certain foods, couldn't help but eat a little more. The atmosphere was especially lively as everyone ate and chatted.
Some quirky players shuttled between tables, grabbing all the delicious dishes into their bowls and turning the meal into a buffet-style feast. This "rude" behavior naturally angered the public, and eventually, everyone got into a playful scuffle.
Nowadays, the phenomenon of factions within Real Madrid has improved a lot. The former star players either left or stepped back, and fresh blood continued to be injected, allowing everyone to gather around the number one star, Wang Feng.
Of course, this also included the support of the Spanish locals represented by Raul. Perhaps out of consideration for the club's performance, or perhaps being impressed, Raul and others fully accepted Wang Feng from the beginning, willingly letting him become the core of the team, which saved him a lot of trouble.
But Wang Feng's performance did not disappoint them. Despite being superior to everyone else, he still maintained a humble, hardworking, and gentle attitude. Whether they were main players or substitutes, everyone had a very good impression of him.
With a cup filled with juice in his hand, Raul walked up to Wang Feng and gently tapped him, "Wang, Barcelona has won the La Liga title for two consecutive years. If they win it again this season, Real Madrid will surely lose face. So, we need to give our all this season."
The title of the El Clásico was not a joke. The rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona was much more serious than that of the Milan clubs. If one side remained dominant, the other would feel ashamed.
"In addition to the league, the Champions League is also our focus this season. Real Madrid has won the Champions League the most times, we cannot afford to be eliminated in the Round of 16 every year."
Wang Feng nodded. He once prevented Real Madrid from winning their 10th Champions League title. Now, amidst changing fortunes, the burden of reclaiming this honor fell on him again.
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