Chapter 312: Additional penalty
As the two current superstars of La Liga, the news of both Wang Feng and Messi getting injured naturally garnered widespread coverage from various media outlets.
Marca wrote that in terms of physical toughness, Messi could never catch up to Wang Feng. "In his seven-year career, Wang has never been absent from a match for more than two weeks due to injury."
"He has endured malicious fouls time and time again, yet he remains unyielding, as if he were a chosen one destined to become the king of world football."
In contrast, Messi has suffered two major injuries since joining Barcelona's first team, missing the entire last season and being sidelined for three months this year, making him seem like a "fragile" player.
Of course, the article also acknowledged that injuries are indeed an inevitable issue for athletes, and it expressed hopes for both players to recover soon and return to the field to contribute spectacular performances.
AS, on the other hand, focused on analyzing the foul by Osasuna defender Iskierdo. By extracting frames from the video footage, it was evident that the Spanish defender made a deliberate kicking motion with his leg.
"This was definitely a malicious foul, not Wang Feng moving into him, but rather him intentionally kicking someone!"
This report immediately sparked strong dissatisfaction among Madrid fans and Chinese fans at home, with many leaving messages online urging the Spanish Football Association to impose additional penalties on Iskierdo.
Real Madrid's official announcement stated that they had prepared relevant evidence and formally lodged a complaint with the Football Association, stating, "Such actions should not be tolerated on the field, and he must receive the appropriate punishment!"
Inside the Real Madrid president's office, Florentino was discussing the matter with director Corsanes.
"The Football Association thinks we might be making a mountain out of a molehill this time. After all, Wang Feng didn't need to rest for three months like Messi did," Corsanes said. He was acting as an intermediary between the Football Association and the club in this matter.
"No, we must establish the concept to the outside world that while normal competition is fine, malicious fouls by Real Madrid will be fully investigated!"
"This matter absolutely cannot be taken lightly. If we let it slide, who knows what kind of malicious behavior we'll face next time, which would be extremely detrimental to both Wang Feng and the team."
"Corsanes, remind the Football Association not to forget the lessons from Serie A. If Wang Feng's supporters feel that the Football Association is condoning malicious fouls to suppress Wang Feng, La Liga's reputation will be ruined!"
Corsanes nodded. "I will explain the stakes to them. Real Madrid is not Inter Milan; nobody dares to play dirty tricks on us!"
Soon after, the Spanish Football Association did indeed issue a statement on its official website, confirming that Osasuna's Iskierdo had indeed made a malicious kicking motion, and he would be suspended for two matches and fined �5000.
After a week of rest, on November 19th, Real Madrid welcomed Santander Athletic in the 11th round of La Liga at home.
Santander Athletic is located in the Cantabria Autonomous Community of Spain. The club has a long history and was one of the founding members of La Liga. They were also granted the title of Royal by the Spanish king.
Last season, the team was always on the brink of relegation, prompting head coach Preciado to step down in disappointment. After Pitu took over the team this season, he signed three players from Deportivo La Coru?a: Munitis, Momo, and Castro.
Another notable transfer was Brazilian prodigy Sobis, who gave up joining AC Milan to join Santander Athletic. He shone brightly in the 2005 FIFA Youth Championship, helping Brazil reach the semi-finals and attracting the attention of many top clubs.
But he knew that winning only the Copa Libertadores wouldn't be enough to establish himself in a top club, so he resisted Milan's temptation and came to La Liga to become a regular in a relegation-threatened team.
His choice seems wise now. The 21-year-old has received plenty of playing time, helping Santander Athletic achieve decent results and temporarily avoiding the threat of relegation, currently ranking 10th on the points table.
Santander Athletic's decent strength posed a challenge for Real Madrid. In the last two league matches, the Galacticos had only managed one draw and one loss, so winning this match was crucial. However, the midweek Champions League group stage match against Lyon was also important, leaving Schuster unsure how to rotate the squad.
At a critical moment, Wang Feng approached the head coach. "Mr. Schuster, let me lead the substitute lineup to play this match. I will do my best to help the team win three points!"
The German hesitated. "Wang, you just recovered from injury. Originally, I wasn't even planning to include you in the squad for this match. How can I let you bear the brunt of it?"
Wang Feng said he had fully recovered after a week of rest and asked the team doctor to testify. After several discussions and deliberations, Schuster finally agreed to this plan.
So Wang Feng and Ronaldo teamed up upfront for this round of the league match. After many years, the two once again stood on the field together, exchanging a smile, as if they were back in their youth.
Shortly after the start of the match, Santander Athletic completed an attack. Sobis' shot was saved by Real Madrid's substitute goalkeeper Diego Pelos, and the home team immediately launched a counterattack.
Pelos threw the ball to Elgara, who then passed it to Garcia. The Spanish midfielder quickly passed the ball to Wang Feng's feet after crossing the halfway line.
Facing Alvaro's defense, Wang Feng made a big swing with his right foot forward, making the Spanish defender think he wanted to rely on his speed to force his way to the bottom, so he leaned leftward to block.
Unexpectedly, he suddenly used his right foot to hook the ball back, simultaneously turning his body, performing the whole set of movements quickly and agilely, and suddenly breaking free from Alvaro's entanglement, a Cruyff turn!
After getting past the defender in front of him, Wang Feng dribbled into the penalty area, drawing two defenders to come forward to defend successively, and then floated a half-high cross to the far post.
At this moment, Ronaldo was unmarked near the goal, and after receiving the ball, he immediately shot without hesitation, the ball drilling into the net from the near corner of the goal.
1-0! Less than five minutes into the game, Real Madrid took the lead!
After scoring, Ronaldo ran towards Wang Feng, pointing at him, and then rushed to embrace him, jumping on him tightly. "I knew you would pass it to me. Haha, it seems like nothing has changed over all these years!"
Teammates nearby also rushed up to celebrate the goal together. If you score early in the game, the next match will be easier to play.
Indeed, this was the case. In the subsequent match, the Galacticos dominated the game. In the 21st minute, Santander Athletic's defense made a back pass, and under Wang Feng's pressure, Argentine defender Galay could only pass back to the goalkeeper.
But his pass was a bit weak due to haste. Wang Feng poked the ball away before goalkeeper Karatayud, then easily pushed it into the empty net.
"Goal! Wang Feng extends Real Madrid's lead!"
"The immense psychological pressure when facing Wang Feng caused a serious mistake by Santander Athletic's defender. The hardworking attitude of the Chinese superstar on the field has paid off."
"His form seems unaffected by the injury at all. This is simply miraculous!"
With Wang Feng's assist and goal, Real Madrid won 2-0 at home against Santander Athletic, ending their brief winless streak.
Foll𝑜w current novels on fre(e)w𝒆bnovel