Chapter 596: Real Goal Damage to Teammates!
After the fierce battle with Manchester City, the Galacticos returned to Madrid and soon faced their opponent in the 13th round of La Liga, Real Betis.
The aftermath of the intense battle clearly affected the home team players. They were both emotionally and physically low, and the game did not go as expected, with no advantage gained.
Instead, Real Betis seized an opportunity early in the game and broke through the Real Madrid defense in the 6th minute. After that, they defended deep, ensuring they held onto their lead.
Adding insult to injury, Gonzalo Higuain had two goals disallowed by the referee. The first instance was in the 34th minute when Wang Feng sent a through ball, and the Argentine quickly entered the penalty area and scored with a chip shot, only for it to be ruled offside.
According to slow-motion replays, it was a legitimate goal, as Higuain was behind the last defender when he started his run.
In the 69th minute of the second half, once again, the Chinese superstar sent a long pass, and Higuain shook off the defenders to score with a poke shot, but the referee called a foul for pushing, a decision that was debatable as there were actions from both sides.
In addition to this, in the 74th minute, a long-range shot by Modric from the edge of the arc was blocked by Sano, and slow-motion replays showed the ball hitting his arm. However, the referee did not make any gesture regarding this incident.
With two disallowed goals and a penalty denied, such a situation would be difficult for any team to accept, almost certainly resulting in a defeat.
Fortunately, they had Wang Feng! In the 81st minute, the home team got a set-piece opportunity in the opponent's half, and the Chinese superstar astonished everyone with a high-difficulty chip shot directly into the Betis goal, helping the Galacticos equalize.
After the game, an angry Ancelotti directly criticized the referee, Mansano: "He made very serious mistakes. It's hard to imagine the referee becoming the focus of the game."
Due to the controversy, La Liga had to provide an explanation. They stated that the referee, who is only 28 years old, was officiating his first La Liga match of the year, so mistakes were inevitable, hoping for everyone's understanding.
Regardless, before the formal introduction of VAR, errors were part of the game, but it seemed like fate was constantly making it difficult for Real Madrid.
In this round, both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid won their respective matches, with the Catalan team leading with 36 points from 12 wins and 1 loss, and the Rojiblancos following closely behind with 34 points from 11 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, leaving the Galacticos in third place with 32 points from 10 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss.
This situation slightly relieved everyone in the Barcelona camp, as Real Madrid had brought them too much pressure in recent years. They couldn't afford to miss the opportunity to strike back at such a time.
Coach Rula said in an interview, "Our main opponent for the title this season is still Madrid, but it's not Real Madrid, it's Atletico."
"I think Atletico Madrid is very solid and strong. Surprised? No, this is the inevitable result of their accumulation. They were outstanding in the second half of last season."
The next round would be the city derby, and Rula admitted that he favored Atletico more, but first, they needed to focus on their own game and secure a victory against Athletic Bilbao to continue leading.
As for the mockery from their rivals, Real Madrid naturally didn't care. Wang Feng organized a dinner to help everyone relax and relieve stress.
Three days later, in the second leg of the fourth round of the King's Cup, the lineup was mainly composed of substitutes and young players. In the end, the Galacticos defeated Aigaiol 2-0, with an aggregate score of 4-1, advancing to the fifth round. Their next opponent would be the newly promoted La Liga team, Vigo Celta.
On November 29th, the final three candidates for the 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or were announced in Sao Paulo, Brazil, without surprise, they were Wang Feng, Iniesta, and Messi.
With Barcelona's recent strong performances and Spain's success in the World Cup qualifiers, there was a high probability that Iniesta would win the award. However, the only obstacle turned out to be his teammate, Messi!
According to statistics, the Argentine star had scored 82 goals so far in the year, which would have been a joyous occasion under normal circumstances. However, it became awkward in the context of the Ballon d'Or.
In terms of honors, Messi fell short compared to Wang Feng, who won five titles, and Iniesta, who won the European Championship. In terms of statistics, he couldn't match the Chinese superstar's hundred goals from the previous season. It was almost certain that he would miss out on the Ballon d'Or this year.
The more goals he scored, the more it seemed to indicate that he was the mainstay of Barcelona. Then, what about Iniesta? In other words, every goal he scored was a blow to Messi and a help to Wang Feng.
So much so that as the voting approached, the Catalonian media, which had previously touted Messi, gradually became quiet. Everyone understood the underlying meaning, and the situation became mysterious and difficult to understand.
The club even considered having a conversation with Messi, hoping he would ease up a bit on scoring goals, but ultimately, it was rejected by Rosell. If this matter were to spread, Barcelona would likely become a laughingstock.
Moreover, former president Laporta never gave up the chance to return to the club. He publicly stated in June that he was ready to return to Barcelona, "Rosell has not become a savior, Barcelona still lacks participation in the league and the Champions League."
Regarding the past financial issues, the Spaniard openly admitted to accepting private commissions, but he explained to the executives one by one, emphasizing that the club was the biggest beneficiary at the time, not himself. He would never harm the interests of everyone for his own benefit.
In addition to that, many executives had grown up during Laporta's era and had close ties to him. It was impossible for Rosell to completely remove him, especially the club's most valued youth training management. To be blunt, Rosell probably didn't have the opportunity to intervene at all.
During his idle years, Laporta actively participated in public affairs and became a vanguard of Catalonia, gaining increasing prestige. This was also one of the hidden forces for his return to Barcelona.
In addition to the Ballon d'Or candidate list, FIFA also completed the draw for the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil. Both the 2010 World Cup champion, China, and the 2011 Asian Cup champion, Japan, would participate, marking the first time in history.
For this, the AFC specifically congratulated, stating that it was a golden age for Asian football, with over 800 guests and 700 journalists witnessing the draw, with Asia accounting for about a quarter.
FIFA President Blatter delivered the opening speech, followed by the announcement of the match ball, which was the "Samba Glory" to be used in next year's World Cup. It was the first time the name was directly voted by fans, with over a million participants.
This new type of football was assembled with six identical cross-shaped panels, ensuring the maximum roundness. The primary color was white, with patterns in red, blue, green, orange, and other colors on a black background, making it very colorful and beautiful.
FIFA Secretary-General Valcke presided over the draw, with Brazil and China selected as the seeded teams in groups A1 and B1, respectively. In the end, Group A consisted of hosts Brazil, European champions Spain, CONCACAF Gold Cup winners Mexico, and Asian champions Japan.
China was grouped with Copa America champions Uruguay, OFC Nations Cup champions Tahiti, and the African Cup of Nations champions to be decided early next year, which was considered a favorable draw.
The Confederations Cup would kick off on June 15, 2013. The top two teams from each group would advance to the semi-finals, with the final scheduled for June 30 at the Maracan? Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
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