Chapter 707: Reactions from Various Parties (Second Perspective)
Inside the award ceremony venue, there was a brief moment of silence, but the television broadcast was buzzing with comments, "Wow, they really did it! They're just giving the awards to Germans based solely on the World Cup, ignoring Wang's five crowns and his 80-goal season data?"
The Chinese team players were all indignant, accusing the Ballon d'Or selection of unfairness and FIFA's shady dealings.
Huang Hu said, "I think we shouldn't give face to FIFA. Like the media said, we should boycott the awards ceremony and let them lose face."
Dong Fangzhuo rubbed his forehead, "If we really do that, it would be undignified. Wang has probably already calculated everything in his heart. He's already won ten Ballon d'Or awards; there's really no need to dwell on gains and losses."
"In the end, it's because the previous group of people who went in were simply despicable. For their own selfishness, they sacrificed the national team's World Cup qualification. If we had performed well in Brazil, Wang wouldn't be in such a passive position now."
Huang Huo and the others deeply understood this. They didn't even have the chance to be selected for the national team before. "By the next World Cup, we will become Wang's best support!"
Turning their attention back to the awards ceremony, everyone quickly responded with applause and congratulations. Wang Feng also wore a smile as he hugged Muller warmly, congratulating him on reaching the pinnacle of football.
At this moment, several cameras were focused on the Chinese superstar, seemingly trying to find any hint of dissatisfaction or displeasure on his face. However, he was determined to disappoint these reporters who loved to stir up trouble.
Even though he was overwhelmed with awards, the Chinese superstar had been through ups and downs and had some regrets in his heart, but he wouldn't show them on his face or quarrel with the younger generation. After all, he used to compete with the current award presenter Henry.
Muller received the Ballon d'Or trophy from the hands of the French star, his face filled with excitement and surprise. Whether it was the European Player of the Year award or the current FIFA Ballon d'Or, to be honest, he couldn't believe he had won. Therefore, he felt somewhat guilty.
The Germans were well aware of the controversies and struggles behind the scenes, but who could resist the greatest temptation for football players?
After thanking his teammates, club, and family as usual, Muller said, "For me, this is a heavy reward and a great incentive, inspiring me to become the best player in the world, surpassing Wang, and continually striving to improve."
The newly crowned Ballon d'Or winner showed full respect to his predecessors. According to the data released by FIFA, the gap between Wang Feng and Muller was very small. Just like the European Player of the Year award, the former received 27.14% of the votes while the latter received 28.57%.
Third place went to Cristiano Ronaldo with 15.72% of the votes, followed by Messi in fourth place, and then Neuer.
There was also an intriguing insider story. According to Kicker magazine, the three key pillars of the German national team that won the World Cup all had the potential to compete for the Ballon d'Or.
Muller was the core of the attack, Lahm was the defensive backbone, and Neuer revolutionized the goalkeeper position, all with outstanding performances. It was difficult to determine whose contribution was the highest.
Originally, both the national team and Bayern Munich intended to push Neuer for the annual award, but winning as a goalkeeper was as difficult as climbing to the sky. Somehow, they changed their strategy and pushed for Muller instead, perhaps under the guidance of some "higher-ups."
As expected, this selection result caused a huge controversy. Spanish newspaper Marca commented, "The most controversial Ballon d'Or in history is born!"
They believed that Wang Feng's achievements in the first half of the year, winning the European Golden Boot and Champions League top scorer, helping Real Madrid achieve the Grand Slam of honors, and leading the Galacticos to a 26-game winning streak, equalling Ajax's longest winning streak, should have been enough to win the award. If such achievements couldn't earn him the Ballon d'Or, then what was its significance? Did the World Cup really represent everything?
Marca and AS naturally spared no effort in criticizing the selection process. They speculated with the utmost malice about FIFA's shady dealings, even interviewing the captain of the Comoros national team.
This captain claimed that he initially chose Wang Feng, but then received a guiding phone call from the staff, hoping he would reconsider, so he changed his vote to Muller.
Although FIFA quickly denied it, such rumors had already taken root in people's minds, and many believed them to be true.
Many fans who had hoped for European players to step up and break the monopoly of Chinese superstars on the world's best player title felt ashamed. They didn't want it to be achieved in this way.
France's L'Equipe stated that there was an "irreconcilable" conflict within the FIFA Ballon d'Or selection process, suggesting that the cooperation between the European Player of the Year and FIFA might not continue.
It was well known that the contract between the two would end in 2016, with negotiations for renewal ongoing but progressing slowly due to ideological differences.
The results of this year's awards might be the last straw that broke the camel's back, and they would eventually part ways and organize the annual awards according to their own traditional methods.
Bild congratulated Muller on becoming another German Ballon d'Or winner after Sammer, waiting for this day for 18 years.
They acknowledged that the selection result was highly controversial, but Muller's level and achievements were evident, and during the selection period, Wang Feng and Muller were actually evenly matched.
As for breaking the European club's longest winning streak record after Real Madrid, that happened after the end of the selection period, so it could be seen as a basis for next year's selection results.
The controversies and public opinion seemed to have no effect on Real Madrid and Wang Feng's mood. The club officials refused to comment on the results, but on social media platforms, they posted a handwritten note from the Chinese superstar saying "26→27," indicating their focus on the results and determination to break the winning streak record.
Encouraged by this, the young Chinese players gave their all in the upcoming Asian Cup group stage matches. In the second match against Uzbekistan, after conceding a goal, Huang Huo equalized the score, while substitute Dong Fangzhuo scored the winning goal.
2-1! China advanced to the knockout stage with one round to spare.
In the third match against North Korea, head coach Lippi sent out a lineup of substitutes, and they also performed surprisingly well, cleanly defeating their opponents 2-0, becoming the only team in the Asian Cup to win all three group stage matches.
In the quarter-finals against South Korea, many South Korean media boasted shamelessly before the match, claiming that the Chinese team without Wang Feng was nothing to fear.
They pointed out that several of their key players played in the top five leagues, while apart from Dong Fangzhuo, Huang Hu, and Wu Lei, the other Chinese players came from the second or third-tier leagues in Europe.
"This kind of mediocre overseas players can't compare with truly top-notch players."
But they were proven wrong, and very wrong at that. While it might seem glamorous to choose the top five leagues, it's actually very difficult to become a core player who is truly valued and guaranteed tactical importance and playing time.
Over time, the players' competitive state inevitably deteriorates, and they end up being eliminated and returning to domestic leagues after only a few years.
In this fierce battle, the young Chinese players outperformed their opponents. Huang Hu and Fang Yun, who played for Hungary, scored two goals each, helping the team defeat South Korea 2-1 and advance to the semi-finals.
They then faced the underdog United Arab Emirates and easily won 2-0 with Huang Hu scoring twice, advancing to the final.
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