Chapter 720: Post-Match Turmoil
After experiencing ups and downs, even the calm and composed Platini couldn't help but show a hint of fear on his face. Under the immense achievements and influence, Wang Feng exuded an aura of authority like a true emperor, the unparalleled ruler of the football world.
During his playing days, the Frenchman had interacted with many superstars, including top striker Rummenigge, rebellious figure Maradona, "White Pele" Zico, as well as rising stars like Gullit, Van Basten, Romario, and Baggio.
These individuals possessed outstanding skills and distinct personalities, perhaps dominating the peak for a while, but unable to surpass their contemporaries completely.
Even though Wang Feng had monopolized the football world for over a decade and was hailed as the god of football by the world, while Platini outwardly acknowledged this, deep down, he didn't hold too much respect. After all, even if the Chinese superstar had been placed in his era, there was no guarantee he would have stood out.
But at this moment, Platini could be sure that no matter the era, Wang Feng would always shine the brightest!
All his reliance, both in terms of skill and authority, had been completely shattered. The Frenchman wanted to say something, but felt as if his throat was blocked, only able to make a sound akin to "Uh, uh."
After delivering his stern words, Wang Feng no longer paid him any attention. He took the championship medal and hung it around his neck, then walked over to the Champions League trophy, lifting it up himself.
The staff were surprised and initially wanted to intervene, but seeing the presenter Platini in a dazed and absent-minded state, they decided it was better to let things be.
As he walked towards his teammates with the trophy, they all looked at him with admiration. Ramos even gave him a thumbs up, expressing his approval. Amidst the fireworks and confetti, everyone raised the Champions League trophy high. Tonight ultimately belonged to Real Madrid, to them!
As the members of the Galactic team and their loved ones celebrated the victory, on the right side of the Berlin Olympic Stadium stands, Mansour was closely watching the figure on the field, his eyes filled with longing.
Manchester City's general manager, Begiristain, approached and said, "Just now, Baldano contacted us and said he essentially agrees with the proposal, but the details need further discussion."
"It's alright, we can discuss any requirements later. I just want to bring Wang back to Manchester!"
Begiristain nodded. "Initially, I had doubts whether it was worth paying such a high price for a 33-year-old veteran next year, but after watching his performance throughout the season, I must admit I'm very tempted."
"Indeed." Scenes from when the Chinese superstar defeated professional drivers while driving a desert kart flashed through Mansour's mind. "Wang is a player who cannot be measured with conventional thinking."
"We still have a year. We must bring him in. I believe there's more than just us interested clubs, but we have a clear advantage." Mansour flashed a smile of financial power.
With nine consecutive league titles and nine consecutive Champions League titles, the great journey of the Galactic team was far from over!
The outcome of this match was widely anticipated by the public, as before the game, Real Madrid was in high spirits, easily defeating their arch-rivals Barcelona with an unbeaten streak.
However, the unpredictable and tumultuous course of the match stirred up controversy throughout Europe and even the world.
The main referee's consecutive mistakes, including disallowing two "offside" goals, disallowing a goal after Wang Feng was fouled, and two direct goals from free kicks, were all deemed legitimate goals and should not have been disallowed.
Under immense public pressure, not long after the final, the main referee came forward to admit his mistakes and apologize, announcing his permanent retirement and decision to never appear on the football field again.
The two assistant referees were also punished to varying degrees, banned from participating in high-level matches for several years.
This was the first time UEFA publicly admitted that the referee team had made serious mistakes during the match. They had no choice but to do so, hoping to divert the focus away from the match itself.
However, countless opinions still believed that they intentionally suppressed Real Madrid and Wang Feng, personally interfering with the fairness of the competition, and even involving issues of discrimination against Asians, causing an uproar for a while.
To deal with these matters, Platini was busy to the point of being overwhelmed. The situation was far worse than he had imagined. As he had thought before, if Barcelona had won the championship, the public pressure might not have been as great.
Because there would have been a group of Catalan fans coming forward to argue with the scholars, arguing that their championship was not a problem. By then, the arguments for and against would have muddled the waters, and it would be difficult to determine right from wrong.
Not only were Real Madrid fans complaining now, but Barcelona fans were also equally dissatisfied. They would argue that the team's mentality was disrupted by the referee, and Barcelona was also a victim. Not only did they fail to win the championship, but they were also accused of being "darlings." Who wouldn't be angry?
What was even more unbearable was that there were many complaints and doubts within UEFA. The "cheating" was so obvious, and not only did it not achieve its goal, but it also made things worse. Did the Frenchman really have the ability to continue leading the overall situation?
With enemies on all sides, Florentino quietly took the lead in delivering a fatal blow to Platini. Despite successfully winning the championship, he had to make UEFA understand that Real Madrid was not a soft persimmon to be kneaded at will!
Multiple media outlets revealed that the Frenchman had been accused of receiving �1.9 million in undisclosed funds from FIFA in 2011, involving fraud and forgery of documents.
As they say, when one is honored, all are honored; when one is harmed, all are harmed. His former ally Blatter also faced the same accusations, including embezzlement and mismanagement.
However, Blatter suffered even more. Not long after, during a press conference he attended, American comedian Brodkin burst in and threw a stack of dollar bills at him in front of all the reporters.
Countless banknotes fell down, forming a scene of money supremacy against Blatter's stern face, faithfully recorded by the cameras.
This sudden event, coupled with the controversy surrounding the Champions League final, completely ignited a crisis of trust in the football authorities. Measures had to be taken quickly and strictly.
Platini's FIFA presidential campaign was completely halted, and he was suspended from his UEFA managerial position. Blatter faced the same fate of suspension pending investigation.
Six months later, the FIFA Ethics Committee officially announced that both of them would be banned from participating in football affairs for 12 years, effectively ending their football management careers.
Some netizens joked that one should never fix a match in front of Wang Feng; it was highly likely to lose both the wife and the soldiers. Moji, Platini, and Blatter were all lessons learned from the past.
The newly appointed UEFA president was Alexander Cheferin, a Slovenian lawyer. He was a pure administrator, tasked with cleaning up the mess and appeasing the clubs.
The new FIFA president took office simultaneously, Gianni Infantino from Switzerland. He had previously served as the UEFA General Secretary, responsible for promoting the development of European leagues and national teams.
In order to restrict a series of powerhouse clubs including Real Madrid and to support the financial assistance of small countries and clubs in Europe, he promoted the "Financial Fair Play Act."
This act to some extent restrained the unlimited expansion of powerhouse clubs, but it seemed to have little effect on Real Madrid's monopoly rule. This was because the finances of the Galactic team were very healthy, with a player like Wang Feng who was not only a core player in the title race but also a wealthy figure, which could solve many problems.
However, FIFA's suppression of big clubs and support for small clubs would never change. Infantino's assumption of office proved this point. In the future, teams like Real Madrid would probably have to compete with them many more times.
Of course, all of this had little to do with the Chinese superstar. He just wanted to play his football in a fair environment.
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