Chapter 169 One day, my career will come to an end, and you will be crowned king! (Part 1)
When the ceremony began, the whole place was silent. Only the two hosts were giving warm-up speeches, introducing the history of the Golden Globe Awards and the award process tonight.
Chen Xiaoliang took a quick glance and saw two women in fancy dresses to the right of Putlas. He thought they should be the top three candidates for the Women's Football Golden Ball Award.
However, there was a clear rule that mobile phones were not allowed in the theater, so he had no way of searching who the two people were. He could only wait until the awards ceremony to see.
Further to the right are Pedri, Donnarumma, Suarez, Mbappe, Messi and Lewandowski.
Nuno Mendes was sitting on the other side, and Chen Xiaoliang could no longer be seen to the right.
After all, the ceremony had already begun and he couldn't stick his head out to look around.
After the two hosts spoke for about four or five minutes, the big screen camera cut to a supercar driving on the red carpet outside the venue.
The sports car stopped and two men wearing racing helmets and black suits got out.
They opened the hood, took out two Ballon d'Or trophies, and walked into the stadium holding them in their hands.
The two men came to the stage and placed the two golden balls on the two glass platforms on both sides. The golden ball in the middle turned into a golden light and spread out like fireworks. Everyone exclaimed in surprise, it turned out to be a three-dimensional projection created by 3D lights.
The two men took off their helmets and turned out to be F1 drivers Spaniard Fernando Alonso and Frenchman Esteban Ocon.
This can be considered as a fancy opening move by the organizer.
Afterwards, after nearly ten minutes of interaction, the two Golden Globe Awards were finally officially placed on the trophy pedestal, and the award ceremony for the first award officially began!
The subtitles of the 2021 Kopa Award appeared on the big screen!
Drogba invited the award presenter and specially introduced his identity - the legendary Italian defender who once played for Juventus and Real Madrid, the 2006 World Cup champion and the 2006 Ballon d'Or winner Fabio Cannavaro!
After Cannavaro walked onto the stage, Drogba exchanged pleasantries with him. Chen Xiaoliang knew that these were pre-set dialogues to increase the lively atmosphere of the award ceremony.
The female host commented on Cannavaro and Drogba's body management after retirement. The organizer also played on the big screen the upper body muscle cover photos of the two taken for Sports Miscellany before they retired.
Especially the photo of Drogba, which was taken with Ronaldo. The two of them were only wearing a pair of sports underwear, standing close to each other and looking at the camera.
The audience burst into laughter after seeing this.
After the excitement, let’s get down to business.
Drogba changed the subject and asked Cannavaro:
"As the only defender to win the Ballon d'Or, do you hope that more and more defensive players will appear among our candidates for the award?"
Cannavaro: "Of course, defense is always a very important part of the game. Without defense, you can never win the game. I am happy to present this award to this young man who defends very well."
As soon as he said this, there were bursts of laughter in the theater, and the director immediately cut the camera to Chen Xiaoliang!
Drogba immediately interrupted him: "Fabio, wait a minute, let's look at the big screen first to see which players have made the final list of candidates for this year's Copa Award!"
Although it was already 2 a.m. Red Country time, in the Penguin Sports live broadcast room, Zhan Jun, Zhang Lu, and Wang Tao and Qing Shu, who were connected to the front line, accompanied more than 18 million Red Country or Red-American fans from all over the country to watch the live broadcast of the Golden Globe Awards!
This is the highest ratings record in the history of Penguin Live and Golden Globe Awards Live!
However, the organizers were obviously not surprised, because as early as 20 years ago, a Chinese who had just arrived on the other side of the ocean surpassed the super center O'Neal, who was at the peak of his career, in the All-Star voting in his rookie season, and broke the vote record of the basketball god Michael Jordan three years later.
Zhan Jun: "Cannavaro is obviously excited! He revealed the answer before the organizers had even finished the process! Although we already know the answer!"
Zhang Lu: "Hehe. He's a defender, he must like Xiaoliang. He's been in the Red Country for so many years, he has a natural affection for us, and he knows our football environment and football level much better than most people in Europe."
Zhan Jun: "A few days ago, Matteo Moretto, a senior reporter from Sky Sports, said on Lat that a certain newspaper would be furious when it saw the judges of the Copa Award! Now it seems that France Football is arguing with Turin Sports! Not only did they give the Copa Award to Chen Xiaoliang, they also let Juventus legend Cannavaro present the award!"
Zhang Lu: "But I remember Romano also said that the result of the award ceremony would be amazing, but I don't know how amazing it would be."
Zhan Jun: "Is it a close race? Or even a one-point difference in the total number of votes? But the answer will be revealed soon!"
On the big screen, gold letters on a black background and busts of players taken on the field flashed by one by one.
Bellingham, Greenwood, Musiala, Chen Xiaoliang, Pedri!
Then, the screen went dark, and all eyes in the theater were focused on Cannavaro!
He opened the envelope in his hand and read: "The winner is Chen Xiaoliang!"
The whole audience applauded! Some people even cheered loudly!
Chen Xiaoliang clearly heard the voices of Reese and Erica among the cheers!
Putras and Bellingham beside him smiled and applauded him, congratulating him on winning the award.
Chen Xiaoliang stood up, fastened the first button of his formal suit, and walked to the center of the stage according to the route he had memorized in advance. He first turned around and bowed to all the guests present in the audience, then shook hands with Drogba and Cannavaro respectively, and then took the Copa Award trophy from Cannavaro!
Facing the glaring spotlights, he walked to the podium, put down the trophy, and began to give his acceptance speech into the microphone. At this moment, he no longer felt the nervousness he had just felt while waiting for the show to begin.
"Thanks to my parents and France Football."
"Thank you, Steven Gerrard. During my year in Glasgow, you took care of me and helped me like a father, helping me grow from a kid who came to Europe alone and knew nothing to a professional player who could contribute to the team on the field."
The director immediately cut the camera to Gerrard sitting in the back row!
In the high-definition close-up, it is clear that his eyes are red! His daughter Lily beside him gently hugs her father.
In the Penguin live broadcast room, countless fans were spamming comments like "Captain Jay" and "Moved".
"Thank you, Jose Mourinho. You signed me first, sent me to Gerrard, and then bought me back after losing your job and finding a new one."
"Hahahaha!" A burst of laughter broke out in the theater.
At this time, in a hotel in Bologna, Abraham, Cesco, Joao, Lapetti, and a dozen players and coaches were gathered in Mourinho's room to watch the award ceremony.
"Damn, this kid." Seeing this, Mourinho couldn't help but curse.
The players around him were all cheering.
Lapetti, who has followed Mourinho the longest, couldn't help but admire: This kid really understands Jose's temper. If he thanks him as respectfully as he did to Gerrard, Jose will not take it too seriously, but will feel alienated.
And teasing him in front of the whole world will make their relationship a hot topic, reflecting Jose's casual and honest coaching style in the team. This is a perfect flattery!
In the Chatelet Theatre, Chen Xiaoliang continued his speech:
“Besides them, I also want to thank my team, too many to list here.
The host just mentioned that this year's autumn in Europe is colder than in previous years, making people feel particularly chilly.
But I want to say that people have always felt sad and lonely in autumn. I say autumn is better than spring.
I am Chen Xiaoliang! "
Amid the applause of the audience, the director cut the camera to the superstars in the first row, and especially finally fixed the camera on Messi who was smiling and applauding.
Chen Xiaoliang raised the trophy and signaled to everyone again, and the award-winning video began to play on the big screen.
The first line of words: Winners
Then there is a photo of Chen Xiaoliang directing the defense in the match against Juventus, his eyes full of murderousness and determination.
In the middle was written his name in English:
Chen Xiaoliang
In the lower right corner are four lines of gold characters:
Red Country
17 years old
AS Roma
Midfield
The video then starts playing all the highlights from his career so far:
He tackled B Fee, Cavani, Greenwood, Vlahovic, Chiesa, headed the ball past Ibrahimovic, made a 40-meter long shot, headed the ball parallel to the ground, made a cross from the midfield to assist Cesco in scoring a super volley, and also made a super arc free kick against AC Milan.
The subtitles also listed the honors Chen Xiaoliang had won:
2020-21 Scottish Premier League Champions
The youngest Scottish Premier League best midfielder
Youngest Scottish Premier League goalscorer
Youngest Scottish Premier League club captain
The youngest captain in Serie A
Youngest Serie A Player of the Month
So far, assists, steals, interceptions and average running per game rank first in Serie A.
Barrage:
[It’s so exciting! ]
[Waiting to watch the replay, I really like such a passionate player! ]
[I don’t know how the votes for the Ballon d’Or winners were cast. Is there a big gap between Chen Xiaoliang and Pedri?]
[Torino Sports Daily must be furious. Cannavaro was invited to the Ballon d'Or]
[The only player who can be compared with Chen Xiaoliang in the top five leagues is Sarkozy, who became the captain of Paris Saint-Germain at the age of 17.]
[The above, Torres was the captain of Atletico Madrid at the age of 19, De Ligt was the captain of Ajax at the age of 18, Nestor and Terry were both the captains of Lazio and Chelsea at the age of 21]
[The Paris at that time was not the Paris of today. Chen Xiaoliang is still unique in this way]
The last part of the video is some comments from football legends and the current head coach on Chen Xiaoliang:
Gerrard: He is a true talent, his ability will far exceed mine, he will be the best midfielder on the planet.
Mourinho: I have coached many players, some of them are extremely talented, some are extremely hardworking, but he is the first one who is more talented and more hardworking than everyone else.
Ferguson: I had a very memorable conversation with him. He is very humble and very studious, which are good qualities of Oriental people. His mind is far beyond that of a 16 or 17-year-old child, so when others come into contact with him, they forget his age and how long he has been a professional player, which will help him become a natural leader.
Allegri: Many people mentioned him to me before he came to Serie A, but I didn't believe it until I met him in a game. I knew he was better than the rumors said. Although we are opponents, I am very happy that there are such players in Serie A. This will be an inspiration to all young people who love football.
Totti: Thank God, Roma has such a player. I still can't believe he is only 17 years old, because I was like a layman compared to him when I was 17. I have seen him stay in the training ground for extra training after training. His self-discipline will ensure that his future is limitless.
Ibrahimovic: I told the reporter after the match with him that he is the first player who can beat me in all one-on-one ground confrontations in a game. No one else can do this. I hope everyone will remember him and watch him become a world star step by step in the future.
Gattuso: Some people say that he from Glasgow Rangers is the second me. No, he is much better than me. I will commit fouls, get cards, and lose control of my emotions. What's more, I can't make such a cross or kick such an incredible long shot. So don't say he is the second Gattuso anymore. He is himself, the one and only.
After the video was played, applause broke out again, followed by Cannavaro's award speech:
"No coach would dislike such a player, and no player would distrust such a teammate. His contribution on the field has gone beyond technology and ability. His endless running makes people feel that he relies not only on his will, but also on burning his life to win.
I am honored to present this award to a player with such outstanding defensive abilities, and I am also pleased to see his comprehensive performance on the court become more and more comprehensive.
I hope he'll be on the shortlist for the Ballon d'Or soon."
After saying this, he and Chen Xiaoliang hugged each other and walked off the stage together amid applause.
Chen Xiaoliang himself felt embarrassed by the compliments just now.
The Kopa Award ceremony officially ended, followed by a video showing how football encourages refugees in famine, and then the "Gerd Muller Award" ceremony , which is the best forward award.
Bayern striker Lewandowski, who won the Golden Ball for the first time in 2020, won the award, and the award was presented to him by the host Drogba.
In the first year after Chen Xiaoliang traveled through time, he discovered that in this world after traveling through time, there was no spread of masks, so the 2020 Ballon d'Or was held as scheduled, and Lewandowski won the Ballon d'Or he had longed for.
The process for the Gerd Muller Award is the same as that for the Kopa Award, with acceptance speeches, videos, and award speeches.
Then came the Women's Football Golden Ball Award, and Putlas, who was sitting next to Chen Xiaoliang, won the award!
Chen Xiaoliang was instantly filled with admiration for this extremely beautiful woman!
This is the Golden Ball Award, the pinnacle award among football players all over the world!
The presenter of the Putlas award was Paris Saint-Germain star Mbappe.
When Mbappe was presenting the award, the barrage of comments was filled with "Mbappe is a pervert", so much so that Zhan Jun and Zhang Lu in the live broadcast room had to pretend they didn't see anything.
Putlas took the trophy and shyly walked to the podium to speak, but Drogba invited her to stand in the middle of the stage again to accept the applause and congratulations from the audience.
Next is the Yashin Award for the best goalkeeper, which was won by Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Donnarumma.
The Club of the Year award went to Chelsea, which won the Champions League last season.
During the award ceremony, the fans in the live broadcast room shifted their attention from the award ceremony to the Kopa Award judges' ballots.
Everyone is curious about whether past Ballon d'Or winners, especially superstars like Messi, Ronaldo, Zidane and Ronaldo, voted for Chen Xiaoliang.
Zhan Jun also said in the live broadcast that reporters on the scene are trying to obtain the vote count results as soon as possible through various channels.
Time passed little by little, and finally, the most exciting moment came. Drogba opened the envelope and announced personally that Messi, the Argentine who played for Paris Saint-Germain, won the Golden Ball for the seventh time!
The whole audience stood up and applauded Messi, and his former teammate Suarez presented him the Ballon d'Or trophy with both hands.
Chen Xiaoliang stood up and applauded, and sighed sincerely that this little Argentine player is the real protagonist of world football tonight!
If he felt embarrassed by the compliments in the video edited for him by the organizer, then it was nothing compared to the praises given to Messi by everyone in Messi's video.
He is the king of football, the elf, the myth, and the best person of all time.
There is no way around it. As the seven-time winner of the Ballon d'Or, this great honor, unprecedented and probably never to be repeated, really deserves any level of praise.
After 1 hour and 55 minutes, the entire 2021 Golden Globe Awards ceremony finally ended. In the last ten minutes of the ceremony, Chen Xiaoliang was chatting with Putlas beside him. The two people, who were 10 years apart in age, quickly became familiar with each other and agreed to meet in Barcelona or Rome.
The winning players were first guided to the background wall outside the theater printed with the Golden Globe logo, where they took photos with other players and their relatives and friends.
First, the top five players of the Copa Trophy took a group photo, and then the organizers asked Chen Xiaoliang and Pedri to take separate photos. The two also took the opportunity to exchange a few words. This was also the photo that the media wanted to take the most.
Then came the group photo of tonight's award winners. It was the first time that Chen Xiaoliang was so close to Messi, but the crowd surrounding the Argentine was too dense, and Messi left in a hurry after the photo.
Then it was time for Chen Xiaoliang to truly relax. The staff brought the sisters, Reese and David over to take photos with him.
At this moment, Chen Xiaoliang immediately became the most handsome guy on the banks of the Seine!
Almost all the cameras turned their lenses towards him!
While others brought their wives or girlfriends, Chen Xiaoliang's list of relatives and friends only included his personal sports science director and personal fitness trainer.
Occasionally, a star player will bring multiple female companions, such as his spouse, sister, sister-in-law, or brother-in-law.
But no one has ever brought two beautiful girls, twins at that!
Although Erica is not as famous as the football superstars present, she is also a well-known figure in the European sports world.
With just this one appearance, Chen Xiaoliang stole all the attention during the group photo session!
The other stars who were taking pictures and preparing to leave were stunned, wondering if this was possible?
Especially Benzema, who has been in better and better form recently and ranked fourth in this year's Ballon d'Or selection, secretly made up his mind to work hard for the Champions League and the league in the coming year and strive to win next year's Ballon d'Or, and then bring his two female companions to attend the award ceremony.
Back at the hotel, David and Reese secretly went out to have fun.
Chen Xiaoliang and his sisters did not go to the award ceremony organized by the organizer. It would have been crowded and noisy after a whole day, and the three of them wanted some quiet time.
So he changed into casual clothes, put on a sweatshirt, a hat and a mask, and like an ordinary young man, he left the hotel and strolled along the Seine River late at night.
Instead of heading east to where the Chatelet Theater was located, the three of them went west along the river, in the direction of the Eiffel Tower.
After walking to the vicinity of Balzac's former residence, the three felt a little hungry and searched for a long time before they found a pizza restaurant.
Although it is an international metropolis, Paris cannot compare with Donghai in terms of the richness of its nightlife. Like most Western cities, most shops here close at 19:00, and the latest ones are only open until 20:00. The only things left are nightclubs, bars, and cafes.
Then there are the red-light districts like Pigalle and Rome's 8th Arrondissement.
This is also the reason why European players always give people the impression that they are always hanging out in nightclubs, which is actually the main nightlife lifestyle for many local young people.
When I walked into the pizza shop, there were six or seven empty tables. Only at the innermost table was there a father and son sitting with their backs to the door. Both of them were wearing loose sweatshirts, but they put their hoods down indoors.
The father is unpacking a freshly baked pizza for his son.
The pizza shop owner, who was obviously older and had a head of white hair with a slight bald spot in the middle, was very enthusiastic towards them, even to the point of being servile, and asked them several times, "Dear sir, is there anything else I can do for you?"
Every time the father responded with a smile and waved his hand politely.
Paris is getting colder at night.
Seeing another customer coming in, the pizza shop owner hurried over to greet them. After the three of them sat down, he said softly, "Please don't disturb the two people inside who are having their meal."
The three of them looked at each other, not knowing why the boss said that, but it didn't matter. Maybe he was the boss's special friend. Chen Xiaoliang nodded immediately.
Unexpectedly, the father turned his head and said to the boss: "Sir, there is no need to disturb others. We will finish the meal and leave soon."
The boss quickly agreed and immediately walked over and apologized with a smile on his face as if he had done something wrong.
This side of the face moved quickly, but Chen Xiaoliang still saw it!
The sisters noticed the surprised expression on his face and turned to look at the father and son.
This time, it was Chen Xiaoliang's turn to walk over respectfully:
“It’s an honor to see you here.”
The father was also very surprised, thinking that he could be recognized by others? It seems that there will be trouble again.
He looked up and saw that it was Chen Xiaoliang, and immediately smiled with relief.
This time, even the sisters saw it!
After the ceremony, the father, like everyone else, saw the three people looking glamorous in the photo session and immediately invited them to come over for dinner.
He told his boss, "These are all my friends, it's okay."
He turned to his son and said, "Thiago, he is Chen Xiaoliang."
"Hello, brother." The child called shyly.
Chen Xiaoliang was stunned, thinking that he was taken advantage of. Your son calls me brother, so I have to call you uncle...
"Chen... Chen Xiaoliang?! Copa Trophy?!" The pizza shop owner who had been standing nearby opened his mouth so wide that his dentures almost fell out of his mouth.
He wondered if it was Jesus who appeared today or the Pope who issued an edict. He didn't know what wind had blown the new Copa Award winner and seven-time Ballon d'Or winner to his little-known shop!
The boss simply closed the store, hung up a "Closed" sign, and went to the kitchen with his waiters to use all his life's knowledge to bake pizzas.
