When playing football, you should call it GOAT.

Chapter 154 Monaco Night and the Birth of the Star-Making Machine

In the early hours of April 21, 2004, bars of all sizes in London were closing, but the buzz of discussion continued to spread through the streets and alleys.

At a Tottenham Hotspur fan bar near White Hart Lane, several fans wearing Tottenham Hotspur jerseys were smashing beer glasses.

"Listen to this!"

A middle-aged fan, his face flushed, suddenly slammed his fist on the table and began to sing at the top of his lungs: "If Sol Campbell were dead—"

"We'll have a party!"

The entire bar erupted in shouts, and beer glasses slammed together with deafening force.

"Deserve it!"

The bald boss pointed at the dejected Campbell on TV and laughed, "This is what happens to traitors! What did this traitor say in the summer of '01? 'I will always be loyal to Tottenham'? He turned around and went to Highbury!"

Sol Campbell's feuds with Tottenham and Arsenal are among the most famous transfer controversies in the Premier League.

As a captain produced by Tottenham's youth academy, Campbell transferred to arch-rivals Arsenal on a free transfer after his contract expired in 2001, leaving no transfer fee for his parent club. This decision was seen as a complete betrayal by Tottenham fans (who still sing insulting songs about him to this day).

At Arsenal, he became the defensive linchpin of the "Invincibles" season, winning two Premier League titles, and publicly compared the "winning mentality" of the two teams (which wasn't entirely wrong), further escalating the conflict.

This transfer not only fueled the emotions of the North London derby, but also set a benchmark for "rival transfers" in the Premier League – revealing the eternal conflict between competitive ambition and club loyalty in professional football: for Tottenham it was a trampling of dignity, but for Arsenal it was a piece of the dynasty puzzle.

"Ha! Today, Monaco's Roy dribbled past him like a training dummy. If Monaco's home kit weren't also red and white, I think he should even change his kit to red and white, the same color scheme as an ambulance!"

"If you ask me, the most satisfying goal was the second one we conceded. Campbell's mistake was practically a replica of his classic own goal at White Hart Lane!"

"Exactly! They spend the bank's money to build a new stadium and buy star players, but they play like girls. Do you know what we call you? 'Highbury Ballet'!"

"Look at Monaco, that's real football! What kind of team did Deschamps manage? A Ligue 1 team! What kind of team did Wenger manage? Premier League champions! And what was the result?"

"The funniest thing, in my opinion, was Lehmann. He was making saves like a madman, but the defense still gifted him three goals. You know what this reminds me of? That Premier League loss to Leeds United last season!"

"Come on, they're always like this in the Champions League. Last year they didn't even make it out of the group stage, what did they say? 'Focus on the league'? And this year they're going to focus on the league again?"

"Focus on paying off the loan! I heard they've gone over budget again for their new stadium? They'll probably have to sell Vieira to raise money next season!"

"Sell Vieira? I think we should sell Henry! What kind of players are they? They disappear in crucial games, just like they were at Juventus!"

"Hush, the TV's showing the post-match interviews. Let's hear what Wenger has to say about 'psychological warfare' this time."

Wenger's gentle and cautious voice came from the television:

“We have to look forward to this game. We made too many mistakes, especially in defense. Monaco played very well, but our performance was far below expectations.”

"Campbell? He wasn't at his best today, just like everyone else. But that's football; sometimes even the best players have bad nights."

"The league title? Of course it's important, but tonight we're talking about the Champions League. We could have done better, and now we need to analyze the problems and make sure we improve for the second leg."

"The fans' disappointment? I completely understand. But please believe in this team, we will respond at Highbury. Now is not the time for blame, but for unity."

In the White Hart Lane bar, Tottenham fans burst into laughter as they watched Wenger's interview on TV.

"Listen to this French liar spouting nonsense again! 'Look ahead'? Your defense can't even contain Roy!"

"Best form? Campbell, that traitor, never played at his best for Tottenham!"

"League title? Wait until you've paid off the loan on your new stadium!"

"Unity? Your locker room must be in an uproar! Henry is probably thinking, 'I should have transferred too!'"

"Highbury's response? What if they concede three goals again? Mr. Wenger, shouldn't you check your bank account to see how much money you have left to buy a defender?"

"The French are all talk. I bet he'll have to start selling players to pay off his debts tomorrow!"

A furious roar suddenly came from the doorway: "We still have the league championship!"

A burly man wearing an Arsenal jersey is giving the middle finger to someone in the bar.

"Fuck your gunman dog!"

The bar erupted instantly, with three Tottenham fans grabbing bottles and rushing out.

The bald boss quickly stopped them: "Don't fight here! The police are patrolling nearby!"

Someone had already pulled out their phone: "Hello? Is this the 'White Hart Lane Brotherhood'? There's a lone gunslinger here."

A rough voice came from the other end of the phone: "We'll be there in ten minutes. Hold him down."

Across the street, Arsenal fans took off running at the sight, followed by a chorus of curses: "Don't run away, you piece of trash!"

"Tomorrow, the Standard Evening Post will publish a photo of you kneeling and begging for mercy!"

The bartender calmly wiped the glasses: "We were in a brawl at Seven Sisters Station last week, and we're going to be on the front page again today."

The faint sound of police sirens could be heard outside the window, but the singing inside the bar grew louder: "We're going to take down every gunman bastard!"

Inside the Blue Lions pub near Stamford Bridge, Chelsea fans were pointing and commenting on the Champions League post-match highlights on TV.

"Look at Monaco!"

The old man wearing a Chelsea scarf slammed his fist on the table, exclaiming, "If Abramovich can really buy Roy, we'll have a chance in the Champions League next season!"

"Come on," someone slammed a glass down. "What kind of scum did they buy for over 100 million pounds last year? Mutu played like Maradona in Parma, but he turned into a spineless chicken in the Premier League!"

A sneer came from the corner: "Joe Cole? What can that kid do besides hold onto the ball? Ranieri just buys these flashy but useless things!"

"The Italians should be sacked!"

A girl, slightly drunk, swirled her drink in her glass and asked, "Who's our coach next season?"

"I heard the Russians are in contact with that Porto coach? What's his name again? That Portuguese guy who gave the middle finger at Old Trafford... Mourinho?"

"If you ask me, we should hire Eriksson. He's managed the England team so well."

"Bullshit! The Swedes' defensive tactics are outdated! Do you know who's the best fit? Hiddink! Look at how he led the South Korean team to the semi-finals!"

"You guys don't know anything! Breaking news: Abramovich sent a private jet to pick up Capello! How many championships has he won in Milan?"

"If you ask me, Deschamps is still the best!"

A fat man wearing a Chelsea training shirt slammed his fist on the table and shouted:

"Deschamps has been absolutely phenomenal with Monaco this year! A perfect group stage record, followed by victories over Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, and a 3-1 thrashing of Arsenal – their attacking firepower is the most potent in Europe! Roy has exploded into the Champions League's top scorer under his guidance. It would be perfect if we could bring this duo to Stamford Bridge – Deschamps knows exactly how to utilize Roy, and our forward line desperately needs that kind of explosiveness. Although the final hasn't been played yet, reaching the semi-finals by defeating Real Madrid already proves their strength. If they win, Deschamps' tactical system will be even more valuable! It's far better than these current forwards wasting chances. Look at Monaco's attack – that's truly exhilarating!"

A bespectacled fan next to him interrupted him: "Come on, how can the level of Ligue 1 compare to the Premier League?"

A sneer came from the corner: "What if Monaco actually wins the title? Would Deschamps still even look at us?"

Abramovich has been in charge of Chelsea for less than a year, and the team's trophy room remains empty.

Despite the massive spending in the transfer market, fans still feel uncertain.

After all, a championship cannot be bought with just rubles.

Seeing their city rivals Arsenal leading in the league standings, there was always a sour feeling in the stands at Stamford Bridge.

The fat man's face flushed red: "Then we need to hurry up and poach people! They're better than this Italian guy."

Before he could finish speaking, the bartender interrupted him: "Say less, you said at the beginning of the season that Mutu was the next Zola!"

"Who cares who it is! They can't be worse than Ranieri! They spent so much money just to get to the quarterfinals, my grandma could have played better!"

The TV was showing a replay of Arsenal players walking out of the Stade Louis II with their heads down, and a cheer erupted in the pub.

The bartender seized the opportunity to raise his glass: "A toast to the Gunner's early exit!"

The Monaco players' convoy slowly drove out of the Stade Louis II, with each luxury car eliciting cheers from the fans.

Outside the stadium, thousands of fans in red and white jerseys were still singing and celebrating, having just witnessed their team's 3-1 victory over Arsenal.

Roy's Porsche 911 was in the middle of the convoy.

As soon as he turned out of the parking lot gate, dozens of sharp-eyed fans immediately recognized the iconic sports car.

"It's Roy!"

Someone shouted, and the crowd surged forward like a tide, instantly surrounding the sports car.

Several young fans in the front row excitedly pounded on the hood of the car, while people behind them kept pushing forward.

A little boy wearing a number 10 jersey was squeezed against the car door, his face deformed.

Roy quickly slammed on the brakes and rolled down the window. His forehead was still covered with a bandage to stop the bleeding; the blood that had seeped through had dried and darkened.

"Is your head alright?"

The little boy at the front stood on tiptoe and pointed to the same spot on his forehead.

Roy touched the gauze and grinned: "No problem, much lighter than the elbows my teammates gave me during training."

Laughter and applause erupted from the crowd.

"Will he be able to play in the next game?" someone shouted.

Roy smiled: "Unless Coach Deschamps keeps me on the bench."

This remark drew another round of cheers, and even the security guards maintaining order shook their heads with smiles.

"Please sign your name!"

"Just sign one!"

Countless hands reached through the car windows, holding up jerseys, scarves, photos, and even arms.

Someone shoved a marker into Roy's hand, and a female fan even tried to hand over her baby for a photo.

More fans in the distance noticed the commotion and ran in that direction.

Security guards rushed over to maintain order, but they couldn't stop the enthusiastic fans.

Roy smiled wryly as he took the nearest few jerseys and began signing them; sweat quickly soaked the back of his shirt.

Amidst the shouts outside the car, you could clearly hear someone yelling in French: "Take us to the finals! You are our king!"

As he finished signing and was about to leave, he noticed a note slipped under his car window. It read in a shaky hand: "Score three more goals against Arsenal next game! I've bet half a month's salary!"

early morning.

Mendes pushed open the back door of the nightclub, and a cold wind rushed into his open suit collar.

Three hours earlier, before Monaco celebrated their 3-1 Champions League victory over Arsenal, he officially signed a financial contract with Roy.

Roy pulled him in front of Deschamps: "Coach, this is my new agent."

Mendes stood at the hotel entrance and took a deep breath.

His Nokia phone kept vibrating in his pocket, but he just wanted to savor this rare recognition a little longer.

Roy had just opened the scoring with a direct free kick in the Champions League quarter-final, helping Monaco defeat Arsenal 3-1.

What excited him even more was that this young man, who had already caused a sensation in European football at the age of 19, actually took the initiative to terminate his contract with his former agent and chose to work with him instead.

He walked into the lobby of the Hotel Bay Monaco where he was staying, his leather shoes making a crisp sound on the marble floor.

The receptionist recognized him and nodded respectfully in greeting.

Just as Mendes pressed the elevator button, his Nokia phone in his suit pocket vibrated again.

"Jorge, it's me."

Florentino's deep voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Good evening, Mr. Chairman."

Mendes stepped into the elevator and pressed the floor button.

"Don't be so polite," Florentino's voice was urgent. "When will Roy's matter be resolved? It's time to bring him back to Madrid for a face-to-face talk. The club's plane can pick you up tomorrow."

Mendes looked at himself in the elevator mirror and straightened his tie. "Chairman, we've just started working together, and there are still many contract details to sort out. And..."

He paused deliberately, "Roy is currently focused entirely on the Champions League semi-finals, so it's not appropriate to talk about a transfer at this time."

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few seconds.

“Jorge,” Florentino’s tone turned serious, “we will give priority to your players when they transfer to the Bernabéu. If our youth academy prospects need an agent, you will be the first one they contact. I want to see substantial progress by next Monday.”

"Of course, Mr. Chairman."

The elevator doors opened, and Mendes strode towards his suite. "I will contact you as soon as the semi-final is over."

He hung up the phone and took out his room key, only to find his palms were sweaty.

Outside the suite's floor-to-ceiling windows, the yachts in Monaco's harbor were brightly lit, but he paid no attention to admiring them and went straight to his desk.

There was a manila envelope that Claire had her assistant deliver that afternoon.

He pulled open the cotton thread of the file folder, and a stack of A4 papers, still smelling of ink, slid out.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Industrialized Star-Making Marketing Plan

Core objective: To achieve the leap from "potential rising star" to "globally renowned star" within 5 years, realizing exponential growth in commercial value, competitive image, and fan base.

Inspirational story template.

From Madeira favela to the Champions League stage: Cristiano Ronaldo practices shooting at least 200 times a day.

A former teammate revealed: "He used his first paycheck to buy alcohol rehabilitation treatment for his alcoholic father, while he himself still wears old sneakers."

An alleged Manchester United youth academy coach revealed: "He trains for an extra 3 hours every day, and the cafeteria lady said that eating boiled chicken breast is like taking medicine."

They proactively create controversial topics, stimulate discussion through a "black-and-red" approach, and then reverse public opinion with data and stories, turning negative labels into personal characteristics.

Controversial points need to be incorporated.

An anonymous forum post asked: "Will earning a 300 million euro annual salary at 19 ruin him?"

PS: Encouraging fans to defend themselves actually reinforces the image of "self-discipline".

Then public opinion reversed, and mainstream media followed suit, such as the Manchester Evening News headline: "19-year-old ascetic: How Ronaldo deserves every penny."

A public relations strategy for the controversy surrounding the alleged flopping.

PS: Let's start with the technical analysis, for example, through an analysis post on a forum by a 'sports science expert': "From a biomechanical perspective, when Ronaldo fell, the opposing defender did indeed tackle his supporting leg." (Important: He only fell a fraction of a second after being fouled, proving it was unintentional).

Then, a "locker room photo" of Ronaldo's bruised ankle was released (a close-up shot taken with a camera, with increased contrast to highlight the injury).

Example of a fan's defense: "He said he dived? Go look at how many times he's been kicked!"

"All show and no substance? Premier League defenders voted him as the 'most difficult young player to defend'!"

Expected results.

Controversy conversion rate: Each negative post can generate 3 defensive replies, increasing discussion popularity by 500%.

Tag iteration:

In the short term: "Diving Ronaldo" transforms into "the player most fouled".

In the long term, the style of "flashy dribbling but impractical" has been transformed into "representative of artistic football".

Mendes was dumbfounded.

This forum marketing strategy will completely change the trajectory of a player's career:

Through the systematic operation of a professional team, a player's public image will be precisely shaped during their golden period of 18-20 years old, significantly reducing negative evaluations during their growth process.

The transfer market value will gain a premium of more than 30%, giving them more leverage in salary negotiations; commercial endorsement deals can be finalized 2-3 years earlier, and sponsorship amounts will double.

Negative news will be resolved by the comment control team within 24 hours, and key competition data will be more convincing after being "technically optimized".

The Asian and female fan base will reach a certain size three years earlier, and mainstream media networks will be established even earlier.

By subtly discrediting competitors through online forums, players' personal brand value grows exponentially, ultimately making their career trajectory smoother and more efficient.

Essentially, this is an industrialized star-making scheme that compresses the traditional 10-year process of developing a star into a precise 5-year process.

Mendes threw the documents on the table and lit a Marlboro.

"This woman is even more calculating than Florentino."

There were already three cigarette butts piled up in the ashtray, all of which he had smoked while looking at the plan.

"We need to prepare a set for Deco as soon as possible."

(End of this chapter)