When playing football, you should call it GOAT.

Chapter 226 The Desolation of Henry, Shevchenko, and Ronaldinho
On November 25, 2004, Roy was resting at home after finishing training when the doorbell suddenly rang.

British director Danny Cannon stood at the door with a stack of scripts and a sincere smile on his face.

“I hope I didn’t bother you,” Ganon rubbed his hands together, his breath condensing in the early winter air. “I brought something you might be interested in, something we talked about before.”

Roy took the script; the words "Goal!" on the cover were particularly eye-catching.

“We’d like you to take a look at this,” Ganon said, sitting on the sofa and pointing to the script, “especially the parts about the football details. After all, nobody knows more about these things than you.”

He turned to the first page and found that the protagonist's character was surprisingly similar to his own.

This is a story about Roy, a boy of mixed Chinese and French heritage, pursuing his dream of becoming a professional footballer.

Roy was born in Chinatown, Los Angeles, USA. His father was a chef at a Chinese restaurant, and his mother was a descendant of French immigrants.

While working alongside his father in a Chinese restaurant from a young age, he displayed extraordinary football talent, consistently leading his team to victory in street matches.

However, his father strongly opposed his playing football, firmly believing that a man should be down-to-earth and earn money to support his family, and often warned Roy not to have unrealistic football dreams.

This man, who has spent half his life toiling in the kitchen, works 12 hours a day, and his biggest wish is to save enough money to open his own restaurant. In his view, his son's time spent playing football is a complete waste; it would be better for him to learn more skills in the restaurant.

Whenever Roy mentioned football, his father would pat the greasy menu with his calloused hands and say, "Finish washing today's dishes first."

The turning point came when a British scout saw Roy playing football by chance, recognized his great potential, and suggested that he go to England to develop his career.

Despite his father’s strong opposition, 18-year-old Roy decided to take his grandmother’s savings to England to participate in the Arsenal club’s selection process.

During the qualifying rounds, Roy realized that the level of the Premier League far exceeded his expectations, and that his talent was not particularly outstanding there.

This made him realize that talent alone is far from enough to become a professional player; he must put in much more effort.

Through hard training, Roy eventually performed brilliantly in key matches of the season, helping Arsenal win the Premier League title and realizing his professional dream.

Roy put down the script, his brow furrowing slightly: "Wait, why Arsenal? Shouldn't it have been Newcastle or Manchester City as agreed?"

“Arsenal’s French elements are more in line with your background.”

Danny Cannon, flipping through the filming plan, explained, "Although the coach in the movie is a fictional character, he is still a French coach, based on Arsène Wenger, and we have invited real players to make cameo appearances in the match scenes."

Roy chuckled wryly and rubbed his forehead; now it was his old rivals' turn to 'take revenge'.

When the topic of casting the lead role came up, Gannon pulled out a file photo of Mark Dacascos.

“He’s a ‘mixture’ like you,” the director said with a laugh. “He has Chinese, Spanish, Japanese, Irish, and Filipino heritage. Although he’s 40, he plays young people without any sense of incongruity.”

"Actually, we like Keanu the most. You both have that special mixed-race look. It's a pity that his salary is ridiculously high now, and his schedule is booked until the year after next."

Roy flipped through the script, occasionally pausing on a particular page with a slight frown.

When he saw the scene where the protagonist was isolated by his teammates in the locker room, he clicked his tongue softly.

"Something's not right here!"

He pointed to the script and said, "Endure? Wait until someone tears up his family's photos before fighting back? What a joke. Danny, if it were me, I would have made that son of a bitch question his existence on the training field, forcing the coach to bench him and make him watch the water bottle."

“If anyone in the locker room dares to bare their teeth, I’ll teach them a lesson one by one until they submit. Do you understand? Being Chinese doesn’t mean we have to swallow our pride. I’ll strike the moment I sense malice, and I’ll make sure that bastard’s biggest regret in his life is showing hostility towards me.”

"That's the truth of competitive sports, Danny. Nobody will applaud your patience. Here, you have to prove how strong you are all the time."

"If anyone tries to test your limits, kick them while they're down and make them remember you're not someone to mess with. There's no sympathy in the locker room, only who's stronger and more ruthless."

“If you show weakness even once, everyone will pounce on you and bite you. So you have to let everyone know that you are the one who cannot be touched.”

Roy then gave Danny a few more specific suggestions.

Danny discovered that the direction of the movie was different from what he had originally envisioned, but it was exciting and thrilling enough to suit the tastes of European and American audiences.

With Roy's appeal to fans, this film is sure to do well at the box office.

Ganon carefully noted down these suggestions, and before leaving, he turned back and asked, "By the way, what kind of celebration do you think Dacascos should use in the movie?"

Roy blinked. "Let him create a new one himself. After all..."

"This is ultimately someone else's story."

Chelsea's official website has announced that Roy will return to action for the match against Charlton.

During his short two-game recovery period, the team's performance declined significantly: they were held to a draw by mid-table Bolton in the Premier League and Panathinaikos of Greece equalized in stoppage time in the Champions League.

This performance is a far cry from the Chelsea team that previously set a record of thirteen consecutive Premier League wins.

British media immediately seized on this topic and made a big fuss about it.

BBC Sport even commented: "A player like Roy has never appeared in the history of English football before. His absence directly made a Champions League-level team unable to win."

One columnist quipped: "The two games Roy missed due to injury exposed the fatal weakness of Chelsea's system. This steel-like team built by Mourinho is essentially still a sophisticated machine relying on superstars. Data shows that during Roy's absence, the dribbling success rates of wingers Duff and Robben dropped by 27% and 34% respectively, and their attacking link-up efficiency plummeted to its lowest point of the season. This reveals a harsh reality: although the Portuguese coach has constructed a seemingly perfect tactical framework, the one who can truly unleash the system's explosive power is always the number 10 player who can simultaneously perform the three core functions of advancing, dribbling, and finishing."

"Comparing two sets of key statistics: When Roy was on the field, Chelsea created an average of 4.2 clear-cut chances per game, but this number plummeted to 1.5 when he was absent; the average time for a transition from defense to attack deteriorated from an astonishing 6.8 seconds to 9.4 seconds. Even more worrying is that Lampard's passing choices in these two games have become noticeably more conservative. When they lost that mixed-race genius who could always receive passes in tight spaces, the Blues' midfield engine seemed to have forgotten how to deliver ammunition forward."

"Mourinho must be wary of this superstar dependency. Although the combination of Duff, Lampard, and Robben is enough to overwhelm most Premier League opponents, when facing European powerhouses, the lack of Roy's terrifying all-around ability to be 'a one-man tactical system' makes Chelsea's attack prone to tactical constipation. This may explain why the Greek was able to score a steal in stoppage time. When your attacking threat drops two levels, the opponent's attacking courage naturally increases three levels."

Roy sat on the sofa flipping through Nietzsche's "The Birth of Tragedy," while Cheryl knitted clumsily beside him. The stitches were crooked, but at least it was the beginnings of a scarf.

She wasn't good at this, but the British all have some kind of national talent for it.

“Hey, Roy.”

Cheryl suddenly stopped knitting, her hands almost tangled. "You'd never guess, I received an invitation from Victoria today."

Roy turned the page without looking up: "Which Victoria?"

He asked casually, "Are you going to become a fashion model too?"

"It's Victoria Beckham."

Cheryl's voice was filled with excitement. "She just called me and said she wants to invite us to the Beckhams' Christmas party next month. She said the party is at their Hertfordshire estate, and they've already arranged a private jet for us. Even the menu was discussed with Gordon Ramsay."

She paused, her eyes sparkling: "Victoria also said that she has been following my music and thinks I should get to know her friends in the New York fashion scene. Oh, and she specifically mentioned that David is looking forward to talking to you about the Champions League and hopes to build a private friendship with you."

"The best part is that only about twenty people were invited to the party, including Sir Elton John. Victoria said that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes would also be flying in from Los Angeles. She even asked if I wanted to try on dresses beforehand, as she has a stylist she could lend me. There will be Vogue photographers present at the party, but they will only take photos that are approved for publication."

Roy was silent for a moment, then chuckled softly, "Judging by how excited you are, you really want to go, huh?"

Cheryl immediately followed up, "Will you come with me?"

Roy shook his head.

"I'm afraid that won't work. I've arranged to meet with another of Beckham's club teammates, Zidane. It's time for us French guys to catch up."

“But Victoria’s party sounded really great.”

Cheryl knew in her heart that the Beckhams' invitation was actually for Roy's superstar status. Without him by her side, she would only be a supporting character at such a high-level social event.

Her girl group, Girls Aloud, was already a rising star in the British music scene, but her relationship with Roy caused her personal popularity to increase exponentially.

Brand invitations, magazine cover offers, and TV show invitations poured in, causing the group's commercial value to soar.

She has just landed a solo cover for the January issue of British Vogue, becoming the youngest singer to ever grace the cover of the magazine.

Burberry invited her to participate in the advertising campaign for its Spring/Summer 2005 collection. In an interview, the brand's creative director mentioned, "Her sense of style and public attention as the partner of a top Premier League star perfectly match the youthful energy we wanted to present this season."

His personal endorsement fee jumped from £8 to £20.

ITV has acquired the broadcasting rights to her girl group's Christmas special for a record price, nearly double the amount offered last year.

The BBC invited her to host next year's music awards ceremony, and during internal discussions within the production team, it was mentioned that "it would be appropriate to add some personal topics to increase the appeal."

If the two of them were still together at that time.

She then realized that Roy's influence was far greater than she had anticipated.

And this is all despite Roy's near-absence from any off-court hype.

Aside from football-related matters, he rarely makes high-profile public appearances, yet his name still becomes a hot topic sought after by major brands.

Despite his efforts to cultivate his image and gain exposure, Roy's performance on the court alone was enough to make the entire fashion and entertainment industry flock to him.

Now, when she attends events, she only needs to mention Roy briefly.

A shy smile, and a vague "We've been very busy lately."

The next day, the tabloids would use the entire article to explain the meaning behind that sentence.

The British media's obsession with this golden couple in 2004 made Cheryl experience the magic of top-tier popularity for the first time: without deliberate hype, just a few words about their relationship could keep her in the headlines.

“I’m sorry, honey, but I have an even better party to throw. Some parties are more important, like preparing a ‘feast’ for two years from now.”

"The popularity of some parties can make ten thousand of the Bei family's Christmas dinners seem like a community tea party."

Cheryl didn't fully understand what Roy meant. If she really cared about exposure, she probably hadn't seen the real thing yet.

Just like during the European Championship this summer, Roy's ex-girlfriend Leticia was just sitting in the stands, but because of Roy's brilliant performance, she stole the spotlight from all the media, and even Victoria's news was squeezed into a corner of the entertainment section.

November 17, 2004, the fifteenth round of the English Premier League.

Charlton host Chelsea.

The Valley, also known as Happy Valley, is a football stadium located in Charlton, Greenwich, London. It was converted from an abandoned quarry and has been the home ground of Charlton Athletic since 1919.

"Welcome back, brother. The court just doesn't feel the same without you."

As soon as Mourinho finished giving his tactical instructions, Roy walked straight to the side.

Drogba was sitting there; the Ivorian had just recovered from injury, having missed too many games in the past month or two due to injury.

During this period, Gudjohnsen single-handedly took on the center-forward position for Chelsea.

The Icelanders not only stabilized the situation, but also helped the team get through the difficult period of having only one true center forward with a series of key performances.

After Drogba's return, the situation became somewhat awkward.

Chelsea struggled to gel at the start of the season, winning most of their matches by a single or two goals, and their performances were inconsistent.

While he was recovering from injury, Gudjohnsen played as the center forward, and the front quartet he formed with Roy, Lampard, Robben, or Duff was incredibly effective.

Those big wins like 3-0 and 4-0 have now become an invisible pressure on his shoulders.

Roy would put his arm around Drogba's neck and say in a voice only he could hear:
“Listen to Didier, those big scores were because the whole team finally found their rhythm. Edur did his job, just as we need you, this beast, to finish the game. We need your strength, just as we need his technique. Mourinho’s tactics board never has just one solution, right?”

"Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup, Didier, we have so many titles to win. We're brothers. As long as you're on the pitch, my passes will always find you. I'll pass the ball to every one of you."

Upon hearing this, Drogba's dark face broke into a bright smile, revealing a set of large, white teeth.

"Roy, you know me. I don't need promises. Give me a chance, and I'll put the ball in the goal. But since you said that, next time you pass it to me, you'd better cover your ears beforehand, because I'll kick the net to pieces."

Roy grinned and gave Drogba a thumbs-up: "Get ready to receive the ball. My passes will be sexy, but your shots will have to be even hotter."

"Charlton goalkeeper Dean Kiley launches a long ball. Chelsea's defense is in disarray! Terry and Carvalho give each other a step, and the ball slips through! Cech rushes out decisively! He collects the ball before Kirshshev can get to it, what a close call! Chelsea almost dug themselves a hole right from the start!"

Mourinho erupted in fury on the sidelines, yelling at the players on the field, "John! Ricardo! Are you sleepwalking?!"

Chelsea immediately retaliated.

After two quick passes between Lampard and Makelele, the ball reached Roy on the left wing. Charlton's right-back Luke Young immediately pressed forward to block it.

Roy first made a feint step to the left, then firmly planted his right foot on the ball and came to a sudden stop.

Just as Luke Young shifted his weight, he gently controlled the ball with the inside of his left foot as if to break through, and then suddenly flicked the ball to the left with the outside of his left foot.

This clean and decisive change of direction completely threw Luke Young out of position.

After getting past the defense, Roy didn't try to score himself, but calmly passed the ball to the onrushing left-back Abidal.

The previously loud cheers from the Charlton fans in the stands suddenly subsided, with many whispering among themselves, clearly stunned by the beautiful dribble.

"Look at Roy's footwork! After missing only two games, he's back in form as if he never left. The smooth changes of direction and the calm handling are exactly the explosiveness Chelsea has been missing!"

"The gloom of Chelsea's recent two draws may need to be dispelled by him!"

The 4th minute of the game.

Chelsea patiently built their attack, trying to break through Charlton's dense defense in front of the penalty area.

Roy received Lampard's pass steadily on the left wing, and Charlton's right midfielder Murphy immediately closed in.

Roy pulled the ball back with his right foot, feinted to the left, and executed a clean Cruyff turn, instantly shaking off the defense.

But before Charlton's defensive midfielder Kishshev could get into position to cover, Roy had already dribbled forward.

Facing Luke Young who rushed over, he suddenly slowed down and made two small shoulder-lowering movements in a row.

The first time, he pretended to cut inside; the second time, he pretended to go to the bottom.

Just as the opponent shifted their weight, he gently pushed the ball back with the instep of his right foot to Gudjohnsen, who was standing at the edge of the penalty area.

The Icelander stopped with his foot and delivered a brilliant lob pass, precisely finding Duff on the right wing.

The Irish winger easily controlled the ball, changed direction to shake off center-back Kakuri's defense, and dribbled straight into the right side of the penalty area.

Near the byline, Duff calmly curled a shot with his left foot, the ball arcing beautifully past the goalkeeper and into the far corner!
It is worth mentioning that this is the second consecutive league match in which Duff has opened the scoring for Chelsea.

In the previous round against Bolton, he scored in just 36 seconds.

"A brilliant combination! Roy's magical footwork tore apart the defense, Gudjohnsen's imaginative lobbed pass, and Duff's fatal strike! Mourinho's Chelsea broke the deadlock with a textbook combination play on the wings and in the center! Look at the quality of this goal, from the dribbling to the finish, it's like it was calculated with precision!"

"Duff has once again proven himself to be one of the most dangerous speedsters in the Premier League! He has opened the scoring for the Blues in two consecutive games, and the Irish winger is in red-hot form!"

"Look at Chelsea's current predicament! Duff is thriving on the right wing, Robben is still sharp after recovering from injury, and there's the unstoppable Roy on the left. Mourinho's problem now isn't a lack of players, but rather deciding which two talents to play at the same time! Just a few weeks ago, he was worried about the striker shortage, and now the sight of both wings attacking is simply enviable! It's like Christmas has arrived early."

In the 9th minute, Charlton had his first good chance.

Murphy's left-side corner kick found Bartlett lurking in the middle, but the tall striker's header went just over the crossbar.

Four minutes later, Chelsea retaliated.

Thiago observed the midfield for a moment, then suddenly delivered a surgical through ball that precisely passed between two Charlton defenders.

Roy understood immediately and started moving the moment the pass was made, intercepting the ball before the defender could react.

Without stopping the ball, he flicked it with the outside of his right foot, sending it arcing towards the open space on the right flank.

At this moment, Duff was already poised to strike, and as Roy touched the ball, he suddenly accelerated, perfectly beating the offside trap. The Irish winger rushed towards the ball like an arrow, but Charlton goalkeeper Killley decisively rushed out of his goal, sliding the ball out of bounds from outside the penalty area.

The game then became a stalemate, with both sides fiercely battling in midfield but unable to create any real threats. It wasn't until the 23rd minute that Chelsea broke the deadlock again.
Charlton goalkeeper Keeley has just thwarted a dangerous cross from Roy, giving Chelsea a corner on the right.

Duff's corner kick, with a strong spin, flew towards the edge of the six-yard box. Carvalho leaped high from the crowd, but failed to head the ball properly; it grazed his scalp and changed direction.

Charlton's penalty area was thrown into chaos.

Both center-backs lunged at the landing point at the same time, but interfered with each other.

In that split second, Roy, who had been lurking on the edge of the penalty area, suddenly started moving and dashed to the near post.

He deftly deflected the bouncing ball with his chest while simultaneously using his body to firmly trap Holland, who was chasing after him.

Before the ball even hit the ground, Roy twisted his waist and abdomen, leaping into the air with a textbook-perfect side hook!

Keeley dived to make the save, but it was too late; the powerful shot from close range flew straight into the back of the net.

The blue sea of ​​the away stands instantly erupted. On the television screens of countless Chelsea fans, Roy slid to his knees after scoring, his right index finger brushing across his eyebrow, offering his signature military salute to the traveling crowd in celebration.

"GOOOOOOOOAL!!! Roy—! A genius's instinct! The end of a genius!! Chelsea are two goals ahead!!!"

"Look at that run! Look at that first touch! Look at that volley!! Roy is like a ghost in the penalty area! You never know where he'll be next! Charlton's defense has been completely torn apart!!"

"A knee slide! A salute!! This is Roy's signature moment!!! The King of Stamford Bridge is crowned once again, and the entire away stand has gone wild!!!"

"Crazy goals! Crazy Roy!! Crazy Chelsea!!! With the Blues sweeping through the Premier League in this form, are we witnessing the beginning of another legendary winning streak?! And... will we see a crazy London next year, as he said!!!"

In the 28th minute, Lampard's powerful right-footed shot from 25 yards out in the middle of the field deflected off his teammate Gudjohnsen and went out of play.

Chelsea nearly scored an own goal in the 37th minute when Charlton sent a long pass into the box, Fortune headed it across, and Carvalho's header clearance hit the post, but Makelele cleared the ball in time.

In the 38th minute, Charlton cleared a corner kick to the edge of the penalty area. Roy quickly stepped forward and met the ball with a left-footed volley.

Because it wasn't his dominant right foot, the shot didn't hit the target properly, and the ball speed and angle were not ideal.

The ball flew in a straight line toward the goal, where three Chelsea players, Gudjohnsen, Lampard, and Duff, had already moved into the six-yard box to prepare for a follow-up shot.

Charlton goalkeeper Keeley made the right judgment, leaping up and punching the ball steadily out of the danger zone.

In the 42nd minute, Terry fouled Thomas on the wing and received a yellow card.

First half stoppage time.

Charlton's corner kick attack failed, and the ball was cleared to the vicinity of the midfield line.

Roy suddenly accelerated, intercepting the ball first! He pushed the ball forward with his right foot, instantly gaining speed.

Two Charlton players immediately sandwiched the ball from both sides! Murphy on the left reached out and pulled at the shirt, while Kishshev on the right slid in with a sliding tackle.

But Roy, relying on his high-speed impact, shouldered Murphy aside and poked the ball through Kishshev's legs with the outside of his right foot!

In a flash, Roy dribbled past his opponent! He shot into the penalty area like an arrow, forcing Luke Young to make a sliding tackle.

"Bang!" Roy was knocked down along with the ball on the edge of the penalty area!

Amid gasps from the crowd, Clattenburg crossed his arms and waved them – no foul!

Roy jumped up from the ground and pointed to his torn jersey, loudly protesting to the referee.

Terry, Lampard, and other teammates quickly surrounded Clattenburg.

"This is absurd! My players' jerseys were torn! I saw it clearly from the sidelines—it was a 100% foul! The penalty area line was right there! Are you just going to condone this kind of action? Are we playing football or rugby? Did Mr. Clattenburg even bring his whistle today?!"

In the second half, Chelsea continued to apply pressure. In the 46th minute, Chelsea took a corner kick from the left. Thiago was about to shoot from 6 yards out when he was pulled down. Referee Clattenburg still did not make a penalty, which angered the Chelsea players.

Chelsea have been incredibly dominant this season, with a thirteen-game winning streak that has widened the gap in the standings.

Even Arsenal, who had remained unbeaten, were hampered by several draws and gradually fell behind Chelsea.

Despite Manchester United's relentless pursuit, the gap in points at the start of the season was too large, making it almost certain that they have fallen out of the title race.

This kind of one-man show actually makes the league less suspenseful.

As a result, the refereeing in some matches began to become more nuanced.

After all, nobody wants to see the championship title decided too early; the drama in the Premier League always needs to be maintained by someone.

As the game entered the second half, Chelsea's attack intensified.

In the 47th minute, Duff took a corner kick from the right, and the ball curved straight into the six-yard box.

Terry leaped high from 6 yards out, outmuscled the defender, and unleashed a powerful header that nestled into the net! 3-0!

Just two minutes later, Roy received the ball on the left flank and suddenly stopped, quickly dribbling the ball three times to shake off the defenders, before sending a low diagonal pass with his right foot.

The ball precisely passed through the gap between two defenders, finding Lampard in the middle.

Lampard unleashed a powerful right-footed shot from 25 yards out in the middle of the pitch, heading straight for the bottom right corner of the goal.

Charlton goalkeeper Keeley made a diving save, tipping the ball over the crossbar with one hand to defuse the threat.

In the 50th minute, Chelsea launched another attack.

Duff took the corner kick from the right again, this time delivering the ball to the far post.

Carvalho leaped up in the crowd and headed the ball back to the center. Konchesky made a mistake while clearing the ball, and it fell to the right side of the six-yard box.

At this moment, Roy burst into the fray! He first deftly flicked the ball with the back of his right foot, just in time to get past Kishshev's sliding tackle.

As the ball fell, he cleverly stepped on it with the sole of his left foot, while simultaneously turning and using his back to shield Holland from the onrushing attack.

In a cramped space of less than two square meters, Roy used the inside of his foot to quickly flick the ball three times in a row to adjust his position.

When Fortune rushed in from the side, he suddenly flicked the ball back with his right heel, completing a 180-degree turn to get rid of him!
Finally, he used a backheel to slip the ball between Kakuri's legs.

The astute Terry was already lurking there; he flicked the ball with his right foot, and although it was touched by Kiley's fingertips, it still rolled into the goal. 4-0!

Within just 3 minutes, Terry scored twice, securing the victory for Chelsea.

In the 55th minute of the second half, Roy broke through on the left and made a low cross. Gudjohnsen, inside the penalty area, attempted a sliding shot under pressure from the defender but failed to connect with the ball.

However, just four minutes later, the Icelanders seized their chance. The goal originated in midfield and involved only two passes. Roy passed the ball to Lampard near the left flank, and the Blues midfielder delivered a brilliant through ball to Gudjohnsen. The Icelander cleverly beat the offside trap and, facing goalkeeper Kily, easily chipped the ball into the net, sealing the score at 5-0.

Gudjohnsen delivered a satisfactory performance for Mourinho. Two minutes after his goal, Mourinho substituted Drogba for the Icelander and Robben for Roy.

In the 65th minute, Robben made a quick breakthrough on the left wing and delivered a precise cross, the ball gliding across the edge of the six-yard box.

Drogba sprinted forward to meet the ball, but stumbled at the last step, watching helplessly as the ball flew past half a meter in front of his forehead.

The Ivorian knelt on the grass and pounded the ground heavily.

Two minutes later, Maicon cut inside from the right and crossed the ball, which Drogba again headed towards.

He jumped a little too early this time, and although he tried his best to tilt his head back to head the ball, he was still half a body length behind.

After landing, the monster stood with its hands on its hips, staring at the grass for a long time.

He only slowly ran back to his own half of the field after Lampard came over and patted him on the back.

The broadcast cameras captured his constant head-shaking gestures. On the bench, Gudjohnsen was talking to Roy, and both of them were looking at Drogba on the field.

2004 11 Month 28 Day.

FIFA has announced the final three nominees for the 2004 FIFA World Player of the Year and FIFA World Player of the Year awards.

The winners of these two awards will be announced in Zurich, Switzerland on December 20.

The three finalists for the 2004 FIFA World Player of the Year award were: Roy and Henry from France, and Shevchenko from Ukraine.

FIFA also wrote articles describing the three players as the "Stanford Bridge Demon," the "Highbury Express," and the "Deadly Weapon."

Although Roy's award is a foregone conclusion, the award ceremony must still proceed according to regulations.

The three finalists for FIFA Women's World Player of the Year are: Marta from Brazil, Mia Ham from the United States, and Prinz from Germany.

On December 20, FIFA will hold its centennial celebration awards ceremony at the Zurich Opera House in Switzerland.

The event will unveil several major awards, including the FIFA World Player of the Year and FIFA World Player of the Year, and will also introduce two new awards: "World's Best Indoor Soccer Player" and "World's Best E-Soccer Player".

To coincide with the awards ceremony:
The World Indoor Soccer Championship is currently being held in Taipei, China, and will conclude on December 5.

On December 19, eight esports players will compete in the e-football finals at FIFA headquarters.

Henry stared at the list of candidates on television, his brow furrowed.

His wife, Nicole Meryl, came over and gently put her arm around his shoulder: "Honey, this is one of the top three in the world. You should be happy."

Henry shook his head: "The first three names are just decorations. Everyone knows who will be in the end. We're like decorative vases at an awards ceremony."

"Look at Roy, at just 20 years old he's accomplished what many players can't do in their entire lives. A Champions League treble, a European Championship title—it's all his doing, two Golden Boots in major tournaments, and now the whole of France is worshipping him. He just transferred to Chelsea, where Abramovich is spending money without restraint to strengthen the squad, Makelele is helping him clear out weaker teams, Lampard is providing assists, and the squad will only get more luxurious year after year. And what about us at Arsenal? Everyone's getting old; the Professor might only be able to scout unwanted kids from Africa in the future. In that kind of environment, how could I possibly compete with him?"

He scratched his bald head abruptly, then buried his face in Nicole Merry's arms like a deflated balloon. His wife gently stroked his back and said softly, "Thirry, this isn't your problem. Perhaps you should admit it, he's just better than you, and better in every way."

Henry felt a tightness in his chest, but he was speechless.

He knew this was the truth better than anyone else, but pride was like a stone stuck in his throat, and he couldn't swallow it down.

Ronaldinho woke up on the silk sheets of his Manchester mansion, rubbed his temples, walked to the minibar, and poured himself a glass of fresh mango juice that had been flown in from São Paulo.

The rain outside the window pattered against the glass, making him frown in annoyance.

He heard rustling sounds behind him; two models from last night's party, wrapped in sheets, waved at him: "Ronaldinho~"

He slowly swayed back to the bedside, where two women were twisting their bodies and giving him flirtatious glances.

"Want to play another round?" one of them asked, licking his lips.

Xiao Luo simply scratched his messy hair: "What time is it now?"

Another woman giggled, pulled her women's wristwatch from the crumpled sheets, and deliberately tucked it into her cleavage, dangling it around: "Come see for yourself~"

Xiao Luo grinned and stretched out his hand.

The woman giggled and leaned back, deliberately thrusting her chest out higher. Her hand, painted with bright red nail polish, gently pressed down on Xiao Luo's outstretched wrist: "What's the rush? Kiss me first before you show yourself."

"Damn! It's already 2 PM?!"

Ronaldinho sprang out of bed, frantically grabbing his clothes scattered on the floor. "Oh no! That old Scottish guy's going to twist my head off and use it as a football! I must have been out of my mind to come to Manchester United. It rains every day in this godforsaken place, you can never see the sun. At least in Paris I could get some sunshine."

Then the phone rang.

On the other end of the phone, his brother Assis's voice was deep and calm: "Listen, Ronnie, we have to make a decision. You haven't even made the top three for the Ballon d'Or at Manchester United, and continuing like this will only ruin your career. The good news is... there are two other big clubs that want you."

Which two?

"Barcelona president Laporta has never stopped contacting me, and..."

Milan.

"Roy, congratulations."

Shevchenko sighed softly on the phone, "This year's trophy is definitely yours. No matter how good I am, I can't compare to you right now. Enjoy this moment."

"However, Chelsea's squad is indeed enviable. But speaking of the Champions League, we Milan are determined to win this year. This year's Champions League journey will be very interesting, and our whole team is full of expectations."

Roy's hearty laughter came from the other end of the phone:
"I wish you good luck in Milan as well. But in football, it's all about skill. We'll be waiting for you on the pitch."

Just as Roy put his phone in his pocket, Cheryl rushed over, hugged him, and handed him a beautifully packaged box.

“This is for you,” she said, pressing her hand against his chest.

Roy weighed the box in his hand: "Why the sudden gift?"

Cheryl smiled and pinched his cheek: "Celebrating my World Player of the Year award in advance!"

"World Footballer of the Year"

Roy repeated the word softly, his memory suddenly flashing back to that late night when he woke up at Real Madrid's youth academy.

At that moment, he stared at the ceiling of his dormitory, completely unaware of what this body was capable of.

Until that mysterious voice rang in his mind, teaching him all the skills, he had almost forgotten the secret himself, as naturally as breathing.

He guarded this secret like he was carrying stolen goods, and now the spotlight of the awards ceremony is almost upon him.

Wenger drove his car slowly through the bustling streets of London, with his wife sitting quietly in the passenger seat.

The white-haired coach had just finished training and, like any other elderly person, went to the supermarket to shop.

Outside the car window, huge billboards flashed by one after another.

On the Rolex dial, Roy's profile is shown as he raises his wrist to look at the watch; on the Coca-Cola can, there's a silhouette of him tilting his head back and drinking; in a Dior menswear ad, he's wearing a tailored suit, his fingertips brushing against his tie; and on Nike's latest basketball shoes, he's wearing the gold-embossed slogan "King of Europe."

All the light boxes were repeating that face from different angles: messy black hair, sharp eyes, and a faint smile on his lips.

Wenger's gaze lingered on the billboard for a few seconds until his wife gently nudged his arm: "Honey, watch where you're going."

He then turned his face, suddenly gripped the steering wheel tightly, and whispered, "God bless Arsenal."

On November 29, 2004, the British football magazine 442 published a survey report on the wealth of people involved in British football, covering players and club owners.

The survey results show that the richest player is Beckham, while the richest owner is Chelsea's Abramovich, a result that was entirely expected.

According to 442 magazine, Beckham tops the list of players with a personal fortune of £6500 million, but ranks only 41st among club owners with banking backgrounds.

Arsenal's Bergkamp is second with £3700 million.

Surprisingly, Roy made it into the top three with £3400 million, and this is only his second year in the professional league.

Such a rapid accumulation of wealth is astonishing: in addition to the high annual salary and bonuses paid by Chelsea and signing fees, several endorsement contracts, income from his own sports brand and streetwear brand together constitute this staggering list of assets.

Beckham's Real Madrid teammate Owen ranked fourth with £3000 million, while surprisingly Manchester City's underperforming striker Fowler ranked fifth with £2800 million, while Manchester City is £5000 million in debt.

Following them were Shearer, Campbell (who "defected" from Tottenham to Arsenal), and the Manchester United trio of Ferdinand, Keane, and Giggs.

2004 11 Month 30 Day.

Two weeks ago, Fulham easily defeated them 4-1, but 15 days later they seemed like a completely different team.

In the League Cup quarter-final, Chelsea narrowly won 2-1.

Roy, Lampard, Carvalho, and Gudjohnsen were included in the rotation.

In Chelsea's match against Fulham, Didier Drogba made his first start after recovering from injury, but his performance was lackluster.

Fulham's tight defense left him isolated and helpless, and he missed his only chance in front of goal due to a slightly slow reaction.

The real threat came from the wing partnership of Robben and Duff, whose frequent positional changes disrupted the defense. First, Robben's long-range shot from 25 yards out forced Van der Sar to make a save, and then Duff broke the deadlock in the 55th minute with a deflected goal.

Robben was particularly impressive; his explosiveness and dribbling kept the opponent's defense constantly on edge, indirectly relieving Chelsea's defensive pressure.

In the final thirty minutes of the match, substitutes Roy and Lampard became the key players.

Each player contributed an assist and a goal, ultimately helping Chelsea to a 3-1 comeback victory.

However, Chelsea's performance in the first 60 minutes was not ideal. Fulham created threats on the flanks many times and even pressured Chelsea's defense at one point.

The situation only truly turned around after two key players came on.

At 10:12 AM on December 1, 2004, the Buckingham Conference Room at the Corinthia Hotel in London was temporarily converted into a negotiation venue.

Roy walked in wearing a dark gray custom suit, followed by his personal manager, agent, lawyer, and financial advisor.

Across the long table sat Klaus Fischer, BMW’s global sports marketing director, and three German executives carrying thick clauses.

Under the crystal chandelier, the two parties reviewed the contract details one last time.

罗伊与宝马签下的这份五年合约（2005-2009）核心条款包括：每年800万欧元基础代言费（按季度分四次支付），并设置阶梯式奖金，赢得欧冠奖150万、获金球奖100万、单赛季进球40+奖50万。

双方将合作开发带其“R10”元素的限量版M3，每售出一辆他可获7%分成（销量破500辆后提至10%）。

The contract requires Roy to participate in two global advertising shoots and attend four brand events annually (including one trip to the German headquarters). It also strictly prohibits him from publicly driving competing vehicles or criticizing BMW products, and all media content involving automobiles must be reported 48 hours in advance.

For Roy, a die-hard Ferrari fan, signing this contract was like putting reins on a wild horse.

Of course, while the BMW endorsement contract stipulates that he cannot publicly drive other brands of cars, there are still some "backdoors" in practice. According to the agreement, he can apply for several opportunities to drive a Ferrari each year, although BMW suggests a plan where a driver drives and he sits in the passenger seat (however, for a driver's car like a Ferrari, this suggestion is basically a gimmick).

However, the contract only restricts public driving in Europe, so Roy has already planned to travel to other continents for his future vacations.

Industry insiders know that sponsors of top luxury car brands like Ferrari and Rolls-Royce often turn a blind eye to athletes driving their cars in private.

As long as Roy doesn't publicly speak ill of BMW, or get photographed speeding a Ferrari on the streets of London, BMW generally won't really pursue the matter.

If he gets caught violating the rules, he'll at most be fined a token amount of money, and it's rare for it to escalate to the point of a lawsuit, unless he gets carried away one day and openly says in an interview that "BMWs are all trash."

In addition, BMW has the right of first refusal to renew the contract, and if Roy suffers a major injury, the endorsement fee will be reduced proportionally.

During the lunch break, the waiter brought sandwiches and coffee.

Roy stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking Trafalgar Square, and Claire took the opportunity to whisper, "Mercedes sent another email yesterday, saying they're willing to match their offer."

Roy fiddled with the car keys BMW had brought: "These are the ones. The M3 test drive was more exciting than the SL63."

At 3:15 p.m., the pen finally landed on the contract.

BMW staff presented a pre-prepared gift: a custom-made silver M3 covered with a red cloth.

When the red cloth was lifted, the embroidered headrests inside the car prominently displayed Roy's jersey number "ROI-10" and a pattern of the Champions League trophy.

The PR team immediately took a photo of him getting into the driver's seat, which would appear in Bild the next day with the headline: "When the fastest meets the strongest."

(Brothers, please give me your monthly votes!!! It's the last day, so please send them to me!)
(End of this chapter)