When playing football, you should call it GOAT.

Chapter 235 Shameless Bastard

On New Year's Day 2005, the 21st round of the Premier League featured a key match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Liverpool's home ground.

Liverpool are severely short-handed in attack, with both Baros and Kewell unavailable due to injury. Manager Benitez has had to field young striker Pongolle as the sole forward.

To strengthen control of the midfield, Benitez deployed five midfielders, with German veteran Hamann returning to the starting lineup.

In defense, Traore replaced Warnock as the left-back.

This somewhat thin squad will face a severe test against Chelsea, who are in red-hot form at the time.

Inside the players' tunnel, Hamann glanced at Chelsea's star-studded starting lineup and deliberately spoke loudly to Alonso beside him:

"Xavi, sometimes I really envy the family values ​​of you Spaniards. At least you don't end up like some English players' fathers, suddenly expanding their sons' starting lineups in the newspapers. Playing as a defensive midfielder is tiring enough; if you also have to clean up the mess left by your dad's random goals, tsk tsk..."

Gerald frowned and glared at Harman after hearing this; that guy never keeps his mouth shut.

He had just turned his head when he saw Lampard's face was ashen and his fists were clenched so tightly they were trembling.

According to recent British media reports, Frank Lampard, a West Ham United player in the 70s, had a long-term extramarital affair and fathered two illegitimate children with his mistress, Jenny Butler (25-year-old Sophie and 20-year-old John).

This secret was only recently revealed to the family by Lampard's father, causing tension in the family.

The incident escalated further when Jenny called the police to report being assaulted, but the police did not disclose the suspect's identity.

The Lampard family has been asked to cooperate with the investigation, while their illegitimate daughter, Sophie, has been resistant to media attention, suggesting the conflict may involve property disputes.

Without looking up, Roy said, "Dietmar, do you know why Hoeneß was willing to pay extra to sell you off? Your mouth is stinker than your tackles. It's a pity if you had half the skill of Matthäus, maybe someone would be willing to put up with you."

"Even Matthäus couldn't stand Bayern Munich, let alone someone like you."
"But I bet even your wife is too lazy to listen to your brilliant opinions in the locker room, right?"

Hamman's face turned ashen, and he swore a few times in German.

At this moment, the referee blew his whistle, and the players from both teams lined up to enter the field.

The passageway opened up into a breathtaking vista, revealing Anfield Stadium as a sea of ​​red in a fiery red. Fifty thousand fans in the stands sang "You'll Never Walk Alone" in unison, the massive roar carrying a chilly winter wind.

The flags in the KOP stands fluttered in the cold wind, and the raised scarves looked like dancing flames.

After the match started, Liverpool took the initiative thanks to their home advantage.

Youngster Pongolle used his speed to attack Chelsea's defense several times, while Gerrard, who was positioned further forward, also frequently participated in the attack.

However, Liverpool never really threatened Cech's goal.

In the 5th minute of the match, Liverpool pressed high up the pitch and limited Chelsea's passing space.

Makelele passed the ball to Lampard under pressure from Hamann and Gerrard, who then switched the ball to the left wing under pressure from Luis Garcia.

The pass went too high, bouncing off the ground near the sideline before dropping.

Roy controlled the ball with the inside of his right thigh under Finnan's close marking, then deftly flicked it with the outside of his right foot, sending the ball through Finnan's outstretched legs. At the same time, he quickly turned on his left foot, taking the ball away before Finnan could catch up. The whole process left Liverpool's right-back completely out of position.

Hamann quickly pressed forward, and Roy first lowered his shoulder to the left to make an inside cut. After Hamann shifted his weight, he used the outside of his right foot to feint a pass, but actually pulled the ball back with the sole of his foot.

Hamann was forced to adjust his footwork, and Roy seized the opportunity to push the ball with the inside of his right foot into the space between Hamann and Alonso.

Alonso was in position to cover, but Roy broke through first. Alonso reached out and pulled Roy's jersey, and the referee blew his whistle and gave him a verbal warning.

"For the first time! Roy single-handedly tore apart Liverpool's midfield defense!"

"Even with Hamann, Finnan, and Alonso triple-teaming him, they couldn't contain Roy!"

"Alonso had to foul to stop him, but the problem remains: how will Liverpool deal with Roy, this deadly threat?"

Roy took the free kick from 35 yards out, unleashing a powerful, spinning shot with his right foot.

The ball flew over the wall and plummeted downwards. Gudjohnsen suddenly broke free of Hyypia's marking and completed a tricky diving header at the near post.

Just as the Icelandic striker was about to head the ball, Carragher made a timely cover, using his strong physique to gain an advantageous position, causing Gudjohnsen to barely get a touch on the ball, which ultimately went wide of the far post.

In the 9th minute, Terry fouled Gerrard near midfield, and the Liverpool captain took the free kick himself, but his long-range shot went over the crossbar.

Four minutes later, Riise passed the ball to Hamann, and the German midfielder took a long-range shot from 25 yards out, but unfortunately it went wide of the target.

The game became a stalemate.

Liverpool continued to press forward, but Chelsea's defense remained solid under Terry's orchestration.

Liverpool nearly scored in the 15th minute.

Traore intercepted the ball on the left side of the attacking third and passed it to Pongolle on the edge of the penalty area.

Pongolle dribbled laterally and passed the ball back to Traore, who made a run and fired a low shot with his right foot from 12 yards out, but Cech quickly got down and blocked the ball with his left foot.

In the 18th minute, Chelsea launched a quick counter-attack.

Thiago delivered a through pass from midfield, and Roy suddenly accelerated, shaking off the defenders.

He received the ball on the right side of the penalty area. Facing Carragher's defense, he first used the inside of his right foot to cut the ball to the left. Then, he took a step and cut the ball to the left front with his right foot, creating a wide angle before crossing the ball across the goal with his left foot.

Robben unleashed a right-footed shot from the edge of the six-yard box, but Dudek made a diving save to push the ball out for a corner.

In the 19th minute, Liverpool launched a counter-attack.

Hamann played a through ball from midfield, Riise broke into the penalty area on the left and crossed the ball, but Alonso, who was rushing in at the far post, was a step too slow and failed to reach it.

Riise dribbled down the left flank, and Maicon, when he came forward to defend, was a little slow in his tackle, tripping the Norwegian full-back.

Referee Riley immediately blew his whistle and gave the Brazilian right-back a verbal warning, but did not show him a yellow card.

Liverpool were awarded a free kick on the left side of the attacking third, which Gerrard took.

In the 21st minute, Gerrard's free kick was lofted directly into the Chelsea penalty area.

After Terry headed the ball away, it fell into Alonso's control.

Just as the Spanish midfielder was preparing to launch a second attack, Lampard charged in from the side, clearly using his right shoulder to knock Alonso to the ground.

Referee Riley immediately blew his whistle and showed Lampard a yellow card.

The foul occurred near the halfway line, directly thwarting Liverpool's counter-attack opportunity.

Alonso received brief treatment after falling to the ground, and Gerrard then restarted the attack to organize positional play.

Liverpool opted to pass the ball wide, and Riise's cross from the left was once again cleared by a Chelsea defender.

But in the 27th minute, Alonso suddenly stopped during an off-the-ball run and gestured to the coaching bench on the sidelines to make a substitution.

As he slowly walked to the sideline, he clearly protected the shoulder area that Lampard had previously fouled.

Benitez immediately brought on Núñez from the bench, and the Spanish midfielder, supported by the team doctor, went directly to the locker room tunnel.

In the 43rd minute, the deadlock was broken.

Roy dribbled down the left flank, then suddenly cut inside and unleashed a shot, which Hyypia brilliantly blocked, sending the ball out of play.

Robben took the corner kick from the right, the ball spun towards the near post, and Maicon headed it back from the right side of the penalty area, overpowering the defender.

At this moment, Roy was being closely marked by Carragher, but he first pretended to make a run forward to try and get a point, and then suddenly retreated to the edge of the penalty area.

Maicon's header pass landed perfectly in Roy's control, and Roy, without letting the ball bounce, volleyed it directly with his right foot.

The ball struck Carragher's heel, deflecting Dudek's weight, who could only watch as the ball deflected into the net.

Chelsea took a 1-0 lead, breaking the deadlock on the pitch.

As the referee blew the final whistle, the score remained 1-0.

Despite Liverpool's dominance in possession and attack, they were unable to break through Cech's defense.

Roy's deflected goal in the 43rd minute was the only highlight of the match, as Chelsea took three points away from Anfield.

The Reds players slumped onto the grass, while the Blues players simply high-fived in celebration.

This tough battle exhausted both sides, leaving them with no energy for a grand celebration.

As the final whistle blew, Roy and Gerrard exchanged jerseys at the players' tunnel.

Chelsea won 1-0, but the game was far from easy.

Liverpool's five-man midfield completely controlled the tempo, with Alonso and Gerrard's passes constantly tearing apart the defense.

Roy scored a deflected goal through his individual skill, but the goal had an element of luck.

Throughout the match, Chelsea's midfield was clearly stretched thin. Makelele focused on defense, while Lampard was constantly on the move, leaving a gaping hole in the third midfield position.

Mourinho frowned several times on the sidelines; this problem needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

In Chelsea's 4-3-3 formation, the position of the third midfielder has never been fixed.

Mourinho has tried various combinations: the defensive Smeldin, the technical Thiago, and the versatile Gremi have all started in this position.

But no matter who partners Lampard and Makelele, the results are not consistent enough.

This missing "fill-in-the-blank question" has become an unsolved problem on the Blue Team's tactics board.

Thiago's performance in this match had many problems.

In the 33rd minute, Chelsea launched a counter-attack. He dribbled the ball forward and hesitated for two seconds, missing the best opportunity to pass to Robben on the right wing.

Just before halftime, he was slow to clear the ball in his own half, and Núñez deflected it toward the goal. Fortunately, Cech made a diving save to tip the ball over the crossbar.

Just one minute later, his short pass was intercepted by Gerrard, leading to a foul on the edge of his own penalty area.

The most dangerous moment came in the 41st minute when Gerrard's free kick flew into the penalty area, and Thiago raised his right arm to touch the ball without being pressured, but referee Riley did not call a foul.

These mistakes made Chelsea's midfield operation even more strained.

Thiago has a well-rounded skill set, but his form fluctuates greatly and he is relatively weak in physical confrontations.

Although he can serve as a rotation player, he still falls short of the pivotal role played by Lampard and Makelele.

Mourinho has always hesitated in choosing a third midfielder, and whether he uses Thiago or Smeldin, the results are only barely acceptable.

Gerrard said angrily as he took off his jersey, "That handball was so obvious. Thiago's arm was completely outstretched, changing the ball's trajectory."

Roy could only helplessly admit: "It was indeed a handball that the referee didn't see; these things happen all the time on the football field."

"Such a crucial decision, Chelsea doesn't need these two points, but what about us?"

Overall, Gerrard was relatively friendly.

Roy said, "Then I can only apologize to you personally. But the game is over, and there's no point in dwelling on it. See you in the Champions League, and hopefully we can play a cleaner game then."

"Champions League?"

Gerrard shook his head and walked into the players' tunnel.

At the time, Liverpool's performance in the league was mediocre, and their prospects in the Champions League were not promising. Even their captain himself did not dare to hope that they could go too far.

Roy shrugged.

The Miracle of Istanbul?
What does this have to do with the Champions League final in Constantinople, which I want to go to?

Mourinho roared in the locker room for about ten minutes. As soon as he finished yelling, Terry suddenly stood up and yelled at Thiago Mendes: "Your clearance was a gift!"

Mendes retorted defiantly: "Take care of the gaps in your defense first!"

Desailly leaned against the wardrobe with his arms crossed, calmly watching the conflict escalate without saying a word.

The veteran captain understood that as a soon-to-retire veteran, he needed to maintain his authority in the locker room while avoiding getting involved in trouble.

He wasn't sure if Roy would support the Portuguese, nor was he sure about Mourinho's attitude, so he simply chose to stay out of it.

This approach maintained the veteran's dignity while avoiding the risk of taking sides.

For him, as long as it doesn't affect his reputation within the team, leaving unscathed is the wise thing to do.

At that moment, Roy pushed open the door and walked straight to Maicon: "Give me water."

He took the water bottle, tilted his head back, and gulped down the water, completely ignoring the conflict before him.

"If you win, that's fine, John."

Roy tilted his head back, finished the last gulp of water, threw the empty bottle into the trash can, and casually interjected with a comment.

"Okay, I'll listen to you. But if he plays with fire like that again, I won't be so lenient."

Makelele and Lampard stood in the corner without saying a word, simply changing their clothes in silence.

Mourinho had Carvalho standing right next to him, but there were actually very few Portuguese people who could be considered his true confidants.

As for Thiago Mendes, although he came from Benfica, he is not a direct descendant of Porto.

The Portuguese contingent? They're no match for this Chelsea team.

Roy changed into his training clothes, wiped his sweat with a towel, and quietly walked over and sat down next to Thiago.

"That handball was dangerous; you were lucky the referee didn't see it. But next time, the opponent won't let you get away with it. Do you think you're Maradona?"

"Damn it, my arms weren't even open! The ball hit my arm!"

Thiago retorted, his face flushed, "If it were really a deliberate handball, I might as well have just caught the ball!"

Roy stared at Thiago for a while, then his tense shoulders suddenly relaxed.

“Listen, Thiago, that kind of move is a ticking time bomb in the Champions League. This time the referee’s view was blocked, but what about next time? UEFA referees won’t be as lenient as they are in the Premier League.”

Roy's voice was deep as he tapped his temple with his finger. "Remember how Deportivo La Coruña eliminated Milan? One controversial decision could ruin the entire season. I don't expect you to be error-free, but you must control your arm in crucial moments. Opportunities fought for by the whole team shouldn't be wasted on such details."

Thiago opened his mouth to defend himself, but Roy raised his hand to interrupt him: "Answer me first, how do you plan to deal with my well-intentioned reminder?"

Thiago shut his mouth.

That's the weight of a top superstar. When a Ballon d'Or winner like Roy speaks, no one in the locker room dares to contradict him.

His authority was established naturally after he became Chelsea's first Ballon d'Or winner, without needing Abramovich and Mourinho to further cultivate it.

In this team, anyone who clashes with Roy has only one outcome: they pack their bags and leave.

No one is an exception; that's the most realistic survival rule in the Stamford Bridge locker room.

Roy patted Thiago on the shoulder, his tone softening: "Think about it carefully."

At that moment, Maicon leaned over and whispered to Thiago in Portuguese, "Don't take it to heart, Roy is doing this for your own good."

As one of the few players on the team who can speak Portuguese, Maicon usually gets along well with Thiago, but he knows better than anyone else that Roy is his older brother.

"Roy, well done."

Terry walked over.

Roy turned to look at him: "Go and make peace with Thiago. You went a bit too far with your insults just now."

Terry pursed his lips and didn't respond immediately, pausing for a few seconds.

“Just a suggestion,” Roy added casually. “What do you think, John?”

There was a two-second silence in the locker room. "John, Roy is right. Go apologize. We still have to play football together."

Lampard peeked out from behind the locker and said.

"Alright John, let's move on from this argument in the locker room and shake hands. We need to unite for the next game against Middlesbrough. We can't afford to slip up against Hasselbaink." Chelsea's "steady" veteran captain, Desailly, finally appeared at this moment.

Finally, Terry took a deep breath and walked towards Thiago.

He may not listen to anyone, but he will always listen to Roy's advice.

The day after Roy returned to London, he went straight to Cheryl's concert.

As soon as he appeared in the audience, the entire venue erupted in cheers. Fans chanted his name wildly, the sound even drowning out the pre-show music on stage.

Cheryl was incredibly popular in the second half of last year.

Her band's records sold like hotcakes, sweeping the UK charts.

Since her relationship with Roy was exposed, her exposure has skyrocketed. Paparazzi follow her around the clock, and she's been inundated with advertising contracts. It seems she's about to dethrone Victoria Beckham from the title of "Britain's most popular actress."

Six out of ten support signs held up by fans in the audience right now have both of their names on them.

Cheryl, wearing a backless halter top adorned with gold sequins and tight jeans, swayed her slender figure on stage.

Under the spotlight, the curves of her hips were faintly visible as she danced, and she couldn't help but glance at the VIP area where Roy was after each verse.

When the big screen suddenly switched to Roy, Roy rarely smiled and raised his hand in a simple gesture of greeting.

This made the fans go even crazier, with screams almost lifting the roof off.

Cheryl was clearly head over heels in love; her eyes sparkled as she sang love songs, as if Roy was the only person in the 20,000-seat stadium.

As The Sun celebrated the New Year, it presented a unique feature: "Best Buttocks of 2004".

The editors cleverly played a word game: in English, "butt" means both "buttocks" and also alludes to the "end" of the year.

Cheryl unexpectedly defeated a host of superstars to win the championship.

Although Roy privately found the rankings boring, he had to admit that his girlfriend's popularity was indeed explosive.

These female celebrities include former Spice Girl Jerry Halliwell, American pop star Christina Aguilera, actress Jennifer Ellison, Latin pop star Jennifer Lopez, Hollywood sex symbol Angelina Jolie, Britney Spears, actress Kelly Brook, Australian sex symbol Kylie Minogue, Kylie Minogue's sister Dani Minogue, and British singer Beyoncé.

Looking at the list, Roy knew perfectly well that Cheryl's hips couldn't compare to JLo's (Jennifer Lopez's) Latin charm, let alone Kylie Minogue's perfect curves that had been touted by the media for a decade.

But right now, the whole of Britain is hyping up the "Golden Baller's girlfriend," which has propelled Cheryl to the top of the list.

On January 4th, the 22nd round of the English Premier League featured key matches.

Russian midfielder Smeldin returned to action after recovering from the flu, playing as a right central midfielder in this match, replacing Thiago.

Drogba also replaced Gudjohnsen as the starting center forward.

For the away team, former Chelsea Dutch duo Hasselbaink and Zenden returned to Stamford Bridge, and manager McClaren made only one change after losing to Manchester United: replacing Job with Nemech as the striker.

Middlesbrough's last victory at Stamford Bridge was 30 years ago, and Chelsea are hoping to extend their unbeaten run to 13 games.

Terry injured his ankle during warm-up before the game, but he received timely treatment and still led the team into the match.

Just four minutes into the game, Chelsea created their first threatening attack.

Chelsea orchestrated the attack from their own half through a series of passes. Lampard passed back to Makelele, whose French midfielder immediately launched a long pass to Roy on the left wing.

After receiving the ball, Roy deftly chipped it over Southgate, who was marking him, and then unleashed a right-footed curling shot from the edge of the penalty area. Middlesbrough goalkeeper Schwarzer made a diving save to push the ball out for a corner.

Robben then took a corner kick from the left, and Drogba powerfully headed the ball towards goal from near the penalty spot, but Schwarzer made another brilliant save.

Although Chelsea failed to score in the early stages, Drogba displayed excellent form.

In the 12th minute, Cech launched a long ball from the backfield, and Drogba received the ball on the left wing and volleyed it with his left foot, but Schwarzer caught the ball securely.

Chelsea continued to apply pressure and finally broke the deadlock in the 14th minute.

Roy received the ball on the left wing, adjusted his position with a light touch of his right foot, and then suddenly changed direction and accelerated.

Southgate quickly moved to cover, and Roy cut the ball with the inside of his right foot, nutmegging the veteran England player.

Right-back Reiziger immediately came to cover, and Roy flicked the ball forward with the outside of his right foot, using his explosive power to overtake the opponent.

After dribbling into the left side of the penalty area, Roy did not continue down the flank, but instead suddenly unleashed a right-footed shot from 5 yards out.

With his instep fully extended, he exerted force, and the ball sped along the grass, slipping through the narrow gap between the near post and Schwarzer into the back of the net.

Stamford Bridge erupted in cheers, with the home fans bursting into deafening applause.

The entire process, from receiving the ball to scoring, was seamless, fully demonstrating Roy's outstanding explosiveness, ball control, and composed shooting ability.

Southgate stood on the grass, panting heavily, sweat dripping down his forehead.

He stared at Roy, who was celebrating, his back teeth clenched sorely; this was the third time the Frenchman had managed to get past him.

The first time he was nutmegged, he could comfort himself by saying the field was slippery. The second time, after forcibly overtaking, he pulled down the opponent and received a yellow card. Now, this goal has simply nailed him to the pillar of shame.

McClaren's shouts could be faintly heard from the sidelines, but even more jarring were the jeers of Chelsea fans in the stands.

The 34-year-old England international bent down to tie his shoelaces, actually trying to hide his flushed face.

When he was selected for the Team of the Year, this Frenchman was still playing for the youth team.

Just three minutes later, Chelsea extended their lead.

Lampard crossed from the right, and Drogba skillfully cut past Southgate before unleashing a powerful right-footed shot from the edge of the box to score.

In the 17th minute, Smeldin was brought down by the opposing defender while dribbling down the left flank, and the referee awarded a direct free kick.

Roy stood about 25 yards from the goal and carefully positioned the ball.

He took four steps back, and after a brief run-up, he struck the ball accurately with the inside of his right foot.

The ball flew over the head of the player on the far right of the wall, and spun noticeably to the right during its flight.

Despite a desperate dive by goalkeeper Schwarzer, the ball was too fast and the angle was too tricky, ultimately grazing the inside of the right post and flying into the net.

Stamford Bridge erupted as Chelsea scored three goals in just a few minutes to seal the victory.

"GOOOOOOOOOAL! Roy! 3-0! Chelsea have scored three goals in just four minutes! Listen to the roar at Stamford Bridge!"

"An absolutely world-class free kick! Schwarzer tried his best but couldn't touch the ball. The angle of that shot was too tricky! Look at Roy's expression, he knew all along that this ball was going in!"

"Middlesbrough's defense has completely collapsed! Southgate and Reiziger were utterly outplayed by Roy tonight! Coach McClaren looked livid on the sidelines; his team was down by three goals in just 17 minutes!"

"Chelsea fans are already chanting 'We Are the Champions'! Mourinho's team continues their unbeaten record! 22 games unbeaten! Stamford Bridge has become a sea of ​​joy! When the Blues score three goals in three minutes, which team in the Premier League can stop this unstoppable Blue Lions?"

On January 6, Chelsea announced their first signing of the winter transfer window, with Czech defensive midfielder Jarosik, formerly of CSKA Moscow, officially joining the Blues.

Chelsea's official website announced the signing of the Czech player.

The statement describing the deal said: "Chelsea have completed the signing of Czech world-class midfielder Kiri Jarosik from CSKA Moscow on a two-and-a-half-year contract. Jarosik will have all the necessary international transfer documents by Saturday, and the 27-year-old will be eligible to play in the FA Cup match against Scunthorpe."

The 1.94-meter-tall Jarosik is very clear about his goals at Chelsea, saying: "I am very happy to be at a club like Chelsea. I am a defensive midfielder, but I can play in any position in midfield, especially in the center."

“I’m really looking forward to playing alongside a new Ballon d’Or winner like Roy. After seeing him play on the pitch, I know how formidable he is; he is truly an extraordinary player.”

Before coming to London, Jarosik was a key midfielder for CSKA Moscow. He played in the Champions League group stage match against Chelsea at home this season, but missed the away game due to injury.

The Czech player is a versatile player in the midfield and attack. In the match against Chelsea in Moscow, he played as a defensive midfielder in the first half, but in the second half, he took on the role of a striker as instructed by the coach. This is the real reason why Mourinho was attracted to the Czech player.

The following day, Roy's personal sports brand AETHOS reached a cooperation agreement with Nike to jointly develop yoga and Pilates sports equipment for women.

Nike, through its newly established Nike Women division in 2004, took the initiative and received 70% of the profits, while Roy Fang accepted a 30% share.

Given Nike's established presence in the women's sports market and the high barriers to entry in this sector, Roy's team concluded that without Nike's mature channels and promotional system, it would be difficult for a new brand to penetrate the market.

In the final agreement, Roy's team accepted a lower profit-sharing percentage than originally expected.

Because Nike holds absolute sway in the women's sportswear category, Roy simply cannot enter this market without its permission.

Considering the exorbitant endorsement fees and global promotional resources offered by Nike each year, coupled with the uncertain market prospects for the new product, Roy chose to forgo pursuing a higher revenue share.

The two parties officially launched a women's sports sub-brand called VYANA.

Nike has proposed Jennifer Lopez as its first brand ambassador. The multi-talented star has previously worked with Nike and has a wide influence among female consumers.

The two parties quickly reached an agreement and plan to launch a promotional campaign this summer.

The agreement was eventually signed at a five-star hotel in London, followed by a small celebratory reception.

Jennifer Lopez appeared at the party in a silver sequined bodycon dress. The dress's high slit revealed her leg lines, and the low neckline showcased her collarbone.

As soon as she entered, she walked over to Roy, gently swirling her champagne glass with her right hand and casually resting her left hand on her hip.

Congratulations on our new collaboration.

Her earrings swayed slightly as she leaned forward. "But I must say, I haven't completely gotten over that your Girls Aloud girlfriend beat me in The Sun's poll."

Amidst her laughter, she deliberately glanced behind her, where the curves of her body, encased in tight fabric, shimmered under the light.

I didn't participate in that selection.

Roy shrugged.

"Would you vote for me privately?"

Lopez raised an eyebrow and pressed for an answer, lightly tapping his tie with his fingertip.

"Sorry, J.Lo"

Roy smiled and took a half step back. "I'm the kind of person who sides with family, not with what's right."

The two had a pleasant chat.

Because of Jennifer Lopez's success in the fashion industry, especially in the fragrance industry, Roy consulted her about things to keep in mind when creating his own fragrance brand.

They had a long conversation in the lounge.

Before leaving, Lopez invited Roy to visit the perfumery studio she collaborated with.

“A young man like you, with a distinctive temperament, sharp yet energetic, is better suited to the combination of citrus and cedar, or try some bold combinations of black pepper and leather.”

In the private lounge of her London perfumery studio, Jennifer Lopez took out several perfume samples.

As she spoke, she sprayed perfume onto a test strip, maintaining a polite distance when she first handed it to Roy.

"The opening lines feature bergamot and Sicilian lemon, while the closing lines are set with Madagascar vanilla."

She sprayed the second perfume on the inside of her wrist and slightly raised it as Roy leaned over.

"Jin berries mixed with wild mint, but then it will turn into..."

She suddenly flipped her wrist, the skin at her pulse point almost brushing against the tip of his nose.

"Amber wood that you would never guess."

She then sprayed another type of spray on the inside of his elbow, gesturing for him to smell it again.

When Lopez sprayed the fourth perfume on the hollow of her collarbone, Roy paused noticeably before leaning slightly closer.

A triumphant smile had just appeared on her lips when, the moment the other person's breath brushed against her skin, her shoulders and neck involuntarily trembled slightly.

Lopez lowered her voice and chuckled softly, "Can you smell the amber wood? It only truly awakens at body temperature, like this."

She suddenly ran her perfume-scented fingers across three centimeters below her collarbone.

"Now, try to identify the last cedar tree?"

A few minutes later, Roy suddenly regained consciousness.

He found himself nestled on a sofa in the lounge, locked in a passionate kiss with Jennifer Lopez.

Her voluptuous body writhed against him, her full buttocks rubbing against his legs.

Just as she reached for his zipper, her red lips slightly parted as she prepared to lean over, Roy suddenly grabbed her wrist and forcefully pulled her away.

"That's enough, J.Lo."

He said in a hoarse voice, while quickly straightening his disheveled shirt collar, "We've crossed the line."

Jennifer Lopez had just secretly married American singer Marc Anthony, while Roy also had a stable girlfriend at the time.

For him, occasional flings are not a problem, but he absolutely cannot have an extramarital affair scandal.

In the Western entertainment industry, "playboy" and "cheating man" are two completely different things. The former might be seen as charming, but the latter would ruin a commercial image.

Lopez paused for two seconds, then gave a meaningful smile: "You have more self-control than I thought, or rather..."

She glanced meaningfully at his waistband, "Even better at disguising it."

Lopez sank deep into the sofa, her legs unconsciously opening and closing slightly.

She picked up her glass and took a big gulp, a few drops of champagne sliding down her chin to her chest.

“Listen, only these four walls know what happened tonight. Your little girlfriend won’t hear a word, and my husband is no problem either.”

She suddenly kicked off her high heels and stepped barefoot on Roy's thigh: "How about we two stressed-out people help each other out? Of course, if you suddenly decide to come to Los Angeles for a business trip sometime in the future..."

Roy turned and went into the bathroom, scooped up a handful of cold water and splashed it on his face, the water dripping down his chin onto the front of his shirt.

When he looked up, he saw Jennifer leaning against the door frame in the mirror.

Her silk dress strap slipped halfway down, causing her chest to heave violently.

"What are you so afraid of? Your little girlfriend? She wouldn't dare to cause trouble for my husband? I'm more famous than him. He wouldn't even dare to ask her!"

Roy wiped the lipstick stain off his neck with a tissue: "It's not a person, it's the relationship itself."

"Ha! When did our Casanova start talking about ethics?"

She suddenly moved closer, "If I were single right now, would you immediately make me lie face down in this mirror and prove with your actions that what you have in your crotch isn't a gentleman at all?"

"Yes. I don't care whether you're married or not."

"what!"

She kicked the door hard, yelling, "You're the most hypocritical bastard in the world!"

Roy eventually pushed her away.

It’s not that I don’t want to, nor that I can’t.

On the road to becoming a world-class football player, any unnecessary desires must take a back seat.

He had seen the cautionary tale of Tiger Woods: a god on the golf course, who ruined half his life's reputation because of something as trivial as his crotch.

In the FA Cup match on January 8, Chelsea defeated Squinthorpe 3-1 to advance to the next round.

The match started somewhat unexpectedly, with the away team scoring first, giving the home fans at Stamford Bridge a scare.

Mourinho didn't bring Roy on until the 63rd minute.

Just eight minutes after coming on, Roy received a cross from his teammate outside the penalty area and unleashed a volley from 25 yards out that flew straight into the top corner of the goal, the ball hitting the underside of the crossbar and bouncing into the net.

This game-winning goal ignited the entire stadium, even prompting Mourinho, who had been keeping a straight face on the sidelines, to applaud.

However, Mourinho appeared calm at the post-match press conference: "They played really well today. I had anticipated this result before the match. We wouldn't stay clean all the time, but rather concede as few goals as possible, slowly and gradually. Any opponent could score."

(End of this chapter)