When playing football, you should call it GOAT.

Chapter 65 They are no longer the fearless "Zhang Mazi" (First update!)

Cannes, May 15, 2003.

In the late-night beach bar, the salty sea breeze carries the rich aroma of whiskey.

Du Chen sat on a high stool, elbows propped on the bar, chin resting on her palm, fingertips unconsciously tapping her cheek. She gazed at Roy not far away—he was leaning against the wooden railing, chatting animatedly with a Chinese man.

The man flicked a cigarette from the crumpled cigarette box and lit it with practiced ease.

The firelight illuminated his sharply defined profile, and the smoke was quickly dispersed by the sea breeze.

He casually handed the cigarette to Roy, then suddenly seemed to remember something and withdrew his hand, apologetic smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Roy waved his hand, his face bearing the same focused expression Du Chen was familiar with when discussing football.

Monaco's golden boy Roy kisses his hot girlfriend on the red carpet! His slit dress nearly causes a wardrobe malfunction, driving fans wild.

— French tabloid *But! Football Club*

Ligue 1's best player, Roy, appeared in Cannes with his girlfriend; does this mean he has confirmed his contract extension with Monaco?

— L'Équipe

Football newcomer Roy appears in Cannes: A millennial paradigm of sports stars crossing over into fashion.

—Variety

When Fifth Generation Directors Meet Generation Z Players: A Cross-Generational Dialogue Between Jiang Wen and Roy

—GQ

From the Stade Louis II to the Boulevard Croisette: Our Roy Shines in Cannes!

—Monaco Morning Post

Chinese director conquers Europe! Jiang Wen chats enthusiastically with French Ligue 1 star, praised for his 'genuine personality'

—Sina Entertainment

French Ligue 1 heartthrob and 40-year-old director reportedly get drunk late at night! Sir Alex Ferguson's 18-year-old prodigy gets dumped by his beautiful girlfriend.

—Exclusive to The Sun

May 17, Stade Auguste Bonnard, French League Cup final.

Sochaux vs. Monaco.

The referee blew the whistle to end the first half.

Roy pulled up the hem of his jersey, wiped the sweat dripping from his hair, and his eyes were filled with resentment.

Unusually, Pulso didn't talk to his teammates, but instead walked quickly to the locker room alone, ignoring even the assistant coach's encouraging pat on the shoulder.

Giuly and Rothen shrugged at each other, clearly frustrated by the fact that their wing attacks had been completely shut down in the first half.

"Allez les Lionceaux! (Go forth, little lions!)"

As the Monaco players walked wearily toward the tunnel with their heads down, the Augusto Bonnard Stadium erupted in deafening cheers.

The chants, drumbeats, and whistles of the Sochaux fans blended together, creating a sound wave that could almost lift the roof off.

The melody of this Sochaux anthem is simple yet powerful, and the lyrics "Nous sommes les Lionceaux, nous rugissons sans peur! (We are lion cubs, we roar fearlessly!)" are sung repeatedly.

Die-hard fans waved huge flags and stomped their feet in unison, creating a synchronized vibration that seemed to shake the entire stadium in celebration of Monaco's humiliation. Every time Roy ran across the pitch, Sochaux fans mimicked his signature "Gates of Hell" celebration, chanting, "Où est ton talent, Roi?" (Where has your talent gone, Roi?)

As the Sochaux players headed toward the locker room, Lacombe, who had just been named Ligue 1's best coach, stood at the tunnel entrance, like a general inspecting his soldiers.

He didn't say anything, but patted Pedretti and Oruma hard on the back—the two defensive midfielders had executed his "spider web" tactics perfectly in the first half.

Meanwhile, Monaco manager Didier Deschamps, with a somber expression, strode into the tunnel, clearly already pondering how to break through this "iron net."

"This is a tactical feast of French football! A tactical masterclass! Tonight, Sochaux coach Lacombe has tailored an 'iron cage' for Monaco's prodigy Roy, showing us how to dismantle Ligue 1's sharpest counter-attacking weapon with surgical precision!"

"Roy drops back to receive the ball? His national teammate Pedretti immediately closes in! His smaller stature and lower body positioning make it difficult for Roy to even turn!"

"And when Roy tried to accelerate and break through—BOOM! Oruma slid sideways to block him, forcing him to the outside! In the entire first half, Roy only managed one successful inside cut!"

"The data doesn't lie: Roy only touched the ball four times in front of the penalty area, and all four were cleared! Sochaux's midfield control was very successful!"

"Mathieu set a trap on the left flank! He deliberately let Elfachiri make a forward run, but Monsolo had already blocked Giuly's inside cut-in route! Three seconds later, Pedretti blocked the back pass angle - this is a textbook example of a triangle defense!"

"Look at this! Roy and Giuly tried a one-two, but Monsoro suddenly moved up to intercept! Sochaux's defense is like a Swiss watch—precise to the millisecond!"

"A memorable moment in the 33rd minute: Roy skillfully cut inside from the byline to get past Mathieu, but Savic's sliding tackle sent the ball out of bounds! L'Équipe should name this goal 'Ligue 1's best defensive combination of the week'!"

"Flau—this 1.88-meter center actually tracked back deep on defense tonight, specifically targeting Roy and playing mind games!"

“Every time Roy got the ball, Frau would swarm him from the blind side like a ghost! A fair challenge, not a foul, and after this one he even imitated Roy’s signature celebration! This made Roy very uncomfortable! This happened 3 times in the first half, leading to goals conceded!”

"Give Pulso the ball, lock down Roy, deliberately let Pulso get the ball, but cut off his connection with Roy - the two only managed 4 successful passes between them!"

"Watch out this time! Roma quickly throws the ball in – Roy drops back to receive! Pedretti immediately closes him down! Roy is forced to dribble laterally. Oruma cuts off the passing lanes! He can only pass to Giuly on the wing – but no! Rashik makes a lightning-fast tackle! The camera focuses on Lacombe! He's making a 'scissors' gesture – Monaco's passing lanes are being cut off one by one!"

"Listen to the roar! Every time a Monaco player touches the ball, the Sochaux fans create an earthquake with their stomping! Lacombe not only controls the pitch, but also the opponents' mentality!"

"The counter-attacks were specifically targeting Evra's side; all three counter-attacks were aimed at Monaco's left-back Evra, creating two threatening crosses! Sochaux's tactical execution was practically like a military operation!"

"It's a spider web! Rhythm control, trajectory prediction, psychological pressure—Monaco's geniuses are like butterflies caught in a spider web; the more they struggle, the tighter they get entangled!"

"Allez les Lionceaux! (Come on, little lions!) These 45 minutes are enough to be written into the Ligue 1 defensive textbook!"

Deschamps stood in the center of the locker room, hands in his pockets, his gaze sweeping over the group of players who had just lifted the Ligue 1 championship trophy.

This group of "warriors" who have just won the French Ligue 1 title are already harboring their own ambitions.

Some people were looking down at their phones, their inboxes filled with messages from their agents; others leaned against lockers, their eyes darting around as if they were plotting something; still others were in small groups, talking in hushed tones, their voices filled with probing and calculation.

The champion's halo has not yet faded, but the atmosphere in the locker room has already quietly changed.

They are no longer challengers, no longer the fearless "Zhang Mazi".

Now, they are the defending champions, the target of everyone's criticism, and the "Huang Silang" that other Ligue 1 teams must defeat.

Next season, every team will aim to beat them, and what's even more troublesome is that undercurrents are starting to stir within their own teams—some want higher salaries, some crave new challenges, and some are eyeing their teammates' positions.

The moment the dragon slayer dons the dragon scales, the new hunters have already loaded their bullets.

The price of being a defending champion is that everyone wants to pull you off the throne, including your own teammates.

Deschamps took a deep breath; he knew the real test had just begun.

(End of this chapter)