Ground football: Ronaldo thought I was going to assist him

Torres went up to receive his medal in tears on the podium.

It's hard for Atlético Madrid players to be happy.

Three to zero.

This is not the score Atletico Madrid should have achieved.

Afterwards, the young players from Sporting Lisbon went on stage to receive their awards.

Then, Deng Kai once again lifted the UEFA Youth League trophy.

Cristiano Ronaldo was incredibly envious of this.

A reporter noticed this and interviewed Ronaldo after the awards ceremony: "Congratulations, Ronaldo! You not only won the championship, but you also became the tournament's best striker and assist leader, and were selected for the best XI."

"But I noticed that during the group photo, you kept staring at the championship trophy that Deng Kai was holding up."

"Do you want to lift the trophy? As captain?"

Cristiano Ronaldo shook his head repeatedly: "No, no. I have no obsession with lifting the trophy. I think it's unnecessary. Everyone will know what I contributed to this championship."

"Kay is the team's undisputed captain, not only because Coach Maxa has entrusted him with this role, but also because of the trust of all of us players. He is the best choice to lift the trophy on our behalf."

"As long as we are the champions, I don't care at all who has that thing."

Cristiano Ronaldo had barely finished speaking when...

Deng Kai walked over and shoved the championship trophy he was carrying into Ronaldo's hands: "Hey buddy, how can you not be holding the trophy when you're being interviewed?"

Cristiano Ronaldo quickly refused: "No, no need, really, I'm not interested in this stuff."

As he spoke, Ronaldo accepted the trophy, eager to receive it.

Then, when he faced the reporters' cameras again, his expression was completely out of control, his eyes twitching with excitement, just like when he lifted the European Cup many years later.

On the other side, Deng Kai was also surrounded by many reporters.

Everyone was both surprised and puzzled by his performance today.

Reporter: "Deng Kai, why were you spinning around on the court? This is considered disrespectful to your opponent."

Deng Kai: "If I can distract the opposing defenders, I'm even willing to dance on the field... It has been proven that my actions are effective, and they do not violate the rules of football."

Reporter: "But your second spin clearly created conflict, and the Atletico Madrid players said they could not forgive your provocation."

Deng Kai: "Dude, this is the UEFA Youth League final. What's the point of provocation? As long as there's no personal attack, provoking the other side is exactly what I need to do."

"You don't actually think that without all this emotional buildup, I could have easily fooled Gabi with a simple pull-back move, do you? He's one of the best defensive midfielders in this tournament."

"Compared to my provocation, his malicious tackle that targeted my physical health is what deserves more attention. But I expressed my understanding towards him, and his actions after getting carried away do not define his character. I will not hold a grudge against him for this."

Deng Kai was very proper.

There was no further action against Gabi.

Both Ronaldinho and Neymar love to use fancy dribbling skills.

But they give different impressions.

Neymar received more negative reviews, and his reputation became more polarized.

Because Ronaldinho wanted to perform all sorts of exaggerated, fancy moves, but he was also willing to bear the anger that would be provoked in his opponents. After being maliciously brought down, he would often be helped up with a smile and shake hands with his opponents to make peace.

Neymar, on the other hand, often expresses his anger and resentment towards players who defend him with rough play.

But really, don't you know why people treat you that way?

Tactical fouls and emotionally charged tactical fouls are different.

Neymar is certainly not wrong, but considering his attitude, the actions of others can also be understood.

Deng Kai is the type of person who thinks, "I know my behavior is provocative, so I won't hold it against the other party."

We won't be good guys who just play football obediently, and naturally we won't expect others to demonstrate sportsmanship.

I have to say, seeing Gabi being interviewed by Deng Kai in the locker room instantly dispelled all the hatred in my heart.

"He's a smart guy." Torres patted Gabi on the shoulder and put his arm around his good friend.

"Yeah, if he came to Atletico Madrid, I'd love him to death." Gabi hugged Torres speechlessly. "But right now, I'm still fucking annoyed with this guy! Next time I'm definitely going to mark him closely, making it a luxury for him to even touch the ball!"

Gabi is confident about this.

Because Gabi's role as a midfield playmaker is different from his role as a marking player, the former role limits Gabi's defensive capabilities.

As players who participated in the final, Torres and Gabi were also selected for the UEFA Youth League Team of the Year.

This lineup also includes Cech, Robben, Lahm, Van der Vaart, Sneijder, and others.

However, some excellent players were left out because there are only so many positions available.

For example, Van Persie didn't even get a spot.

For example, Bayern Munich's Schweinsteiger and Hitzlsperger, Ajax's Heitinga, and Torino's Quagliarella are all excellent players, but they were not selected for the best XI.

Meanwhile, Deng Kai's interview was still ongoing.

Reporter: "You previously said you would coach Manchester United to win the league title, and you did it, Manchester United did it. Now you've won the UEFA Youth League, so do you think Manchester United can also win the Champions League final tomorrow?"

Deng Kai: "Of course."

Reporter: "Why do you always talk about Sporting Lisbon U15 and Manchester United together? Is it because you want to ride on their popularity?"

Deng Kai: "First of all, when I predicted Manchester United's performance this season, Manchester United wasn't very popular, right? Also, I never arrogantly claimed that I really brought anything to Manchester United. It was just that someone asked me for my opinion on Manchester United, and then I gave my opinion, that's all."

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Reporter: "Okay, so in your opinion, Manchester United is the strongest team this year, right?"

Deng Kai: "This isn't just my opinion. If they really do win the Champions League, the league, and the FA Cup treble, then in fact, they should be one of the best teams on the planet this year."

Reporter: "So why did you add 'one of'? Are you worried that Bayern is actually the best? Are you leaving yourself an opening? Your IQ is really high, no wonder you're a top student from a prestigious university!"

Deng Kai: "I'm sorry, Bayern is excellent, but in my eyes, they don't deserve the title of 'best' this year. I'm not leaving myself any room for argument. This is certainly not because I'm not smart, but because I have confidence in Manchester United."

"I'm adding 'one of' because this year, besides Manchester United, the strongest team on the planet is our Sporting Lisbon U15! We did our best at this stage and won all the titles we deserved."

The reporters were dumbfounded.

Several reporters then burst into laughter.

On this planet?

The strongest?

A U15 team?

Has he gone mad?

A reporter tried to tease Deng Kai: "But you said Manchester United are treble winners, while you only have two trophies."

Deng Kai remained noncommittal: "Yes, they are triple champions, but the reason they have one more championship trophy than us is simply because they participated in more tournaments than we have."

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"If we have three events this year, then we will also be triple champions."

Reporter: "Comparing a U15 team to Manchester United, do you think the Manchester United players will be unhappy?"

I don't think so.

Scholes and Keane entered the court and headed towards Duncan.

Scholes spoke up, saying, "Dunkai gave us a reason to never give up in tough times, and he's one of the reasons we've achieved so much this season."

"We all like him very much!"

In an instant, flashbulbs went off everywhere.

Scholes and Keane sandwiched Duncan in the middle for a photo.

Amidst the clicking of camera shutters, Deng Kai's voice reached Scholes and Keane's ears: "Um... could you guys sign a few footballs for me? I'm a big fan!"

I like playing football on the ground: Ronaldo thought I was going to assist him.