Lola frowned, "Of course, I know Lu Yang can’t possibly become the Golden Ball Award winner this year, he might not even make it to the top ten. But... in the pool of a hundred outstanding football players worldwide, under no circumstances should the core player of the European Cup-winning team be absent, right?"
Mr. Winter nodded as he picked up the phone and dialed a number, "Hello, French Football? This is Arsenal coach Winter. There’s an issue with the hundred-player voting pool you previously released for the Golden Ball Award; I couldn’t find Lu Yang in it."
A voice came from the other end of the line, "Hello Mr. Winter, Lu Yang was never in the voting pool."
Winter chuckled, "So you think there’s no Lu Yang among this year’s top one hundred players?"
The voice on the other end: "I’m afraid that’s indeed the case. The performance of players outside the Five Major Leagues gets a significant deduction in the system’s evaluation."
Winter: "Okay, I understand. But I think your system should be scrapped because it can’t recognize a player who absolutely should be in the voting pool."
"With all due respect, without a vote for this player, I will not participate, and I will urge others to boycott as well. Because he ranks in the top three on my ten ballots!"
Beep beep beep!
Winter angrily hung up the phone.
...
Italy, National Team Office.
"You’ve made the most wrong decision of the century, which might ruin the long-standing authority of the Golden Ball Award," Maniero spoke passionately, spitting venom. "Continue this way, and I assure you, you’ll soon be overtaken by the World Footballer of the Year!"
"This is unfair to all players. We know that cumulative and sustained excellence should hold an advantage in such competitions, but if the European Cup and UEFA Europa League two championship trophies can’t get a player into the Golden Ball Award’s hundred-person list, then tell me, what honors can?"
"Your arrogance and conceit will cost you the trust of players and fans!"
After receiving a clear reply from French Football that they would not alter the voting pool, Maniero hung up the phone and then began notifying Italian sports media to prepare for a press conference.
This isn’t just Lu Yang’s issue.
This is about Italian Football being collectively put down by certain people!
Throughout the history of the Golden Ball Award.
The main contributing players from the European Cup-winning team have never been left out of the Golden Ball Award’s hundred-person shortlist.
Even... It’s rare not to make the thirty-person shortlist.
Unless the player’s league performance was indeed terrible, otherwise, they’d make it to the top thirty.
But look at the current situation.
Not even thirty, Lu Yang isn’t even in the hundred-person voting pool.
This is utterly unacceptable.
But just as Maniero was preparing the press conference, someone had already made the matter public.
And that person was... Zidane!
It was during a post-match interview.
When asked about his Golden Ball Award vote, Zidane stated, "Who did I vote for the Golden Ball Award? No, I didn’t vote."
Reporter: "???"
"Is it challenging to choose among Izalelt, Robben, Lima, and yourself?"
Zidane said, "Honestly, the four people you mentioned are indeed hard to choose from. But if I had to choose, I could certainly do so. Izalelt and Robben undoubtedly deserve to be higher on the ten ballots."
"However... I can’t vote because there’s one more player who should also receive a very high vote, whose name I couldn’t find!"
The reporter was very surprised, "What do you mean? There’s a player you consider among the top ten performers this year who isn’t on the Golden Ball Award’s announced hundred-person voting list?"
Amid many incredulous looks around, Zidane nodded, "Yes, that’s the case. I can’t cast any of my votes under these circumstances."
"I wish the best for any player who wins the Golden Ball Award this year. They absolutely deserve it. Their excellence is worthy of the Golden Ball Award. But at the same time, I must regretfully state that the barriers for young players to win the Golden Ball Award need to come down."
"I’m not saying to lower the standards or levels, but to put down the prejudice, the disregard for young players, and the arrogance towards grassroots players that shouldn’t exist!"
The reporter seemed to catch on, "Are you talking about Lu Yang? But didn’t Lu Yang eliminate France in the European Cup this year..."
Zidane nodded, "Exactly! Lu Yang, who played an irreplaceable role in that Italy team, should undoubtedly be in the hundred-person voting pool!"
"Because he defeated a powerful France Team!"
"Denying his strength is to deny the strength of the France Team. As the captain of the France Team, I absolutely do not allow such a thing to occur!"
This statement directly incited public opinions!
Zidane has fired a shot!
Who would’ve thought of this.
The Golden Ball Award’s organizing body is French Football, after all.
Although UEFA and several major consortia have influence over it, Zidane always had a good relationship with these people.
Why did he do this?
This is stabbing his own people in the back!
Many fans were moved by Zidane’s integrity, becoming his rebellious supporters.
But in Spain, Barcelona’s head coach Gudiola rubbed his shiny bald head and praised, "Qi Tu, isn’t an ordinary person. It’s one thing if he plays football, but if he becomes a head coach, he might become my nemesis!"
You think Zidane is full of integrity?
In reality, Zidane is making one final gamble.