And no one knew there had actually been a hundred‑person voting pool beforehand.
It makes no sense.
I’m this good, so why would I block myself?
Is it that the America football circle wants to hype up the Copa America?
Could be.
Is it that when the Brazil football circle went after Robben, they conveniently took out me, who shone at the European Cup, as collateral damage?
Also possible.
Is it that Nike, standing behind Izalelt, teamed up with Ah Ke to land me a punch while supporting him?
Also possible.
Because... the first fashion sports shoe LY7 launched, the Luzzy750, has basically become the pearl on everyone’s feet in Europe over the past month, drawing in hordes of consumers.
This shoe’s retail price is still 350 euros, the standard for high‑end boots.
But in the second‑hand market, the price has already surged past 800 euros!
That’s more than doubling!
This pair of shoes is bursting with class, and from birth it went straight for the high‑end market.
And the crazy part is, he actually broke into it.
On the surface Ah Ke and Nike are staying quiet, but their marketing departments have long been sharpening their knives, ready to hack away at daddy and mommy.
They know very clearly where their roots lie.
They’ve never feared cheap‑brand boots, because no matter how big those brands get, they can’t shake the foundation of Ah Ke and Nike.
And even if a budget brand somehow rises, if it wants to challenge the two giants it needs an extremely long time.
But with that much time, their "cheap" brand image has already been drilled deep into people’s minds. When they then try to move upmarket, it looks feasible, but in truth they cut off their own path to the high‑end segment a long time ago and pose no threat to the two giants.
So this is a paradox.
If you go straight for a high‑end brand, you have no foundation and nobody buys it.
If you start as a low‑end brand, you cut off your own future.
Yet this whole setup was forcibly cracked, at least for now, by Lu Yang using his vast network and huge exposure.
Plus the design of that shoe really is ahead of its time.
A groundbreaking product can break that paradox.
Otherwise, why call it groundbreaking?
What it breaks is the old era ruled by the two giants, isn’t it?
Maybe right now it’s still small‑scale skirmishing, but the two giants have seen what LY7 might look like in the future.
And that future is enough to pose a massive threat to them, so they have to destroy it in advance.
But LY7’s products are currently flawless; if they want to stop them, they have to cut it off at the root.
First step is to suppress Lu Yang’s momentum, to stop him from using the pitch to keep hyping up the Luzzy750.
Once they’ve pinned down that side, they’ll start copying the Luzzy750, using magic to beat magic.
Finally, they’ll sit down with Lu Yang, make peace, and swallow the LY7 brand.
The giants eat meat, Lu Yang drinks soup.
Perfect!
Thinking of this, Lu Yang waved for Naji to hand him the bag, then started giving out warmth on the spot to the AC Milan players.
The fragrant Luzzy750s— even Chaloba, who has never been able to stop Lu Yang, got a pair.
Flashbulbs flickered non‑stop.
Only then did Lu Yang speak: "It’s a pity to hear this news, not because I didn’t appear on some list, but because there’s actually an award that dares to ignore the authority of football."
"Whenever an award does that, it’s not far from being abandoned by the people."
"The last one to pull this stunt was the Golden Boy Award, and then... of course, the Golden Boy Award knew it was wrong and corrected itself, which is commendable. In the end they chose to acknowledge reality and gave the trophy to the person who deserved it. That’s why to this day they’re still the best award in the evaluation system for players under twenty‑two."
"I’m well aware I’m still a long way from the Golden Ball Award. But... being outside the top one hundred is a bit beyond my limit of tolerance."
"Given this situation, I now unilaterally announce that I will withdraw indefinitely from the selection for the Golden Ball Award."
"In the future... every year... I will not appear at the Golden Ball Award ceremony."
"I know some people will laugh, because that lavish, grand ceremony seems to get along just fine with or without me. I fully accept everyone’s laughter, but... someday, maybe in just a few years, the organizers of the Golden Ball Award will realize their ritual can’t be conducted without my participation."
"And at that time... I... still won’t show up."
"I yearn for the World Cup, the Champions League, the league title. I need the UEFA Europa League, the European Cup, the European Super Cup, the Italian Super Cup; I won’t even let go of the European Youth Championship trophy, or the titles in Serie B, the Italian Third Division, or the Italian D Division."
"But I have never needed the Golden Ball Award. My strength is backed by scoring records, by wins and losses. The Golden Ball Award is nothing more than one spectator among tens of thousands in the stands when I play."
"I have so many fans to look after and respond to; I don’t have time to waste on an award that isn’t even professional."
"Finally, I have to remind footballers all over the world of one thing."
"Guys, it’s the Golden Ball Award that needs us players, not the other way around. If it can’t uphold fairness, then we can create a Golden Medal Award, a Golden Pitch Award, a Golden Player Award anytime to replace it..."
Lu Yang’s statement was relayed by reporters around the globe at top speed.
Some people laughed their heads off, some were shaken to their core.
But players who’ve broken into the Golden Ball Award top ten in recent years all frowned deeply.
Because they suddenly felt... the pressure in their fight for the Golden Ball Award seemed to have increased again.
If they don’t seize the chance in these two years, then in the future... maybe it will belong to this Lu who dares to speak, dares to act, and plays outrageously well?
Any top‑class player who has faced Lu Yang on the pitch will have similar thoughts.
This is the professional sensitivity possessed by every top figure in any field.
Of course, because their reputation was cashed out too early, basketball god Jordan and the first‑generation King Pele are among the few top dogs in the industry who lack this kind of intuition.
Faced with Lu Yang’s tough response, French Football was slow to make any public statement.
They were waiting for the next round of matches.
No one can stay in top form forever, and as long as Lu Yang has one bad game, French Football can unleash a tidal wave of public opinion to denounce him!