Chapter 100: FIFA awards ceremony
Several people were chatting when the ceremony was about to begin. Wang Feng and the others were guided by the staff to their seats. Wang Feng's seat was arranged in the second row, next to Totti and Shevchenko.
The three of them were old rivals in Serie A, exchanging greetings and chatting briefly. Wang Feng seemed to have a better relationship with Totti.
Totti asked in a low voice, "How does it feel to attend such a grand event for the first time?" Wang Feng replied, "A bit nervous. My expression was stiff on the red carpet earlier. I'm worried about how the photos will turn out."
"Fortunately, Ronnie has been keeping me engaged with everyone. Otherwise, I might have been standing in a corner, lost in thought with food in hand."
Totti chuckled, "You'll have plenty of opportunities in the future. You'll get used to it."
"But this season, Roma isn't planning to give up the league title easily," Totti said. "Last time we played, it ended in a draw. The next encounter might decide the winner."
"The next time we face each other, Ronnie will be back. By then, the outcome will be uncertain."
Shevchenko, listening to their conversation about Serie A standings, couldn't help but interject, "Hey, don't forget about AC Milan."
Totti laughed, "AC Milan had a poor start to the season. Even if they're catching up now, they're almost out of contention for the league title. Focus on securing a Champions League spot."
Shevchenko felt somewhat frustrated. Last season, AC Milan's performance was worse than Inter Milan's, ranking only sixth in the league. They could only participate in the Europa League like Inter Milan. Although they signed players like Rui Costa and Inzaghi this season, the initial period of adaptation led to quite a few losses.
Now they were only in eighth place, and it was nearly impossible to catch up with Juventus, Inter Milan, and Roma. They could only strive for a Champions League spot for next season.
"We must win the Europa League this season," Shevchenko turned to Wang Feng, declaring. Wang Feng responded, "Alright, we'll be waiting for you. Don't get eliminated before meeting us."
Once everyone was seated, the award ceremony officially began.
First announced was the Fair Play Award, which went to West Ham United forward Di Canio. He caught a cross from a teammate with his hands after the Everton goalkeeper was injured, foregoing a scoring opportunity.
Each award presentation was interspersed with song and dance performances, creating a harmonious atmosphere in the splendid Zurich Opera House.
Finally, the award for FIFA Women's Player went to Mia Hamm from the United States, receiving 154 votes. China's Sun Wen came in second with 79 votes.
The Honduras national team was named Team of the Year, followed by Colombia and Costa Rica, with China's team ranking eighth.
The last and most anticipated award was the FIFA World Player of the Year. This year's competition was quite suspenseful, with Raúl, who had just won the Ballon d'Or, competing against his Real Madrid teammates Figo and Zidane, as well as Owen, who narrowly missed out on the Ballon d'Or.
In the end, Figo won with 250 votes to become the FIFA World Player of 2001. Second place went to Beckham with 238 votes, only 12 votes behind Figo. Raúl came in third with 96 votes, followed by Zidane with 94 votes, Rivaldo with 92 votes, Ballack with 71 votes, and Kahn with 65 votes.
Previously highly anticipated Owen only received 61 votes, ranking eighth, while Shevchenko ranked ninth with 46 votes, Totti tenth with 40 votes.
As for Wang Feng, he received 35 votes, ranking eleventh, just missing out on the top ten.
Wang Feng was quite satisfied with the result. He now just wanted to help Inter Milan win more honors so he could enter the ranks of the top ten players in history.
After the awards ceremony, FIFA hosted a reception at a nearby hotel for all the guests. Naturally, Wang Feng sat with Ronaldo. During the banquet, Wang Feng noticed Ronaldo was particularly concerned about Real Madrid's situation and talked with Figo, Zidane, and Raúl for a long time.
The banquet lasted until late at night before dispersing. Wang Feng returned to the hotel, briefly replying to messages from his sister and Lu Yao, then fell asleep exhausted. He felt attending this ceremony was more tiring than playing a match.
The next morning, Wang Feng received a call from his sister. "Bro, you looked so handsome in that outfit! You know, Lu Yao couldn't take her eyes off you on the red carpet. She said she wanted to record it, but unfortunately, we didn't have any equipment."
"Lu Yao has been coming to our house often lately, watching your games with us. Mom says she really likes this obedient girl."
Wang Feng smiled and said, "You guys seem to be having a great time. You stay up until the early hours to watch my games. You don't have to watch every game. Remember to rest, especially Mom. She shouldn't stay up late too often."
"I know, by the way, your agent Balmond contacted me. He said all the paperwork is done, and we're just waiting to process the visa after the Chinese New Year. Then next September, I can enroll in the Brera Academy of Fine Arts."
"Can I come to Milan earlier? Balmond said you live in a big villa. I can live there."
Wang Feng was intrigued. "Why don't you and Mom and sister come over? I can take you around Europe in the summer."
"Great! I'll ask them later. Mom definitely wants to see you soon."
The sister continued, "Lu Yao also wants to go to Milan. She plans to apply to Milan University and is diligently studying English and Italian."
Wang Feng laughed, "You guys get along well. At least you have a companion now, and I'll be more at ease when I'm away for games."
The sister on the other end rolled her eyes and said indignantly after a while, "Brother, you're so clueless."
Wang Feng touched his head, puzzled. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Just think about it."
The two chatted for a long time, and Wang Feng talked to Mom and sister before hanging up. Although the sister wanted Lu Yao to say a few words, the shy girl shook her head vigorously, unable to speak in this awkward situation, even for a playful sister.
It seemed that Lu Yao only felt comfortable facing Wang Feng when no one could see or hear them. This helpless situation even stumped the playful sister.
Wang Feng and Ronaldo, among others, only started their journey back to Milan at noon. At this time, Inter Milan had already gone to Spain to start their fourth Europa League group stage match against Osasuna.
Because Inter Milan won all three previous rounds, they had already advanced and secured the top spot in the group. Therefore, the coach arranged a rotation strategy for this match.
Second place in the group was Lorient, and Osasuna needed to give their all to compete with Heerenveen for the third spot. Odense, with no wins, had already lost the chance to advance.
In the end, Inter Milan's substitute lineup lost 1-3 to their opponents, and Osasuna secured the last spot for advancement.
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