Chapter 513: Chapter 512: Endorsement for Cola, On to the Next Can!
Florentino raised the standards of Real Madrid fans, and now the Melinges look down on low-profile strikers like Morientes.
They wanted someone who was the talk of the town.
Either the strongest, the most expensive, or the best at scoring goals.
Even the new European Golden Shoe winner Ronaldo seemed to offer more social value to Real Madrid fans than Morientes.
Real Madrid officials came out to refute the rumors numerous times, but you can’t wrap fire in paper.
An insider revealed that Florentino’s ambition was huge. After bringing in Figo and Zidane, he no longer cared for average players.
He was now hesitating among forwards like Ronaldo, Henry, Trezeguet, Totti, and Pierro.
As for who would ultimately be brought in, it would depend on who could win the World Cup!
For a time, the football world was in an uproar.
Real Madrid sure knew how to shop.
First to react, Inter Milan chairman Moratti furiously blasted Florentino, "Ronaldo is not for sale at Inter Milan. Real Madrid shouldn’t even think about it, not now, not ever!"
Similarly, Juventus coach Lippi said, "Pierro and Trezeguet will not leave Turin. They will lift the Serie A Championship Trophy here, they’re not going anywhere!"
Moratti and Lippi had reasons for their anger.
Because Inter Milan was currently in the critical phase of competing for the championship with Juventus.
The news from Real Madrid affected the performance of both teams.
At that time, "The Football Genius" named this chaos "Maxa’s Leftover Trick Shakes Real Madrid."
But Maxa himself said, what did this have to do with him? It was clearly a "Brilliant Move by Young Kai Stirring Three Sages"!
...
"After the Quintuple, two more trophies! Lisbon Sporting launches an assault on their second treble!"
"You said the last treble was a fluke, so this time Lisbon Sporting is going for a real one!"
"Aiming for the Champions League! Harvesting Championships! Lisbon Sporting rakes in seven Championship Trophies in two seasons!"
"Eight Championships! Lisbon Sporting’s two core players, Deng Kai and Ronaldo, haul in eight trophies over the past two years!"
"Eight Championships? Over the past four years, Deng Kai has won fourteen, Ronaldo thirteen. Both were born winners!"
"Both Pepsi and Coca-Cola hope to sign Deng Kai and Ronaldo. They even came up with the slogan... For the Next Crown (Can)!"
"Insane win-win for team and individual! Deng Kai leads the team to the Portuguese Cup Championship for three consecutive years and is honored as the Best Player of the Portuguese Cup for three consecutive years!"
"With Deng Kai at the helm, Deco, Jia De’er, Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic, Wu Xudong, Reina, Feng Te, Veloso, and other players are selected for the Portuguese Cup Best XI!"
"A first for a Chinese player in Europe! Wu Xudong becomes the first from his country to be selected for the Best XI in a European football competition!"
Lisbon Sporting’s fans didn’t expect that Kai would achieve a treble so quietly.
And it was the first ever Portuguese Cup treble for Best Player.
He became the undisputed king of Portugal’s national cup competitions!
The endorsement invitations from the two cola giants were indeed real.
But they offered too little, and Deng Kai flatly rejected them.
At this stage, neither he nor Ronaldo were suitable for signing any contracts, especially commercial ones.
Because any price they received now would seem like a bargain in a year or two.
A player’s commercial value could only be realized after joining a top-tier club.
"Ding! You have received a football star drop: The Glory of Portugal’s Golden Generation (4/5)."
"The Glory of Portugal’s Golden Generation 4/5: As one of the most legendary goalkeepers in the history of Portuguese football, Baía is the eleventh European player to have won every football championship in Europe. He is also among the top ten players with the most championship wins in world football. You have obtained the football star drop ’Baía’s Captain’s Armband’. Collecting all the Glories will earn you a handsome reward!"
"Baía’s Captain’s Armband: You are the absolute leader of the team, with a significant impact on the whole team both on and off the pitch. When you are appointed as the team captain, your teammates’ growth rate increases by twenty percent outside of matches. During matches, the team’s understanding and stamina increase by ten percent."
666!
Who would have thought the fourth one would be Baía.
This is freaking amazing... If Portugal gets another Baía in the future, wouldn’t winning the World Cup be within easy reach?
Look at the European Championship, didn’t Patricio, who was hailed as ’Baía’s successor’, end up winning it?
Deng Kai counted on his fingers.
The main members of Portugal’s Golden Generation, now he has yet to meet Rui Costa and Figo.
This time he faced Figo in the Champions League final.
Should be able to collect this Glory, right?
Of course, the premise is definitely winning the game.
If they lose, it’s highly likely they won’t get any reward.
Then they would have to find a way to meet Rui Costa.
Afterward, the major European leagues came to a close.
In the Dutch league, Ajax, boasting young football stars like Robben, Van der Vaart, Sneijder, and Heitinga, won both the domestic league and cup, claiming the double.
However, the most attractive Dutch team this year was Feyenoord, which made it into the UEFA Cup.
The most eye-catching Dutch newcomer was Robin van Persie.
In Ligue 1, Lyon, after nearly fifty years, finally lifted the Ligue 1 championship trophy.
Lens, Auxerre, Paris Saint-Germain, and other teams followed.
Little did people know they were about to enter a terrifying era of seven consecutive Ligue 1 championships!
The French Cup champion was Lorient; the two "Lyons" dominated French football.
In La Liga, Valencia was approaching the pinnacle period of the club.
In the past three years, they reached the Champions League final twice and were in the top four of La Liga twice.
This year they finally succeeded in winning La Liga, achieving a hard-earned championship.
You have to know how many players the Colchoneros lost to other clubs over the years.
This season, they even lost their superstar, Mendieta; and yet... People said that Mendieta’s transfer to Lazio was a lose-lose deal.
But in fact, for Valencia, they might not have come out on the losing end.
Sacrificing a Mendieta for a La Liga championship, probably over eighty percent of the Bat army fans would click yes!
Deportivo La Coruña came in second, which was also a prosperous time for them; they were dubbed "Super Deportivo".
Despite lacking top honors other than the first La Liga championship of the new century, their play was very exciting.
Real Madrid finished third, but they won the Copa del Rey and reached the Champions League final; fans were very satisfied with their performance.
And Barcelona, relying on Quaresma’s otherworldly performance in the final three key battles, successfully squeezed into fourth place and entered the Champions League qualifying zone.
If it weren’t for Quaresma, people believe Barcelona would have once again gone to the UEFA Cup.
This made Barcelona fans complain about Sporting Lisbon and Deng Kai, but they recognized the quality of the products from Sporting Lisbon.
