Chapter 635: Chapter 72: Front-Page Headlines!

"But! Last year Moratti spent 80 million Euros on the transfer market to buy 5 players, and this year the new coach comes with zero investment. I was 100% disappointed when the summer transfer window closed."

"Moreover, there are still a lot of player injuries this season. Why are there so many injuries?"

Benitez looked at the camera and again played his yin-yang rhetoric, hinting at the pitfalls left by Mourinho. He began to speak: "Injuries are caused by several special reasons, not only because the first-team squad is aging, but over the past two seasons, the players have been pushed to their limits, and without systematic strength training, this is the result."

"I think Real Madrid needs to take notice."

"In this match, Chen’s performance was undoubtedly excellent, but how long do you want him to be excellent?"

Benitez subtly mentioned Chen Zhong. He may not have expected his words to have any effect, but if he could stir up the relationship between Mourinho and the club, that would also be great.

Neither Mourinho nor Real Madrid responded to the words of this defeated general, and Inter Milan’s chairman Moratti merely responded simply: "This is not the right time to talk about signings, and it’s not something that can be decided in a moment."

Just such a simple sentence, there was no intention to explain anything to Benitez.

...

Spain

The news of Real Madrid winning the FIFA Club World Cup did not take the front page headlines. Instead, the results of the 2010 best awards organized by Spain’s "World Newspaper" sparked discussion.

Spain’s "World Newspaper" organized the election of the best of 2010 voted by the head coaches and captains of the 20 La Liga clubs was announced after this match: Xavi, Chen Zhong, Guardiola, Sneijder, and Mourinho won the respective best awards.

The "World Newspaper" selection content was divided into five categories: Best Spanish Player in La Liga, Best Overseas Player in La Liga, Best Coach in La Liga, Best Player in Overseas League, and Best Coach in Overseas League.

As a result, Xavi won the Best Spanish Player in La Liga, and Chen Zhong won the Best Overseas Player in La Liga award. Among them, Xavi received 28 out of 40 votes, and Chen Zhong received an overwhelming 36 votes.

This was Chen Zhong’s first time winning the Best Overseas Player in La Liga award, previously held three times by Barcelona’s Messi.

Spain’s "World Newspaper" listed the terrifying statistics of Chen Zhong last season and called it: "Spain surrenders to Chen Zhong." Of course, other newspapers used titles like "Chen wins Best Overseas Player in La Liga for the first time" and "Chen shatters Messi’s four-year dominance."

It is worth mentioning that apart from Chen Zhong, only Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid also received votes, and only two votes, from Osasuna’s head coach Camacho and Real Madrid’s captain Chen Zhong.

In these two award selections, the current head coach of Real Madrid, Mourinho, chose the eventual winners, Xavi and Chen Zhong.

Barcelona’s head coach Guardiola, through his assistant Vilanova, cast his votes for Xavi and Chen Zhong, while captain Puyol chose Xavi and Iniesta.

The title of Best Coach in La Liga undoubtedly belonged to Pellegrini, who helped Real Madrid achieve a double crown last season. Out of 38 valid votes, the former head coach of Real Madrid, Engineer Pellegrini, received a total of 24 votes.

This was also Pellegrini’s first time winning this award. Many people discussed his victory, considering that some of his operations in key matches last season were criticized, but the double crown achievement of Real Madrid, plus being the selection for the best coach in La Liga, could only allow Pellegrini to pick up a bargain.

The voting for Best Overseas Player and Coach was more varied, and ultimately Inter Milan’s Sneijder and the treble-winning Inter coach Mourinho were elected.

In these two selections, Vilanova chose Sneijder and Van Gaal, Puyol selected Fabregas and Rijkaard. Mourinho chose Ferguson and Eto’o.

Real Madrid’s captain Chen Zhong voted for Cristiano Ronaldo and Mourinho.

The final list of the "World Newspaper" best selections:

Best Spanish Player in La Liga: Xavi (Barcelona)

Best Overseas Player in La Liga: Chen Zhong (Real Madrid)

Best Coach in La Liga: Pellegrini (Real Madrid/Malaga)

Best Player in Overseas League: Sneijder (Inter Milan)

Best Coach in Overseas League: Mourinho (Inter Milan/Real Madrid)

After the selection ended, both Chen Zhong and Messi made it to the front page headlines.

However, the difference is that the news about Chen Zhong was positive, but for Messi, it was "negative."

Although it sounded like a fake news, Messi once again failed to win the highest honor in the Argentine Athlete of the Year selection.

The honor of 2010 "Argentine Athlete of the Year" went to the Argentine hockey star Aimar, who won the world best player award seven times. Messi only ranked second in the Argentine Athlete of the Year selection.

The 33-year-old Aimar had a dreamlike 2010. Besides winning the world best hockey player for the seventh time in November, which was also her fourth consecutive win, she led the Argentine women’s hockey team to two major championships this year. First, winning the Women’s Hockey Champions Cup, and then in the World Cup, Aimar led the Argentine team to defeat the Olympic champions and defending champions, the Netherlands, to win the championship, standing once again at the top of the world after eight years.

This was also the second year Messi lost in the Argentine "Athlete of the Year" selection.

Last year, despite Messi winning Argentina its first European Golden Ball Award and World Footballer of the Year trophy, in the Argentine Athlete of the Year selection, Argentine sports journalists awarded the title to tennis player Del Potro instead of Messi.

Last year, Messi followed Barcelona to win six championships and also achieved a breakthrough for Argentine players in the European Golden Ball Award and World Footballer of the Year, but in the eyes of Argentines, he was not yet worthy of the Athlete of the Year title.

At that time, Argentine media commented that Argentinians looked askance at Messi’s various honors because they were all achieved at Barcelona, and his performance in the national team was indeed pale. This fragmented state of Messi clearly cannot win the hearts of Argentine fans.

Some Argentine fans, even upon seeing Messi being overshadowed by Chen Zhong, appeared with a strange joy, as if Messi were some kind of traitor.

In their eyes, Messi, who has never played in Argentina, clearly does not count as a pure "Argentine" man. They prefer the grassroots hero Tevez.

This season, playing for Barcelona, Messi had somewhat shed various criticisms.

For instance, he was no longer selfish, being the player with the most assists in La Liga; he was no longer a glass man, playing consecutively without issues, and only missing three games for Barcelona in a year; in terms of position, Messi was also liberated, no longer confined to the right wing but moving freely in the front court, further releasing his attacking ability.

But all these were overturned in the recent national derby.

Originally, people’s attention was on the attacking players, but after Chen Zhong appeared and even delivered forward-like statistics in the midfield, Messi fell short in comparison to Chen Zhong.

Every famous player has some "fatal flaws," lots of goals mean only being able to finish, lots of dribbles mean playing too independently, etc.

And now Messi is being said to only know how to dribble.

Compared to Messi, Chen Zhong’s treatment is much better, with various newspapers speculating that he will become the youngest Golden Ball winner in history.

This season in official matches, he defeated all the Golden Ball favorites.