Chapter 1 Grimaldi Conference Center in Monte Carlo

The Grimaldi Conference Center in Monte Carlo, Monaco, was packed with distinguished guests and filled with music. Those who were able to sit here were top sports journalists from fifty-three countries and regions in Europe, and they would be the live judges.

In addition, there were representatives from various clubs, who had come to attend the Champions League draw—the Europa League draw had already been held the day before.

Chen Hero and Liverpool's general manager, Niang, arrived in Monte Carlo together and met an old acquaintance outside the venue—Napoli's representative general manager, Bigon, had also come. Napoli was the Serie A champion last season and was eligible to participate in this season's Champions League.

Before the ceremony began, Chen Hero chatted with Bigon for a while, and they exchanged greetings. Bigon asked about Chen Hero's life in Liverpool, congratulated him on his first goal, and then joked that if he wasn't happy in Liverpool, he could come back to Napoli, and the doors of the Stadio San Paolo would always be open to him. Chen Hero laughed when he heard this, obviously not taking it to heart, and he also inquired about Napoli's recent situation. This season, due to the strike by the Italian Serie A Players' Association, Serie A was facing the risk of a league shutdown, and the first round of the league had already been postponed.

The two chatted for a while and then separated, taking their seats.

The ceremony officially began.

After the host made some opening remarks, promotional videos of the three candidates began to play on the big screen behind him, showcasing their outstanding performances last season.

Messi and Chen Hero both had goals, while Xavi had more passing footage.

The video was exciting to watch, and even Chen Hero felt he looked impressive after seeing his own goal highlights. Coupled with the commentator's passionate roar, it really made people want to rush down and play football.

After the highlights were played, the three candidates were solemnly invited to the stage amidst applause. The three stood side by side, waiting for the final results to be revealed. However, the animosity between the two sides was still strong. Messi and Xavi, as teammates at Barcelona, stood together talking and laughing, while Chen Hero deliberately stood two positions away from them, with his eyes slightly raised, looking at the distant ceiling. He used this action to very clearly tell the world—I don't get along with the person next to me. He also deliberately stood on Messi's side, rather than Xavi's, because he was much taller than Messi, and standing next to Messi could fully demonstrate this height contrast… making him appear even taller, while Messi appeared even smaller…

This year's Ballon d'Or competition would be very fierce, mainly concentrated on Messi and Chen Hero. Because both of them performed well, Messi was Barcelona's top scorer last season, helping Barcelona win the league title, and also reached the Champions League final. He played thirty-three times in the league, scoring thirty-one goals and providing eighteen assists. In the Champions League, he played thirteen times, scoring twelve goals and providing three assists. Including seven games and seven goals with three assists in the Copa del Rey, and two games and three goals in the Spanish Super Cup, Messi scored fifty-three goals and provided twenty-four assists in fifty-five games for Barcelona in the 2010-2011 season.

Without Chen Hero, such a performance would have been enough for Messi to win the first UEFA Ballon d'Or.

Chen Hero's performance was that he scored a record-breaking thirty-eight goals in the league, and scored thirteen goals in just seven Champions League games, winning the Champions League Golden Boot. Chen Hero didn't have many opportunities to play in the Coppa Italia, and he didn't score any goals. So he scored a total of fifty-one goals throughout the season.

Although the total number of goals was not as good as Messi's, and the number of assists was far lower than Messi's, he won the Champions League title, a very weighty title, and his performance in the Champions League was completely astonishing, and even the word "shocking" was not enough to describe the shock he brought to everyone.

The Champions League final was even a solo duel between Chen Hero and Messi. Before that, he was one goal behind Messi. In one game, he staged a hat-trick, and finally completed the reversal, and also helped Napoli defeat Barcelona and win the Champions League title.

Chen Hero's personal honors and collective honors exceeded Messi's, and he temporarily occupied an advantage in the UEFA Ballon d'Or selection.

In short, the suspense of this UEFA Ballon d'Or was only concentrated on Messi and Chen Hero.

Messi's reputation was greater than Chen Hero's, and the number of goals and assists was also higher, so the statistics looked better. But Chen Hero's championship was solid, which would also make the judges fully consider when voting.

Each reporter had a voting machine in front of them, and the three candidates corresponded to a button respectively. If you wanted to vote for someone, you would press the button corresponding to that person. Unlike the first round of "audition" voting, this time each person could only vote for the best player in their mind, and there was no first, second, or third place. That is to say, if a certain player had too great an advantage, he might win with an overwhelming advantage, and the number of votes for the loser might look very pitiful…

The voting process was very fast, because these media already had their own best player in mind.

In the first round of voting, they had already divided the seats for these three candidates, and few people would change their minds at the last moment.

After the voting results came out, Platini got the results, and he looked down at it, with an unspeakable expression on his face.

Then he walked onto the stage, holding the trophy for the first UEFA Ballon d'Or—a silver shirt shape, with the two sleeves slightly raised, as if the players were celebrating a goal after scoring.

However… the trophy looked ugly no matter how you looked at it. Although it was called the "UEFA Ballon d'Or", it was neither golden nor ball-shaped.

Chen Hero curled his lips, disliking the look of the trophy very much.

But if it was given to him, of course he couldn't refuse it, he could only reluctantly take it.

Platini stood on Xavi's side with the trophy in his arms. He didn't stand on Chen Hero's side, which made some people speculate—wasn't this award for Chen Hero?

If it wasn't for Chen Hero, it would be for Messi, Xavi? Impossible! Everyone directly ignored Xavi in their hearts. The most awesome midfielder in football today was mainly making green leaves for others every time he went on stage to receive awards…

Platini raised the trophy in his hand and said to the camera: "In the past season, we have had two very outstanding players… they are both very good, if you let me choose, it will really give me a headache…"

He smiled, so the people below smiled very knowingly.

However, Chen Hero had a calm expression, because he didn't think there was anything funny about this at all.

"The winner of the 2010-2011 UEFA Ballon d'Or is..." Platini paused here.

In the eyes of outsiders, this was the UEFA president selling off, adding some suspense to the awards ceremony to whet people's appetites. This was a common trick used by award presenters or hosts at many awards ceremonies, and there was nothing strange about it.

But only Platini knew—he was unwilling.

But no matter how unwilling he was, the result had to be announced, and so many people below were looking at him expectantly.

He coughed, this was to avoid embarrassment, not to clear his throat.

"It's… Hero."

※※※

When the name "Hero" was read out, Napoli's representative, Bigon, and Liverpool's representative, Niang, stood up from their respective seats at the same time, raising their hands and cheering.

At the same time, warm applause rang out in the hall.

Chen Hero, who had been keeping a straight face, now showed a smile—he was indeed a little nervous. If he lost to Messi in the end, he thought it was a completely unacceptable result.

Fortunately, this scene did not happen.

At the same time, the final number of votes for the three people was displayed at the bottom of the screen:

First of all, Xavi's number of votes, who came in third place, he received ten out of fifty-three votes.

Second place Messi received eighteen votes.

And first place Chen Hero received the support and recognition of twenty-five European media outlets.

The influence of collective honor was indeed too powerful, and there was nothing to be picky about in Chen Hero's personal performance. Although his number of goals was two less than Messi's, it must be taken into account that he had a pitiful number of appearances in the Coppa Italia, and he had not participated in the Italian Super Cup. All of his goals came from the league and the Champions League, which had the highest gold content and the greatest difficulty. He was only two goals less than Messi, and it could even be said that in terms of the number of goals, he had already defeated Messi.

Especially thirteen goals in seven Champions League knockout matches, such a performance was simply god-level… almost no one else could do it.

Mazzarri was right, maybe there were still some people who were not convinced now, but even they had to admit that in the face of numbers that would not lie, Chen Hero's goal-scoring ability was indeed better than Messi's.

As for statistics such as assists… Chen Hero was a center forward, and his only task was to score goals. It was normal for him to have fewer assists, and there was no need to include it in the scope of consideration at all.

※※※

When Platini handed the trophy in his hand to Chen Hero, a stiff smile appeared on his face—he didn't like Chen Hero at all, because Chen Hero had caused him trouble again and again. Sometimes he wanted to ease the relationship between the two sides, but the other party didn't appreciate it at all, truly not knowing what was good for him.

So he also figured it out—since the other party is unwilling to reconcile with me, why should I give the other party a good look?

Therefore, he even deliberately made this smile a little stiff, just to let the whole world know that I, Platini, don't like Chen Hero, you media can say whatever you want, anyway, I just don't like him!

Chen Hero's reaction after receiving the trophy really proved why Platini hated him so much.

"To be honest, this trophy is really ugly!" He raised the trophy in his hand, glanced at it, and said into the microphone.

Platini was right next to him, he really didn't give the UEFA head, the number two figure in the world of football, any face at all!