"Everything was going Leon-Maël! Leon-Maël!"
Inside Anfield Stadium, the momentum of the Arsenal fans gradually rose from this moment, slowly overwhelming the weakening Liverpool fans.
This situation is not uncommon on the field; a goal that brings hope can easily turn the tide.
However, it is rare to see it happen at Liverpool's home ground, as their fans are known for their resilience.
But this scene did happen. More than 40,000 The Reds Liverpool fans were silenced after seeing the goal, staring blankly at Maël's back.
"&#~&!" It wasn't until they realized their reaction was too abnormal that they erupted into a chaotic noise, all looking lost.
Just now, they were cheering for Gerrard's goal that extended their lead.
But then Maël scored with his super personal ability, stuffing all their passion back into their stomachs.
Once this emotion disappears, it is not easy to find it again. At this time, many fan leaders took the lead in driving the atmosphere, but with little effect, most people were left with tension and anxiety.
"Maël!"
In the broadcast room, as a pure Liverpool fan, Zhan Jun's tone was filled with helplessness and admiration, "If it were an ordinary goal, I don't think Anfield Stadium would look like this now.
"The key is that this goal was too beautiful, it is a goal that easily destroys the psychological defense of the fans! It is really amazing! Martin Kelly and Henderson couldn't stop him, Gerrard and Skrtel couldn't stop him, Glen Johnson and Reina were also defeated by him!
"These Liverpool stars have now become his background, and the mentality of Liverpool fans can be imagined."
After speaking, his throat moved a few times, pursing his lips for a long time, as if he was communicating with himself, reminding himself to remember his commentary identity and not to be substituted by personal emotions.
"Clap clap clap!" Off the field, Liverpool's old captain Gerrard looked flustered, but his responsibility made him clap his hands, encouraging the team's players to continue fighting with one heart.
"Fall back!"
Coach Dalglish also waved anxiously on the sidelines, signaling his disciples to retreat, "Ensure 7-8 defensive players are near the penalty area, compress the space, it was too scattered just now!"
In the two-legged battle, drawing with the opponent two to one at home in the first leg is certainly not a satisfactory score.
This away goal is like a fishbone stuck in the throat of this team, making all Liverpool people extremely uncomfortable.
But as it is, they can only try to stabilize the defense as much as possible, not let Arsenal score again, and make plans after this round of the game.
If it's two to two, then this home game is too much of a failure, and they are likely to miss the final.
In this way, Arsenal sounded the horn of counterattack, and Liverpool retreated to their penalty area with a one-goal lead to defend.
"Bang!"
In the 60th minute of the game, Walcott sent a cross from the left, and Van Persie's shot at the near post was miskicked. The football spun strangely and flew towards the back post.
Maël had been waiting on this side for a long time. After judging the landing point, he jumped up and headed the ball that had just flown to his forehead towards the goal.
"Clang!" The ball rotated too strangely and didn't generate much force, so Reina caught it in his arms.
Maël wasn't too discouraged after landing. He turned around and returned to his left position to wait for another chance. This was his first attempt on the field after his heading ability was improved.
It doesn't matter if the success rate is not high now. In the future, he will definitely improve this ability to the limit level of lv5!
In the 66th minute of the game, Wenger, seeing that the attack had been going on for a long time without success, replaced Gervinho and played him on the right, letting Walcott come to the center to partner with Van Persie.
He still has a card to play, that is Henry, but if Henry plays, it will inevitably squeeze Maël's space on the left and affect his performance.
Forget it, Wenger shook his head slightly, wait for Maël to run out of strength and then adjust the position, he has a lot of anaerobic sprints today, maybe he can only run for about 80 minutes.
When he still has stamina, give him as much room as possible to display his talents.
He has now become the most powerful sharp knife of Arsenal, and no one in the team can pose a greater threat in that position than him.
"Bang bang bang!"
In the 74th minute of the game, Maël resolutely chose to dribble towards Martin Kelly in a space that was not very large.
He is about to start a strong breakthrough.
Lv4 dribbling gives him very skilled footwork, which almost allows him to ignore the intensity of the confrontation, always making touching actions one step faster, taking the ball to where he wants to go.
And lv4 rhythm undoubtedly gives him a stronger success rate in passing people, making all his movements more deceptive, and always able to firmly grasp the initiative in offense and defense.
He has tried it many times, when these two skills are combined, he has the opportunity to pass people in a small space!
"Boom. Boom!"
Leon-Maël dribbled the ball towards the baseline twice in quick succession, waiting for the grimacing Martin Kelly to catch up. He suddenly feigned a big touch towards the byline, then abruptly changed pace, cutting inside with the ball.
This was a fairly basic change of direction, but in the world of martial arts, speed is paramount! When he executed everything exceptionally quickly and timed the change of pace perfectly, even a simple move became incredibly lethal! The football slipped through Martin Kelly's legs and into the penalty area. Martin Kelly tried to turn and continue defending, but he was completely exhausted, and a sharp pain shot through the back of his calf.
"Hiss!" He clutched his leg and fell to the ground, hoping it was just a cramp, not a pulled muscle.
Leon-Maël darted past him and quickly saw Henderson and Gerrard closing in from the right, while Agger and Skrtel converged from the left, blocking all his possible routes, both inside and out.
After he had just scored a solo goal, their fear of him seemed to have reached its peak. The moment he got the ball, they lost their composure! A complete team press!
Adding in Spearing, who was providing cover from a distance, the scene was somewhat reminiscent of the 2012 European Cup, when five Italian players spread their wings to defend Iniesta.
To minimize the space in the penalty area and prevent him from dribbling forward, the Liverpool defenders were resorting to any means necessary.
But unlike Iniesta, he was stronger, with more stable ball control and protection. Even when facing a five-man encirclement, he could turn and pass the ball out with relative ease.
"Boom!"
Leon-Maël pulled the ball back, turned, shrugged off the colliding Gerrard, and passed the ball to Arteta behind him.
The five Liverpool players exchanged glances, realizing that something big was about to happen.
They couldn't let Leon-Maël get the ball out!
"A brilliant touch! After getting past Martin Kelly and drawing the attention of five defenders! Leon-Maël passed the ball out. There are only four defenders left in Liverpool's penalty area!
"Arteta with a cross oh, the ball is a bit slow! But Van Persie has still jumped in the center, his core strength exploding, he's jumped very high!
"."
"Boom!!"
Van Persie wasn't particularly tall, but his jumping ability and core strength were top-notch, as evidenced by his diving header in the 2014 World Cup.
That goal could be considered iconic, but it was far from his only one.
In the Premier League, he often jumped and contested headers with taller center-backs, and scored! This was a perfect example. Arteta's cross was slow, almost a mis-hit, but Van Persie's header still packed a powerful punch.
"Swish!" The ball sailed past Reina's left hand and into the far corner of the goal.
Two-two! General Van Persie, who had been quiet for most of the game, beat Glen Johnson, who had come across to cover, in a one-on-one situation after Leon-Maël had drawn away six defenders, and headed the ball into the net.
An equalizer away from home! "Aahh!"
Van Persie landed and turned around ecstatically, pointing both at Arteta, who had provided the cross, and at Leon-Maël, who had drawn away six defenders, sticking out his tongue and sprinting off as if overcome by intense heat.
"Hurrah!!" Thousands of Arsenal fans stood up in unison, their cheers threatening to engulf the entire Anfield Stadium.
"A headed goal!"
In the commentary box, commentator Lineker threw the papers he was holding onto the ground and said to his colleague in shock, "Van Persie has equalized for Arsenal away from home! After Leon-Maël had been quiet for most of the game, he unleashed a brilliant solo goal! Van Persie has also shown his striker's instinct at the last moment! "To be honest, Jerry, it wasn't a great opportunity, Liverpool's defense was very tight! But Leon-Maël charged in like he was wielding a sharp knife, cutting down Martin Kelly and then attracting a five-man encirclement!
"We can't say he was solely responsible for this goal. Arteta's cross wasn't great, but Van Persie still headed it in with amazing finishing ability, he did it perfectly.
"But he's at least the second most important contributor, the one who changed the attacking and defensive situation, he dominated this EFL Cup semi-final!
"If it ends two-two, Arsenal will have a huge psychological advantage in the second leg!
"."
"Cool!"
On the Arsenal bench, Henry and Wenger once again rushed to the touchline, the two men embracing tightly.
Henry pointed at Leon-Maël, his face contorted with joy, "His stats are good, but I have to say, his stats still don't show everything he can do!"
He still loved Arsenal, the team that had given him almost everything, so when he saw the team equalize and a player even better than himself emerge, his feelings were indescribable.
"Yes."
Wenger smiled contentedly and nodded emphatically, "He's made a lot of similar contributions this season. In goals like this, his contribution is the same as the person who won the penalty in a penalty goal.
"Liverpool's players have lost to him for the second time, and of course, they've also lost to Robin."
Near the corner flag, Van Persie immediately tackled Arteta to the ground, and then Leon-Maël, who had rushed over, tackled them both, the three of them laughing and rolling on the ground together.
After getting up, General Van Persie and Arteta high-fived and hugged, and then they both turned their attention to Leon-Maël.
"Everything was going Maël! Maël!"
General Van Persie took the lead in singing the club anthem, a fan-adapted version from the second half of the season, which included Maël's name, as a way to affirm Maël's performance.
Arteta quickly joined in, which led to other Arsenal players following suit.
Later, as seven or eight of them stood together, arms around each other's shoulders, walking back, everyone sang the anthem, expressing their recognition of Maël's performance.
"Haha..."
Maël immersed himself in this atmosphere, feeling very happy and satisfied. These were all simple emotions, but when they were high enough, they could become a person's spiritual food.
On the way back, he also saw Dalglish roaring at the field from the sidelines, and felt the gazes of many Liverpool players and fans on his back.
Next was to withstand Liverpool's counterattack. If they could end with a score of two to two, this first leg would be considered a victory!
At that time, he would step into the hall of the Ballon d'Or ceremony with a joyful mood, attending the first grand event of his life! "Bang!"
"Slap!"
Liverpool really pressed forward in attack in the following time, and Dalglish quickly replaced players like Suárez with offensive players, striving to take down Arsenal at home.
Mr. Wenger also made substitutions, and Henry, wearing the number 12 jersey, stood on the sidelines, smiling and looking at a spot on the field.
There, Maël, who was still wearing the number 11 jersey for the time being, walked down and stretched out his hands from afar.
"Slap!"
The two slapped hands, and the young and strong new lion king completed his mission in this game. Now, when he felt tired, the old lion king would take over the banner and rush onto the field to exert his residual heat.
"Leave it to me." Henry habitually winked his right eye at Maël, and stepped onto the field with a light pace and a smile.
"Click, click!" The cameras on the side frantically captured photos of Henry outside the sideline and Maël inside the sideline.
Immediately afterwards, they took photos of the two bodies overlapping, as if merging into one person.
As Maël smiled and walked off the sideline, Henry ran onto the field, and the two officially completed the handover.
"Click, click!" Another burst of snapshots sounded. This time, the photographers also captured Mr. Wenger, who was watching this scene with emotion and relief, on the sidelines.
What the old professor was thinking at this time would surely arouse speculation among the fans, and this would also be a classic photo of the 11-12 season's EFL Cup.
If Arsenal could win the championship in this event at the end of February, this scene would be widely circulated and have a more profound meaning, and the weight of this inheritance would be even heavier.
"Beep! Beep! Beep—!"
In the end, with three long whistles, Liverpool failed to surpass the score again, and Arsenal left with their heads held high with two away goals.
"Two to two! Liverpool suffered a draw at home against Arsenal, falling into a disadvantageous position in this two-legged match!" - BBC
"The amazing Maël, with a running distance of 11449 in 82 minutes, the ratio of jogging and medium-speed running, high-speed running, and sprinting is 5.2:3.3:0.9:0.6! The high-intensity running distance breaks the new high in the English Football World this season!" - The FA Official
"A new lung has grown? Maël became the most amazing player in terms of running distance in the four major leagues this season with a high-intensity run of more than 1717 meters in the just-concluded EFL Cup game!" - Football Record
After this game, Arsenal's schedule for this month was considered to be a little more than half over.
Although they tenaciously tied Liverpool away, laying a solid foundation for entering the EFL Cup final, the team's overall situation in January was still not optimistic.
Vermaelen's injury absence will immediately make the team's central defender position, which already has a large number of injuries, stretched.
In the next few games, they can only send out the combination of Djourou and Koscielny.
Whether the combination of these two is stable or not is one thing, but mainly, if they get injured again, then Arsenal will really have to choose people from the second team and the youth team.
Take advantage of the transfer window to buy another central defender? "No money."
Late that night, in the office, the person in charge of finance spread his hands and shook his head to Mr. Wenger, "If you want to sign Kyle Walker and give Maël, General Van Persie, Alexandre Song and others a salary increase, the team has no way to strengthen the central defender position.
"Now, either give up chasing Kyle Walker, or cut the signing fee of several people, otherwise it will be difficult."
"Then just hold on." Philip also looked at Mr. Wenger with a worried face at this time, "The team has 5 central defenders. If there is money, it is understandable to rent or buy one to get through the injury wave.
"But now there is no money, and to buy another one... it doesn't seem like the best choice.
"Mertesacker should be back in about two weeks, Vermaelen in about a month and a half, and Squillaci, who was seriously injured last season, will be back around the end of the season.
"Let's use Djourou and Koscielny first, until these people recover from their injuries and adjust to their best condition."
Mr. Wenger nodded, the worry on his face did not dissipate, "Actually, I can usually accept these with a normal heart, but the opportunity this season is too good.
"After 20 rounds of the Premier League, the team still has an undefeated record, which makes me recall that year of 0304.
"This month in the Premier League, we still have to face Swansea and Manchester United. I'm afraid we'll stop here, miss a good opportunity, and be hit hard at the same time."
He seemed unwilling to continue the topic, lighting a cigarette and shaking his head to change the subject, "About Kyle Walker, have you spoken to Maël? Tottenham has relented, and the price we're offering is very high.
"The player has to attend the Ballon d'Or ceremony tomorrow, so he probably won't have time, right?"
"He said he'll talk to Kyle Walker tonight," Philip replied to Mr. Wenger, watching the old man become worried again, and comforted him, "Don't worry, Mr. Wenger, fortunately, the key players' contract renewals are being pushed forward.
"First stabilize the morale of the team, and then leave the game to a few key players."
After listening, Mr. Wenger's mind conjured up the image of Maël single-handedly breaking through, and the image of General Van Persie leaping up into the air, and he suddenly laughed twice.
"Cough cough..."
This made him choke on his cigarette, but his face improved somewhat, "Don't worry about me either. The degree of worry, whether heavy or light, depends on what you compare it to.
"If you compare it to last season, this season's worries aren't worries at all, they're a happy trouble."
Speaking of this, he remembered something, took a puff of his cigarette, and said with a faint smile, "Do you think Maël is very good at bringing this kind of trouble to people?
"He always raises other people's psychological expectations, giving the team and individuals new goals."
Philip and the financial officer also smiled and nodded slightly, acknowledging this point.
Speaking of which, they really started having these troubles after Maël came to this team.
Is this a trouble? It must be, the team has been advancing triumphantly in the first five months, almost smoothly, and it's inevitable that they'll feel this way when they encounter some setbacks this month.
But even so, they can still pin their hopes on Maël, who brought all of this, and on several other key players, believing that they can help the team through the difficulties.
"Beep beep."
Inside the villa, after Maël returned home, he called Kyle Walker. He saw that Tottenham also had an away game today, and the players should be resting very late.
He planned to deal with this matter first, and then prepare for tomorrow's awards ceremony. He would definitely have to stay up a little late tonight, and might not be able to sleep.
The phone was quickly connected, and Walker's rough voice came from the other end, "Hello, who's this?"
"Maël."
"Ah."
Kyle Walker must know the purpose of his call at this stage. The long silence after his response also showed his entanglement.
"Walker." Maël's voice was very soft. He had probably thought about how to talk to the other party before calling, but now he was a little unsure whether to say the prepared speech.
His relationship with Kyle Walker was quite special. They had experienced important moments in their lives together, and they were both considered to be among the fastest-growing players in that team, and they soon met in the top league.
When they met again, the two young men had become core players of two strong teams, only in different positions, and the clubs were mortal enemies.
"I didn't have time to say much on the field last time, how have you been lately?"
Maël finally put down the polite words and started chatting with him.
"Not bad." Kyle Walker chuckled, and then took the initiative to say after a long silence, "You want to persuade me to go to Arsenal, right? That's the only reason, otherwise you wouldn't need to contact me.
"To be honest, even though I've expressed my envy for you for a long time, I still have to say that the place you're going to tomorrow is my goal since I was a child. I've always dreamed of becoming you.
"But I can't become you. I probably won't be able to score as many goals as you have this season in the Premier League in my life. My talent and position have limited my value.
"I'm confused, I don't know how to choose the next step.
"I debuted at Sheffield United, and then Tottenham signed me and focused on developing me. Tottenham gave me the opportunity to play in the top league, and also let me go home to help my hometown team get Promotion to the Super League.
"I also don't know why I hesitated when Tottenham's Sporting Director asked me if I wanted to go to Arsenal."
Walker said a lot in a row, and Maël just listened quietly, waiting until he finished before preparing to organize his words.
"Did you have any plans before?"
He asked, "Did you want to become a Tottenham legend, or did you want to pursue honor, wealth, and fame?"
"I can't say."
"It's easy to handle if you can't say." Maël smiled. He had been waiting for the other party to say that, "As long as you don't firmly want to become a Tottenham legend, you should come to Arsenal.
"I can guarantee you that when you come here, you and I will work together, and you can get the other three things except for the title of Tottenham legend.
"Come on, it's a great team, everyone is waiting for you. You will change this team and win the Premier League title with us this season."
"..." There was silence again on the other end, and after a few seconds, he said, "Leon-Maël, thank you for your call. I need some more time to consider."
"Okay."
Hanging up the phone, Maël was in a good mood. The other party didn't give a direct answer, but from his tone, he seemed to be relenting.
That's all he could do. Hopefully, it would be effective. The rest was up to the club.
He went to the closet, picked out a few suits he had bought before, and walked downstairs.
Now, it was time to prepare for tomorrow's Ballon d'Or ceremony.
A few minutes later, after Maël's fashion show, the four members of his team were all dumbfounded.
"None of them work."
José gave a sharp comment, he chuckled awkwardly, "If you wear these clothes to Zurich, you'll immediately become a sensation... in a not-so-pleasant way."
"Your figure and appearance are very good, which can help you offset the difference in the suits to some extent, but I still suggest you prepare a good one."
"Didn't you prepare anything else?" Safina looked at Maël's suits and covered her mouth, "If I had known, we would have come back earlier and contacted a tailor to customize a suit for you."
"I'm sorry, I don't know much about men's clothing either, so I can't help you choose a suit in such a short time."
"What do we do now?"
Davis took out his phone and frantically flipped through it, looking for contacts in his phone book, "It's already midnight, and I don't seem to have any friends in England. It's too late for those in Portugal."
Maël threw his clothes on the sofa, sat down, and felt anxious.
He was usually too busy, focusing all his attention on matches and training, and rarely paid attention to other things in life. He usually left these things to his team members.
In addition, the Golden Boy Award ceremony and the series of events at Football Record newspaper had disrupted his mind, and he had forgotten that he had to handle these things alone during this time.
What to do? He also picked up his phone, and for some reason, the first person he thought of was Isabella, who was in the clothing industry.
She might have a solution?
"Isabella."
Maël quickly dialed her number, his voice a little embarrassed, "I'm sorry to bother you at this hour, you should be resting, right?"
"Yes."
A soft, glutinous voice came from the other end, which didn't quite match Isabella's usual lively appearance, "What's the matter?"
Maël's face was even more awkward. He glanced at the four members of his team and found that they were all looking at him, "I'm in a bit of trouble and need your help, possibly right now."
"Shua shua..." There was a rustling sound on the other end, as if she was getting out of bed.
After a yawn, Isabella's voice became clearer, "What's wrong? Is it because you're attending the Ballon d'Or ceremony tomorrow and need a female companion for the party?
"Haha... I'm telling you, I don't show up for free. You'll have to pay something in return."
Not only was she not grumpy, but she also chose to start with a joke.
This relieved some of Maël's psychological pressure. He spent about half a minute describing the urgency of the moment, and another half a minute explaining why he had forgotten about it, making up for his carelessness.
Isabella's reply was quick, taking only a few seconds, "I'll be downstairs in 25 minutes, and then you and I will go knock on the door of one of my sisters.
"After enduring her morning grumpiness with me, she can immediately get you a well-fitting and presentable suit in her store."
As she spoke, she seemed to be getting up and grabbing her keys, and there were frequent noises on the phone.
"Okay!" Maël was greatly relieved, his heart stirred a few times. It seemed that Isabella had always been quite nice to him.
Hanging up the phone, he saw the other members of the team looking at him with smiles, all with thoughtful expressions.
"Maël," Safina raised her eyebrows and smiled, shaking her head, "Everyone can see that Isabella is pursuing you. What a great girl, why don't you just go for it?"
"Get lost."
Maël went to the door, put on his leather shoes, grabbed his car keys, and went out to sit in his Ferrari to wait.
Isabella was very punctual. Only 19 minutes later, her 911 appeared in the distance, flashing its hazard lights a few times.
Maël was about to start the car when he saw a message from her—"Don't drive, come ride with me."
He parked the car, jogged to Isabella's car, opened the door, and sat down. After fastening his seatbelt, he turned to look at her.
Due to the urgency, Isabella probably didn't have time to put on makeup and dress up today, but she still displayed her captivating beauty.
Apart from the slight droopiness at the corners of her eyes and the paleness of her thin lips due to lack of rest, her face still seemed flawlessly made up. Her high, delicate, upturned nose and slightly raised chin maintained her elegance and confidence.
This natural beauty, combined with her current slight weakness, was very endearing.
"What are you looking at?" Isabella said with a smile, stepping on the gas pedal as she happily said, "We'll be there in about 10 minutes. I'll definitely get this done for you."
"Okay."
Leon-Maël retracted his gaze and looked ahead. Both of them seemed unsure of what to say next, and they continued in silence until they arrived in front of a small detached house.
Isabella got out and knocked on the door, while also talking on her phone. A few minutes later, a woman around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old came out, her face full of helplessness.
She looked at Isabella and Leon-Maël and sighed, "Wait for me to get the car, and then we'll go to the city center... Seriously, bringing this up in the middle of the night. Did you two forget the time on your date?"
"No way." Isabella glanced at Leon-Maël inadvertently, then smiled and said, "Hurry up, he's attending a grand event tomorrow."
...
Half an hour later, Leon-Maël followed Isabella to her friend's suit shop. After having his shoulder and waist measurements taken, he sat aside to wait.
This seemed to be a high-end shop specializing in custom-made suits. It was large, with three floors: a display case on the first floor, a design room on the second floor, and a production room on the third floor.
Isabella and her friend went upstairs together. Soon after, they came down with three suits in black, gray, and dark red.
"They have over 500 orders from all over the world every year, and sometimes they order more than one set in the same size."
Isabella came down holding the dark red suit and said with a smile, "We found an order with a size very close to yours and took out the three suits he ordered. You can use one set first.
"Tomorrow, they can make another set in the same size to replace it."
Leon-Maël subconsciously took the dark red suit from Isabella and went to the fitting room to try it on, hearing the conversation between the two outside.
"He's going to the Ballon d'Or ceremony?"
"Yeah, and he has a chance of winning."
"That's amazing. He's only 18 years old. Doesn't that mean he's destined to be a world-class superstar in the future?"
"Of course."
Hearing the last sentence, he seemed to see Isabella raising her chin proudly.
A faint smile appeared on his lips. He put on the suit and looked in the mirror. The clothes fit perfectly and had a great design sense, without any messy logos or labels. It was very simple.
He looked at the overall effect from a distance and found that it was almost perfect in every aspect, enhancing his temperament a lot. Of course, this also had something to do with his appearance.
This is it! Leon-Maël didn't have the idea of trying on the other two sets. He didn't particularly like simple colors in essence. This dark red suit, with a slightly cynical attitude, suited him perfectly.
He walked out wearing the suit, smiling at the two women. Their faces showed a hint of brightness as they looked him up and down, as if they were looking at a beautiful work of art.
"Very good."
Isabella was good at providing emotional value, praising him with a smile, "It has an effect I didn't imagine. Wearing it in Zurich, you'll be the focus of the whole event."
"I think so too." Her friend nodded in agreement, smiling at her. "Isabella has good taste."
It was unclear whether she was referring to the clothes or the person, but judging from Isabella's slightly blushing expression, it should be the person.
"Vroom, vroom!" Soon after, with the roar of a car engine, Isabella and Leon-Maël left the suit shop and headed towards the villa.
"What time is your flight?" Isabella asked, holding the steering wheel with one hand and wiping her nose with a tissue with the other. "Do you need a stylist?"
"9 a.m."
Leon-Maël replied and shook his head, "No need, I prefer to do my own hair."
"Okay." Isabella couldn't help but look back, chuckling softly, "So handsome."
"Thank you."
Leon-Maël replied, and the two didn't know what else to say. They arrived at his doorstep in silence.
He packed his old clothes and, seeing that Isabella didn't seem to have anything else to say, said, "I'll thank you properly when I get back to London. I'll definitely remember your kindness tonight. Bye."
"Hey."
Isabella suddenly called out to him anxiously, took a breath, hesitated for a moment, and then smiled, "I hope you can get the Puskas Award as you wish. Congratulations in advance for attending this grand event. I'm happy for you."
Maël was stunned for a moment. He could feel an ambiguous atmosphere spreading in the car. He put down his things and opened his hands towards Isabella, "If I don't get the Ballon d'Or this time, I won't invite you."
"When I have the chance to get it in the future, I will definitely invite you and Gilbert to experience it together."
"Okay!" Isabella nodded happily, then raised her confident little chin, "I know that day will definitely come, and I'm waiting for that day."
After the two hugged, neither of them took their hands off each other, and the air gradually fell into silence. They seemed to be able to hear each other's heartbeats.
Isabella pursed her lips, her breathing became a little more rapid, and she slowly placed her hands on Maël's neck.
Maël also moved forward slowly at the right time, getting closer and closer to her slightly flushed face, until he saw her slowly close her eyes.
"Mmm"
After a soft moan, the two separated, and Isabella turned her face away shyly, unsure of what to say, "I'm waiting for that day."
"It won't be far off."
"CCTV, CCTV, you are now watching the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or Awards Ceremony at the Zurich Convention Center in Switzerland."
In the CCTV-5 broadcast room, the host He Wei appeared in the studio, staying up late to broadcast this awards ceremony for everyone, "This grand event will officially kick off at 2 a.m.!"
He was also in a good mood. CCTV rarely purchased the rights to such awards ceremonies, but it has been buying them continuously in recent years, allowing Chinese fans to feel the heat of the world football stage as soon as possible.
As the broadcast screen turned, a 'Entrance Ceremony' banner appeared, and the scene came to the outside of the convention center.
It was a scene of excitement, with spotlights illuminating every corner, reporters' cameras flashing wildly, and countless enthusiastic fans on both sides holding paper and pens waiting for autographs.
"Zurich is shining tonight! As the camera turns, we see the Brazilian King Pelé appearing on the screen! He is one of the award presenters for this year!
"Pelé is waving to the fans, haha... In the past year, the world football stage has witnessed countless inspirational stories, and countless new stars have emerged and reached the center of the stage.
"In Pelé's hometown, there is a teenager from Santos who was selected for the Ballon d'Or shortlist at the age of 19! "But he is not the most outstanding one. In European football, in Victor Hugo's hometown, in the lavender gardens of Provence, a stunningly talented teenager has emerged!
"Having just won the Golden Boy Award at the age of 18, he has also entered the Ballon d'Or shortlist this year, and in a record-breaking way! "Chinese fans must be very familiar with him, Leon-Maël! Currently playing for Arsenal, the genius teenager who is at the top of the Premier League scorer list!"
"Now appearing on the screen is Wayne Rooney, also a dazzling superstar, who is signing autographs for fans!
"I wonder if you in front of the TV have the same feeling as I do. The grand event has not even started yet, but I already have goosebumps all over my body and can't help but tremble! "This is the charm of football, the joy and passion that the stars have brought us in the past year, reunited in our hearts at this moment, making us feel as if we have returned to those days and nights of staying up late to watch football."
"."
"This is Shakira, the international diva of the South Africa World Cup. Of course, she also has a well-known identity, the wife of Barcelona superstar Pique. She will be presenting the World Player of the Year award today."
"This is the FIFA President, Joseph Blatter, who was born in Zurich, Switzerland. He looks radiant today, as if he can't wait."
"Ah, Messi has also appeared on the screen. The Argentine striker has won five championships in the past year! He is the core of Dream Team Barcelona and one of the most outstanding athletes on this planet!
"There are many enthusiastic fans waiting for his autograph. He is giving priority to Barcelona fans first, haha..."
"This is Zidane, he actually came! He is at oh, the camera turned again. A new business car has parked at the end of the red carpet. Who will be coming out of the car?"
Zurich, Switzerland, inside the business car.
"Click, click..." The flashlights flashed wildly outside the window, making it difficult to open one's eyes. All the fans and reporters turned their attention here, and many of the stars walking in the front row also turned their heads to observe.
"Congratulations!" The driver turned his head, offered his congratulations, and then quickly got out of the car to open the door for the back seat.
Maël felt all of this, his brain in a constant state of excitement. This was definitely a dream come true.
"Whoosh" The business car door was opened, and the driver said another word of congratulations, then reached out to invite him out of the car.
Wearing that dark red suit, he stepped out of the car under the constantly flashing lights, his first foot landing on the red carpet laid at the foot of the car.
Feeling the softness under his feet and the significance of this moment, Maël's breathing became rapid. He waved to both sides, then walked up with steps that were not so smooth.
After all, it was normal to be a little nervous and awkward when attending such a large-scale event for the first time. He would get used to it the second time.
"Maël!!"
"Ah!!"
"Oh!"
A burst of shouts rang out. The Swiss fans on both sides seemed to recognize him as well. Many people squeezed to the front with Arsenal jerseys, wanting to get his autograph.
He 'happily' went over as if he had found a savior. At this moment, finding something to do with his hands would make him seem less awkward.
"Thank you!"
"I've been watching your games all the time. All the Arsenal fans in Zurich love you. We think you'll achieve even more than Henry!"
"I hope you can win the Puskas Award today. Good luck!"
"You must lead Arsenal to the championship in the new season! That's not just the wish of Arsenal fans in England, but also Arsenal fans in other countries are looking forward to that moment. The whole world is waiting!"
...
Maël signed his name for them, and he could hear the noisy shouts coming from all around. His eyes were often dazzled by the flashing lights, and all of this made him unable to stop smiling.
During the autograph session, he felt a gust of wind passing behind him. He turned his head and saw Pique's wife, Shakira, walking out of the venue, nodding to him as she passed.
He also nodded to the Latin diva, and then saw Ronaldo walking past him... the Brazilian Ronaldo.
"Hi!"
At this festive moment, everyone seemed to be in a great mood. Even though Ronaldo had never met him before, and fans often compared them online, he still took the initiative to come over.
"I'm optimistic about you, kid."
Ronaldo slapped his palm, and then was pulled away by the fans next to him for a photo, revealing his signature buck teeth.
Maël waved to him, and before he could react, he saw Vidić, Xavi, Guardiola, Sir Ferguson and a group of other players and coaches walking past him.
When these people saw him signing autographs for the fans, they all nodded and smiled at him.
It seemed that on such an important day, the identities of mortal enemies could be put aside, and no one wanted to spoil the fun.
He didn't stay too long, and followed a hostess into the lobby of the conference center. Before he even entered, he heard solemn music playing inside.
"Congratulations!" The hostess also smiled and congratulated him. Everyone seemed to be smiling today.
Maël nodded to her, he was enjoying it. Before entering the door, he took one last deep breath, and then stepped inside.
Whoosh! The moment he entered, a yellowish-brown light quickly shone on the top of his head, and moved as he moved.
It was Maël's first time inside, and looking at the magnificent two-story venue, and the resplendent main stage, his mood became excited.
He continued to walk forward with his not-so-smooth steps. Looking around, many stars and coaches were already seated, especially those sitting in the first row, who could almost be called the most famous people in the football world.
He recognized Sir Ferguson, Rooney, Suárez, and Professor Wenger.
But Messi, Xavi, Guardiola, Florentino, Saint Casillas, and Alonso were relatively unfamiliar.
He greeted them all the way, and walked towards his seat, which was 3 row 6, not bad, not far from the very center.
"We noticed."
In the CCTV broadcast center, He Wei's voice changed with the movement of the screen, "The director has given the camera to Leon-Maël three times in a row, once when he got off the car, once when he entered the venue, and once when he entered the conference center.
"Is this telling us that everyone is very optimistic about him, and everyone thinks that he will be one of the most outstanding football stars in the world in the future!
"We also see that his steps are a little cramped. This is a common moment for young people. Everyone will only be calm after experiencing something many times.
"Here, I would also like to send a Chinese ancient poem to this player that I like very much. Although he is young, he is worthy of this sentence."
He Wei's voice changed its tone. His commentary style is very poetic, so there is no pressure to talk about these things, and it will not make people uncomfortable, "Don't worry about having no confidants on the road ahead, who in the world does not know you!"
There is a bit too much information to look up, sorry for the delay, I won't miss anything.
I am used to writing about award ceremonies. I feel that if I have worked hard for a year, if I don't summarize it at such an important moment, and there is only passion inside the venue and not outside, then it would be too boring.
Winning an award and attending a ceremony is not just about having a title, it represents honor, it represents a summary of the past year, and most importantly, that kind of mood, that kind of feeling, if not, it would be very dry.
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