"Arsène, the results for the Ballon dOr were announced a few days ago, and the Argentine Lionel Messi ultimately won this supreme honor. What are your thoughts on this?"
Wenger had anticipated the reporters asking this question and, having already prepared his answer, didn't hesitate, stating directly:
"I don't pay attention to these things because the Ballon dOr is just an individual award for a player and is not within the scope of my consideration..."
"All I care about is whether the team can achieve excellent results and win championships."
Hearing Wenger's response, the Fleet Street reporters were clearly very dissatisfied, so they added fuel to the fire by saying:
"Arsène, we all know that Fly said in an interview at the Golden Boy Award ceremony that his next goal is the Ballon dOr, specifically this year's Ballon dOr."
"What are your thoughts on this?"
When his beloved protégé was mentioned, Wenger's expression softened considerably, and he said slowly:
"Fly knows very well what heights he can reach; I don't need to explain too much."
"Ballon dOr? Without a doubt, for Fly, it's an award with no suspense. He will win it sooner or later..."
"Diario AS for whether he can win this year's Ballon dOr, that depends on Arsenal's final performance this season."
"I told him to go all out in the upcoming matches, and I believe he will do it."
Since the Man of the Match in that game was Walcott, not Fly, the reporters couldn't even ask Fly questions about the Ballon dOr.
Fly himself was caught by reporters who were waiting for him when he arrived at the Kearney Training Base the next day.
"Fly, what are your thoughts on the Ballon dOr from a few days ago? Many insiders believe it was rigged. What's your opinion?"
Since Fly hadn't obtained his driver's license yet, he signaled his driver to stop and then poked his head out of the back window.
Facing the barrage of microphones and cameras from the reporters, Fly simply said calmly:
"I don't care about that because the 2010 Ballon dOr has nothing to do with me. No matter who they give it to, it won't be me. So, why should I care?"
"There's only one thing I care about now, and that's this year's Ballon dOr."
"I stand by what I said before: I can't guarantee that I'll definitely win this year's Ballon dOr, but the biggest favorite for this year's Ballon dOr can only be me..."
"That's all I have to say. Thank you..."
Fly's explosive remarks quickly spread throughout England and then affected other European countries.
For a time, many media outlets and industry insiders came out to criticize Fly for being arrogant and looking down on others.
This was especially true for the Spanish media, Diario AS for a country that now boasts two super giants, Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Football is the medium through which Spain projects its presence to the outside world.
To put it bluntly, without football, Spain would be a minor presence in today's world.
Espanyol would absolutely not allow anyone else to ride roughshod over them in the realm of football, which is the sole pillar of their national presence.
So, the moment Fly's remarks reached Spain, Real Madrid and Barcelona, against all odds, stood together.
Whether it was Real Madrid's mouthpiece newspapers, 'Marca' and 'Diario AS'.
Or Barcelona's mouthpieces, 'World Sport' and'Sport'.
They all came out to criticize Fly's arrogant remarks.
Ronceros, a famous die-hard Real Madrid fan, the editor of Diario AS, and known Diario AS 'Spain's Old Eight Li', was the first to launch an attack on Fly.
"I have never denied that I strongly dislike Barcelona, and similarly, I deeply detest Lionel Messi."
"But I still want to say that Fly Adams's remarks simply show that he doesn't regard anyone else. In my more than twenty years in this profession, I have never seen such an arrogant player."
"A young man who has just started playing in the first team should maintain humility towards the outside world and work hard to improve himself..."
"Instead of making inflammatory statements like 'I am the best in the world' here every day!"
"Admittedly, Fly's performance this season has been quite good, and Arsenal is showing dominance in England with his help."
"But I want to make one thing clear here: the center of world football is no longer in England, but in Spain!"
"Many people still believe that the Premier League is the world's number one League; this understanding is foolish and absurd..."
"Look at La Liga today!"
"We simultaneously have Real Madrid and Barcelona, the two strongest teams on Earth."
"This is something other Leagues simply cannot compare to..."
"Furthermore, we have had all the Ballon dOr winners in recent years: Kaka, Cristiano, and Léo."
"The best players have all come to Spain. Doesn't this prove that Spain is the center of world football today?"
"Undeniably, the commercial value of the Premier League is indeed very high, but this does not mean that their teams are strong!"
"Commercial value is commercial value, and team strength is team strength; the two cannot be confused..."
"From a purely competitive standpoint, today's La Liga is the world's number one League!"
"Arsenal's results in the Premier League do not mean that its strength is the best in the world."
"I can guarantee that if Arsenal came to Spain and participated in La Liga, they might not even make it into the top three..."
"Because Real Madrid and Barcelona, these two super strong teams, are major hurdles they cannot overcome!"
"And there's the rising star Atletico Madrid, oh... damn it, even though I don't like this city rival either."
"But it is undeniable that today's Atletico Madrid is not so easy to defeat."
"If Arsenal were to play against the current Atletico Madrid, it's uncertain who would win."
"In other words, the achievements Fly has made so far are confined only to England..."
"He hasn't proven himself in the Champions League knockout stages. What right does he have to challenge Lionel Messi, who is ranked second in football today?"
"That's right, Lionel Messi is at most ranked second in my opinion. The undisputed number one is our Real Madrid star player, Cristiano Ronaldo."
"In my opinion, Fly doesn't even make it into the world's top five."
"Because there are still Andrés Iniesta, Xavi, and Kaka ahead of him."
"Let him lead Arsenal to win a Champions League title before he tries to provoke the superstars of Real Madrid and Barcelona..."
When Ronceros, this die-hard Real Madrid fan, came out to speak for Barcelona and Messi, many fans were shocked.
They never expected that this guy, who shows his likes and dislikes without any objectivity when commentating on matches, would actually support Messi and Barcelona once because of Fly's remarks.
Even though his comments were still unfriendly towards Barcelona and Messi, for such a die-hard Real Madrid fan, acknowledging Barcelona to a certain extent was already unprecedented.
Even a die-hard Real Madrid fan was so sharply criticizing Fly, let alone the mouthpieces of the Barcelona camp?
Lionel Messi's father, Jorge Messi, said bluntly when interviewed by reporters:
"I don't want to comment on a player who hasn't even won a Ballon dOr... Oh, no, that's wrong, a player who hasn't even won a championship trophy."
"I think responding to him would be beneath me!"
"Fly Adams has probably gotten used to the pampered aristocratic life in the United States, accustomed to people around him flattering him."
"But he forgot, this is Europe, this is the world of football!"
"In football, only strength and honors are the standards for evaluating a player."
"Fly Adams is not yet worthy of being commented on alongside my son; he can't even compare to that player with poor character, the Portuguese..."
Although many star players did not personally comment on Fly's statement.
However, the mouthpieces of their respective teams or people around them, like their agents, all came out to criticize Fly.
Facing this negative public opinion, Fly himself remained Diario AS steady Diario AS a mountain, and when his agent Allen called to ask if they should suppress the rumors, Fly simply replied calmly:
"It doesn't matter... Let them talk. I never care about the powerless barking of these weaklings. They are just stepping stones who can only watch helplessly Diario AS I reach the top..."
Fly knew very well that the best way to handle this now was to simply ignore it and let that group of people continue to rant.
After all, words are always pale and powerless; only tangible results can provide the most powerful response.
During this time, Wenger also specifically called to comfort Fly.
Fly joked around with Arsène Wenger, letting him know that he was not affected by the public opinion.
When Wenger learned that Fly was still that confident, fearless young man, he couldn't help but sigh:
"Fly, your achievements will exceed everyone's expectations, including mine..."
"Having a big heart is an essential basic quality for a top player to reach higher levels."
"Initially, I thought you might be negatively affected by the public opinion and feel down. Now I'm relieved..."
"You are even better than I imagined!"
Facing Arsène Wenger's praise, Fly chuckled.
"Boss, this is nothing. From the moment I stepped into professional football, I was prepared to face the impact of negative public opinion..."
"Only money is liked by everyone in this world. I'm not money, so isn't it normal for some people to dislike me?"
"Don't worry, I'll work my butt off in the next few months and strive to slap those pieces of shit right in the face!"
Wenger couldn't help but show a heroic spirit upon hearing this.
"Hahaha... Alright, it's settled then. Together, we'll make the faces of those who don't favor us swell up!"
.....
January 20th.
UEFA held the Champions League knockout stage draw ceremony at its headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
Fly and a few teammates watched the draw ceremony together at the Training Base.
"I hope we get a good draw in the Champions League this time and don't face a strong team right away..."
Walcott watched the live draw ceremony and couldn't help but mutter prayers.
Fabregas scratched his head and said with uncertainty:
"Surely not... We finished first in our group this time, the first team among all to secure qualification Diario AS group winners. Could we still draw a difficult opponent under these circumstances?"
Wilshere shook his head beside him, pursed his lips, and said:
"Hard to say... I've always felt that the current UEFA president, Platini, isn't very friendly to us, or rather, not very friendly to Premier League teams."
"In recent seasons, the probability of Premier League teams facing strong teams from other Leagues in the Champions League knockout stage is higher than for teams from other Leagues."
"Champions League teams from those smaller Leagues are basically not drawn against Premier League teams in the knockout rounds."
"Including the refereeing issues, the situation with Chelsea the year before last is still vivid in my mind..."
Fly glanced at them and said irritably:
"Come on, we're Arsenal... The invincible team that has only drawn one League match so far this season."
"Do you think other teams *want* to face us?"
"I swear, many team owners and management are silently praying right now not to meet us in the first round of the knockout stage."
"Including Barcelona and Real Madrid, who have been the loudest these past few days, don't look at how cheerful they are. Deep down, they absolutely do not want to face us."
"Tch... A bunch of cowards. What I despise most are these guys who only talk big, trash!"
Hearing Fly's words, the others couldn't help but look at each other.
We're just saying, is what he said really wrong?
You, Fly, are running your mouth, claiming the Ballon dOr for yourself, and you don't allow others to come out and criticize you?
However, Wilshere and the others wouldn't say these thoughts out loud; they'd only keep them hidden...
After all, they still needed Fly, this super leg, to carry them. They wouldn't dare offend him.
Moreover, deep down, these few people also felt that with Fly's monstrous goal-scoring efficiency, winning this year's Ballon dOr wouldn't be a big problem...
Especially Fabregas. Diario AS a Spanish international and a Catalan kid who came through La Masia, he had relatively deep interactions with Messi, Xavi, and Andrés Iniesta.
Including after coming to Arsenal, Diario AS Manchester United's biggest competitor, he had also dealt with Cristiano.
From his personal perception, Fly was the most monstrous one among these few.
Perhaps in terms of pure football technique, he couldn't compare to Messi and the others, but his average of two goals per game was simply too fierce.
A football player who can score two goals per game on average, even if his first touch sends the ball three meters away, is still the unparalleled strongest.
After all, a football match is essentially a game of "who scores more goals."
Especially since the nature of football matches dictates that scoring is a very difficult thing.
It's not like a basketball game where, no matter how poor a player's shooting feels, they can always make a few shots by taking many attempts.
In football matches, it's genuinely possible to have a 'dominant but not scoring' situation, and it happens quite often.
So, a freak like Fly who consistently scores two goals is truly overpowered.
While Fabregas was thinking, the white balls specifically prepared for the draw had already appeared on the television.
Gary Lineker, a famous England legend serving Diario AS the draw assistant, began the draw under the host's gaze.
The broadcast cameras appropriately focused on the facial close-ups of famous coaches like Wenger, Sir Alex Ferguson, Guardiola, and José Mourinho.
Among them, Barcelona's president Laporta and Bayern Munich's former president, now the German Football Association's vice-president, Beckenbauer, were present at the draw ceremony.
"Real Madrid!"
Gary Lineker first drew the white ball symbolizing Real Madrid, and then drew the first opposing team for the second group from the seven group winners.
"Tottenham Hotspur!"
Seeing their team's city rivals, Tottenham, who finished top of their Champions League group this season ahead of Inter Milan, being drawn, Fly couldn't help but tease:
"Honestly, you guys don't need to be that nervous..."
"Among the eight group runners-up this season, the strongest on paper are arguably Inter Milan and AC Milan."
"But Inter Milan couldn't even beat Tottenham, and AC Milan is full of old guys right now; they're not to be feared at all!"
Hearing Fly say this, Wilshere quickly covered his mouth with his hand.
"Alright, alright... Fly, I know you're fearless, but us ordinary mortals still want to play an easy opponent in the first round of the knockout stage. Can you please be understanding?"
"Yeah, yeah, Fly, we're not you, stop messing around..."
Walcott also nodded repeatedly from the side, looking completely timid.
Seeing his teammates so afraid of strong opponents, Fly shrugged helplessly, speaking in a tone of disappointment.
"Bro, can you stand tall? Don't be a coward..."
"If it's really difficult, just go for it. What's there to be afraid of?"
"They all have two arms, two legs, two eyes, a pair of ears, a mouth, and a nose. Anyone who didn't know would think our opponents were aliens."
Fabregas smiled and shook his head upon hearing this, pointed at Fly, and joked:
"Fly, if that's the case, you look no different from us, so why can you score goals so easily? Why is it so difficult for us to score?"
"Are you an alien?"
I'm certainly not an alien, but I have a cheat...
Although he grumbled a few words inwardly, Fly shook his head on the surface and began to boast in a humble-bragging way:
"I don't know... I can only attribute it to talent. Don't worship me, I'm just a legend you can't learn from..."
"Fly, go die..."
Wilshere pounced forward and wrestled with Fly. Walcott suddenly reminded them: "Stop messing around, we've been drawn..."
At these words, Fly and Wilshere both immediately turned their attention to the television.
Arsenal's name appeared on the TV screen, in the fourth pairing group.
The first team in the third pairing group was the renowned 'Universal Team', Barcelona.
"Wait... If we are lucky enough to reach the quarterfinals, we won't play Barcelona in the quarter-finals, will we?"
Hearing this, Fly shook his head and said to Walcott, whose face was full of worry:
"No, there will be another draw after the first round of the knockout stage. Unless we are drawn with Barcelona, we'll play another team."
This is the difference between the World Cup and the Champions League.
There is no draw in the World Cup knockout stage; it's determined directly based on the eight groups.
For example, if a team is the Group A winner, their first knockout round opponent will be the Group B runner-up.
Correspondingly, the Group B winner plays the Group A runner-up.
This is also why so many teams calculate points and pick opponents in the World Cup.
Because when the group draw is held in December the year before the World Cup, the specific opponents are already known.
For groups with clear differences in strength, it's quite easy to predict which teams will finish first and second.
This allows teams to plan ahead, pick opponents, and try to avoid traditional powerhouses.
In his previous life, England was an expert at this.
Whether it was the 2018 Russia World Cup, or the 2021 and 2024 European Cups, England deliberately didn't win matches in the group stage to achieve the goal of picking opponents.
Ultimately, they were indeed successful, consistently being drawn into a relatively weaker half of the bracket in the knockout stages of several consecutive major tournaments.
Of course, the final results also punished them.
Even though they reached the finals in two consecutive tournaments, 2021 and 2024, by taking advantage of the bracket, they ultimately missed out on the championship, finishing Diario AS runners-up twice in a row.
Fly remembered that many fans at the time cursed England, saying that a team that picks its opponents doesn't deserve to win the championship.
To avoid this, the Champions League holds two draws during the knockout stage.
One draw is for the Round of 16, and the other is for the quarterfinals.
This means that only teams that reach the quarterfinals are eligible to see which teams are in their half of the bracket through the second draw.
And often, the teams that reach the quarterfinals are basically very strong; there are rarely any upset teams.
Therefore, to win the Champions League, you must defeat at least two strong teams. A situation where a team easily reaches the final and then rests and awaits their opponent is almost impossible to see in the Champions League.