Chapter 747: League Ten Consecutive Titles
After advancing to the Champions League final, the Galactic Warship continued its journey without stopping, facing Valencia away in the 37th round of La Liga. This match was crucial because a victory would allow them to clinch the league title one round early.
Not only would this help them prepare for the final battle, but it would also enable them to lift the league championship trophy at their last home game of the season.
To avoid counting chickens before they hatch, head coach Ancelotti made only three changes to the starting lineup, replacing Bale, Kroos, and Ramos with Hesse, Kovacic, and Nacho, respectively. The rest of the main players remained in the starting lineup.
This approach proved to be correct as Valencia, the home team, exerted considerable pressure on the visitors. In the 17th minute of the first half, Alcacer opened the scoring for Valencia.
Ten minutes later, Casemiro sent a long pass from midfield, accurately finding the young Hesse near the edge of the penalty area. At that moment, he had his back to the goal, with defenders behind him preventing him from turning.
Seeing this, Wang Feng immediately signaled for the ball in the penalty area and made a diagonal run. Hesse intuitively dribbled towards the sideline while Wang Feng ran behind him, creating an invisible gap in the defense.
The Spanish youngster feigned a move towards the end line but suddenly stopped and delivered a through pass, perfectly finding the Chinese superstar who had infiltrated the penalty area.
Facing the onrushing goalkeeper, Jaime, Wang Feng used his right foot to chip the ball over him, and it sailed into the opponent's goal.
1-1! Real Madrid equalized!
Just before halftime, the Galactic Warship struck again. Marcelo made a run down the flank and sent in a cross. Wang Feng attracted the attention of defenders at the front post and flicked a header into the path.
With Iguain positioned behind him, he controlled the ball, dribbled past Santos, and then unleashed a left-footed shot into the bottom left corner. With most of Valencia's defense focused on the Chinese superstar, they were caught off guard by the sudden shot from the Argentine forward, turning the tables for the away team.
After the break, Valencia did not give up the idea of preventing Real Madrid from winning the title early. In the 77th minute, substitute Piatti scored with a long-range shot, leveling the score once again.
In the 88th minute, Modric sent a direct pass from the left flank. Wang Feng received it near the left rib of the penalty area, controlled the ball, and faced the defender. Pretending to cut inside, he actually dribbled towards the end line, shaking off the defender's position and passing sideways.
Hesse, positioned at the edge of the small penalty area, pushed the ball into the far corner, past the goalkeeper's fingertips, hitting the post and bouncing back into play. Quick to react, Iguain seized the rebound and blocked the ball into the empty net with his left side.
Messi himself scored 26 goals, once again being surpassed by Wang Feng in both goals and assists. From club to individual, it was another season of utter defeat for him.
The nightmare that has loomed over Barcelona for a decade continues!
As for Real Madrid, Wang Feng is no longer the indispensable workhorse in every game. This season, his attendance rate hit a historic low, ranking behind Iguain, Modric, and even Casemiro.
Despite this, being able to produce such explosive statistics under such circumstances is enough to demonstrate the Chinese superstar's increased efficiency.
Therefore, numerous top clubs are willing to offer astronomical salaries that defy logic for this 33-year-old veteran. Among them, Paris Saint-Germain, who are not short of money, is the most aggressive.
According to L'Equipe, PSG's owner Nasser is willing to offer a record-breaking contract worth a total of 450 million euros over three years, including a signing bonus of 150 million euros and an annual salary of 100 million euros.
What does this concept mean? By comparing the data published by Forbes, one can get a glimpse. Currently, apart from Wang Feng, the highest-paid player in football is Messi, who can earn around 60 million euros in total bonuses at Barcelona.
This is more than double the entire earnings of the Argentine superstar. When this news came out, it caused a sensation worldwide, with many expressing disbelief at the madness of the rich, and some even questioning whether such an operation violates Financial Fair Play regulations.
Nasser, in an interview with L'Equipe, did not hide his love for Wang Feng. "He is worth this price, everyone in the world knows it, yes, everyone knows it, but they just can't afford it."
"Is the financial situation healthy? Come on, Wang's significance has long surpassed football. He himself is the best representative of financial health, and the commercial value of the Chinese superstar is immeasurable."
"If you still don't understand, you can check Real Madrid's income and expenditure over the past decade. I dare say that even if they buy the entire Barcelona team ten times now, they still perfectly comply with the Financial Fair Play regulations."
Apart from Paris, almost all top clubs want to sign Wang Feng for free. Agent Balmond's phone has been ringing off the hook, with many clubs privately promising many benefits, hoping to persuade the Chinese superstar to join.
Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Juventus, and so on, each team offers a different salary, but all exceed the treatment Wang Feng currently receives.
Even the usually frugal Bayern, due to not having to pay a transfer fee, offered a historic free signing contract worth 75 million euros per year.
Then there's Barcelona. When Wang Feng heard about this club, he was stunned. "Are they crazy? Even if I wanted to, I couldn't go there with a toe."
"Bartomeu is almost at the end of his rope. He dares not gamble that you leaving will definitely turn things around for Barcelona. This concerns his own future, so he would rather leverage even more to snatch you."
"They are even willing to offer the same salary as PSG, just hoping that we don't publicly disclose it. It's simply insane!"