At the end of August every year, the eyes of the media and fans all over the world will fall on the Grimaldi Convention Center in Monaco. Fiction.
The draw of the UEFA Champions League group stage and the award ceremony are staggered, and the time is set at 18 o'clock in the evening.
As night fell, the Grimaldi Convention Center was already brightly lit and bright as day.
Outside the gate, media reporters from all over the world and some fans who heard the news gathered.
The invited guests also came to the scene one after another.
Unlike the FIFA awards ceremony, there are not many guests in this UEFA event, mainly the representatives of the 32 teams that entered the UEFA Champions League group stage, as well as some invited players and head coaches.
Especially for the head coach, after this annual event, UEFA will hold the annual head coach summit at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, in the following days of early September, and will invite the performance of the past year Excellent head coach to communicate.
With Liverpool winning the Champions League two times in three years, Benitez has also become the limelight in this coaching summit.
Since both Liverpool and Sevilla have arrived in Monaco and are preparing for the next European Super Cup, Liverpool are invited to participate in this event more players, basically the number of players in the team have received the invitation.
The only disappointment is that the St. Belgrade Cup brought back to Liverpool from Athens last year has been handed over to UEFA.
In the past few months, the Liverpool Glory Room with the St. Black Cup has been the favorite place for local fans and foreign tourists to visit, and after returning the real cup, Liverpool can only put a fake souvenir in the future .
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The Liverpool players arrived at the Grimalty Convention Center at the same time, immediately attracting the attention of the audience.
The main reason is that the starlight of this team does not shine. Even to some extent, the stars in Liverpool are not as good as a Milan, but before the final of last season, Liverpool's overall strength was considered to be better than a Milan.
Benitez's coaching is definitely a key factor in Liverpool's success.
Of course, only the people inside Liverpool know that Yesterdam's assistance is also crucial.
Without the lubricant of Yesterdam, Benitez's character still does not know how many people to offend. The locker room may be difficult to harmonize.
Although they arrived at the same time, they were divided into different positions.
For example, Yang Yang was selected as the best striker, Gerald and Xavi Alonso were selected as the best midfielders, Carragher was selected as the best defender, and Ray was included as the best goalkeeper, so they were all arranged to sit in the front row s position.
But when Yang Yang and others came to the front row under the guidance of the staff, they found that there were already many players sitting.
...
"Hey, Kaka."
"Hello, Yang!"
As soon as he saw Yang Yang, Kaka stood up with a smile, shaking hands and hugging him.
"Hello, Paul."
Yang Yang also shook hands and politely with Maldini, Pirlo and Drogba.
Czech goalkeeper Cech is regarded as the most promising goalkeeper tonight, because after Buffon's sinking with Juventus, Casillas and Real Madrid stopped in the quarterfinals, Cech almost It can be said that it is the top goalkeeper in the world, and no one can compete with him.
Even last season, neither Liverpool's Reina nor Milan's Dida were stable enough.
Yang Yang has always felt that successful professional players may have different personalities, but everyone is very direct and will not secretly engage in any small actions or the like in private. If you like it, you like it. If you don't like it, you don't like it.
For example, Milan ’s Brazilian goalkeeper Dida, he does n’t seem to like Yang Yang very much, so he just shook hands with Yang Yang, and he just let it aside, saying nothing more.
Yang Yang is not stupid enough to want everyone to like it. After all, he is a scorer and always breaks the opponent's goal. It is a matter of course that he is not liked by the goalkeeper.
Instead, it was Cech, who took the initiative to talk to Yang Yang about the direct free kick a week ago, and said a lot.
Yang Yang ’s position is next to Kaka, which also means that in the minds of UEFA, the two of them are equal.
"You have been in a state of affairs for a while now," Kaka said with a smile.
He was always so kind, and he could not hear any other meaning in his tone of speech, which was completely admiration and congratulations.
how to say?
Whether Kaka treats people or shows on the court, they belong to a type that people can't hate.
Yang Yang also smiled, "Aren't you too?"
"I was pressed by you too." Kaka smiled unabashedly.
In the just-opened Serie A opener, Kaka staged a double score to help a Milan beat Genoa three to zero.
Obviously, the Brazilian superstar has also been stimulated and is trying to show himself and prove himself.
This belongs to the dispute between the gentleman and Yang Yang.
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With the advent of the information age, many things are increasingly secret.
In the subsequent awards ceremony, Cech from Chelsea really won the best goalkeeper. This is an affirmation of his stable performance last season, but it is also an incentive for Dida and Reina.
Next, the first team was grouped, and the defending champion Liverpool was divided into the first group.
It is worth mentioning that all four Premier League teams have been assigned to the first gear, the strength of the Premier League team can be seen.
After the telephone door incident, Serie A's decline was already very obvious, but the Premier League began to rise strongly, gradually replacing Serie A's status, and even implicitly surpassing La Liga, becoming the world's first league sign.
The selection of the best defender is also quite suspenseful, because Maldini's election is stable.
This does not need any operation at all, because Maldini's own performance, as well as the special meanings and auras that he carries, make it impossible for this award to fall by others.
Many people think that this is probably the last UEFA Champions League final in Maldini's career.
Then in the second draw, Liverpool won Porto from the Portuguese Super League.
This team is not bad, and has been among the seed teams many times before, but after a group of stars such as Mourinho and Deco left, Porto has gradually declined. As long as the two sides play normally, Porto is difficult to shake Liverpool. Of the location.
There is also no suspense in the selection of the best midfielder. If Kaka does not participate in this position, Gerald should win the award firmly, but after Kaka is placed in the midfield position, it is regarded as the Champions League. The captain of the championship team is difficult to shake Kaka's best midfield position.
In the third draw, Liverpool won Marseille from Ligue 1.
Like Porto, this team is also difficult to shake to Liverpool's position, but the overall strength is still possible.
The selection of the best striker is also no suspense, because Yang Yang scored 13 goals last season, far ahead of other players, so he has no objections to get the best striker long ago.
Among the major awards tonight, the only suspense is the best player.
It should be said that this is also an unavoidable problem in the selection of all best players.
Liverpool's overall strength is slightly superior, Yang Yang performed the best, and won the championship, all situations are impeccable; but another, Kaka took the weaker a Milan, all the way to the finals, Although he lost to Liverpool in the end, Kaka's personal performance was pushed to the limit.
Is Yang Yang better? Or is Kaka better?
This is a matter of benevolence and wisdom.
Not only is it difficult to choose the best UEFA player this year, but even the subsequent European Golden Globe and Mr. World Football are also difficult to choose.
In the midst of everyone's entanglement and anxiety, the fourth draw was over.
Liverpool drew Besiktas from Turkey in the fourth gear.
Porto, Marseille and Besiktas, the strength of these three teams is not bad, but if it can shake Liverpool, it is not realistic. As long as Liverpool is playing steadily and exerting its own strength, it should not be defeated Suspense.
Therefore, Liverpool are very satisfied with this lottery.
Gerrard secretly leaned to Yang Yang's ear after the draw, and said with a smile, "Stable!"
Obviously, the Liverpool captain is also extremely satisfied with the draw.
In contrast, Chelsea ’s lottery was not smooth. With Valencia, Schalke 04 and Rosenborg, the competition is definitely more intense, especially Valencia and Schalke 04. May challenge Chelsea.
Manchester United met Roma, Atletico Lisbon and Dynamo Kyiv.
Arsenal met Sevilla, Slavia Prague and Bucharest.
Judging from the draw of the top four in the Premier League, as long as they basically play their due level, the promotion to the top 16 is ten-ninth, and the team's first name is not too difficult, but it still can't be careless.
Whether it is Liverpool's Porto and Marseille, or Chelsea's Valencia and Schalke 04, or Manchester United's Rome, or Arsenal's Sevilla, it is possible to conversely occupy the top of the group.
...
After the fourth team of the eight teams was drawn, the final eight teams were also drawn on the big screen of the stage.
UEFA President Platini also slowly walked onto the stage.
Everyone gave warm applause to this former legendary star, the UEFA president who took office at the beginning of the year. They all clearly realized that the biggest suspense tonight will be announced soon.
After Platini took office, he took the lead to say a few words on behalf of UEFA, introducing UEFA's work and achievements in the past year, and also anticipating the new season of the UEFA Champions League, of which the most attractive Of course, the focus is on the earnings of the Champions League.
Over the past few years, the Champions League has been making money, and the more it earns the more, all the participating teams have also taken a slice of the soup.
Platini said that this development trend will continue.
In the end, he also commented on two of the best players in Europe in the past season, Yang Yang and Kaka, and they both represent the highest level in European football.
But the cruel choice of two, so that the final winner is only one.