Chapter Summaries

Man City's attempts to rebuild under Guardiola progressed amid a summer of major spending by Real Madrid and Barcelona. Bayern added Rafinha before opening its season in the German Super Cup.

• Soriano, Begiristain, and Guardiola discussed Bayern's financial report and Man City's difficulty attracting their transfer targets.
• Real Madrid signed Cristiano Ronaldo and Benzema, while Barcelona brought in Ibrahimovic and Chygrynskiy as the Spanish giants escalated their spending.
• Man City signed Santa Cruz, Di Maria, Sánchez, David Silva, Gareth Barry, and Silvinho while Robinho and several other players departed.
• Bayern signed Rafinha from Schalke 04, then prepared to begin the new season in the German Super Cup.

Bayern won the German Telecom Cup, German Super Cup, and Audi Cup during its preseason preparations, with Su Dong leading the way against strong opponents. The club’s young German players impressed, and expectations for Bayern’s upcoming Bundesliga season rose sharply.

• Bayern beat Salzburg Red Bull one-nil in Niko Kovac’s farewell match, then crushed a supporters’ team fifteen-nil in Munich.
• Su Dong scored twice as Bayern overturned Hamburg to reach the German Telecom Cup final, then helped defeat Stuttgart three-nil to win the tournament.
• Su Dong assisted Pepe’s opener and scored the winner as Bayern beat Werder Bremen two-one to defend the German Super Cup.
• Bayern defeated Stuttgarter Kickers ten-nil in a memorial friendly, with Thomas Müller scoring a hat trick.
• Su Dong scored a hat trick as Bayern thrashed AC Milan five-one, then scored the only goal in the Audi Cup final against Manchester United.
• Bayern completed its preseason with three trophies, while Thomas Müller, Toni Kroos, Badstuber, and Hummels impressed and raised hopes for the new season.

Su Dong led Bayern to a 3–1 away win over Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga opener, then powered them through three more victories with a remarkable run of goals. After four rounds, Bayern had reached the top of the table and Su Dong had scored nine times, leaving the press asking who could stop him.

• Su Dong reunited with Ibišević before Bayern's season opener against Hoffenheim, where Su Dong scored twice and assisted Thomas Müller in a 3–1 win.
• Hoeness celebrated Bayern's opening-round victory and challenged the other Bundesliga teams to keep up, prompting protests over his boastful remarks.
• Su Dong scored a hat trick as Bayern beat Werder Bremen 3–0 at home in the second round.
• Su Dong opened the scoring in Bayern's 2–0 away win over promoted Mainz in the third round.
• Su Dong scored another hat trick as Bayern demolished Wolfsburg 5–0, reaching nine league goals in four rounds.

At the UEFA awards ceremony, Platini probed Su Dong about rumors linking him to Manchester City, and Su Dong said he remained committed to Bayern while still evaluating his future. Platini then explained how Maradona had joined Naples, leaving Su Dong reflecting on the star’s unlikely rise to legend.

• Platini greeted Bayern’s players and privately told Su Dong that he and Infantino would jointly present the UEFA Best Player award.
• Platini asked whether Su Dong was considering Manchester City, and Su Dong denied having an agreement and reaffirmed his Bayern contract.
• Platini compared Manchester City’s situation to Naples in Maradona’s era, prompting Su Dong to ask why Maradona had joined Naples.
• Platini recounted Maradona’s expensive Barcelona transfer, his troubled time there, and Naples chairman Corrado Ferlaino’s offer to bring him to Italy.
• Platini explained that Naples financed Maradona’s transfer and later improved through greater investment, while Su Dong considered how the move became a legendary comeback.

At the Champions League draw and awards ceremony, Su Dong won Best Forward and Season’s Best Player while Bayern drew several difficult group-stage opponents. He ended the night with the top individual honor, as Wang Chuqing and Guardiola watched him accept the trophy.

• Su Dong told Ribéry that Platini would personally present his award, then messaged Wang Chuqing about sending more money to his parents for property investments.
• Van der Sar won Best Goalkeeper, Maldini received UEFA’s Special Contribution Award, and Lucio won Best Defender before drawing Juventus for Bayern.
• Xavi beat Modrić for Best Midfielder and drew Bordeaux for Bayern, leaving the team with a tough group alongside Juventus.
• Su Dong won Best Forward, then drew Zurich for Bayern, giving the club a nearby fourth-pot opponent.
• Platini announced Su Dong as Season’s Best Player, and Su Dong accepted the trophy as Wang Chuqing and Guardiola watched the broadcast.

Su Dong and Wang Chuqing traveled to Madrid, where he watched Spain thrash Belgium and studied Bosque’s possession-based tactics. When Wang Chuqing asked whether he wanted to go to the Premier League, Su Dong said he would consider it after winning three consecutive league titles with Bayern.

• Wang Chuqing continued helping Su Dong with his clothes, travel, and public appearances while advancing her own legal career.
• Wang Chuqing arranged a September holiday in Madrid so Su Dong could watch Spain play Belgium at the Calderón Stadium.
• Su Dong watched Spain defeat Belgium 5–0, with David Silva scoring twice and Villa leading the attack.
• Su Dong concluded that Bosque’s Spain had refined Aragonés’s possession system and recognized the difficulty Guardiola faced at Man City with players who did not fit his tactics.
• Wang Chuqing asked Su Dong whether he wanted to go to the Premier League, and Su Dong said he would discuss it after winning three consecutive league titles with Bayern.

After returning to Bayern, Su Dong discussed Spain’s passing speed with Heynckes, who feared Guardiola could build a formidable Barcelona side. Bayern then debuted a new winger-switching tactic against Dortmund, where Su Dong scored a first-half hat trick to give them a 3–0 lead.

• Su Dong returned to Munich, reported to Heynckes, and explained how difficult Spain’s rapid passing was to defend against in person.
• Heynckes agreed that Mourinho had done Bayern a favor by keeping Guardiola from Barcelona and continued refining Bayern’s tactics.
• Bayern faced Dortmund in the first match of a seven-game September run, weathered the hosts’ early pressure, and switched Ribéry and Robben’s positions after the thirtieth minute.
• Robben broke down the left and crossed for Su Dong to head in Bayern’s opening goal in the thirty-fourth minute.
• Ribéry crossed from the right less than three minutes later, and Su Dong scored again to make it 2–0.
• Su Dong headed in a rebound from Pepe’s aerial touch before halftime, completing his hat trick and putting Bayern 3–0 ahead.

Bayern dominated the Bundesliga and Champions League during a packed run of fixtures, with Su Dong scoring freely as the team defeated Dortmund, Zurich, Nuremberg, Oberhausen, and Hamburger SV. Su Dong suffered a calf muscle injury against Hamburger SV and had to miss Bayern’s upcoming Champions League match against Juventus.

• Bayern beat Dortmund 7–0 away, with Su Dong scoring a first-half hat trick and Thomas Müller adding two goals after coming on as a substitute.
• Bayern opened their Champions League campaign with a 5–0 win over Zurich, while Juventus drew 1–1 at home against Bordeaux.
• Su Dong scored twice as Bayern defeated Nuremberg 4–1, then Bayern’s reserves beat Oberhausen 5–0 in the German Cup.
• Su Dong scored twice in Bayern’s opening thirteen minutes against Hamburger SV, and Bayern won 3–1 despite Hamburger SV’s second-half pressure.
• De Jong kicked Su Dong in the calf during the match, causing a muscle injury that kept Su Dong out of Bayern’s Champions League match against Juventus.

Bayern struggled to break down Juventus’s defense until Su Dong came on as a substitute in the 73rd minute. In the 82nd minute, he received a through ball near the penalty area and drove toward Grosso and Chiellini, leaving the attack unresolved.

• Bayern dominated possession and attacked repeatedly, but Juventus’s defense held firm and Klose could not find a way through.
• Heynckes replaced Tymoshchuk with Thomas Müller, but Bayern still failed to score against Juventus’s packed defense.
• Robben suffered a knee injury, and Heynckes asked Su Dong whether he could play; Su Dong nodded and entered the match in the 73rd minute.
• Bayern shifted to a 4-4-2, with Su Dong partnering Klose up front.
• After Neuer caught Diego’s long shot, Lucio and Modrić moved the ball forward, and Modrić sent a through ball to Su Dong near the penalty area.
• Su Dong controlled the ball and charged toward the penalty area as Grosso and Chiellini closed in to stop him.

Su Dong came off the bench against Juventus and scored a stunning chip in the 82nd minute to give Bayern a 1–0 Champions League win. His decisive goal earned praise from both teams’ coaches, Buffon, and the German media.

• Ferrara adjusted Juventus’s defense for the trip to Bayern, with Chiellini and Grosso among those tasked with containing Su Dong.
• In the 82nd minute, Su Dong dribbled between Chiellini and Grosso inside the penalty area and chipped the ball over Buffon to score.
• Heynckes celebrated Su Dong’s goal, and Bayern held on to win 1–0 at home.
• Heynckes and Ferrara praised Su Dong after the match, while Buffon described the dribble and chip as extraordinary.
• Bild and Kicker lauded Su Dong’s goal and emphasized how indispensable he was to Bayern.

Su Dong came off the bench to score a spectacular late winner for Bayern against Cologne, while Man City lost again under Guardiola. After the defeat, Man City's leadership decided to pursue Su Dong at any cost.

• Cologne defended deep against Bayern, and Bayern struggled to score despite dominating possession and hitting the crossbar twice.
• Heynckes brought Su Dong on late, and Su Dong scored a first-time volley in the eighty-sixth minute to give Bayern a one-nil win.
• Aston Villa beat Man City one-nil, leaving Guardiola's team with five defeats after eight Premier League rounds.
• Mubarak, Soriano, and Begiristain discussed Man City's poor results and attacking problems after watching the defeat.
• Mubarak announced that Mansour had ordered the club to sign Su Dong at all costs.

Mendes met with Man City's leaders to discuss reinforcements and their pursuit of Su Dong, but he ruled out a winter transfer and promised to speak with Su Dong about joining after the season. Man City offered Su Dong a record-breaking contract and asked Mendes to explore signing Pepe and Marcelo as well.

• Mendes met Mubarak, Soriano, and Begiristain in Manchester and discussed Di Maria, Moutinho, and Falcao.
• Mendes rejected Man City's attempt to sign Su Dong during the winter break, saying Su Dong would consider leaving Bayern only after the season.
• Man City offered Su Dong a five-year contract with a €50 million annual signing bonus, a €50 million after-tax salary, and a ten percent commission for Mendes.
• Mendes agreed to speak with Su Dong after his vacation in the Canary Islands.
• Begiristain asked Mendes to find out whether Bayern might sell Pepe and Marcelo, whom Man City wanted to strengthen its defense.

Su Dong returned from vacation, discussed Bayern’s changing priorities with Mendes, and led Bayern to a 3–0 win over Freiburg. The chapter then recounted Chamakh’s transfer farce and his promise to score against Bayern, setting up their match.

• Mendes told Su Dong that Man City had approached him and that Bayern was preparing to return to a cautious transfer strategy; Su Dong resolved to give everything to Bayern this season before reconsidering his future.
• Su Dong scored early against Freiburg after beating Cha Du-ri, then assisted Thomas Müller as Bayern won 3–0 away.
• The chapter recounted how Wenger persuaded Chamakh to join Arsenal on a free transfer the following summer after Bordeaux demanded a higher fee.
• Chamakh, who had gone twelve Champions League matches without scoring, told the French media that he would score against Bayern.

Bayern fell behind Bordeaux after Thomas Müller was sent off, but Su Dong equalized with a header from Kroos's free kick. The match stood at 2–2 as both teams returned to level terms.

• Pepe slid in to deny Chamakh a chance on goal as tensions rose between Bayern and Bordeaux.
• Thomas Müller was sent off for a foul, and Bordeaux scored from a free kick to take a 2–1 lead before halftime.
• Heynckes brought Kroos on for Klose and told Bayern to defend deeper and seek counterattacks through Su Dong.
• Neuer launched a long clearance that Su Dong headed to Modrić, whose advance ended when Alou Diarra fouled him and earned a yellow card.
• Kroos delivered the resulting free kick, Pepe disrupted Ciani's marking, and Su Dong headed the ball into the near corner to equalize 2–2.

Blanc kept Bordeaux cautious despite their numerical advantage, and Su Dong scored a spectacular solo goal to put Bayern ahead. Bayern held on for a 3–2 away win, but Thomas Müller and Lucio were sent off.

• Blanc chose not to change Bordeaux’s approach after Su Dong equalized, while Bayern retreated and waited for counterattacking chances.
• In the 75th minute, Heynckes brought on Modrić for Tymoshchuk to strengthen Bayern’s defense.
• In the 84th minute, Toni Kroos launched a counterattack with a long pass, and Su Dong beat three Bordeaux defenders before scoring to make it 3–2.
• Heynckes replaced Marcelo with Badstuber as Bordeaux attacked desperately for an equalizer.
• Lucio received a second yellow card for bringing down Chamakh, leaving Bayern with nine players.
• Bayern defended their lead to the final whistle and defeated Bordeaux 3–2 away, with Su Dong scoring twice and Thomas Müller and Lucio sent off.

Bayern relied on Su Dong’s goals and assists to navigate a demanding run of matches, defeat Frankfurt and Schalke 04, and stay strong in the Bundesliga, while injuries and suspensions contributed to a Champions League draw with Bordeaux. Bayern finished the stretch with a league win before the international break.

• After Bayern beat Bordeaux 3–2, Su Dong earned widespread praise, and France Football Magazine named him among the 2009 European Golden Ball shortlist alongside five Bayern teammates.
• Su Dong scored and assisted as Bayern defeated Frankfurt 3–1 in the Bundesliga, then Bayern beat Frankfurt 4–0 in the German Cup to reach the quarterfinals.
• Su Dong came off the bench to score the winner in Bayern’s 1–0 victory away against Stuttgart.
• Bayern drew 1–1 at home with Bordeaux despite Su Dong assisting Toni Kroos, and the result left the group’s second-place contest open.
• Su Dong scored Bayern’s opener against Schalke 04, and Bayern won 2–1 before the European leagues paused for the international break.

The chapter follows Su Dong and those around him as Robert Enke’s suicide brings depression and footballers’ pressures into focus, while Su Dong recovers during the international break. It ends with major changes at Bayern as Uli Hoeness becomes chairman and announces reforms and a new Audi partnership.

• Robert Enke’s suicide shocked German football, and Bierhoff canceled Germany’s friendly against Chile as Enke’s wife revealed his long struggle with depression.
• Su Dong reflected on Enke’s death and Dessler’s withdrawal from football, while Nuno Cruz cited figures showing the prevalence of depression in Germany.
• Wang Chuqing rushed home after seeing the news and embraced Su Dong, frightened that the pressure of football might affect him.
• Su Dong trained with Nuno Cruz’s coaching team during the international break to recover from muscle fatigue and prepare for Bayern’s coming matches.
• Beckenbauer attended the Club World Cup draw in Abu Dhabi as a Bayern representative, with the tournament set to feature Estudiantes de La Plata among its teams.
• Beckenbauer retired as Bayern chairman, and Uli Hoeness was elected to replace him; Hoeness announced an Audi deal, management restructuring, and plans for the club’s future.

Su Dong and Bayern won a string of matches as the club’s management remained focused on professional support and neither side discussed extending his contract. Bayern beat Leverkusen, secured first place in their Champions League group, and thrashed Hannover 96 and Berlin Hertha before the 2009 European Golden Ball winner was announced.

• Su Dong and Bayern left his contract extension unaddressed, with six months remaining on his deal.
• Su Dong scored twice as Bayern defeated Leverkusen 2–1, while Neuer’s mistake allowed Kiesling to equalize temporarily.
• Bayern rested Su Dong and beat Zurich 1–0 through Olić’s goal, securing first place in their group.
• Su Dong scored a hat trick from Toni Kroos’s assists as Bayern beat Hannover 96 4–0 away.
• Su Dong scored another hat trick as Bayern crushed Berlin Hertha 7–1, and France Football Magazine announced the 2009 European Golden Ball winner several hours later.

Kicker editor-in-chief Rainer Holzschuh waited for official confirmation that Su Dong had won his fourth Ballon d'Or, then reflected on how the award strengthened Su Dong’s place in Bayern’s history and could reshape German football. The chapter left Holzschuh inspired to write more about Su Dong’s unprecedented achievements.

• Rainer Holzschuh prepared a Kicker special issue and column about Su Dong’s expected fourth Ballon d'Or.
• Holzschuh reviewed the award’s history and noted that no player had won it more than three times before.
• Holzschuh refreshed France Football Magazine’s website and saw its official announcement that Su Dong had won the 2009 European Golden Ball Award.
• Holzschuh laughed at France Football Magazine’s chocolate Ballon d'Or photograph, which had kept the result secret until the announcement.
• Holzschuh considered how Su Dong’s award made him a Bayern legend and could eventually place him among the greatest figures in German football.

Su Dong won his fourth Ballon d'Or with a record 478 points, while reports suggested Bayern might let his contract expire and European giants were preparing to pursue him. He scored twice and assisted once in Bayern's 3–0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach, then traveled to Paris for the ceremony, where his confident hopes of winning again left editor-in-chief Xiao Mier conflicted.

• Su Dong won his fourth Ballon d'Or, receiving 478 points and topping KPMG's player valuation ranking at €200 million.
• KPMG reported that Su Dong's Bayern contract would expire in six months and predicted he might leave, prompting interest from Real Madrid, Manchester United, Man City, and other clubs.
• FIFA announced Su Dong, Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, and Xavi as its World Footballer of the Year finalists and introduced the Annual Best Team and Puskas Award.
• Su Dong scored twice and assisted Robben in Bayern's 3–0 Bundesliga victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach, which was played with the Jabulani ball.
• Su Dong traveled to Paris for the Ballon d'Or ceremony, thanked his teammates and coaches, and said he hoped to return every year.
• Xiao Mier felt conflicted because Su Dong's dominance had removed suspense from the award, but he knew denying him would hurt the Ballon d'Or even more.