Yang Yang, who had just bought a plot of land in China and was preparing to invite Norman Foster to build a private museum, once again became the focus of attention for major media outlets around the world after returning to Europe.
The reason was simple: He had won Marca's award for the best player in La Liga last season.
This was a traditional Spanish award organized by Marca. The award for the best player was called the Di Stéfano Award, and Yang Yang had won it for four consecutive years, demonstrating just how outstanding his performances in La Liga had been.
At the award ceremony, when Marca's editor-in-chief jokingly asked him why he wanted to build a private museum, Yang Yang laughed and said that he had been inspired by the media. That was why he had spent the past few years collecting valuable mementos from his career, such as the goal nets he had personally taken down in the past.
"I think building a private museum will motivate me further and push me to maintain my form and competitiveness. I did a rough calculation, and the awards and championship honors I've received so far, along with some of my collections, are still nowhere near enough to fill that museum. So I'll have to work even harder."
Yang Yang's statement drew a burst of laughter from everyone at the ceremony. Was that the greatest benefit of having a private museum?
After the ceremony, Yang Yang gave an exclusive interview to Marca, publicly discussing the Blatter controversy for the first time.
Yang Yang said that he had already received a call from Blatter. The FIFA president had expressed his apologies over the phone, and Yang Yang had accepted Blatter's apology and invitation. He said that he would not refuse to