Although the Laureus World Sports Award's major honors had always had little to do with football, footballers were never absent from each awards ceremony. It was just that active players rarely attended.
For example, at this year's Shanghai Laureus ceremony, French football legend Cantona, Spanish defender Puyol, Brazilian legendary right-back Cafu, German legendary center-forward Bierhoff, former Germany goalkeeper Lehmann, and other famous figures from the football world all gathered in Shanghai.
Although they had fought for their respective sides on the football pitch, battling until bodies were strewn across the field, off the pitch—especially at an event of such importance to the sporting world—people in football remained very united. Even Puyol, a Barcelona legend who had suffered so much at Yang Yang's hands throughout his career, immediately came over to greet him as soon as he saw him.
Facing these football elders, Yang Yang was very courteous as well. Moreover, since China was the host, he warmly asked about their stay in Shanghai and even invited them to remain in China a little longer and travel around to see the sights.
This time, Bierhoff and Lehmann were both attending the grand event as representatives of the Germany Team. Bierhoff was also the team manager of the Germany Team, and it had been him who led Germany against China in the final of the Brazil World Cup.
Clearly, they had come for the Laureus Best Team Award.
However, even if they were competitors for an award, they remained extremely polite when they met off the field.
That was also one of the characteristics of the Laureus ceremony. Internal rivalries in football could be fierce, but in the face of other competitive sports, they had to at least remain united and present a common front.
Especially afterward, Butragueño, the head of Real