The Strongest Golden Boy Winner in History! Chinese Fans Go Wild-His Stats Are Insane!
Italy, Turin.
"Don, winner of the 2015 Europe Golden Boy Award!"
As the host shouted at the awards ceremony, the spotlights shone on Tang Long, who was sitting in the audience.
Sitting next to him were Manchester United's Martial, Atlético Madrid's Correa, Barca's Munir, and others, who all applauded and cast envious glances at Tang Long.
Dressed in a suit and tie, Tang Long slowly stood up, buttoned up the top button of his suit jacket, waved to the audience, and confidently walked onto the podium.
Two people presented him with the award: Regini, the editor-in-chief of Tuttosport, and Vieri, the famous Italy striker.
Regini is a die-hard Juventus fan, and Tuttosport is the mouthpiece of the Juventus club.
So for him to witness Tang Long receiving this award in person was worse than being killed!
Regini's face was ashen, and the forced smile he gave looked incredibly awkward, making the other spectators in the stands find it utterly ridiculous.
Perhaps it was because Juventus had been repeatedly defeated by Tang Long that Regini, a Juventus fan, lost face. He didn't even follow the usual practice of personally presenting the Golden Boy Award trophy to Tang Long. Instead, he politely shook hands with him and then invited another guest Vieri, to present the award to Tang Long.
Although this approach was unconventional, Vieri was very enthusiastic about it.
He couldn't wait to have this opportunity to personally hand the trophy to Tang Long!
He was Inter Milan's main striker during his playing career, and remains a die-hard Inter Milan fan even after retiring.
Vieri knew Tang Long all too well!
Although Tang Long only played for Inter Milan for one season, his brilliant performances are still fresh in people's minds. The two trophies he brought to Inter Milan, the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Europa League, are forever engraved in the club's hall of fame and on the monument of history.
Although he only played for Inter Milan for one season, he remains a legend at the Inter Milan.
"Congratulations, Tang! You're sure to have a bright future!"
Vieri gave Tang Long a big hug, then handed the heavy Golden Boy Award to Tang Long with both hands.
"Will you go back to Inter Milan?" Vieri whispered to Tang Long.
"Who can say for sure what will happen in the future?" Tang Long smiled, seemingly unsure.
Tang Long raised the trophy high and gave the camera a domineering smile!
This scene also ignited the passion of China fans thousands of miles away who were watching the live broadcast!
The live stream chat was filled with a dense barrage of comments, which swept across the entire screen like a gust of wind. All China fans felt proud of Tang Long.
[15 Premier League, 9 goals, 13 assists; 6 UEFA Champions League group stage appearances, 4 goals, 9 assists – I would call Tang Long the greatest Golden Boy Award of all time!]
-[In 2005, an 18-year-old Lionel Messi also won the Golden Boy Award, but his profile is far inferior to that of our Tang Long!]
-[It's not just Lionel Messi; look at the past winners: Van der Vaart, Agüero, Fabregas, Balotelli, Pato —which of them could match Tang Long's stats at age 19?]
If Tang Long continues playing like this, he might even win the Ballon d'Or this season!
-[That's hard to say; it depends on Manchester City's overall number of titles.]
Tang Long has already become the first China player to win both the UEFA Europa League and the Coppa Italia. It's believed he will also become the first to win the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League, and perhaps even the first China player to win the Ballon d'Or!
-[Absolutely possible! Think about it, he's only 19! He has over 10 years of professional career ahead of him, enough time to create his own legend!]
[Support Tang Long! He represents China football and is an everlasting banner for China football in Europe!]
- [Brother Long's smile is so domineering! When China players are playing football in Europe, they can't be timid; they have to show Brother Long's domineering presence and composure!]
From now on, when commentators are commentating on Manchester City matches, stop calling him "Little Tang" and start calling him "Brother Long"!
[Supporting Brother Long! Go Brother Long!!!]
Messages were constantly popping up in various fan WeChat groups, not just Manchester City fan groups, but also Inter Milan, Inter Milan Bayern, Liverpool, Barca, Real Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain fan groups. Countless thumbs-up emojis kept appearing and flooding the groups.
Many China fans have expressed their intention to travel to Manchester City as a group to watch Tang Long's matches and witness the Europe Golden Boy Award winner's brilliance at the Etihad Stadium!
During his acceptance speech, Tang Long couldn't resist taking a jab at Regini, the editor-in-chief of Tuttosport, who was sitting next to him.
He deliberately turned the microphone towards Regini.
"I am extremely grateful to Tuttosport for their generosity in allowing Editor-in-Chief Regini to bestow such an important award upon me, a former Inter Milan player. You are truly selfless!"
Regini was completely taken aback by Tang Long's words and was stunned.
Vieri, meanwhile, was looking down, clutching his thighs to stifle a laugh, glancing occasionally at Regini to observe his embarrassed expression.
The audience was completely silent.
However, three seconds later, the entire venue erupted in thunderous laughter!
The applause came like a tidal wave, lasting for a long time!
Europe award ceremonies differ somewhat from those in China. There's less formal language, and it's quite normal to crack jokes. If you can genuinely make the entire audience laugh, that's a skill that earns you respect.
Indeed, Tang Long is a former Inter Milan player, and the feud between Inter Milan and Juventus needs no further explanation.
Although he left Serie A for Manchester City Inter Milan, leaving Serie A behind, Tang Long humiliated Juventus twice in the six rounds of the UEFA Champions League group stage, both at home and away!
Two of the penalties were particularly egregious, leaving the legendary Italy goalkeeper Buffon humiliated and questioning his career. Meanwhile, the national team's key center- Chiellini was repeatedly outmaneuvered by Tang Long, suffering greatly.
Recalling the past, when Tang Long was with Inter Milan, he ruined Juventus's plans in the Coppa Italia final.
Therefore, at this moment, Juventus' mouthpiece Tuttosport, awarding the Golden Boy Award to Tang Long is indeed a very entertaining event.
Seeing the uproarious laughter from the audience, Regini's face turned red, and the veins on his neck bulged.
He panicked!
"Tuttosport is renowned for its fairness and impartiality. It is a highly respected and long-established media outlet across Europe. We treat all players equally. We sent our votes to the editorial departments of over 30 prominent media outlets throughout Europe. The Golden Boy Award winner is chosen entirely by vote, without any bias..."
Regini's little mouth kept chattering, trying to salvage some face.
However, no one was listening to what he was saying at the moment; everyone's attention was focused on the large screen on the stage, which was showing Tang Long's various outstanding performances this year.
The incredible assists and skillful movement, made by one miraculous anticipation after another, along with the various spectacular goals, dazzled the audience and drew continuous applause.
When the replay began, showing Tang Long scoring a super long-range volley from 60 meters out while playing for Inter Milan last season, the entire stadium rose to their feet and erupted in thunderous applause, almost lifting the roof off the stadium!
"Well deserved, absolutely well deserved!"
"My God, is this guy really only 19 years old? Unbelievable!"
"Neither 19-year-old Lionel Messi nor 19-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo are nearly as good as Tang!"
"If Manchester City can win the UEFA Champions League, I believe he will definitely be the Ballon d'Or winner this year!"
"Why can't Italy produce a genius like Tang? It's such a pity..."
The next day, the sun shone on Manchester United's training ground, where the players were carrying out their daily training.
Martial stood among his teammates, a hint of resentment in his eyes, gesturing as he spoke:
"Sigh, you know what? Yesterday at the Golden Boy Award ceremony, I felt like I was just a runner-up!"
"Although I knew it in my heart, I couldn't help but speculate, what if a miracle happened? But in the end, I knew that Tang would definitely take the prize!"
His tone was a mixture of jealousy and envy; he became increasingly agitated as he spoke, his face flushing slightly.
"Honestly, putting aside what the judges were thinking, as a player myself, I was completely stunned when they showed Tang Long's highlights on stage!"
"My God, Tang is only 19 years old! But look at how mature he is when he plays football, he's like a 30-year-old veteran who's been on the field for over a decade, it's unbelievable."
His eyes widened in amazement, as if Tang Long's image on the field was right before his eyes.
Martial started gesturing wildly, and his voice unconsciously rose a few decibels.
"His passing is absolutely incredible! Have you guys noticed? It's like he has a magical radar that can predict the positions and movements of the forwards and defenders. He always knows what's going to happen three seconds in advance, as if he can read the opponent's mind. I really can't figure out how he does it. Sigh, if only Tang had come to Manchester United back then, I might have won the Premier League Golden Boot by now..."
As they were talking, De Gea walked over from the side, poked Martial's arm, and gave him a warning look, signaling him to stop talking.
Martial's words came to an abrupt halt. He turned around with some confusion, and what he saw made his heart skip a beat.
Icardi stood not far away, staring at him with a sinister gaze, a gaze like a cold arrow piercing straight at Martial.
Martial inwardly cursed his bad luck, immediately forcing an awkward smile onto his face as he grinned ingratiatingly at Icardi. Then he turned and tried to sneak away, his steps as hurried as a frightened rabbit.
Before he could take two steps, Icardi's deep voice came over, "Martial, come here, I have something to say to you!"
The voice was like a tight band, instantly freezing Martial's steps.
Martial slowly turned around and walked cautiously toward Icardi, afraid of offending the team's star striker.
Icardi frowned and said seriously, "What's so enviable about the Golden Boy Award? It's not the Ballon d'Or. Even if you gave me that award, I wouldn't want it!"
His voice carried a deliberate arrogance, as if he were defending his dignity.
Upon hearing this, Martial's straightforward nature kicked in, and without thinking, he blurted out:
"Mauro, the Golden Boy Award is for players under 21. You're already 22, you're not qualified for it at all!"
The moment he said those words, the air around him seemed to freeze for a moment.
Icardi froze, his mouth agape, his expression as if he'd been struck on the head with a club. "Ah, you!"
He struggled for a long time, but couldn't utter a single word. His face turned bright red, and he stood there like a wooden statue.
At first, the teammates around him were stunned, then burst into suppressed laughter, a laugh tinged with mockery.
Just then, Rooney walked over and patted Icardi on the shoulder with a smile.
"Mauro, don't worry about it. It's okay if you don't win the Golden Boy Award. You're aiming for the Ballon d'Or, right? Perform well, and when Manchester United wins the treble, you can win the European Golden Shoe. I guarantee the Ballon d'Or will be yours this year!"
Rooney's voice was calm and powerful, as if giving Icardi a reassurance;
Upon hearing this, Icardi's expression softened somewhat, and he nodded slightly.
That evening, Icardi, who enjoys using social media, first blocked more than 100 people who were criticizing him, and then posted a status update.
What is the Golden Boy Award? My goal is to win the Ballon d'Or!
The accompanying image is a 10-minute highlight reel of his own goals.
Icardi's wife Wanda, also shared her husband's post.
[Mauro is the best player in the world, I have no doubt that he will win the Ballon d'Or d'Or one day! Look at his goal highlights, all those slanders against my husband are just jealousy!]
However, the couple's back-and-forth banter had netizens in stitches.
The reason is that many of Icardi's goals in that highlight reel were scored during his time at Inter Milan, and most of them were assisted by Tang Long!
"Mauro, I doubt you've even watched the whole video. Count how many of your goals were assisted by Long?"
"When a person is shameless enough, they become invincible. This applies to your wife, and also to you!"
"What's it to you if Tang wins a children's tennis award? How is it getting in your way?"
"Without Tang's assists at Inter Milan, would you have been noticed by Manchester United?"
"I think you've forgotten the pain once the wound has healed. You've already forgotten about being beaten 7-0 by Manchester City!"
"Icardi receives an assist from Dom, flicks it on with the instep at the near post, and scores! Oh, sorry, it's an own goal!"