The Top Five Leagues Draw to a Close! Tang Long Must Abstain to Prepare for the UEFA Champions League Final?

With the conclusion of the 38th round of the Premier League, the 2016-2017 season of the Top Five Leagues has come to an end.

In La Liga, thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo's brace, Real Madrid managed to hold onto their one-point lead until the very end, defeating Barca to win the La Liga title this season.

In Serie A, Juventus remains the undisputed champion of Italy.

Their victory was a foregone conclusion, leaving Inter Milan, AC Milan, Roma, Napoli, Lazio, and many other teams far behind.

Bayern remains as dominant as ever in the Bundesliga, leading Leipzig by a full 15 points, and it's worth noting that the Bundesliga only has 34 rounds.

Paris's upset was unexpected; Monaco snatched the Ligue 1 title this season, and Nasser must be furious.

In the Premier League, not only the skies over Manchester, but the whole of Britain is blue!

Manchester City successfully defended their title, securing their second consecutive Premier League championship.

Looking across the British Isles, Manchester City has increasingly resembled Juventus in Serie A and Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga in the past two years.

This season, from the first round to the last round of the league, a total of 38 rounds, they have been in the lead position from beginning to end throughout this long marathon, never falling out of first place in the real-time rankings.

Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur – all these challengers were defeated by Manchester City.

Some say that if Manchester City continues this hot streak, they may be ushering in their own era of the Blue Moon dynasty.

Within the massive warship, Blue Moon, two individuals played crucial roles.

One is Guardiola, the Spain national team coach.

After replacing Pellegrini at Manchester City, Guardiola systematically transformed the Manchester City, perfectly transplanting his possession-based tactics from Spain and the Bundesliga to the newly rich Premier League team.

Manchester City has always been a possession-based team, and since Guardiola arrived, the team's footwork and teamwork have become even more refined. Their passing and possession skills have become superb, and they are already showing signs of the Dream Team III Barca of yesteryear.

Another crucial figure was China player Tang Long.

He played 36 out of 38 league matches, scoring 57 goals. This number of goals made the Premier League Golden Boot no longer enough for him. Yes, he ascended to the throne of the European Golden Shoe!

This Golden Boot is of extraordinary significance and has a groundbreaking role.

For Manchester City, this is their first European Golden Shoe in their 137-year history.

For the Premier League League as a whole, this marks the second time Premier League player has won the European Golden Shoe since Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo won it in the 2007-2008 season.

For Tang Long personally, this achievement broke Lionel Messi's Golden Boot record of 50 goals set in the 2012-2013 season!

And in one fell swoop, this record was improved by a whopping 7 goals!

His stature is truly awe-inspiring!

Unfortunately, looking at the more than 100-year history of modern football, Tang Long is not the youngest winner of the European Golden Shoe.

The youngest player in history to win the European Golden Shoe is Wim Kifter.

Wim Kieft was born in 1962 and came through the Ajax youth academy. He joined the Ajax first team at the age of 17 and became the team's main striker at the age of 18. At the age of 19, he scored 32 goals in 32 games in the Eredivisie, helping Ajax win the league title and also winning the Eredivisie Golden Boot and the European Golden Shoe.

The day after Tang Long secured the European Golden Shoe, the renowned UK media outlet the Guardian traveled to the Netherlands to interview retired player Kift.

When the Guardian described Kift and Tang Long as outstanding young people of their respective eras, the 55-year-old Netherlands, with graying temples, blushed and quickly waved his hand, saying:

"Don't say that. I'm nowhere near Tang Ke's level. We're not even in the same league."

"Although I won the European Golden Shoe a year earlier than him, I won it in the Eredivisie, while Tang won it in the Premier League. The two leagues are not on the same level at all. Moreover, the Eredivisie emphasizes attack more and is more open and expansive, and the defensive intensity there is not on the same level as the Premier League."

"Secondly, looking at my entire career, it's hard to compare with Tang's."

In fact, Kifte was not being modest when he said this.

Although he has won the Eredivisie title, the Eredivisie Golden Boot, and the European Golden Shoe, and even achieved a treble with Eindhoven, his performance after moving from the Eredivisie to Serie A has been disappointing, falling far short of Tang Long's outstanding performance at Inter Milan.

No matter the circumstances, the top five Europe Top Five Leagues are the biggest stage for players to showcase themselves, a point that everyone agrees on.

When Tang Long is mentioned, the retired Netherlands striker's eyes are full of admiration.

"Why do you all keep bringing up the European Golden Shoe? In my opinion, this season has been perfect for Don; he even broke another record in terms of goals scored."

"If I remember correctly, the record for most goals in a single season across the Top Five Leagues is held by Lionel Messi in the 2012-2013 season, with a total of 73 goals. Tang Long has now surpassed him. I believe that for a long time to come, no one except Tang himself will be able to break this record again."

Kift's words are true.

Even disregarding Tang Long's goals in the League Cup and FA Cup, he has scored 57 goals in the league and 20 in the Champions League before the UEFA Champions League ended, bringing his total to 77 goals, surpassing Lionel Messi's 73.

If we include the three goals from the League Cup and FA Cup, Tang Long's season goal tally has now just surpassed 80!

There's still the FA Cup final against Manchester United and the UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid left. How many goals will Tang Long score in those two matches? It's all very intriguing.

Tang Long's winning the European Golden Shoe shocked many Europe and also stung their sensitive hearts.

Another record is that Tang Long became the first Asia player in history to win the European Golden Shoe!

The top five Europe Top Five Leagues, representing the highest level of football in the world, have somehow managed to draw all the spotlight to a China player from a football-poor country, a situation that has left many Europe feeling quite wistful.

So what? Goals are earned through hard work, one goal at a time. Even if some people don't want to see Tang Long win the European Golden Shoe, he still has to have the ability to do so.

Ronaldo, the Brazil retired player known as "The Phenomenon" and also Tang Long's agent, has expressed a strong opinion on this matter.

"Back when I was playing football, some people said that it was much harder for South America to win the Golden Boot in Europe than for Europe!"

"It's ridiculous! Is the Golden Boot awarded by an official jury? Doesn't it come from scoring goals one by one?"

"I once declared loudly that Donnay is my successor, Ronaldo."

"This statement is not just about sportsmanship; it reflects a broader perspective on culture and race."

"I want to tell everyone something very simple: football is a fair sport."

"No matter what country you come from, what your cultural background is, what your skin color is, or what your religious beliefs are, the only thing that will make people cheer for you is your performance on the field."

"I was a poor boy who came from Brazil favela. I proved that at Eindhoven, Barcelona, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid."

"Today, Tang, a China man from the East, is also practicing this principle."

Of course, the happiest people when Tang Long won the European Golden Shoe were his compatriots—the fans in China.

Back in China, fans were ecstatic; they could hardly believe it was real!

When Tang Long first joined one of the Top Five Leagues, some jokingly called him the hope of the entire village. Now it seems that this hope has not only survived, but has also yielded fruitful results!

-[It's already unbelievable that a China player won the Premier League Golden Boot, but Tang Long went on a two-legged accumulator to win the European Golden Shoe as well—truly remarkable!]

[If I remember correctly, the last China player to win the Golden Boot in Europe league was Dong Fangzhuo, right?]

-[Dong Fangzhuo is the top scorer in the Belgian Second Division, how can he be compared to Tang Long? That's just a blatant attempt to piggyback on his success.]

-[Back when Dong Fangzhuo was at Manchester United, saying he was just a benchwarmer would be an overestimation. Tang Long, on the other hand, was a genuine Premier League champion and a key striker for Manchester City. The difference is like night and day.]

This season has been absolutely thrilling! Even Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi can't beat Tang Long in terms of goals. He's simply an unparalleled goal-scoring machine!

Describing Tang Long as a "goal machine" is clearly too simplistic. Compared to Cristiano Ronaldo, Tang Long plays more positions and has more assists.

-[That's right, Long Ge is an incredibly well-rounded player. He can play defensive midfield, attacking midfield, and striker—he can play the entire central axis of the team. The only roles he's missing are center-back and goalkeeper!]

I'm not worried about the FA Cup final and the match against Manchester United. My only concern right now is the UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid; I wonder if Manchester City can win.

-[If he wins, then Tang Long will undoubtedly be the greatest athlete in China history, even without the football label.]

"Hiss~ Be gentle! Ah..." Tang Long's body tensed, and an uncontrollable cry of pain escaped his throat.

"Don't twist so fast, hey!" Tang Long's voice trembled, his body convulsing slightly uncontrollably, a tingling sensation running down his spine like an electric current.

Inside the team's physiotherapy room, warm yellow lights bathed the surroundings, and a faint medicinal scent filled the air—a unique aroma mingled with various pain-relieving plasters and liquids.

Gracie, dressed in a white uniform with her hair neatly tied back, was leaning forward. Her small, soft, and nimble hands were carefully applying cool ointment to Tang Long's back with her fingertips.

The moment the plaster touched my skin, a cool sensation spread rapidly, but it couldn't dispel the burning and pain in my back muscles.

Gracie's movements were gentle and focused. She spread the ointment evenly, then placed her palms on Tang Long's skin and began to slowly knead and press, each stroke with just the right amount of force, trying to soothe Tang Long's tense muscle fibers.

"Heh, didn't you look pretty cool walking back to the players' tunnel last night? Turns out it was all an act."

Gracie's lips curled into a faint smile, her tone tinged with a hint of teasing.

Her bright eyes were fixed on Tang Long's reaction, not missing any subtle changes in his facial expression.

Tang Long groaned again, turning his head with difficulty, a helpless, bitter smile on his face.

"With so many people watching me, am I supposed to walk back clutching my back? That's not cool, it doesn't suit my style."

Gracie's smile gradually faded, and her brows unconsciously furrowed into a knot.

Her gaze was fixed on the noticeably swollen muscles on Tang Long's back, her eyes filled with worry.

The skin there was slightly reddish, and the originally smooth muscle lines became distorted and abrupt.

Her fingers touched it lightly and she could feel the stiffness and heat of the muscles.

Although Tang Long successfully defeated Cristiano Ronaldo and won the prestigious European Golden Shoe, his back injury worsened due to the high-intensity matches and excessive fatigue.

Thinking about the UEFA Champions League final in two weeks, and about Cristiano Ronaldo, who is known for his self-discipline, Gracie's heart tightened.

"We must do everything we can to reduce the swelling as soon as possible, otherwise how can he compete against the disciplined Cristiano Ronaldo in the UEFA Champions League final in two weeks?"

This thought kept swirling in her mind.

Suddenly, Gracie's eyes narrowed sharply, as if a bolt of lightning had struck her mind.

She stared at Tang Long's back, a sudden realization dawning on her. "Ah, so that's how it is, I was wondering..."

The next second, Gracie suddenly slapped Tang Long hard on the back. The sudden force made Tang Long's body bounce up instantly, flying 10 centimeters off the massage chair.

Tang Long exclaimed in terror, "What? My back is already injured, are you going to kill me?"

Gracie looked at him with a half-smile, a hint of cunning in her eyes. "Don't worry, I knew my limits, I didn't hit any of your injured areas."

As she spoke, her small hand gently stroked Tang Long's back again, a gesture that contrasted sharply with her previous violence, as if what she had just done was merely a prank.

"I remember you came to me for a checkup three days ago, and your back didn't seem this swollen. How did it become like this after the match?"

Gracie's voice was soft, yet carried a subtle hint of probing.

"That must be because I scored 6 goals on the field and used too much force. Do you even need to think about it?" Tang Long's eyes flickered.

Gracie smiled and shook her head slightly, her eyes seeming to see right through Tang Long's every little thought.

She was silent for a moment, then her tone suddenly became serious. "Fine, if you're not going to tell me the truth, then I can't press you for an answer. But if you want to recover fully and be in top form for the UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid, you have to promise me one thing."

Upon hearing this, Tang Long immediately perked up and nodded hastily. "You're the team doctor, I'll listen to whatever you say. Don't just say it's one thing, I'll agree to ten things, as long as it helps me recover."

Gracie slowly began, "There's no need to promise ten things, one is enough. In fact, your body is in very good shape. Even with this back injury, a injection before the match would allow you to play. But this is the UEFA Champions League final. Cristiano Ronaldo is an extremely disciplined player, perhaps even more so than you in that respect, so you're definitely facing the strongest Cristiano Ronaldo."

She paused, took a deep breath, and stared intently into Tang Long's eyes, saying each word slowly and deliberately:

"Your back injury recurrence is largely due to some kind of overly strenuous exercise. You must abstain from sex for the remaining 15 days."