Chapter 573 - 42: Pay Raise! Mole?
"I have no opinion on this."
Chen Zhong appeared very calm in front of reporters during the interview.
After the last group stage match, although Real Madrid did not win, they still firmly held the top position in their group.
Ajax unexpectedly lost to Ousel, causing their qualifying situation to deteriorate sharply.
After the match, the coaches of both teams praised Chen Zhong’s performance. Mourinho said in front of the camera, "Chen has the ability to change the course of the game."
"Of course, Cristiano is also an outstanding player."
"But clearly, the Real Madrid centered around Chen is the strongest."
"His performance is such that winning the upcoming Ballon d’Or is not a surprise."
Not only did Mourinho affirm Chen Zhong, but Allegri also expressed his thoughts in front of the camera about this man who fans still remember fondly.
"We led by two goals in the first half."
"At that time, we were so close to victory."
"But Chen stepped up, and I seemed to see him from the 08-09 season, when he led Milan to win two championships."
"If possible, I truly wish during my tenure at Milan, the team still had a player like Chen."
"Ballon d’Or?"
"Although Spain won the World Cup, I think that perhaps in the World Cup year, the Ballon d’Or should also definitely be awarded to a champion player."
Now it’s 2010, with just over a month until the announcement of the Ballon d’Or, and during World Cup years, the Ballon d’Or is usually awarded to a player from the winning World Cup team.
This year, as Spain won the World Cup, Iniesta and Xavi are popular candidates for the Ballon d’Or.
However, despite their impeccable national team records, a season of no major club honors last season allowed Chen Zhong’s "double crowns" to close many gaps, coupled with the discrepancy in individual player statistics, many feel Chen Zhong winning the Ballon d’Or seems to be a more reasonable choice.
This has led many to anticipate whether there will be the first Asian player to win the Ballon d’Or.
Will there be the first World Cup Ballon d’Or winner from a World Cup champion year?
And last year’s Ballon d’Or winner Messi is hardly mentioned anymore.
After all, in club honors, Barcelona had no major titles last season, and on the national team, Messi’s performance at the World Cup was not impressive. Although his individual statistics dominated over Xavi and Iniesta, they were overshadowed by Chen Zhong on two fronts.
One being club honors, the other individual honors.
With Ballon d’Or voting underway, Messi has been subconsciously left off many award lists.
And as the National Derby approaches, the performances of Real Madrid and Barcelona are increasingly capturing the attention of fans.
In the recently concluded 11th round of the league.
Real Madrid narrowly defeated Sporting Gijon with a one-goal away win, while Barcelona easily won 3:1 against their opponent.
And in the King’s Cup arena, Real Madrid also won 5:1 against their opponent, proudly advancing to the next round, while Barcelona did not fall behind, claiming a 5:1 victory as well.
As the date of the National Derby draws near, newspapers from both regions began publishing news about the two clubs, and at Real Madrid, Pepe, who has gradually secured his main position, caused rumors about wanting a salary increase.
In these rumors, news about Pepe was evidently in an unfavorable state, with many discussing the scene in the Champions League group stage against Milan where Pepe, after his backfield was taken over by Ibrahimovic, "assisted" Inzaghi in scoring:
Marca also summarized Pepe’s performance this season and criticized him: "He made yet another mistake, yet again costing the team a goal."
They even coined a term "Pepe-style mistake"
This term suggests that whenever he makes such a mistake, it often leads to the team conceding a goal, resulting in great costs for the team.
Pepe’s contract with Real Madrid will expire in the summer of 2012, and both parties have begun contract negotiation talks, but Pepe and the club haven’t agreed yet.
Pepe’s current annual salary is 1.5 million Euros.
This salary is on the lower side within Real Madrid’s club, and Real Madrid intends to give Pepe a salary increase, but the club believes raising it to 3.5 million Euros is already a high standard.
In other words, 3.5 million Euros is essentially the highest price Real Madrid is willing to offer Pepe.
However, Pepe refused this doubled salary offer.
According to that "reliable" source.
It was said that Pepe hopes the club can offer him at least 5 million Euros in salary.
Mendes also encouraged Pepe over the phone.
This even caused a rift between Mendes and Florentino, because according to "reliable" sources, this contract was personally delivered by Real Madrid President Florentino, but Mendes refused it.
And the higher-ups are not considering increasing the salary offer.
At the same time, there was discussion about Pepe’s injuries and discipline issues.
A center-back in a top club needs to be more stable, and since Pepe’s arrival at Real Madrid, although he appears bold on the field, he cannot be classified into the category of stable defenders.
Despite the Bernabeu fans quite liking him, the Portuguese-Brazilian’s susceptibility to injuries, quirky temperament on the field, and some inexplicable mistakes can exact a cost on Real Madrid.