During Arsenal's unrestrained celebrations, the stadium staff set up a small podium in front of the players' tunnel.
Calling it a podium was generous; it was more like an advertising wall, plastered with the logos of all the tournament and team sponsors. Dozens of reporters had set up cameras nearby, creating a lively scene.
The Premier League's individual awards ceremony for the season was about to take place here.
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
A female host, script in hand, stood at the podium, her voice echoing throughout the Emirates Stadium, capturing everyone's attention.
"A glorious season has passed! Now, it's time to focus our attention on those exceptional players! In 38 rounds of matches, 380 contests, and a total playing time of 34,562 minutes! A total of 527 top players have graced this field, and the best among them will receive the ultimate title!"
"This is the supreme honor! The player who receives it will become a role model for the new generation of footballers, an object of pursuit for others!"
"..."
The Arsenal players, who had been jumping and cheering on the other side, turned their heads with smiles upon hearing this and began to applaud. Then, they gradually moved closer to the podium.
Many glanced at Maël, knowing that this year's individual awards ceremony would likely be his personal showcase.
He would reap countless individual achievements here, becoming the most dazzling player of the season!
"What about the Assists Leader?" Van Persie turned to Arteta, who was holding his phone, and asked curiously, "Is it David Silva's or his? Or do they share it?"
"David Silva's."
Arteta shrugged slightly, showing the phone to Van Persie with a hint of regret. "He scored one goal and assisted two in the last round of the league, bringing his assist total to 21."
"Ah." Van Persie sighed regretfully, then turned back to pat Maël's shoulder. "Just one assist short of sweeping the awards. Will you blame us for wasting your passes?"
Maël, puzzled by his words, chuckled, "No, scoring goals is always a low-probability event. I've wasted plenty of chances too."
"Don't overthink it. It just means my focus was different this season, and my abilities aren't yet strong enough to easily sweep both awards."
Despite saying that, he was actually a bit surprised that D. Silva had managed 21 assists this season.
That was a record-breaking performance... It seemed that after losing the championship, D. Silva's mentality had shifted, and he desperately wanted to achieve something this season, which he successfully did.
Maël didn't feel regret. The Golden Boot was definitely his, and the Season's Best Player award was also highly likely.
In that context, losing to a peak D. Silva by only one assist wasn't shameful at all.
Or, to put it another way, a season with 43 goals and 20 assists didn't need the Assists Leader title to enhance it. This was the best, the ultimate data, outstanding in its own right! Of course, for the dream of a Grand Slam, the Assists Leader award would definitely be his goal for next season.
By then, his abilities in all aspects would certainly be stronger than now. With the addition of fancy moves, his playing style would change, and he would undoubtedly score more goals and provide more assists.
Even if D. Silva could maintain his fiery form from this season, he was confident in defeating him and claiming that achievement!
Moreover, maintaining form was an incredibly difficult thing for a player. Almost only Messi, Ronaldo, and a few others could do it.
Someone like him, who not only maintained his form but also improved, was even rarer.
"The first award to be presented is the Golden Boot, an award of which only one is officially made, and the trophy was placed in the Emirates Stadium before the match."
On the podium, the female host's gaze swept over the Arsenal players, finally settling on Maël. "Because everyone knows that this season's Premier League top scorer can only be an Arsenal player! Let us welcome, with the warmest applause and cheers, the super striker who scored 43 goals this season, winning the Golden Boot in record-breaking fashion."
"Maël!!"
"Ahhhaaa!!" The Arsenal fans in the Emirates Stadium stood up and shouted loudly, and many Norwich fans also applauded with admiration.
"Clap clap clap!" The Arsenal players, coaching staff, staff members, and everyone else in the stadium also smiled and applauded for Maël.
All the cameras were pointed at Maël, capturing his expression at this moment from every angle, every move.
Maël smiled, embracing each of the people congratulating him.
"I'm completely convinced," Van Persie said during their hug, his eyes showing no disappointment, only admiration for his teammate.
"Congratulations!" Arteta simply congratulated him, "The top scorer in the top league at 18!"
Mertesacker was different from the others, joking, "We should use the Golden Boot to drink wine later."
"Oh..." Maël shook his head with a look of disgust. "I can't accept that. If you want to do that, I can lend it to you."
Mertesacker waved his hand with a smile, clearly not wanting to. "I don't think that's necessary."
Maël patted him, finally walking to Mr. Wenger's side, giving the old Professor a high-five and a hug.
"Take it back and treasure it. You know, everyone at Arsenal understands that those boots kicked us to the championship, kicked us to the invincible season, and to 100 points."
Mr. Wenger spoke a lot into Maël's ear, thanking Maël for his contributions on behalf of all Arsenal fans.
"I will treasure it." Maël nodded, smiling before going on stage, "This won't be the last one, and I'm not just talking about the Golden Boot."
Mr. Wenger, like everyone else, clapped and laughed, but his emotions were definitely stronger than others.
And so, Maël stepped onto the podium, stood in front of dozens of cameras, and smiled to greet the fans in front of the TV.
"Before the award ceremony, I want to ask a question." The female host, holding the script, approached him and said with a charming smile, "In August last year, did you ever think you would win this trophy?"
"I did."
Maël nodded without hesitation, truthfully saying, "I did dream of winning the EFL Championship Golden Boot and then winning the Premier League Golden Boot the following year.
"It's just that I probably didn't expect at the time that I would not only win it, but also win this award by scoring a record-breaking 43 goals."
The female host's charming smile grew even wider. She didn't waste any time, and with the script in her hand, she pointed to the back, "Let's invite a special guest to present this trophy to Maël!
"Welcome Thierry Henry!! He came all the way from the United States, just waiting for this moment!"
After another burst of shouts, Henry walked out of the player tunnel holding the Golden Boot trophy. His face was smiling, with pride and emotion, as if he remembered the first time he won the Golden Boot on this field.
After stepping onto the podium, he took two steps in one, handing the Golden Boot to Maël, "I know you can't wait, enjoy and savor this trophy, it's the highest honor for a striker."
Maël took the trophy, and his hand sank slightly. He didn't expect the Premier League Golden Boot to be so heavy.
He wasn't in a hurry to ask if it was pure gold, but first exchanged pleasantries with Henry, "Why did you suddenly come over? Shouldn't such a round trip be tiring?"
"Haha..." Henry smiled, shook his head, and raised his eyebrows, "I'm here to receive my Premier League championship medal, how could I feel tired?
"Bergkamp, Ljungberg, they are all envious of me, that I can still join a miracle team near retirement and share the success of 100 points with you.
"This is my luck, and I must tell you here, brother, everything you have accomplished this season is amazing."
He spread his hands, full of emotion, stepped forward and hugged Maël again, then didn't linger, walked off the stage towards Mr. Wenger, they seemed to have a lot to say.
"Ok!"
The female host returned to the stage, and after coming to Maël's side, she put down the microphone and leaned closer, "I just saw a hint of doubt in your eyes, were you wondering if the trophy is pure gold?
"I can answer that for you, yes, but that's irrelevant to you now, right?"
Maël's eyes lit up, and he looked at the Golden Boot trophy in his hand again, "It's still quite important, a trophy made of pure gold is more exquisite, more weighty, and more suitable for collection."
He knew that what the host meant was that this little bit of gold was not enough to attract him. That was indeed the case. From the moment he held this trophy, he received Puma's £1.5 million bonus.
But the value of the 'Golden' Boot is definitely not just this bit of gold. For him, this is the best summary of his 43 goals!
Because gold is the rarest and most expensive of the circulating precious metals.
When it appears in this form, to some extent, it represents the best!
The female host nodded with a look of brilliance, she could understand what Maël meant.
Turning her head to look at the tens of thousands of expectant eyes at the scene, she didn't say anything else, picked up the microphone and returned to the topic, "Now, let's congratulate the Premier League's top scorer of the 11-12 season!"
"Yeahhhh!" Deafening shouts rang out, fans either raised their hands high, or took out their mobile phones to record, and some raised the replica Golden Boots they had prepared long ago.
In the visiting team's coaching area, Neil and a few others from Norwich hadn't left yet.
They also clapped their hands, expressing their respect to Maël together.
At the moment the final whistle sounded, Neil had withdrawn from the team's head coach position. Now, he was more just congratulating him as an old acquaintance of Maël.
"How many goals did he score against Norwich last season?" He looked at Hoolahan next to him and asked.
"I can't remember." Hoolahan shook his head, only giving a rough estimate, "It shouldn't be more than 3 goals. The first time I saw him, I didn't feel he had any intensity, it was only the second time that I realized what kind of player he was."
Neil nodded, then suddenly smiled, "So, facing Norwich 4 times, he only scored 5-6 goals, which is about the same as his average goal efficiency."
"So..." Hoolahan looked at him, not knowing what he meant.
"So our Norwich's defense has always been of Premier League average standard." Neil said these words with interest, he didn't really think so, just felt it at this moment.
"Haha..." Hoolahan laughed, he knew it was a joke, and also knew that Neil had more than just gratitude for Maël, but also admiration.
And so, in front of tens of thousands of people at the scene, and tens of millions of people watching the TV broadcast, Maël spiritedly held the Golden Boot over his head, shaking his arms.
In addition to being crowned the Premier League Golden Boot winner, he also became the Premier League's all-time single-season top scorer!
"Oh!" In the bar street outside the Emirates Stadium, dozens of fans rushed out of the bars, cheering with the Arsenal fans on the street.
"Maël! Maël! Maël!!" They shouted the player's name, and then sang the player's song in unison, "Clang clang clang clang! I have a friend...!"
At this moment, they shared the glory of the Golden Boot winner with the player!
They also proudly raised their heads, because they knew that Arsenal fans were the envy of all team fans in the world at this moment! In Jones's bar on the corner, in front of the familiar round table, there was already a scene of cheers.
Watching everything settle down, Jones stood up with a flushed face, waving the betting slip in his hand, "The player's victory! Is my victory! It is also the victory of All In! "Yes!"
As if he couldn't wait any longer, he rushed out of the bar and strode towards the familiar betting shop across the street.
Many people followed him out, some to redeem their winnings together, and some to get some good luck.
The bar owner was also infected, he smiled and handed the car keys to the employee in the store, "Go to the warehouse and bring 20 cases of Heineken, I have a hunch that Jones will be very crazy today."
"Okay." The employee took the keys and turned to drive, and glanced at Jones's back on the way.
The bar owner re-entered the bar, looked up at Maël holding the Golden Boot award on the TV screen, and shook his head with mixed feelings and constant deep breaths.
Jones returned not long after he left. He had already drunk alcohol, and he was very excited at the moment, which made him look crazy, "Come on! Come on!"
Behind him, followed countless happy people, they were all waiting for his celebratory drink.
"Boss!"
Jones looked at the front desk and shouted boldly: "I want you to write a slogan at the door, before 12 o'clock today, as long as fans who want to celebrate Maël's Golden Boot can enter the store and drink Heineken for free! I'll pay for all the money! I'll pay for how much they drink, provided it's in this store!"
"Okay!" A burst of cheers rang out here, many people took seats in advance, and many people hurriedly took out their mobile phones to invite relatives and friends.
The bar owner nodded, smiled and picked up another key from the front desk, and handed it to another clerk, "Go to the warehouse and bring 10 more cases, in case everyone runs out of wine when they drink at night."
The clerk smiled and agreed, and couldn't help but ask before leaving: "What about me and Jack? Can we two drink for free today?"
The bar owner laughed twice, "Letting you report the wine in advance is what I mean, everyone will celebrate together today."
"Yeah!" Jones's bar had another happy person, his voice intertwined with the shouts in the store.
The bar owner once again turned his attention to the broadcast screen. From the bottom of his heart, he did not advocate buying football, which is why he did not All In with Jones.
Feeling the joy in the store at this time, thinking about the odds of more than fifty times, what he wanted to sigh was not Jones's wealth, but the miracle that Maël had completed outside of success.
He was not the one favored by people and the data analysts of betting institutions, but he went against the current all the way, changing his own destiny, and also reversing the fate of Arsenal! Such a player, even if he leaves the team now, deserves the title of legendary star!
Inside the Emirates Stadium, the host interacted with Maël and the fans at the scene for a while before continuing to advance the awards ceremony.
"Now, we are going to present the 'Best Player' award."
She glanced at the script and turned to ask: "Maël, do you know that there are 3 Best Player awards in the Premier League?"
"I know." Maël nodded to confirm. He has been in the Premier League for a season. If he doesn't know this, he would have played for nothing.
Different from other leagues, the Premier League not only has the official 'Season's Best Player' award, but also the 'PFA' Best Player award selected by the Professional Footballers' Association, and the 'FWA' Best Player award selected by the Football Writers' Association.
Fans have different opinions on which of these 3 awards is more valuable.
Some people think that the FWA is the most valuable, because before the 'Ballon d'Or' award came out, the FWA generally represented the 'English Footballer of the Year/Ballon d'Or' of that season.
Of course, this is just a relatively old saying, and it is now outdated.
From the current selection mechanism, the English Footballer of the Year/Ballon d'Or should be awarded to... English players playing all over the world, not players from all over the world playing in England.
Some people also think that the PFA's Best Player is more valuable, because it is selected by peers, which is more fair and authoritative.
In short, the official one is generally not on the table, which may be because everyone has a reason to hate The FA, and also because this award came out too late.
To solve the dispute over who is the most valuable, there is only one way, and that is to win 2 major awards, or directly win all 3 major awards, and get a Grand Slam of the Season's Best Player! "From the beginning of the Premier League to the present, there have been 3 players who have won all 3 major awards in a season, one of whom has won all 3 awards twice."
The female host smiled charmingly and threw the question to Maël, "Lyon, do you know who they are?"
Maël winked at her secretly, signaling her not to ask any more questions. He really didn't know who these 3 players were. If he guessed blindly, it would be easy to say the wrong thing and cause disputes.
But seeing that she had no intention of withdrawing the question, he could only pick up the microphone and answer with a forced smile.
"Henry?"
This was the first name he said. If there were 3 players who won all the awards, Henry should have a place in the 03-04 season.
"You got one right!"
The female host's words made him breathe a sigh of relief. He also turned his head to look down the stage, seeing Henry and Wenger with proud smiles on their faces.
"Ronaldo?" He made his second guess, one he had some impression of.
"That's right, he swept the 3 major awards in '06-'07 and '07-'08, the only player to win the 3 major awards twice!"
Maël relaxed a lot more, and he continued to guess, "Drogba?"
The female host shook her head. He pinched his chin and said, "Bergkamp?"
"Pires?"
"Van Persie?!"
As he guessed several names in a row, when he said Van Persie, there was a burst of laughter from the audience, "Hahaha!"
Van Persie also waved his hand with an embarrassed expression and hid beside Mertesacker.
Maël laughed loudly, knowing that General Van Persie wasn't the answer, just teasing him.
"It's Rooney." The female host finally said a name, not letting Maël continue to guess. She then continued, "So, Maël, do you know why I asked this question?"
Maël was much more confident this time, and he said without thinking, "Because I also swept the 3 major awards."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Arsenal fans at the Emirates Stadium erupted, this was the result they were eagerly anticipating, "Aaaahh!"
The female host didn't keep them in suspense, she looked at the script and shouted along with the high emotions in the stadium, "Due to his extremely outstanding performance, Maël has received unanimous recognition from the official organization, the FWA, and the PFA! In the 11-12 season, he simultaneously won the Season's Best Player, FWA Player of the Year, and PFA Player of the Year! Sweeping the 3 major awards!!"
"Clap clap clap clap...!" Amidst a burst of intense applause, three etiquette ladies walked out with three commemorative trophies and came to the stage.
Maël held the Golden Boot between his forearm and chest, took the official one with his left hand, pinched the FWA one with his right thumb and forefinger, and held the PFA one in his right palm.
He couldn't hold them all again! 4 major awards! He laughed heartily, took a deep breath, and raised his eyebrows at Wenger, Henry, Van Persie, and others beside him.
This season was truly a fruitful one, his trophy room would have 2 more championship trophies, 2 championship medals, 2 EFL Cup awards, and 4 Premier League awards! Now, introducing all the honors he has received might take more than two hundred words.
"Click click!" Flashes of light kept flashing, and more and more reporters gathered to record this scene.
This made Maël not only recall when he first started his career, only the Sheffield United team reporter would take pictures of him, no one was interested in him at all.
Later, at the beginning of this season, although he came to this field with the title of Demon King from the second-tier league, causing no small amount of anticipation, people at that time didn't think he could achieve much success.
Perhaps at that time, people thought that if he could score double 5 stats for Arsenal in the new season, it would be considered a passing grade, and if he could score double 10, it would already be considered that Arsenal had scratched a lottery ticket!
Who would have thought that he would crush countless records and achieve so many achievements in this year, and become a veritable superstar!
Living in the center of the spotlight every day, as long as he appeared, he would be the focus of people's attention!
At this peak moment of his life, one figure after another flashed through Maël's mind.
There was Isabella in the stands at this time, his family, and the team members who had accompanied him all the way, his agent, and Deschamps, who was about to start a new journey with him.
But in the end, he still thought of Gilbert, his good brother who was as close as siblings in the early stages of his career.
When people achieve great success, they always think about how they started, and they miss the people and things of the past, and he was no exception.
Next season, when Gilbert returns to the team, he must work with him to achieve even greater success, and sit with him in the center circle of the stadium, chatting and celebrating for hours! "Thank you!!"
It was difficult for Maël to hold up all 4 trophies in his hands again, he shouted in front of the female host's microphone and walked towards the stage.
All the Arsenal members already had a bottle of champagne in their hands, and when they saw Maël coming down, they smiled wickedly, opened the bottle caps, and slowly approached.
As a top striker, Maël's Observation and reaction were extremely fast, he quickly twisted his body, changed direction, and ran towards the player tunnel.
"Hehehe!"
Van Persie, Mertesacker, and others smirked and started chasing Maël.
Even Wenger, Hans, and Henry, a group of people in casual clothes, chased after Maël regardless of their demeanor.
Since the player had achieved so much today, they should give him a good celebration, and at the same time, officially kick off the off-field celebration! After running into the player tunnel first, Maël saw Mendes and Deschamps had already come down from the elevator and were waiting for him.
He quickly came to Mendes and handed him the 4 trophies in his hand, "Help me keep these for a while, I'll go back to the locker room first!"
Then, he winked at Deschamps, "Mr. Deschamps, see you again during the French Team training camp, looking forward to achieving success with you in the intercontinental arena, I'll leave first!"
Mendes didn't have time to speak before he was stuffed full of trophies, Deschamps saw him flustered and took the Golden Boot trophy to help him share some of the burden.
"Him?" Deschamps watched Maël's quickly departing figure, shrugging in confusion, "What's he rushing off to do?"
"Don't know."
Mendes shook his head, looking down at the 3 exquisitely crafted trophies in his hands, "Maybe he's going into the locker room to celebrate, what else could he be doing at this moment?"
"Tap tap tap!!" The sound of cleats hitting the ground rang out, attracting their attention as they turned to look in the other direction.
General Van Persie was seen charging ahead with a champagne bottle in his arms, flanked by the Great Protector Mertesacker and Arteta, with the other players following behind like shrimp soldiers and crab generals.
"Whoa!" The two finally understood why Maël had run off; he was going back to get champagne, afraid of being unarmed.
"Pat pat pat!" The sound of flat shoes hitting the ground also rang out, as Wenger and the Arsenal coaching staff arrived soon after, their suits making the scene quite comical.
"Whoa!!" The two exclaimed even louder, looking towards the locker room, mourning for Maël for 2 minutes.
"These trophies are really nice." Deschamps lowered his head, looking at the Golden Boot trophy, afraid of being lumped into Maël's camp and getting sprayed with a face full of champagne.
"Yeah."
Mendes turned directly away, pretending to be very busy, fiddling with the 3 trophies in his hands, "They're really beautiful, blessings to him."
After Maël rushed into the locker room, he prepared to grab two bottles of champagne from the side and go at it with both barrels, but felt like it would be too late.
He saw the cake tower in the middle of the table, quickly stepped forward and took the top layer off, then turned his head and aimed at the door.
"Ahahaha!" Van Persie appeared at the door with a wicked grin, just about to say something, when he suddenly felt a darkness before his eyes.
"Smack!"
The cake thrown by Maël drew a perfect arc in the air, hitting Van Persie's face, sending cream and pastry flying in all directions.
"Perfect hit!"
"Haha...!" The smile didn't disappear, it just transferred to Maël's face.
He then ran to the champagne bucket, pulled out a bottle of champagne and opened it as quickly as possible.
Van Persie was stunned for a moment, and after reacting, he grabbed a piece of cake from his face, then looked left and right, smiling as he smeared it on Arteta and Mertesacker's faces.
The left and right protectors were successively hit, not understanding why Van Persie had suddenly attacked them.
It was from this moment that the melee began, with Arteta and Mertesacker running towards the cake tower, grabbing cakes and smacking them at Van Persie and the later arrivals.
"Swish!"
"Smack!"
One cake after another flew back and forth in the locker room, they were like they were having a snowball fight in a confined space, except this time the 'snow' couldn't melt in a short time, just like their joy.
"Fssssh!!"
"Sizzle sizzle!!"
White foam then shot into the sky from multiple locations, sweeping all around without any blind spots.
Especially after Wenger and Henry and others came in, everyone was completely hyped, this was a celebration moment unique to their team members!
Maël also joined in after opening the champagne, at this time no one was afraid of being sprayed, no one was afraid of being hit with cake, they just wanted the revelry to come even more intensely.
"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!"
"Get him!"
"Haha!"
"My eyes!"
"Focus fire on Mr. Wenger!"
"."
Before long, most people's faces and clothes were covered in champagne and cake, they were laughing with their heads raised like painted cats.
At this time there was no extra cake and champagne, they could only hug those who were still intact, and rub the cake they caught onto others.
Hugging and hugging, all the Arsenal people embraced each other, stepping on familiar beats and jumping up.
"Everything was going Ma-ehl! Ma-ehl!"
They were singing "Hot Stuff," but this time it wasn't just about singing about Maël and Van Persie, but about incorporating everyone in the locker room into the song, including the equipment manager.
"We are double champions!"
"Immortal!"
"We are legends!!"
"Vamos!!"
Everyone's emotions reached their peak, their faces flushed as they shouted hysterically.
"Come on!" Some staff members brought in several cases of beer and placed them on the table. "We've been holding back for a whole season, today we're going to drink to our heart's content, from afternoon to evening, and then into the night!"
"Yes!"
Everyone crowded around the table, grabbing beers and chugging them down. This was the perfect time to drink and celebrate.
Maël took a gulp of ice-cold beer, feeling his saliva secrete rapidly, and a stream of ice flowed down his throat into his body, awakening the excited cells throughout his body. It was extremely refreshing.
The locker room finally became much quieter. Some people leaned against the wall to drink, some sat in their seats to drink, and some danced while drinking.
Maël looked at them and thought of the scene in The Shawshank Redemption where Andy bought the prison guards beer.
Although their situation was different from that in the movie, and their success was greater than that of the protagonist in that movie, the feeling was the same.
After a period of perseverance, the dawn shone on everyone's faces, and they all made significant progress in their careers and even their entire lives. The future was no longer gloomy, but full of hope!
After one or two bottles of beer went down, Mr. Wenger looked at his watch and shouted, "It's getting late, kids, we're going to the championship celebration!
"Let's go to the underground garage, the North London fans can't wait!"
"Let's go, let's go!"
"Drink more in the car!"
"Woooo.!"
The Arsenal players walked out together. Mr. Wenger and Maël were stopped by reporters at the door, who seemed to have been waiting for a long time.
"Please come to the press conference next door!" A reporter said with a smile, pointing to the side.
"Press conference?"
Maël and Mr. Wenger smiled at each other. At this point, who would bother to attend a press conference?
Mr. Wenger looked at the group of reporters, saw Emilia, and pointed at her. "Ask whatever you want now. Maël and I will answer one question each, and then we'll go downstairs to celebrate!"
"Okay."
A look of surprise appeared on Emilia's face. She didn't expect Mr. Wenger to still remember Football Record at this time. "The first question is for Maël. What is the one sentence you want to say most at this moment?"
Maël's face was even redder from the alcohol. He thought for a while and then came to the microphone. "Arsenal fans and everyone in this team have gone through some difficult years.
"But look at the happy smiles on their faces now, and listen to their loud singing! I think everyone will understand why we fought so hard, and what the meaning of all this is! We will continue to move forward!"
After speaking, he waved to Emilia and rushed to the underground garage.
"Mr. Wenger, after achieving such great success, what is the team's goal for next season?" Emilia looked at Mr. Wenger and asked the last question.
Mr. Wenger came to the microphone and scratched his eyebrows. "Compared to some coaches who are fanatical but appear very steady when setting goals, I am the opposite.
"As early as the end of the 02-03 season, I said that we would strive to win the title undefeated next season, and we succeeded the following year."
He rarely raised his eyebrows proudly, and then said, "This year, we have achieved such a surprising success without any goals."
"In that case, I really have no reason not to set a grand goal.
"I believe that the team will continue to be undefeated next season. We will break the 49-game unbeaten record, and even break Milan's 58-game record! We will be more successful and greater than this season!
"Bye!"
Mr. Wenger waved to the reporters. After speaking, he ignored their questions and turned to walk into the elevator to pursue a new moment of celebration.
Maybe he was a little drunk, maybe the media people would think he was talking big.
But after such a brilliant season, and with the team's financial situation about to improve, he believed that as long as Maël was not injured, they would have the opportunity to do more! Maybe, the goal he had always wanted to achieve would also have a chance to be completed.
The time was ripe! "Buzz buzz buzz!"
"Arsenal! Arsenal!"
Outside the stadium, after waiting from tens of thousands of fans, Arsenal's bus finally slowly drove out of the garage exit.
"Poof poof poof!!"
Pink confetti, prepared long in advance, rained down from the roof, landing on the fans' heads. It was as if everyone was waving their arms, immersing the area in an atmosphere of joy.
Wenger and Maël boarded the bus late, so they had to take the second bus, which mainly carried members of the Kroenke family and players who couldn't fit in the first bus.
But it didn't matter, the Premier League championship trophy was on this bus. They could hold the Premier League trophy and parade around with crowns on their heads.
Moreover, the area where they were located was often the center of the fans' attention.
"Oh!"
Maël waved the Premier League trophy, showing it to the fans below with a smile, igniting a wave of frenzied shouts.
They were high above, and every move they made stirred the emotions of the crowd. It made each of them feel like a triumphant general, receiving a hero's welcome from the residents of the city.
According to statistics, at least 200,000 people would take to the streets today, waiting for them along the parade route.
"Hi." A tall young man came to Maël's side. He was wearing a suit, looked very strong, and was full of confidence.
Josh Kroenke, Maël was familiar with his face. Without a beard, he looked like a college graduate, but with a very elite aura.
"You may not have met me or heard my name."
Little Kroenke patted his chest and extended his right hand to Maël, saying enthusiastically, "But we will definitely become good friends, believe me."
"Josh."
Maël said his name, and shook hands with him as a look of surprise appeared on the other's face.
Little Kroenke raised his eyebrows slightly, and the astonishment on his face slowly turned into a bright expression, as if he didn't expect to be so well-known in England.
He squeezed Maël's hand even tighter, feeling like they had met too late. "It's been a great season. You've probably heard all the praise I could give you already.
"Since you already know who I am, let's talk about the future."
Maël nodded, waiting for him to continue. He handed the championship trophy to Wenger beside him.
Little Kroenke looked at the Arsenal fans under the bus with a flushed face, and said with surprise and excitement, "Don't you feel like this is an incredibly crazy, wonderful, and beautiful scene? Before, when I watched other teams' championship parades, I often imagined what it would be like to be standing on the bus. I would guess what it felt like and try to put myself in their shoes.
"But when I stand here and truly experience all of this, I find that it's completely different from what I imagined."
Maël gazed at the scene of the entire city turning out to welcome them, and slowly nodded, agreeing with his statement.
"Their fanaticism is unimaginable! Anyone who experiences this will become an Arsenal fan, I guarantee it!"
Maël didn't know if others would become Arsenal fans, but he could tell that Kroenke was about to fall in love with this team.
"So..." Little Kroenke said with longing, expressing his future vision, "This team now has 14 top league titles and an extremely high brand value.
"In the English Football World, we are second to none!"
"As long as we can continue to achieve such success and make some achievements in the European arena, and develop for a period of time, we will definitely become the best team in England!
"Even the best team in all of Europe, the best team in the whole world!"
After saying this, his expression became more serious, as if he was afraid that Maël would look down on him. He puffed out his chest and raised his head, saying, "In fact, I already have 7 years of work experience, and I've been doing well in the United States.
"This time, I'm here to assist my father in achieving this goal.
"I believe we can do it, and I don't think it's an absurd goal. If we don't have lofty pursuits, we won't demand more of ourselves, we won't strive for perfection, and naturally we won't be able to succeed!"
Maël saw the desire on his face. Compared to his father, Little Kroenke was probably a more idealistic person. He probably hadn't yet experienced how difficult it was to manage a club.
But as he said, aim high and you might get somewhere, aim for the middle and you'll get less, aim low and you'll get nothing. A team needs ambition.
On this point, he could agree with the other party, and he felt that as long as the team wanted to, with his ability and growth rate, he would definitely be able to help the team achieve its goals!
They should aim high and achieve high, aim for the middle and achieve the middle... They wouldn't fall below expectations, they would only exceed them! "I have the same idea as you."
Maël shook hands with the other party again with a smile, and then didn't plan to continue the topic. "We can sit down and have a good chat next season. Now, let's cherish this celebratory moment."
Little Kroenke nodded, leaning on the bus railing and looking down, enjoying the breeze and savoring the taste of honor.
Maël came to the center of the bus, picked up two bottles of beer, opened them, handed him one, and took one for himself to drink.
Soon after, the bus entered a special section of the road, where the number of fans gathered was significantly higher than in other places, and there were also more security personnel.
The scene was a sea of people, with fans clinging to every lamppost and traffic light, waving excitedly at them.
"Pshhh!" As if seeing them arrive, dozens of smoke bombs were set off simultaneously, turning the area into a hazy cloud, but also intensifying the sweltering atmosphere.
"Olé, olé, olé! Olé, olé!"
Countless flags fluttered in the wind, and tens of thousands of fans craned their necks to look at the bus, seemingly wanting to get a close look at the championship trophy.
Maël raised the Premier League trophy again, and Van Persie in the front car also held up the EFL Cup trophy. The two stood facing each other and smiled.
"Arsenal! Arsenal!"
"Champions!! Champions!! Ahaaaa!!"
Listening to the sounds coming from all directions, Maël's hands trembled slightly as he held the trophy. He handed the trophy to Ramsey beside him, exchanged a glance with Little Kroenke, and then put his arm around him, jumping for joy.
"Arsenal! Arsenal!"
There were no special words to say; at this moment, they could only repeatedly shout the club's name, and together with the fans on the scene, savor everything from this season, finally smiling knowingly.
"Maël! Maël!!"
As the bus moved further along the road, the fans began to shout Maël's name, who had won four major awards this season. Without a doubt, he was the biggest contributor to this season's success.
Maël stood at the front of the vehicle, laughing all the way as he leaned out and waved his right arm. When his arm became a little numb, he switched to jumping and singing, celebrating in every way he could think of.
He knew that Arsenal fans had been waiting for such a glorious moment for a long time!
He also knew that this team was still missing a Champions League trophy! In the next season, they would win more, and then cause an even bigger sensation, getting even more people to take to the streets to celebrate their triumph! "Wenger! Wenger!!"
After a while, people on the side of the street began to shout the name of the team's coach, Wenger, which moved the old manager.
He recalled that at the end of last season, fans were still holding signs calling for him to step down, and even preparing protest marches to force him out.
But look at now, he was standing at the highest peak again, enjoying their most respectful gaze and their most fanatical shouts!
This damn life, it's really amazing. For some reason, Wenger suddenly wanted to leave a photo here. He picked up the trophy, stood by the car, and forced a smile.
"Click, click!" The team photographer took a few pictures of him. He hadn't put down the trophy yet, as if hesitating about something.
"Maël!"
Wenger suddenly called out Maël's name, "Come and take a picture for me! I want you to take this one!"
Hearing this, Maël walked over with a smile, stood in front of the camera, found the shutter, and looked at Wenger, "Ready? Anything you want to say?"
"I want to say..." Wenger thought for a while, a surge of emotion welling up in his eyes, which he suppressed with a loud laugh, "Thank you for everything you've done!"
"Click!"
Maël pressed the shutter, recording this moment. In the picture, Wenger held the trophy high, smiling kindly. Behind him were the residential buildings of North London, and thousands of Arsenal fans holding team flags.
Feeling that the old manager's knot in his heart had been completely untied, he also felt a little moved, staring at the photo for a long time.
"Want to take one together?" Wenger hadn't had enough of taking pictures. He seemed to want to leave more classic moments with Maël, "I'll have Hans bring the trophy over from the other side!"
He shouted towards the front of the bus, which attracted the attention of many people.
Old Kroenke and Philip all looked over, and seeing Wenger's anxious look, they also showed heartfelt smiles. This moment was too beautiful.
"How about?" Old Kroenke had an idea. He walked to the camera, "How about I take this photo of the two biggest contributors to this season?"
"Can I do it?"
Philip raised his hand at this time, his emotions clearly a little off. Logically speaking, he shouldn't be fighting with the team owner for this opportunity at this time.
Old Kroenke was immediately a little embarrassed. He glanced at Wenger and found that the latter was smiling and not speaking.
"Haha..." He chuckled twice, choosing to be a good sport, "Then let Philip, who has also worked hard for this season, do it."
Philip nodded and stepped forward, walking to the camera and waiting.
"Here." Hans also brought the trophy up and handed it to Maël.
Maël picked up the trophy from both sides, and amidst the envious gazes of everyone, grinned and walked to Wenger's side.
Philip looked at the two of them, and the championship trophy in their hands, his chest trembling slightly as he breathed. He lowered his head to adjust his emotions, and when he looked up again, his eyes were already red.
"You waited for Wenger! That ray of light you sought at the beginning of the season has finally shone into your heart!" Come on!
"Cheese!"
"Click!" Philip pressed the shutter button hard, seemingly not only to capture a photo but also to keep this moment in his heart forever.
"Pa-pa-pa!" A round of applause rang out as Hans and Little Kroenke each accepted a trophy, allowing the two at the center of attention to embrace tightly.
This was a great encounter, and together, they had spent their first magnificent season!
"After the European Cup, you will see a different team. We will continue to fight side by side in more competitions!"
"After the European Cup, Mr. Wenger will also see a different me... Will you come to the European Cup?"
"I naturally won't miss a single game of the French Team. I hope you can lead that team to success. I've been following you."
...
More than three hours later, the sky gradually darkened, and the Arsenal players finally completed their parade celebration. The bus drove back into the Emirates Stadium.
Everyone was very tired, but the smiles on their faces had not faded. They knew that the final celebration was about to begin! "Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"
"Thump thump thump!"
Inside the stadium, after a dazzling and gorgeous light show, all the spotlights focused on the entrance of the players' tunnel.
The hoarse voice of the stadium DJ rang out, "Let us welcome the first player to enter! It's hard to introduce him, but I still choose to do it by listing his honors.
"Because when you know how much he has achieved at the age of 18, you will definitely have infinite expectations for his future!"
"Ahaahh!!"
As soon as the words '18 years old' came out, the fans waiting for the celebration at the Emirates Stadium could no longer contain their emotions. Their cheers even drowned out the DJ's voice at one point.
"Let us welcome! Premier League champion! English League Cup champion! EFL Championship champion! Puskas Award winner, Golden Boy Award winner, top ten in the Ballon d'Or! And Premier League Golden Boot, EFL Championship Golden Boot, League Cup Golden Boot! Premier League Best Player, PFA Best Player, FWA Best Player, League Cup Final Best Player, EFL Championship Half-Season Best Player! The holder of 21 records – লিওনেল Maël!!"
"Swish swish!" The white lights in the stadium flickered, suddenly turning into golden rays.
Bathed in all the light, Maël, draped in the Arsenal flag, ran out with a bright smile. He quickly threw his body out, first performing an elegant cartwheel, followed by a dashing front flip.
This time, the height of his jump was definitely higher than ever before.
After landing, using the momentum that had not yet dissipated, he pushed off the ground with both feet and flew up again, waving his right fist in the air. This time, he couldn't help but shout out in his native language, "Vamos!!"
End of this volume. Of course, the plot threads that have been set up won't be forgotten, they will just be resolved in the next volume, so don't worry, brothers.
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