The 02-03 season is already halfway through, and in every corner of the world football, various exciting stories unfold every day. There are emerging new stars, as well as experienced veterans fading away.
In the brightly lit Paris night, men and women unwilling to be lonely linger in nightclubs and bars. Among the various nightclubs, the most famous one is the barge nightclub on the dock.
Celebrities often frequent here, not only movie and television stars but also famous athletes. Ronaldinho is one of the most active ones. He is so active that even gossip magazines hesitate to report on his nightclub adventures.
At this moment, he is holding a beautiful girl, dancing passionately. His dance moves are as fluid as his football skills, often becoming the center of attention in the nightclub.
After a dance, he returns to his table and drinks a glass of Caipirinha. Ronaldinho feels that life is wonderful. However, his gloomy-faced agent interrupts him, "Ronaldinho, you need to control yourself a bit. Now is a crucial time."
"Paris is obviously sinking. The club's management will definitely sell high-paid players like you in the summer. We need to think ahead, where should we go next."
"Big clubs in big cities, as long as they can compete in the Champions League," Ronaldinho casually remarks. He is actually somewhat disheartened. After last season's Europa League battle with Wang Feng, his fighting spirit was completely ignited.
But reality has harshly slapped him in the face. Paris's financial situation has affected the players' enthusiasm. After the season, they only ranked fourth in the league. While Wang Feng can already step onto the Champions League stage, he can only play in the Europa League.
This season, Paris Saint-Germain has been losing games all the way, dropping to 11th place in the standings. On the other hand, Wang Feng is leading Inter Milan towards the achievement of five crowns. The gap between the two sides is getting wider, which is discouraging for him.
Having said that, he brushes off his agent and continues to return to the center of the dance floor.
Meanwhile, in São Paulo, one of Ronaldinho's compatriots is training diligently. The team doctor closely monitors him. After a while, the doctor says, "Kaka, that's enough for today. You've exceeded your exercise limit. If you continue, there's a risk of injury."
Kaka wipes the sweat from his forehead and says, "Mr. Haissel, can I increase my exercise intensity? I feel fine." He has always been anxious. The major injury at the age of 18 has already caused him to lose a lot of precious time.
Especially in the World Cup, he witnessed the strength of top players. Now he feels completely unable to compare with them. Thinking back to when he was proud of his performance in the league, he realizes he was too conceited back then.
At this moment, the head coach, Schwade, walks over. "Kaka, I understand your anxiety, but you must learn to regulate yourself. Your health is the top priority for a player."
"Alright, Mr. Schwade, do you think my skills are good enough for European leagues? My performance this season has regressed."
Schwade says, "Your skills are definitely not a problem. What you need now is a bigger stage for development. As the coach of São Paulo, of course, I don't want the team's core to leave, but as an elder, going to Europe as soon as possible would be most beneficial for your growth."
"I remember you cared a lot about that Chinese player named Wang Feng. He's about your age, and when he debuted, his playing style was somewhat similar to yours, both being speedy players. There used to be media comparisons between you two."
"But now, do the media still compare you? Although it's harsh, he has surpassed you by far. Only by going to Europe do you have a chance to catch up with him."
Hearing Wang Feng's name, a flash of determination passes through Kaka's eyes. As Schwade said, when he first watched Wang Feng's game footage, Kaka felt they were very similar. If he were in Genk, he could also lead the team to win the league.
But when he watched Wang Feng's Europa League game footage and the footage after transferring to Inter Milan, to be honest, he was stunned. There was only one thought in his mind: how did this person improve so quickly?
Now Wang Feng is not only fast, but his physicality and technical skills far exceed his own. Is it really true, as Schwade said, that only the European stage can help players achieve rapid growth?
Thinking of the top clubs his agent introduced, Kaka ponders for a moment. His gaze gradually becomes firm – he will go to Europe in the summer and leave his comfort zone!
At the Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon, a league match is underway between Sporting Lisbon and Benfica. Seventeen-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo starts for the home team.
Since the beginning of this season, CR7 has gradually secured his position as a regular starter in the team, relying on his sharp speed and explosiveness, often wreaking havoc on opponents' defenses.
The only thing that annoys him is that he hasn't been given the unlimited firepower rights yet. So far, he has only contributed 2 goals but has 4 assists.
CR7 is never a calm person; his heart is full of passion and pride. At the same age, Wang Feng was already making waves in the Belgian league and the Europa League, while he could only play a supporting role. How could he not be anxious?
In the 31st minute of the game, CR7 receives the ball in the frontcourt. Another Sporting Lisbon forward, Jardel, signals for the ball, but CR7, influenced by the news of Wang Feng leading the team to a comeback victory, decides to take a long shot in front of the penalty area instead of passing to the better-positioned teammate.
The shot is powerful, but unfortunately, it goes over the crossbar.
CR7 kicks the turf in frustration. Jardel, who ran for nothing, angrily approaches him, "What are you doing? Why didn't you pass the ball?" Jardel is a key player for Sporting Lisbon, so CR7 can only endure his scolding.
On the sidelines, the coach Lorenzo understands CR7's mindset at this moment, "He's just too young." He silently shakes his head; it's not easy to nurture this talented player.
In Barcelona, the situation is completely different for another talented player this season. Messi can be described as thriving. Since officially joining the youth team in February, he has quickly become an absolute mainstay.
In the just-ended match between Barcelona's youth team and Bilbao's youth team, he scored four goals to help the team win 6-0. Messi, among a group of tall white players, looks small but incredibly powerful.
On the stands, Barcelona president Gaspart smiles. He didn't expect the investment in Messi to be so successful. In the youth team matches so far, Messi has scored 23 goals, including several braces and hat-tricks. It can be said that Messi's level has far surpassed players of the same age.
These are all achievements. However, what he didn't expect is that a fierce club president election battle is about to begin.
From various signs, the summer of 2003 will be an extraordinary period of excitement.