Chapter 830 - 13: Arsenal’s Finest! Wenger’s Triumph! Two Award Speeches Full of Bonds!

"Clap, clap...!"

Ma’el’s eyes showed contentment as he watched Wenger step onto the podium, and saw him raise his eyebrows toward him en route.

Wenger walked up to the podium, hugged Cruyff, then accepted his Best Coach award. After taking a close look at it in his hands, he went to the front of the speaker’s podium.

Wearing glasses with a head full of white hair, he indeed looked very much like a university professor... except his students were somewhat too numerous, and their ranks were rather too high.

"Thank you, UEFA."

Wenger held the trophy in one hand and pointed to UEFA’s logo with the other, "And thank you to football... I’ve dedicated my life to this sport, and it feels a bit shameful to only now receive an international award, to be honest."

"Haha...!" A small burst of laughter arose at the venue, though most laughed while still bearing well-wishes.

"Everyone knows why I received this award, because we have an unbelievable player."

Wenger’s face was playful, prompting everyone to look at Ma’el. He continued, "After he won the Best Player award, he brought me to this position, which makes me feel even more ashamed."

Another wave of laughter erupted, and Wenger too had a mischievous smile on his face, as if he had a good idea, "Ma’el, can you stand up for a moment?"

"Ohhh...!"

Among the cheers, Ma’el pointed at himself, surprised that he was being called out while someone else was receiving an award. In a state of delighted astonishment, he stood up with a mouth gesture of ’What’s up.’

"Nothing."

Wenger seemed to be waiting for him to ask. After answering, he enthusiastically leaned toward the microphone and raised his voice, "Just wanted you to stand up so everyone can see just how excellent you are! Haha!"

After saying this, he raised his Best Coach trophy high and laughed heartily as he exited.

"Oh oh oh...!!" The venue was in uproar, with everyone sensing the deep bond and connection between the mentor and his pupil, even from afar.

Ma’el shook his head with a laugh, unsure what to say, settling on pursing his lips and raising his eyebrows, expressing how flattered he felt.

"..."

"The UEFA awards ceremony ended perfectly! Ma’el beats Messi and Ronaldo to win UEFA Best Player! Achieves the most important personal honor in his career so far!"—World Headlines

"Wenger wins the international-level Best Coach! Two Arsenal players selected in the international-level Best Eleven! Both for the first time in history!"—The Guardian

"Arsenal has reached a whole new height, one even higher than their peak period, and it’s hard not to say it’s because of Ma’el."—Famous commentator Reinke

"UEFA Best Player is won, is there a chance for the year-end Golden Ball Award? (Raises eyebrow)"—Henry on social media

"The world of football has completely entered a three-legged stage, the Mael-Rome trio is competing! Anyone has the ability to win the highest honors, just depends on the players’ seasonal form!"—Asi Bao

"For the Premier League to have such a player is an honor for all England fans and myself. He will lead the Premier League to greater heights and help the league gain more in the rights market.

"Some say I’m a legend, but I think, it’s precisely because of players like him that this league has become better.

"In the future, people might say Richard Scudamore multiplied the rights fee of the Premier League, helping it reach new heights.

"But I think people should remember Henry, Beckham, Ronaldo, Ma’el, and other players.

"Of course, ultimately I also need to make a distinction, as I see it, Ma’el choosing to stay at Arsenal definitely has a chance to do more than others, in fact, he’s already surpassing them.

"We should all thank him, and I should consider him a great fortune of my life."—Premier League CEO Scudamore’s social media post long article

"....."

After the awards ceremony, the heat around football instantly soared, with the names of Ma’el, Messi, and Ronaldo appearing in various headlines.

As fans excitedly discussed, the draw for the Champions League last 32 also concluded on this day.

Group A: Paris Saint-Germain, Porto, Dynamo Kyiv, Dinamo Zagreb

Group B: Arsenal, Schalke 04, Olympiacos, Montpellier

Group C: AC Milan, Zenit, Malaga, Anderlecht

Group D: Real Madrid, Manchester City, Dortmund, Ajax

Group E: Juventus, Chelsea, Shakhtar Donetsk, North West Land

Group F: Bayern Munich, Valencia, Lille, Borisov

Group G: Barcelona, Celtic, Benfica, Spartak Moscow

Group H: Manchester United, Galatasaray, Cluj, Braga

"32 of the best-performing teams in European football last season will gather for the 12-13 season Champions League, competing for the final Big Eared Cup! The winner’s paradise will kick off in September!"—442

After this night, the world of football officially entered the new season... with excitement rising and waves of turmoil to follow, everything will move forward methodically.

Late at night, Ma’el, who nowadays rarely posts, uploaded a new one.

"Thank you all for your support, winning UEFA Best Player is the best motivation for me, I believe this season you will see Arsenal shining across various arenas."—Ma’el shares Best trophy on social media