Chapter 780: Truce! Wang Shuo Wins! Wang Shuo, Come Claim Your Golden Ball Award! Who Isn't a Master of Sarcasm?

Chapter 780: Chapter 142: Truce! Wang Shuo Wins! Wang Shuo, Come Claim Your Golden Ball Award! Who Isn’t a Master of Sarcasm?

As 2012 dawned, all major leagues paused for the winter break, with the sole exception of the Premier League. The eyes of the entire world turned to Switzerland, zeroing in on the upcoming FIFA Golden Ball Award. Less than a week remained until the award ceremony on January 9. Over the recent period, rumors and stirrings had flooded the grapevine.

For instance, according to insider sources, the core executives of FIFA—including the President, Secretary General, and Chief Operating Officer—had started working as early as December 27, the second day after Christmas. For FIFA’s typically indolent and highly compensated upper echelons, this was simply unimaginable. After all, during the recently concluded 2011, Blatter had faced immense pressure for his re-election campaign in June and resolved to travel to every corner of the globe within six months to canvas for votes. Yet, even then, he hadn’t officially started his work until early January. This made everyone realize that the pressure FIFA was facing this time was greater than ever before.

Only journalists who frequently dealt with FIFA understood that Blatter’s off-the-cuff, nonsensical remark had brought utter disaster upon this decaying institution. Just two days prior, German Kicker Magazine published an exclusive article analyzing the situation.

Over the past few years, FIFA had been mired in constant turmoil. Around the time of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, numerous corruption issues had already been exposed. By the end of that year, Blatter overruled all objections and insisted on starting the bidding processes for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in December 2010, which caused a massive uproar in the industry. Blatter’s current term was only meant to last until 2011; even if he successfully won re-election on June 1, 2011, his next term would only extend to 2015. What qualifications did he have to preside over the bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups?

What was even more absurd was that the entire bidding process was riddled with all sorts of incomprehensible and outrageous manipulations. England bid for the 2018 tournament, only to lose to Russia. The United States bid for 2022, only to lose to Qatar. This turned the entire World Cup bidding process into a chaotic mess, while simultaneously plunging FIFA’s authority to an all-time low. Blatter was even publicly condemned to his face as a “slave to money.”

Although Blatter had managed to placate UEFA President Platini during his 2011 re-election, his two biggest rivals both hailed from Asia. They were FIFA Vice President Chung Mongjoon and the Qatari national Mohamed bin Hammam, President of the Asian Football Confederation. Both men had incredibly robust financial backing. Of course, looking back from the vantage point of January 2012, these two major competitors had successively fallen from grace or lost the election for various reasons, allowing Blatter to successfully secure his re-election. However, the World Cup bidding bribery scandal exposed by the BBC, coupled with the united onslaught of the United Kingdom media, nearly ousted him from power.

In the end, he was forced into various compromises, including initiating internal anti-corruption measures and mandating the exclusive use of professional referees by 2014. In other words, prior to the 2014 World Cup, the referees in some of FIFA’s major tournaments were not even professionals. As for the reason why? Take a wild guess!

After Kicker Magazine’s thorough analysis, even though they didn’t explicitly state it, everyone could faintly guess the true reason. Blatter truly did not want an Asian player to win the Golden Ball Award! To some extent, his underlying intention behind those remarks was to manipulate the votes. But he never expected that throughout the entirety of 2011, Wang Shuo’s achievements and accolades would be far too irrefutable! Even in the latter half of the year, after transferring to Arsenal in the Premier League, he continued to deliver unbelievable performances just as he always had. He didn’t even need time to adapt or mesh with the team. Upon arrival, he turned every team in the Premier League completely upside down, leaving the defenders groaning in misery.

Blatter had hit a brick wall!

Although he had succeeded in his re-election, his already precarious personal prestige and FIFA’s historically low authority truly could not withstand any more turmoil. “Absorbing” the European Golden Ball Award to establish the FIFA Golden Ball Award was one of the very few presentable achievements FIFA had managed in recent years, serving as their highly anticipated annual centerpiece! If even this award lost its credibility, FIFA’s authority would plummet through the earth’s core, and Blatter would be forced to step down!

“What the United Kingdom media couldn’t accomplish, Wang Shuo has done!”

Kicker Magazine noted that Blatter had been constantly brokering compromises during this recent period. On one hand, he had to pacify the internal opposition faction within FIFA, led by UEFA President Platini. On the other hand, he had to quickly put out fires and quell the media storm, while simultaneously doing everything in his power to persuade Wang Shuo to come to Zurich to accept the award, thus preserving FIFA’s last fig leaf of dignity. Even more critically, he absolutely could not apologize! If he apologized at this juncture, it would mean his resignation!

“He is like a stuntman walking a tightrope, only able to slowly inch forward step by step, desperately trying to maintain that last shred of balance.”

Zurich, Switzerland.

The press conference hall at FIFA headquarters.

When Blatter, accompanied by Valcke and Nichols, walked into the press hall, the continuous CLICK CLICK CLICK of camera shutters echoed throughout the room. Everyone aimed their lenses at the absolute ruler of FIFA. By convention, FIFA held a formal press conference once a year to announce their work plans and priorities for the upcoming year, provide outlooks for various tournaments, and report on the achievements of the past year. Over the previous year, Blatter’s primary focus in the first half had been his re-election campaign, while the second half was dedicated to promoting anti-corruption efforts.