AC Milan captain Paolo Maldini: "As defenders, Su Hang and I lead differently, but I truly respect his philosophy. If I were a forward captain, I'd take on the toughest shots myself—that's the responsibility I should bear!"
Inter Milan captain Zanetti: "Su Hang is remarkable. So far, his words and actions have always matched. I hope he can continue to hold onto this in the future!"
Many star captains stepped forward in support of Su Hang.
They shared his philosophy and his actions.
But they couldn't express themselves the way Su Hang did, unable to deliver such moving declarations.
In a way, Su Hang elevated the image of captains everywhere.
For that, everyone was grateful to him as their "voice."
Once again, Su Hang's name dominated the headlines, becoming part of everyday conversation across Europe.
Everyone now knew Real Madrid had such a heroic and extraordinary captain.
Even Ronaldo, who once thought Su Hang should have passed to him, admitted in an interview after hearing Su's words:
"Yes, that's just who Su is."
"He's young, but his sense of responsibility goes far beyond his age."
"His choice was absolutely right. If he had passed to me, Puyol would have become the hero of Camp Nou."
"Fortunately, Puyol's awareness wasn't at Su Hang's level!"
"This time, we won with height!"
The captain fever around Real Madrid lasted for quite a while.
During that time, however, their results wavered.
November 23rd, the fifth round of the Champions League group stage.
Real Madrid faced French powerhouse Lyon once again.
A win would secure first place in the group.
Otherwise, Lyon would lead.
In the end, with Robinho assisting and Raúl scoring, Real Madrid drew 1-1 with Lyon.
A missed chance to claim the top spot.
The El Clásico against Barcelona had drained too much of their energy.
In addition to the injured Figo and Beckham,
Ronaldo, Zidane, and Raúl were all struggling with fatigue.
Even Su Hang, who had played with relentless intensity, entered a slump afterward.
As a result, the team performed poorly against Lyon.
November 27th, La Liga Matchday 13.
Real Madrid visited Real Sociedad.
Beckham returned for this match.
His injury had been minor and hadn't severely affected his play.
In this game, Zidane contributed a goal and an assist, showing signs of recovery.
Ronaldo and Baptista also found the net.
But the most frustrating part was Ronaldo picking up yet another injury.
In just over four months since the season began, he had already suffered four separate injuries.
He had missed more than half of the team's matches.
No one doubted Ronaldo's talent.
Even so, he still managed five goals and one assist.
He was second only to Su Hang's ten goals and three assists.
He ranked ahead of Figo (three goals, three assists), Zidane (four goals, six assists), and Beckham (zero goals, four assists)—all of whom played far more minutes.
Of course, considering Luxemburgo's rotation issues this season, their playing time hadn't been ideal, with many appearances coming off the bench.
In reality, Ronaldo, Figo, and Zidane were all at about the same level.
Their efficiency and performances were world-class.
But none of them were consistent.
Ronaldo's struggles were mostly bad luck.
Zidane and Figo's were more the result of management issues.
As for Beckham, his style and position meant he couldn't shine as brightly as the three FIFA World Player of the Year winners.
Those three were team-core players.
Beckham was more of a championship puzzle piece.
Given that, the fact Beckham could compete with them in on-field impact, stats, and personal fame was already extraordinary.
His legendary status was practically comparable to the later Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Even surpassing Ronaldo, Zidane, and Figo.
The only silver lining was that Barcelona and Villarreal also slipped up.
Real Madrid still held onto the top of La Liga with a narrow lead.
November 29th.
Real Madrid chartered a flight to Paris, France.
On the Champs-Élysées, at Espace Pierre Cardin, France Football hosted the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony, inviting multiple Real Madrid players.
Among them, Zidane and Figo were explicitly told they had reached the final shortlist—
the top five contenders for the Ballon d'Or.
Real Madrid, of course, didn't naively expect Zidane to win.
This year's Ballon d'Or was destined to be both controversial and predictable.
The controversy lay in the sheer number of surprises and miracles from last season.
Almost every top nominee carried a legendary story.
Lampard, losing only one league game to win the Premier League.
Gerrard, orchestrating the Miracle of Istanbul.
Shevchenko, Maldini, Kaká—AC Milan's Champions League runners-up, whom everyone thought would lift the trophy.
Too strong to be seen as underdogs, yet too inconsistent to be considered dominant.
Zidane and Figo, with their superhuman second-half performances, had driven Real Madrid forward.
In the final match, a huge win saw them overtake Barcelona on goal difference to win La Liga.
Adriano, Inter's breakout striker, scored 28 club goals and led Brazil to the Confederations Cup, winning both the Golden Boot and Best Player.
Henry, Europe's Golden Boot.
Ibrahimović, Juventus striker.
Eto'o, Barcelona forward.
Terry, Chelsea defender…
But the brightest of them all was Ronaldinho.
As a midfielder, he scored over thirty goals.
He delivered more than twenty assists.
He led Brazil to the Confederations Cup.
His dazzling style showcased Samba football at its finest, capturing the world's imagination.
On that point, there was no debate.
The controversy came from the fact that the achievements of those teams and players were unrepeatable.
When would another team win a league with just one defeat? In which league?
When would another three-goal comeback in a Champions League final happen? And who would achieve it?
And Ronaldinho, at the club level, had won nothing.
The Copa del Rey went to Real Betis.
La Liga went to Real Madrid.
That was the one blemish on Ronaldinho's season.
And that was why the shrewd Florentino Pérez insisted Zidane attend the ceremony, even knowing he couldn't win.
He even brought along every eligible Real Madrid player.
He approved leave for them all, framing it as a business trip for the club.
Because Florentino wanted Barcelona to suffer.
Ronaldinho could win the Ballon d'Or,
but Barcelona must not flaunt it—and Barça fans must never think of using it against Real Madrid supporters.