Even at the FIFA World Player of the Year ceremony, people kept asking Ronaldo about his thoughts on Simon's return as Real Madrid's head coach.
Yes, not long after the Ballon d'Or, the FIFA World Player of the Year ceremony was held in grand fashion at the Zurich Opera House in Switzerland.
From Real Madrid, only Ronaldo—out injured—was free to attend. Zidane, Figo, and Su Hang were all absent.
This effectively meant Zidane had pulled out of the running for the award.
Neither the Ballon d'Or nor FIFA's award ever explicitly required attendance to win, but the reality was clear: if you weren't there, you weren't winning.
When asked by reporters, Ronaldo replied simply: "Simon is a good man."
That was it.
From that one line, everyone understood exactly what he meant.
A clever journalist pressed further: "So which manager do you admire most in world football?"
Ronaldo smiled. "I think Mr. Capello is excellent. He's proven himself, did a fantastic job at Juventus, and knows how to adjust both his team and his relationships with players."
Ronaldo was shrewd.
Capello was one of the rumored candidates for the Real Madrid job.
And as a veteran Italian coach, praising him would only boost Ronaldo's standing in Italy.
If Capello did come to Madrid, Ronaldo's status would be safe, even with his recurring injuries and this season's dip in form.
...
Reporter: "We've heard FIFA didn't even send Su Hang an invitation—is that true?"
Ronaldo's expression turned awkward. He waved his hand, signaling he couldn't answer.
This was already a hot topic.
Because yes—FIFA hadn't sent Su Hang an invitation.
He wasn't included in the 30-man shortlist.
That, in itself, wasn't unusual.
Given Su Hang's résumé, it was normal for him to miss out.
But rumors swirled that Ronaldinho's camp had contacted FIFA, warning that if Su Hang was invited, Ronaldinho would refuse to attend.
Considering Ronaldinho was the overwhelming favorite, the story caused a stir.
And it made some sense.
Ronaldinho's Ballon d'Or was already being mocked as the "Water Ballon."
Most of it was playful banter, not outright disrespect, but it still created problems.
It affected his marketability, Barcelona's morale, and even sentiment in Catalonia.
...
Another question was put to Ronaldo: "We hear Real Madrid may target Roma's star striker Cassano in the winter window. Would his arrival threaten your place?"
Ronaldo's constant smile turned stiff.
Because of course it would.
The rumors about Cassano to Madrid were fueled by one reason: Ronaldo's injuries had made him unreliable as the club's main source of goals.
If Cassano wasn't a threat to Ronaldo, who would he threaten?
Su Hang? Impossible.
Su Hang's role in Real Madrid's attack was irreplaceable.
As a pivot striker, he brought Zidane and Figo into play.
The last manager who dared sideline that trio was already gone.
Would the next one dare try again?
...
This year's FIFA World Player of the Year rankings hardly matched the Ballon d'Or.
12th: The Drog, Didier Drogba.
11th: AC Milan's Paolo Maldini.
10th: His teammate, the "Son of God," Kaká.
9th: Real Madrid's Portuguese maestro, Figo.
8th: Real Madrid's French maestro, Zidane.
No wonder the two skipped the ceremony—their placements were far below their Ballon d'Or rankings.
7th: Liverpool's Steven Gerrard. English fans widely argued this was far too low, but FIFA explained it away as heavy vote-splitting with Lampard.
6th: AC Milan's Ukrainian "nuclear warhead," Andriy Shevchenko.
5th: Inter Milan's new king, Adriano.
4th: Arsenal's king of kings, Thierry Henry.
3rd: Real Madrid's Ronaldo.
Once again, Ronaldo's popularity and the memories of his prime carried him high.
If Real Madrid had earned any serious honors, he would have ranked even higher, despite no longer being in contention for the very top.
In truth, last season, Zidane, Figo, Su Hang, and Ronaldo all held similar importance for Real Madrid.
If anything, Su Hang and Ronaldo were still a step below the two legendary veterans.
2nd: Frank Lampard of Chelsea, once again falling short of football's greatest prize.
1st: Ronaldinho, who claimed both of football's top individual awards in the same year.
The last three players to achieve that were Rivaldo, Zidane, and Ronaldo.
Figo, by contrast, had won his two in separate years, showing his peak wasn't as dominant.
Ronaldinho became a legend overnight.
But the controversy surrounding the Ballon d'Or left doubts hanging.
He was the only player in history to sweep the two awards while failing to win a single major trophy.
That led the media to argue his dominance was weaker than even Figo's—
and nowhere close to Zidane's or Ronaldo's.
...
The day after the ceremony, Su Hang was mobbed by reporters.
Reporter: "Su Hang, do you feel disappointed about not making the 30-man shortlist?"
Su Hang: "Of course. It's one of the most important events in football."
Reporter: "What's your view on Ronaldinho winning again?"
Su Hang: "I've already given my thoughts on that before. No need to repeat myself."
Reporter: "Francesco Totti has openly blasted Cassano. Rumor has it Cassano is skipping training to force a move to Madrid. If he joins, would you feel threatened?"
Su Hang: "Cassano is a fantastic striker, and Madrid could use more depth up front. If he comes, that would be great."
Reporter: "But Cassano is said to have a difficult temperament."
Su Hang: "That's fine. I'm easy to get along with. If he joins, I'll help him settle into the team."
Su Hang made his stance clear.
Later, the club released the starting lineup for that day's match.
...
(35 Chapters Ahead)
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