Fox in the Penalty Area

Chapter 15 Standing Side by Side

For Chinese football, 2026 is really a year worth commemorating for a long time.

In this year, Hu Lai led the Premier League civilian team Leeds City to a historic Premier League championship, and Hu Lai himself became the top scorer of the Premier League. This is the first time a Chinese player has won the top scorer of the Premier League.

In the summer of this year, the Chinese national team also participated in the World Cup finals for the first time in history, and achieved unbeaten in the group stage, with three draws and three points, the only undefeated good result in the World Cup. Although they failed to make it out of the group stage in the end, few people really expected that the Chinese team, which participated in the World Cup finals for the first time, would be able to reach the knockout round. It is the performance of the national football team in the group stage, especially the performance against Brazil, which gave them hope and began to look forward to the Iberia World Cup four years later.

Compared with the men's football team participating in the World Cup, the influence and attention of the women's football team have been greatly affected, but Li Qingqing also helped the Paris Eger women's football team win the women's Ligue 1 league championship last season.

This is also her first league title in her overseas career.

She scored 11 goals and assisted 15 times in the women's Ligue 1 last season.

It is the primary contributor to the Paris Eger women's football team winning the league championship.

After transferring to this team in 2023, in three years, Li Qingqing finally realized her talent and ability. This was her best season at Paris-Egerre.

She not only won the best player in the women's Ligue 1 last season, but also was selected as a five-man shortlist for the best women's football player in Europe last season.

It's "Best Women's Football Player", not "Best Women's Young Player".

There is no award for the best young player in the women's football team, it is directly the best player.

It can be said that the 22-year-old Li Qingqing is one of the five best players in the entire European women's football movement.

At the same time, Hou Lai is almost certain to win the European Young Player of the Year award last season.

Men's football and women's football are both blooming. For Chinese football, this is tantamount to "double happiness".

For this reason, CCTV specially planned a special report and sent a film crew to Paris, France to film and report the awards ceremony.

Regardless of whether Hu Lai and Li Qingqing can win the award in the end, this is the highlight moment of Chinese football.

When the program team chose the final reporting angle and shooting plan, they did not go to the UK to start filming from Hu Lai, but found another way.

Came directly to Paris, France, and shot this European football ceremony with Li Qingqing as the protagonist.

On the one hand, it is because there are too many concerns and reports about Hu Lai in the market, which is not unusual and lacks freshness.

On the other hand, the program group also wants to help the women's football team gain some popularity and earn more attention.

Although men's football is developing well now, women's football, as China's traditional dominant sport, deserves more attention.

It's just that women's football is inherently weak in terms of attention and commercialization.

Even if there is a goddess-level Li Qingqing, it is still difficult to compare with men's football.

This time is a good opportunity to take a look at the popularity and popularity of men's football.

So the film crew approached Li Qingqing and made a fuss about her.

Li Qingqing is not the kind of high-profile person who likes to show her face in front of the camera, but she never refuses any activities that can promote women's football. Because she also hopes that the Chinese women's football will get better and better.

Especially after seeing that so many Chinese men's football players have come out, she also looks forward to more women's football players going abroad like the men's football players.

Therefore, she is obliged to contribute to the development of Chinese women's football.

In fact, with the further deepening of campus football reform in recent years, China has referred to the successful experience of the men’s campus football league and is preparing for a nationwide unified women’s football league for middle school students. It is estimated that it will be implemented next year. However, both in terms of scale and influence, it is far inferior to the mature men's high school football championship.

Men's football still has a club echelon system, which can cultivate talents. The source of talent for women's football comes mostly from campus football, so the women's football part of campus football should be done well. Only in this way can we provide a steady stream of talents for the Chinese women's football team.

Moreover, doing a good job in campus women's football also dispels those girls who want to play football but are worried that they will delay their studies if they can't play, or the parents of girls. Make them more willing to participate in the sport of football.

In addition, the Football Association is still planning to merge the Women's Chinese Super League and the Chinese Super League, and hand them over to the Chinese Super League to manage and operate. Unlike before, the Chinese Super League is only responsible for the Chinese Super League of men's football. The name of the Chinese Super League of women's football is "Chinese Super League", but it is still managed by the Football Association. In a sense, it is not a real professional league.

Of course, the previous way of letting the Football Association manage it also has its reasons and causes-when the Women’s Football Super League just started, it lacked market attention, and basically no one watched it. Naturally, it could not attract corporate sponsorship and support business. develop. If it is fully introduced to the market, I am afraid that it will die within two seasons.

Now, with the deepening reform of Chinese football and the change of people's concept, the women's football has a "god-level IP" like Li Qingqing, and everyone has accumulated a lot of experience in the commercial operation of the women's football league. Today's Women's Super League has greatly improved in terms of attendance and commercial value compared to the original.

At the same time, due to the improvement of the overall performance of the men's football team and the improvement of the image of the men's football team, the commercial development of the Chinese Super League is better than before. There are always people who like to use women's football to mock men's football, and promote women's football and men's football as either-or rivals. They don't know that men's and women's football are interdependent. In many cases, women's football even needs men's football to support them. People who said to disband the men's football team and vigorously develop the women's football team may not have imagined that if the men's football team is really disbanded, then the women's football team will die next...

At the moment when all the conditions are ripe, the Football Association considers handing over the operation and management of the Women's Super League to the Chinese Super League.

The focus of the Football Association's work on women's football has shifted to echelon talent training and the popularization and promotion of campus women's football games.

After the men's football has achieved results through reform, the Football Association also hopes that the women's football can regain its glory-to be honest, although the overall level of women's football is higher than that of men's football, judging from their own historical results, they are actually regressing.

The men's football has made great progress, and the women's football should also return to their original historical position. This can be regarded as the progress of Chinese football.

After all, Chinese football includes men's and women's football, not just men's football.

As long as it is beneficial to the development and progress of women's football, Li Qingqing will not refuse.

She agreed to this shooting very happily, and at the same time, she has basically decided to serve as the image promotion ambassador of the new Women's Super League. Not only that, if the national unified women's football campus competition is established, she will also serve as the image spokesperson for this event.

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"Qingqing, you didn't notify Hu Laiba in advance?"

Wang Shanshan confirmed to Li Qingqing.

"No." Li Qingqing shook her head and replied.

"That's good." Wang Shanshan smiled, "I'm looking forward to his expression when he sees you at the airport."

"I'm looking forward to it too." Li Qingqing laughed.

During the filming of this program, the program team asked Li Qingqing to go to the airport to pick up Hu Lai. After all, she is a "landlord" in Paris, and she and Hu Lai have such a good relationship. Do your best to be a landlord?

Li Qingqing agreed.

For the effect of the program, the program team hoped that this news would be kept strictly confidential from Hu Lai, and they would give him a surprise at the airport.

Li Qingqing also agreed.

Now they are sitting in the car going to the airport.

"When we arrive at the airport, we will first intercept Hu Lai as a media reporter, and then interview him. Then you will show up..."

In the car, Wang Shanshan and Li Qingqing began to discuss the details.

The two women got together and discussed with great interest how to surprise Hu Lai.

Xiao Zhang, the cameraman sitting in the co-pilot, turned his head and saw this scene, and suddenly had a somewhat absurd thought - being targeted by two beauties, I don't know whether to sympathize or envy...

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It didn't take long to fly from Leeds' airport to Paris, and soon the Leeds City club and their group went upstairs and downstairs from the plane, and then took the shuttle bus to the terminal building.

After picking up their luggage at the luggage carousel, they walked towards the exit together.

There, they will be greeted by some media reporters and then interviewed.

The interview questions are also similar, and Hu Lai will become the focus of all media pursuits.

After all, there are rumors that he will win the final European Young Player Award.

The official did not admit it, but everyone took the list of ten candidates and analyzed them one by one, listing the performance data of these players last season.

Who can compare to Hu Lai's 32 Premier League goals, a Premier League title, Premier League Golden Boot, Premier League Best Player, and five World Cup goals and World Cup Golden Boots?

Even those young players performed equally well, all of them are outstanding among their peers.

But in the face of Hu Lai's performance that is completely beyond his age, it is not enough.

If the 22-year-old top scorer in the Premier League and the World Cup Golden Boot cannot even win the award for the best young player in Europe, then the fairness of this award should be questioned...

Some media even said that with Hu Lai's performance, it is reasonable to say that he should not participate in the competition for the best young player award. He should compete for the best European player award, which is the "Golden Globe Award".

His achievements are placed in the group of young players, which is really... a bit of a dimensionality reduction blow.

Sure enough, when they walked out, they saw about twenty or thirty media reporters who were obviously waiting for them.

No, to be precise, he was waiting for Hu Lai.

Whether it was Clark's head coach or Pete Williams, there were only two or three interviewing reporters in front of him.

Hu Lai was already surrounded by reporters, and microphones, recording pens, and mobile phones were stretched out for him.

"Hu, it is rumored that you have been confirmed to win this year's European Young Player Award... What do you think about winning the award?"

"Win the award? No, I didn't receive the news that I won the award. I came here as one of the ten candidates... so I don't have any opinion."

"Huh. Ten of the best young players in the past twenty-five sessions have won the European Ballon d'Or. Do you think it is possible for you to win the European Ballon d'Or in the future?"

"Oh, I said it, I'm not sure about winning the prize yet, so don't count me in..."

Facing the questions of the reporters, Hu Lai answered them impeccably, resolutely not giving those reporters a chance to lead him into a ditch.

Seeing that Hu Lai was so careful, the reporters changed their questioning method: "Then, Hu Lai, how do you feel about being selected for the final ten candidates?"

"Impressions? I am very happy. This is the recognition of my performance in the past season. I am very happy to receive this recognition..."

Hu Lai walked out while answering the reporters' questions.

Just as he was about to walk out of the terminal, Wang Shanshan appeared in front of him: "Hello, Hu Lai, we are from CCTV..."

Hu Lai was a little surprised: "Why did you come to Paris?"

Wang Shanshan smiled and said, "Isn't this here to report on your award ceremony?"

Even in the face of old acquaintances, Hu Lai still answered without leaking. He shook his head and corrected: "It's not an award ceremony."

Wang Shanshan didn't bother him with this question either: "So that counts as a nomination?"

"Well, nomination." Hu Lai nodded and continued walking.

"Since it's a nomination, then you and Li Qingqing are both nominated this time, do you have anything to say to her?"

Hearing Li Qingqing's name, Hu Lai cupped his hands to speak, but was interrupted by Wang Shanshan: "Can you speak to the camera, Hu Lai?"

Hu Lai glanced at the camera next to the reporter, then stopped and turned to face the camera lens.

"Congratulations, Li Qingqing. The candidate for the best player in Europe is one level higher than the candidate for a young player like me, amazing!" Hu Lai gave a thumbs up to the camera. "Come on, strive to be selected as the Miss World Footballer next time..."

Before he finished speaking, he saw a person turning from the side of the camera, looking at him with a smile like a flower: "I accept your good words, Hu Lai!"

Hu Lai was taken aback for a moment, as if he didn't dare to recognize him, but soon his eyes widened and he exclaimed, "Why are you here?!"

"As a landlord, I welcome you!" Li Qingqing smiled happily.

When Li Qingqing turned out, Wang Shanshan took a step back. Seeing this scene next to her, she also laughed happily.

She finally managed to see the scene she had been planning all this time!

oops!

It is so beautiful!

The encounter between boys and girls in a foreign country is a surprise and a warmth.

Her eyes flicked back and forth between the faces of the two of them. She first saw Li Qingqing's bright smile, and then saw Hu Lai laughing after surprise and joy.

The two just looked at each other and smiled.

They have been in the same frame many times, and this time they stood side by side on the big stage of European football.

This "encounter" deliberately created by Wang Shanshan is to declare to the whole of Europe:

Look! This is the golden boy and jade girl of our Chinese football!

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ps, it has been a single update from today until the end of the month, I am really sorry.

In addition, thank you for your reminders and advice. We will always pay attention to the weather and geological disasters. If the situation is not right, we will immediately change the itinerary.

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