Start again in the new year

During the short holiday, Wang Feng had a relatively leisurely time. Since the children were still young, they didn't choose to go out for a trip. The space at home was large enough for everyone to relax, and occasionally they could enjoy outdoor sunbathing and barbecue. The winter in Spain didn't feel too cold.

During this time, Wang Feng received a call from his agent, Balmond: "The Real Madrid club has been contacting me all this time, wanting to discuss your contract renewal. What do you think?"

Wang Feng closed his eyes and pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "Francisco, even if I renew my contract now and become the highest-paid player in the world, I'm afraid it won't be much compared to the fee I receive for endorsing a company."

"I want to discuss this matter later. There are still two and a half years left on the contract. You can reassure the club's senior management that I won't suddenly want to leave."

"There are currently many top clubs contacting me, wanting to discuss the issue of your transfer. How should I handle it?" Balmond asked. "Reject them for now. It's not the right time."

Regarding the career planning of the Chinese superstar, he had full decision-making power, while Balmond was only responsible for execution. This was the foundation of their many years of cooperation.

"Oh, by the way, hasn't Belgium's Genk recently produced two somewhat famous new stars? I hope you can sign them and operate them well, they might become tomorrow's superstars."

Balmond also had some understanding of this matter. The genius midfielder De Bruyne and the forward Huang Hu, both of Chinese descent, had been showing signs of promise in the Belgian league recently.

To be honest, he greatly admired the vision of the Chinese superstar. Whether it was Ribéry before or Balotelli, they were extremely talented prospects. Unfortunately, the latter seemed a bit erratic and needed to experience the trials of society.

The winter transfer window was destined to have no major movements. Real Madrid's stable performance meant they didn't need any personnel reinforcements, while Barcelona secured a deal.

They acquired defensive midfielder Na Diarra from Portsmouth in the Premier League, further strengthening the team's midfield and defense. The transfer fee reached 20 million euros.

This 23-year-old Frenchman had been dubbed the "second Makélélé". At his unveiling at Barcelona, he said, "It's undoubtedly an honor for me, but right now, I'm focused on playing football at Barcelona."

"This is the focus of attention for the world media and fans, with the best players and squad in the world. I feel extremely proud to step onto such a stage."

When asked about Real Madrid and Wang Feng, the young player seemed a bit at a loss. "Um, he is a great player, oh, no, he is a strong opponent, but we always find a way, I think that's it."

Fortunately, Barcelona's spokesperson promptly defused the situation, avoiding an embarrassing scene. Apart from him, the Catalan team also bought defender Carletto from Santos in Brazil and brought back Rodrigue from Salamanca, making significant reinforcements.

On the second day of the new year, Real Madrid players gradually returned to the club. After a simple physical examination and adaptation training, they flew to Villarreal to prepare for the first game of 2009.

On January 4th, at the Ceramic Stadium, the 17th round of La Liga officially began. Apart from Pepe, who injured his knee in training, and Diarra, who had inflamed tonsils, both absent, the rest of Real Madrid's main lineup started.

In the first half, the away team scored first. In the 29th minute, Ramos started a pass from the back to find Robben on the right. Robben cut inside after receiving the ball and shot from the left side of the 22-meter position.

Villarreal's goalkeeper Lopez made a diving save, but the ball bounced to Wang Feng on the left, who easily slotted it in, 1-0!

Before the end of the first half, the away team created another opportunity. Sneijder sent a through ball from the front, and Wang Feng broke into the left side of the penalty area, shooting into the far corner again, 2-0! Another brace!

"The Chinese superstar seems to be steadily raising his standard for goals. Before, it was about how many games he went without scoring. Now it's about how many games he hasn't scored two or more goals."

"He has scored in all 17 league games so far, with only five games where he scored just once. It's really hard to imagine a forward reaching these numbers one day."

In the second half, neither side changed the scoreline, and Real Madrid eventually won the game.

Meanwhile, their direct competitors, Barcelona, continued their lackluster performance from before the new year. Messi was absent due to an old injury, and they fell behind 0-2 to Mallorca in the first 20 minutes at the Camp Nou!

Luckily, Eto'o and Iniesta stepped up to score a goal each for the home team, leveling the score at 2-2. Otherwise, they would have faced strong criticism from the home fans.

During the match, Barcelona had a possession rate of over 70%, but the number of times they actually penetrated the opponent's penalty area was few. After the match, Mundo Deportivo criticized the team: "Without Messi, Barcelona struggles to dominate, not just against Real Madrid, but against other teams in La Liga as well."

Thanks to the result of this round, Real Madrid gradually secured their position at the top of the table, making it difficult for them to be overtaken.

On January 8th, the Spanish King's Cup resumed, with Real Madrid traveling to face Real Betis.

In the 13th minute of the match, Real Betis took the lead using a corner kick opportunity, with defender Rivera opening the scoring. Meré held a lapse in defense, replacing Pepe.

Before the end of the first half, Rivera broke through to the penalty area with the ball, then passed to forward Pavoni for a close-range shot, expanding the home team's lead.

Wang Feng's performance this season had been exceptionally hot, so both the coaching staff and the club management hoped that the team could make a breakthrough in the cup competitions as well. Therefore, in the second half, the Chinese superstar decisively came on as a substitute.

Just two minutes after the restart, he intercepted a pass from Juanito in the opponent's half, then broke into the penalty area and scored with a one-on-one, helping the Galacticos pull one back.

"Wang Feng looks very excited and energetic, not at all like someone who just went through a big battle and travel fatigue four days ago."

In the 66th minute, the Chinese superstar received a pass from Guti on the wing, then slotted the ball diagonally into the penalty area for Cassano, who calmly equalized the score.

After that, the away team played more smoothly. In the 74th minute, García passed to Wang Feng in the frontcourt. He feigned a shot, then dribbled past a defender before taking a shot from outside the penalty area. The ball curled into the top left corner of the goal, leaving the Portuguese goalkeeper Ricardo cursing his short arms for not reaching the ball.

In the final moments, Guti and Van der Vaart once again combined brilliantly, breaking into Real Betis' penalty area, with the "Golden Wolf" lobbing the ball into the net for the fourth time.

4-2! The performance of the Galacticos in the first and second halves of the match could be said to be like two different teams.