Chapter 337: King of Europe (Final)

Chapter 337: King of Europe (Final)

In European and even world football, Angel Maria Villar wields considerable power. Not only is he a FIFA vice-president and a loyal ally of Sepp Blatter, but he was also elected as the first vice-president of UEFA last year.

Villar became the president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) in 1988 and successfully re-elected in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and again this May. This is now his eighth term as the RFEF president.

Earlier this year, after Michel Platini was ousted due to corruption charges, Villar became the acting president of UEFA. He is also a top candidate for the UEFA presidency in the upcoming election this September.

Villar's background as a former professional player has significantly benefited his career within football associations. As a Basque, he values Athletic Bilbao's tradition of nurturing local players, which has greatly supported youth football development.

His background also helps him remain neutral in the fierce rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona, making him a balancing figure within the association. After Villar began his tenure at UEFA in the 1990s, the expectations from Spanish football grew significantly.

Despite some public dissatisfaction with his choice of the conservative Basque manager Clemente for the national team, Villar was re-elected as the president of RFEF. Spanish football people did not want Villar's potential ousting to result in losing their representative in UEFA.

From 2008 to 2012, after the Spanish national team won three consecutive major championships, Villar transformed into a hero admired by everyone. Even though Spain was mired in an economic crisis, Villar could still generously reward each national player with substantial bonuses after their victories.

Villar was disappointed when the Spanish team, which he supported, was eliminated by Italy, preventing them from winning a third consecutive European Championship. He then shifted his support to the French team to win the championship.

However, now he saw that the French team also failed to win the title. Nevertheless, Villar appreciated that Portugal wasn't a team adhering to defensive football. In fact, Portugal scored the most goals in this European Championship, with the "Seleção das Quinas" netting 18 goals in 7 matches, far ahead of France's 13 goals. Thus, this championship could still be seen as a victory for attacking football.

When Deschamps came up to receive his medal, Villar said to him, "It's a pity you didn't win, but you did an excellent job, Didier."

Deschamps shook his head, saying somewhat helplessly, "We weren't very lucky..."

He referred to facing a player as extraordinary as Bruno, who performed a hat-trick in the Euro Cup final. However, to others, his words might seem absurd—after all, his opponent was disturbed by French fans the night before the match, and their star player and captain had to leave the game early due to injury. If this isn't bad luck for the French, what is?

Villar smiled, patted his shoulder, and said, "Try again next season, Didier. Your style of football is the trend!"

Deschamps finally forced a smile, "Thank you, Mr. Villar." But as he turned away, the smile disappeared. It was merely a forced smile; he couldn't genuinely smile at that moment.

When the last member of the French team walked down from the podium, the Portuguese players appeared on the field, lining up at the entrance below the stands. The Portuguese fans gathered in that section of the stands, applauding and cheering for their players.

The Portuguese players exchanged high-fives with the fans, even crossing the barriers to hug them. Bruno, of course, was the most popular figure, even worrying about how much hair he would have left by the end of the day.

As the French players descended the high podium, the stadium announcer started shouting, "Next up—let's welcome—the champions—"

The Portuguese fans roared in unison, "Portugal—!!!"

"Yes! Welcome, Portugal!!! They are the champions of the 2016 UEFA European Championship!"

Amidst the deafening cheers, the Portuguese players, led by their coach Santos, walked up the stairs to the podium, shaking hands and receiving hugs from many people along the way.

When Santos went up, Villar patted his face and head, looking very pleased, not showing any sign of his prior support for France.

"You have led Portugal to create a miracle, Mr. Santos," Villar praised.

"Thank you, Mr. Villar," Santos humbly replied. "This is the players' achievement. I just did what I was supposed to do..." He couldn't hide his smile.

Leading the team to the top of Europe was an achievement enough to savor for a lifetime.

Santos then received his gold medal from Villar. After shaking hands with Villar again, he turned around to showcase his medal to the audience, drawing the first wave of applause.

Each player received their medal to corresponding applause and cheers.

"This is a thrilling moment!" The Portuguese commentator's voice trembled. "After narrowly missing the Henri Delaunay Cup twelve years ago, Portugal has finally ascended to the pinnacle of Europe today! Portugal has made history! They have created their miracle!"

Finally, Bruno and Ronaldo approached Villar together.

"Congratulations, Bruno!" Villar extended his hand to Bruno.

Bruno shook his hand, calmly saying, "Thank you, Mr. Villar."

"Your performance was impressive. I believe your name will be on the front pages of every influential media outlet tomorrow." Villar then placed the gold medal around Bruno's neck.

Bruno felt the weight of the medal on his neck. Looking down, he saw the medal gleaming on his chest.

A heavy gold medal—something many dream of. And now, it was truly hanging around his neck.

This was another peak in his career. As he neared his 22nd birthday, he was about to lift his first major international trophy.

Yes, the Champions League was important, but the Euro Cup held more weight.

It was the second most prestigious trophy in world football, only behind the World Cup.

Yet, compared to other Portuguese players, Bruno felt less national pride. Compared to Portugal, he still felt a stronger connection to another country he deeply loved. However, given his current situation, it seemed impossible for him to wear his dream jersey, let alone lift a major international trophy for that country.

This thought brought a sense of melancholy to Bruno.

The Portuguese commentator, unaware of Bruno's inner thoughts, showered him with praise: "Everyone knows why Portugal reached the final and even defeated France to lift the Euro Cup. It's because they have Bruno! They have an omnipotent Bruno!"

"Yes, omnipotent! In this final, Bruno showed us what 'omnipotent' means. As the playmaker in midfield, he orchestrated the team's attacks. He also made several key defensive plays, anchoring Portugal's defense when they were under pressure in the second half. Upfront, as a prolific scorer, he secured the victory with a hat-trick in the first half!"

"When Captain Ronaldo was injured, Bruno stepped up as Portugal's absolute leader and spiritual beacon. He carried the expectations of millions of Portuguese fans. The enormous pressure on his shoulders felt like nothing. In the team's most critical moments, he stood tall. When everyone else was at a loss, he provided hope with three goals. He was the hope for everyone. Seeing him on the pitch brought comfort. The term 'flagbearer' seems to have been created just for him..."

After receiving his medal, it was Ronaldo's turn to collect the championship trophy. As an eight-time president of the Spanish FA, Villar had grown familiar with Real Madrid's iconic players, so he chatted with Ronaldo for a while before giving him his medal.

After receiving his medal, Ronaldo didn't walk away like the other players but stayed there, waiting.

Villar turned around, picked up the Henri Delaunay Cup. Everyone's attention was focused, with some already impatiently cheering.

But it was just a few. Most held their breath, waiting for the moment when Ronaldo would hold the trophy high.

On the podium, Villar picked up the trophy, turned to Ronaldo with a smile, and said, "Congratulations, Ronaldo. You and your teammates are now the best in Europe!"

Then he handed the trophy to Ronaldo.

When Ronaldo's fingers touched the cold handles, a thrill shot from his fingertips to his heart. In that moment, Ronaldo confirmed once more: this was real, not a dream. This trophy truly belonged to them!

As he took the trophy from Villar, the iconic song "We Are the Champions" by Queen played through the stadium.

Burgundy confetti sprayed from the ceiling, dancing in the air.

Ronaldo turned around and lifted the trophy high, announcing to the world: from today onwards, we are the true kings of Europe!

(End of Chapter)

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