When he was playing for Leeds City, he came to London several times a year.
Because this city has five Premier League teams: London Bridge, Warships Harbor, North London Wanderers, Sydenham, and London Mars.
In addition, when he returns to China to participate in competitions, he will also fly from London.
The UEFA Champions League and Europa League group draw ceremonies and award ceremonies were held in London, giving him an opportunity to revisit his hometown.
At the airport, he was surrounded by many media, including Chinese media, as well as a large number of Spanish media and English media.
"Good guys, you don't have to be like this..." Hu Lai waved his hands in front of the enthusiastic reporters, "This battle will make me mistakenly think that what I won is not the best in the Europa League, but the best in the Champions League or the gold medal."
As for the ball prize...it’s not necessary.”
The reporters were amused by Hu Lai.
A Chinese reporter asked amid laughter: "Even if you are the best in the Champions League, you are not far away, right, Hu Lai?"
Hu Lai shook his head: "I will work hard towards that goal, but I don't know how far I am from it."
"Being included in the ten-man shortlist for the Golden Globe Award is also a very good achievement..."
"Yes, of course, it means that I am considered by professional reporters and authoritative organizations to be among the top ten players in European football. But I don't pay much attention to this. After all, if I don't win the award, I am nothing..."
A British reporter asked: "People think you will be the Asian player most likely to win the Ballon d'Or. What do you think?"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Hu Lai said humbly, "I can only say that I will work hard to achieve this goal."
…
After dealing with reporters at the airport, Hu Lai and club general manager Le Ray got into a special car and headed to the hotel where they were staying.
After a simple renovation in the hotel, he will take a special car provided by the organizing committee to the awards ceremony, where he will walk across the red carpet in front of reporters and amid the cheers of fans.
Finally, he received his Europa League Best Player trophy.
After spending one night in London, we took a flight back to Madrid the next morning.
LeRae, general manager of Pirates Club, will continue to stay in London to attend the Champions League group stage draw ceremony.
※※※
Hu Lai had just walked down the red carpet when he met Meili.
The other party looked at him with a smile. This smile made Hu Lai feel scared. He looked back behind him and found no one else, so he pointed at himself and asked Meili: "Are you smiling at me?"
Melly smiled and nodded: "Yes, who else could it be?"
"My pants are unzipped or do I still have dirt on my face?"
Melly ignored Hu Lai's nonsense. He still kept smiling, approached Hu Lai, and lowered his voice and said to him: "I'm glad you didn't choose to come to the king in the end..."
Hu Lai's eyes widened when he heard this: "Oh, my phone has the recording function turned on!"
Merry didn't believe his nonsense and laughed: "I'm looking forward to playing against you in the seventh round of the league."
After saying that, he didn't shake Hu Lai's hand or pat Hu Lai's shoulder, he just turned around and walked away.
Hu Lai sighed behind him:
When will injustice be repaid?
Didn’t I just eliminate you once in the Olympics?
As for that?
Then if I eliminate you in the Champions League in the future, must you be crazy?
Hu Lai shook his head and continued walking forward, and met Kendall Kabangka again, who was chatting with a man who was not tall but stood tall and straight.
He planned to go around, but Kabangka stopped him: "Hu!"
I had no choice but to stop and say hello to him: "Hello, Kabangka."
"Let me introduce to you, this is Soren Gribsch." Kabangka pointed at the man chatting with him and said.
Of course Hulay knows Søren Gribusch. As the current captain and core midfielder of Blue and White Munich, Gribusch is considered the successor and successor of "Sun" Greimand Aylmer.
The two people were opponents in the Champions League final three months ago, and now they are talking and laughing here.
When Grebusch saw Hu Lai, he also smiled and greeted Hu Lai in English with a German accent: "Hello, Hu Lai, nice to meet you. Although we haven't played against each other yet, even in Germany, I often hear
to your name."
"That's such an honor..." Hu Lai pretended to be modest.
"I'm glad you didn't choose to go to Madrid Kings." Gribusch smiled, "It would be too boring if you and Melli were on the same team. Look at Caponka, he would never choose Madrid Kings.
.”
Hulay glanced at Kabangca and asked: "Then when will you go to Catalonia United?"
Kabangka smiled slightly and did not answer directly: "I still have a one-year contract with Manchester Athletic."
Hu Lai suddenly realized: "I understand, see you in La Liga next year!"
Gribusch: "Don't be so full of words. I'm trying to persuade him to join us in Munich."
Kabangka shook his head: "If I go to the Blue and White Munich, except for the Champions League, other games will become unchallenging."
"Ha, you look down on Ruerlein so much when you say that!"
"You just hired Ruerrhein's top shooter..." Kabangka complained.
Similar to the Kings of Madrid, Blue and White Munich, as the overlord of German football, has another famous saying:
The best German players should play for Munich.
When the Blue and White Munich were at their peak, six of the eleven players in the German national team were from them.
At that time, some people ridiculed or ridiculed that the German national team should wear the blue and white Munich striped jerseys in international competitions.
After Gribsch heard Kabangka's complaint, he didn't take it seriously. Instead, he laughed: "This way we can devote ourselves wholeheartedly to the Champions League. Isn't that good?"
Kabangka shook his head: "No. I still like to do something more challenging..."
After saying goodbye to Gribusch, he took Hu Lai and left with him.
Hu Lai glanced at his hand holding his sleeve: "Why are you holding me?"
"Do you want to stay and have a chat with Gribusch? Let him persuade you to consider going to Blue and White Munich in the future?"
"Okay... I thought what the two of you were talking about, but it turned out that he was trying to get you to join him."
"He knew I wanted to leave Manchester United," Kabangka said to Hulay.
"Will you really come to La Liga next year?" Hu Lai asked.
"If things go well... yes. I will come to beat Melli, just like I beat him in the Champions League. And I will come to beat you, just like I beat him in the Premier League."
"It's like I haven't beaten you in the Premier League..." Hu Lai curled his lips.
"Have you?" Kabangka was obviously surprised by this.
Hu Lai was also surprised: "Aren't you? You don't even know this? In the 2025-2026 season, we defeated you 1:0 at home, and I scored the only goal."
Kabangka thought for a while and then suddenly realized: "Ah! I know which game it is..."
Then he smiled evilly: "But I didn't play in that game, so it doesn't count! You still haven't defeated me yet."
Unexpectedly, Hu Lai was not irritated, but also laughed: "I also remembered that you had just returned from injury at that time. It was for the World Cup, so you didn't take risks. As a result, you not only lost the Premier League championship, but also the best in the Premier League was lost to me.
Taken away. Oh, and there’s also the World Cup, and you didn’t beat us either!”
Kabangka took a deep breath. When it came to exposing people's scars, he really couldn't compare to Hu Lai.
"Hu, I'm very curious..."
"What are you curious about?"
"I'm curious as to why you haven't been beaten to death yet?" Kabangka said through gritted teeth.
"Ha!" Hu Lai laughed. "You should discuss this issue with Meili!"
"What are you discussing with him for?"
"Because he also wants to know the answer!"
Kabangka was speechless. When he met such a bitch, there was really nothing he could do to him.
So he decisively turned around and left.
Hu Lai didn't hold back and went straight to find his own place.
Then he met Leeds City manager Tony Clark.
"Boss?" Hu Lai was surprised. He didn't expect to meet his former head coach here. "Why are you here?"
Clark explained with a smile: "I was selected into the three-person shortlist for UEFA's best head coach last season."
Hu Lai smiled and said: "Congratulations to the boss!"
"It's just a shortlist, but it doesn't mean you can win. In fact, this award belongs to Hantcek..."
Clark is right. Bjorn Hantcek, who led Munich to the Bundesliga title, German Cup title and Champions League title last season, will definitely win the honor of the best coach.
Just like Hu Lai, I came here to run with him.
However, being selected into the three-person shortlist is already impressive enough, indicating that Clark was ranked among the top three head coaches in European football last season.
"I watched your two games with Madrid Pirates. Although I am very reluctant to leave, I must admit that it was the right choice for you to leave Leeds City. We are still too small here..." Clark shook his head with a smile, "I will do it now.
One thought: don't let us face Pirates of Madrid in the draw."
Hu Lai waved his hand: "I don't want to meet Leeds City either."
"Then it seems we have reached a consensus on this."
Clark extended his hand to Hu Lai.
Hu Lai held hands with him.
Then the two of them separated to find their respective places.
Hu Lai resisted asking Clark about Zhou Zijing.
There were two rounds of La Liga and two rounds of the Premier League. In these two rounds of the league, Zhou Zijing was not even included in the squad, let alone played.
Hu Lai didn't know whether Zhou Zijing would adapt to it through training and team games for a month before getting a chance, like he did when he first joined Leeds City.
But the reason why he was like this in the first place was because his physical condition was not able to meet the requirements for playing in the Premier League.
Does Zhou Zijing have any problems in this regard?
His body is already the strongest among Chinese players...
Although he had such doubts in his heart, Hu Lai did not ask out loud. He was worried that this would have a negative impact on Zhou Zijing.
Anyway, any Chinese player who goes abroad to play football will have to experience acclimatization.
Zhou Zijing's path must be walked by himself.
※※※
UEFA's draw and award ceremony are held in two days. The awards will be given on the first night, and the group draws for the Europa League and Champions League will be held on the second day.
At the awards ceremony that evening, various awards were announced one by one.
Mario Salado from Catalonia won the Best Young Player Award in Europe last season as he wished. He seemed very excited when receiving the award and even stuttered a little at the beginning when he gave a speech of thanks.
The best coach in Europe is indeed Bjorn Hantcek, who led Blue and White Munich to the Triple Crown.
The former coach of Madrid Pirates did not continue to coach the Pirates after the Madrid Pirates became famous. Instead, he returned to Germany and ushered in the peak of his career with Blue and White Munich.
Fortunately, his successor Parotti also won a Europa League championship with the Madrid Pirates, otherwise many people might miss Hantcek.
But even so, Parotti, who has only one Europa League championship, is not satisfied with Hantcek's triple crown achievements.
Hulay took the stage to receive his Europa League top scorer trophy and best player trophy, and delivered a very simple speech of thanks.
Although the Chinese media and fans were very excited, Hulay knew that he was not the protagonist of this stage today. He acted very calmly and was not even as excited as when he won the European Best Young Player Award last year.
The protagonist then appears.
The best player in the Champions League belongs to Soren Gribsch who helped Blue and White Munich win the championship.
He scored five goals, provided six assists, and produced 11 goals in the Champions League. He was the core contributor to the team's championship win. He deserved this honor.
The winner of the final European Player of the Year award, the European Ballon d'Or, is still Gribusch.
There is nothing to say. If the core midfielder of the Triple Crown cannot win this award, then the professionalism and authority of the European Ballon d'Or will be greatly questioned, and it will be reduced to the same level as FIFA's World Footballer.
…
Kendall Kabangka won the Silver Ball.
Mendy Payet, the leading forward of Paris Eger, won the Bronze Ball Award.
Since there is no international competition this year, the important reference criterion for the awards is the results of the club competitions.
Gribusch is well-deserved for his award.
At the end of the award ceremony, the three winners held football trophies of different colors and stood on the stage for photographers who flocked to take photos.
Each of their smiling faces is reflected on the shiny trophy.
Hu Lai, like everyone else, sat in the audience, applauded them and cast envious eyes.
Although he answered very cautiously during the interview at the airport, his heart was full of enthusiasm.
One day, he will also put himself in this scene.
And he will be the one standing in the middle C position!
