Soccer: If they're using these kinds of cheats, what's the point of training?

Zhang was engrossed in probing the depths of the four female reporters' feelings, unaware that in the hours following his departure from the stadium, discussions about him were sweeping the globe at an unimaginable speed.

Let's go back a few hours.

Less than half an hour after the match ended, L'Équipe's website published a long article with a simple four-word title: "Goal of the Century".

"We've seen Maradona score the goal of the century in the 1986 World Cup by dribbling past five players, and we've seen Messi replicate Maradona's feat in the 2007 Copa del Rey."

But today, in the 23rd round of Ligue 1, Grenoble played against Auxerre, and a Chinese player scored a goal that will go down in football history – starting from the edge of his own penalty area, he sprinted 80 meters, dribbled past five players, and sent the ball into the opponent's goal.

This isn't Maradona, not Messi, not Ronaldo. This is arrogance, an eighteen-year-old Chinese boy.

The article included a GIF showing the entire process of Zhang Kuang's dragon goal. The GIF was compressed, but every movement was clearly visible—bumping past Matsui Daisuke, nutmegging Bartley, overtaking Fraches on the outside, stepping over two Davids, and finally unleashing a powerful shot into the net.

Within the first hour of its release, the GIF garnered over 500,000 views.

One million in the second hour.

In the third hour, five million...

The digital director of L'Equipe later tweeted: "We've seen France win the World Cup, Zidane retire, Henry handball. But we've never seen a single player's goal video get five million views in three hours. Never."

Germany's Bild newspaper reacted the fastest, with a headline even more exaggerated than L'Équipe's:

Pelé, Maradona, Ronaldo, Messi – now add arrogance: one of the greatest long-distance runs in football history.

The article states: "We conducted a test at the Bild editorial office—we put this flamboyant goal alongside Maradona's 1986 goal of the century and Messi's 2007 replica goal, showed it to fifty readers, and asked them which was the most spectacular. The results were—thirty-two chose the flamboyant goal, twelve chose Maradona, and six chose Messi."

It's not that Maradona and Messi's goals weren't spectacular enough, but rather that their goals possessed an element they lacked—speed.

His frenzied sprint reached an astonishing speed of 41 kilometers per hour, a victory not only of technique but also of power.

The Times of London ran a more sober headline, but the content was equally explosive: "Ferguson's arrogance: Will the Premier League be his next stop?"

"This newspaper has learned from sources within Manchester United that manager Sir Alex Ferguson watched a video recording of the Auxerre vs. Grenoble match."

It is said that after watching Ferguson's flamboyant third goal, he said to his assistant coach, "We need players like that."

The Times enlarged this statement and made it into a separate paragraph. As for whether it was true or false, no one knows, because no one went to Ferguson to verify the truth of the matter.

Spanish newspapers Marca and AS are equally impressive.

Marca's headline reads: "Real Madrid scouting report: His flamboyant dribbling and breakthrough abilities far exceed our previous assessments. He's not Drogba; he's a younger, more complete Ronaldo."

The headline in AS was even more direct: "Pellegrini: More flamboyant and complete than Drogba, he is a phenomenal winger, and his potential is no less than that of Ronaldo and Messi."

This statement has sparked huge controversy in Spain.

The Italian newspaper *La Gazzetta dello Sport* focused on the transfer market:

"A Madman Destroys Grenoble: Three Goals and Two Assists, One Man Creates Five Goals. Juventus, Inter Milan, and AC Milan All Take Action Simultaneously."

According to our reporter, Juventus has taken the lead in the fierce bidding war. Their sporting director, Secco, went to Paris last week and had in-depth discussions with the player's agency. Inter Milan and AC Milan are also following suit, but their attitude is not as proactive as Juventus'.

The headline in Tuttosport was even more provocative: "Arrogance: The final piece of the puzzle for Juventus' revival."

"Juventus fans should remember this day: February 6, 2010, when a Chinese teenager scored a goal of the century in Grenoble, France."

And this young man may very well don the black and white striped jersey this summer. He's not the next Del Piero; he's the first to be arrogant.

Chinese media outlets were in an uproar.

The headline of Titan Sports Weekly was in red, bold, and so large it occupied a third of the entire page: "Goal of the Century! Zhang's 80-meter sprint past 5 players leaves Ligue 1 defenders in despair."

The article states: "This is not a victory for Chinese football, but a victory for Zhang Kuang personally. Chinese football is still struggling in the mire, but Zhang Kuang has already soared to the clouds. He doesn't need Chinese football; Chinese football needs him."

The Football News headline was even more direct: "Arrogance: I alone am enough."

"When Auxerre were down 2-0, Zhang Kuang stepped up. A 40-meter long-range shot, a long run past five players, a diving header, two assists—five goals and assists, all by himself. This is not a football match, this is the ultimate performance of individual heroism."

Online, the discussion has reached unprecedented levels.

"I've watched that goal twenty times, and every time I see it, I find it unbelievable. How did he do it? How did he knock Matsui Daisuke aside? How did he overtake from the outside? How did he wait for the ball in mid-air? It defies physics!"

"The most terrifying thing about this goal isn't the technique, it's the consistency. Running 80 meters, beating five players in the process, and still managing to unleash a powerful shot. This isn't something a human could do. Is Zhang Kuang a robot? Or an alien?"

"Did you notice? His diving header was almost parallel to the ground. I've never seen that kind of core strength on a football field. Ronaldo's headers are amazing, but even Ronaldo's diving headers aren't that extreme."

"I'm starting to suspect that Zhang Kuang has been hiding his true strength all along. He hadn't used his dribbling skills before, but suddenly he used them today, easily beating five people. How many more tricks does he have up his sleeve?"

"If I were the president of Auxerre, I would go to a lawyer right now to review the contract. A three million euro release clause—this isn't selling a player, it's giving away money."

"The Auxerre president must be banging his head against a wall right now. Players signed for free have seen their value increase tenfold after just five games. Why doesn't my team get this kind of good fortune?"

"Where will Zhang Qiling's next destination be? Manchester United? Chelsea? Manchester City? Real Madrid? Barcelona? Juventus? Where do you think he's most likely to go?"

"I think it's Manchester United. Ferguson even came to see them in person. Besides, Manchester United is currently lacking a striker who can solve problems. Rooney is strong, but he's not a pure finisher. If Zhang goes to Manchester United, Rooney can drop back to play as a number 10, and the two complement each other."

"Manchester City, of course. Manchester City has the money, and they need an icon. He's arrogant, handsome, plays well, and generates buzz off the field. If Manchester City signs him, his commercial value will double."

"I think it's Juventus. Juventus is rebuilding right now, and he'd be the absolute core player there. At Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Barcelona, ​​he'd have to compete for a starting position. Only Juventus can give him that absolute core status."

"No matter where he goes, Auxerre can't keep him. The three million euro release clause is something all of Europe can afford. Auxerre fans should take advantage of the time he's still here to see him in person. Every game we see of a player like him is one less we'll ever see."

"I'm an Auxerre fan, and I'm devastated. We finally produced a world-class player, and he's leaving after only half a season. Is this the fate of small clubs?"

"That's football."

"..."

The most liked comment in all the discussions came from a Chinese netizen, and it consisted of only one sentence:

"Before, we could only see Chinese players score world-class goals in games. Now, we can watch a Chinese player score a world-class goal in real life. That's enough."