No one ever complains about having too many championships. They become the stories players tell after they retire. They can proudly tell their children and grandchildren what they once did on the pitch, the successes they achieved.
Moreover, for the Premier League title, the Liverpool owner had generously added a €10 million bonus to reward the team. The bonus for winning the Champions League would surely be no less. This was real money that would be deposited into their bank accounts.
And for individual players, like Tendou, his new contract had performance-based clauses. The Premier League title, the Champions League title, the Golden Boots—all of these would earn him bonuses in the millions.
On the podium, Henderson held the championship trophy high. Fireworks erupted from the four corners of the stage, dazzlingly bright. Golden confetti floated down over the Wanda Metropolitano stadium.
After the main celebration, the group lined up on the pitch in several rows. Klopp and the coaching staff, with players like Salah, Mané, and Arnold squatting in the front. The taller players like Tendou, Van Dijk, and Henderson stood behind them. And behind them were all the staff members of the team.
A large group of reporters surrounded them. The sound of camera shutters was like machine-gun fire.
"Click!"
Liverpool's "family photo" for the season was thus captured.
Klopp held the Champions League trophy, Alisson held his Golden Glove, and Tendou held the Champions League Golden Boot that he had snatched from Messi.
At this moment, apart from Liverpool fans and Tendou's fans, the happiest were the fans of Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo. Looking at the golden boot in Tendou's hands, they had so much to say. Because right now, the people at Barcelona must be grinding their teeth in hatred.
How was this fair? A few years ago, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace in the Champions League final to snatch the Golden Boot from Messi. This year was even more outrageous. An 18-year-old kid scored a hat-trick in the final to snatch the Golden Boot. Was there any justice in the world?
You have to remember, this was one of the most important assets for Messi in his bid for this year's Ballon d'Or. Although Barcelona won the La Liga and Super Cup titles this year, apart from La Liga, the Super Cup didn't carry much weight, even less than the Copa del Rey. Those two trophies really couldn't compare to Liverpool's league and Champions League double.
The Liverpool fans couldn't care less what they were thinking. They were still celebrating. Some of the Liverpool players' families also came down for photos to commemorate this important moment.
It's worth mentioning that Salah took the championship trophy from Henderson, preparing to take a photo with his wife and child. But his little girl suddenly scampered over to Tendou's side, wanting a picture with him instead. The Egyptian Pharaoh's expression instantly became awkward. Tendou laughed, picked up Salah's daughter for a photo, and then returned the pharaoh's princess to him.
After a very long time, the entire Liverpool contingent finally left the stadium. That night, they chose to stay in Madrid, booking out the most expensive nightclub in the area to celebrate. This time, Klopp also participated.
In 2015, Klopp left the Bundesliga and came to Liverpool, to the Premier League. At that time, many clubs wanted to hire him, including giants like Manchester United and Real Madrid. In the end, he chose Liverpool. At that time, Liverpool was in a slump, having only earned 10 points in 11 league matches. It was a complete mess. And Klopp chose to come to Liverpool under such circumstances. He even publicly declared, "If I don't win a major trophy for Liverpool within 4 years, I will f*ck off on my own."
Now, he had done it. And it was a league and Champions League double! The overjoyed Klopp got dead drunk that night.
...
The next day, the world's major sports media were flooded with reports about Liverpool's championship win.
Sixth Title in Club History, Liverpool Defeats Tottenham to be Crowned Champions!
Biggest Massacre in Champions League Final History, Liverpool Mercilessly Slaughters Tottenham 7-1!
Messi Misses Out on Champions League Golden Boot Again!
An 18-Year-Old Prodigy is Born, a Final Hat-trick Makes Him the Third in History!
3 Goals, 1 Assist, the World's Youngest Champions League Final MVP!
Florentino Makes His Move, Real Madrid Decides to Activate TJ's Release Clause, Hopes to Bring the 18-Year-Old Prodigy to the Bernabéu This Summer!
...
In all the newspapers, besides the detailed match reports and praise for Liverpool, the remaining ink was all dedicated to Tendou. An 18-year-old player. Four goals created in the Champions League final, 29 league goals in half a season, 14 Champions League goals. These stats once again refreshed people's understanding of what a young player could achieve.
Of course, some sour-grapes media outlets also commented that Tendou's success was thanks to Liverpool's overall strength. If he were on another team, he would definitely not have been able to produce such a crazy performance.
This line of argument was quickly refuted by Tendou's fans. Because everyone knew what Liverpool was like before Tendou joined. Tendou wasn't just a beneficiary; at least, he wasn't the biggest one. It was only after he joined that Liverpool's firepower was completely activated. Under his organization and direction, Liverpool's attack became unstoppable. Besides, he was Liverpool's top scorer. Attributing Tendou's success to Liverpool's lineup simply didn't hold water.
Then, that afternoon, the media and fans who had doubted Tendou were brutally slapped in the face again.
The Transfermarkt website immediately adjusted Tendou's market value. A full €150 million! In just half a season, Tendou had become one of the most expensive players in all of Europe. He was also Liverpool's most expensive player, tied with Salah. Following them were Arnold at €110 million, Van Dijk at €100 million, Alisson at €90 million, Firmino at €90 million, and Robertson at €80 million...
Fans of smaller clubs burst into tears upon seeing the market values of Liverpool's players. Just one of these Liverpool players was worth more than their entire team!
Of course, the teams who were suffering even more were the other Premier League clubs. Liverpool's current squad age structure was very healthy. Salah, Mané, and Van Dijk were at the peak of their careers, while they also had energetic young players like Tendou and Arnold. Next year's Liverpool would only be stronger.
The ones who couldn't stand it the most were, of course, Liverpool's arch-rivals, Manchester United. The day after the Champions League final, Manchester United fans were already clamoring for their club to make a move. Seeing Klopp lead Liverpool's resurgence made their eyes turn red with envy. Back then, Manchester United had been one of Klopp's top choices. But after talks, Klopp was put off, believing that Manchester United's management didn't align with his philosophy. They were a group of businessmen, while he was all about football. With this backstory, the fans were naturally even more dissatisfied with the management. To appease the fans, the Manchester United board had already prepared a large sum of money for the summer. And so, Saint Ten was about to start his work (let's hope it goes well)!
Of course, all of this was for later...
Tendou's market value had skyrocketed, already setting the record for the largest increase in value in a single season. However, not many fans felt it was unreasonable. He was just too young, with a future that held limitless possibilities. If he was this strong now, wouldn't he be unstoppable in the future? If Liverpool were willing to sell, that €150 million would be snapped up in an instant! At the very least, Real Madrid and Manchester City would be more than happy to pay that price.
However, the news about Tendou didn't stop there. Three days later, the media once again broke the news that Tendou had reached a long-term agreement with Nike. He would become a global ambassador for Nike. The contract was for 5 years, at €15 million per year, with performance-based clauses. At most, Tendou could earn €20 million a year from Nike. A super contract comparable to those of Messi and Ronaldo.
Adidas had once again lost to Nike in the competition. The sports giant had really been beaten down by Nike in recent years.