After two weeks of international fixtures, Ajax returned to league action for the twelfth round of the Eredivisie, welcoming FC Twente to the Amsterdam ArenA.
Despite their mid-table position, Twente were never an easy opponent. Their disciplined structure and compact defense posed problems, especially for a team like Ajax that relied on rhythm and passing lanes. From the outset, the visitors pressed aggressively and absorbed Ajax's attacks with patience.
The first half was a frustrating affair. Ajax dominated possession but couldn't find a breakthrough. Yang Yang was marked tightly throughout, often double-teamed as soon as he received the ball. Twente's fullbacks held their ground, and their midfield trio clogged the center, forcing Ajax to circulate without penetration.
Koeman stood on the touchline with arms crossed, quietly analyzing, while behind him, Ruud Krol and Kruitenberg exchanged notes. Ajax needed something special, but the inspiration didn't arrive before halftime.
As the second half resumed, the tempo increased. Sneijder and Pienaar tried to pull strings from midfield, and Yaya Touré pushed forward more frequently, seeking to overload the flanks.
But it wasn't until the 70th minute that the deadlock finally broke.
Yang Yang, who had been drifting between flanks to shake his markers, received the ball near the right edge of the penalty area. With a quick burst of pace, he darted past the left-back and whipped in a low, driven cross toward the near post. The ball was hard and fast—designed to sow panic.
Twente's central defender reacted instinctively, stretching to intercept, but mistimed his touch. The ball deflected awkwardly off his shin and spun past his own goalkeeper into the net.
Own goal.
The Amsterdam ArenA erupted—not because of the nature of the goal, but because the pressure had finally told. Ajax led 1–0.
The relief was short-lived for Twente. Just seven minutes later, Ajax struck again. This time it was Charisteas, who latched onto a clever through ball from Sneijder and finished confidently, sliding the ball under the keeper from a tight angle to make it 2–0.
With that, Ajax maintained both their winning streak and their unbeaten record in the Eredivisie.
Elsewhere, chaos unfolded.
PSV Eindhoven were held to a thrilling 4–4 draw by RKC Waalwijk, despite Farfán's impressive hat-trick. Their defensive fragility once again cost them precious points. Meanwhile, Van Gaal's AZ Alkmaar were held to a goalless draw at home by Groningen, signaling that their early-season form might be fading.
Feyenoord, on the other hand, showed resolve. Away to Roda JC, they were pegged back twice but kept pushing. In the end, they found a late winner, taking the match 3–2.
Notably, Feng Xiaoting made his first Eredivisie start for Feyenoord in that game. After several solid appearances off the bench, the Chinese defender was finally rewarded with a place in the starting lineup. His composure and positioning were praised post-match, with local media speculating that more starts would follow.
Gao Lin, however, continued to feature mostly as a substitute and was still searching for his first goal in the Dutch league.
After this round, Ajax stood alone at the top of the table with 34 points from 12 matches. Despite not scoring against Twente, Yang Yang remained the Eredivisie's top scorer with 18 goals. Behind him, Arveladze was goalless this round, while Huntelaar added one to reach ten for the season.
The gap at the top was beginning to widen. And for the rest of the league, it was starting to look like Ajax—and Yang Yang—weren't slowing down anytime soon.
...
...
In the midweek fixture of the UEFA Champions League group stage's fifth round, Ajax hosted Sparta Prague at the Amsterdam Arena.
Both sides came into the match with a clear objective. While Ajax were looking to secure top spot in the group, Sparta Prague were still in contention for a UEFA Cup berth and played with a sharp edge, refusing to concede any ground.
The deadlock wasn't broken until the 68th minute. Sneijder, drifting between the lines, spotted Yang Yang's diagonal run inside the box and threaded a perfectly timed through ball. Yang Yang, calm and composed, took it in stride and slotted it past the goalkeeper with a clinical finish to give Ajax the lead.
With Sparta pushing forward in the final moments, Ajax struck again in the 89th minute. Yang Yang, this time turning creator, broke away on a swift counterattack and found De Jong unmarked near the edge of the box. The midfielder swept it low into the net, doubling Ajax's lead.
But the Czechs refused to go down quietly. In stoppage time, Martin Petráš rose highest to meet a corner and headed the ball into the back of the net, pulling one back for Sparta Prague. Despite the late scare, Ajax held on for a hard-earned 2–1 victory, with Yang Yang once again the difference-maker.
Meanwhile, drama unfolded in the other group match between Arsenal and FC Thun in Switzerland.
Just 35 minutes into the first half, Thun's Cameroonian defender Armand Deumi was shown a straight red card for a last-man foul on Ljungberg. The challenge was borderline, and while some argued it merited only a yellow, the referee opted for the harshest interpretation, leaving Thun to play with ten men for the remainder of the match.
The real controversy came in the second half.
In the 51st minute, Thun executed a superb counterattack. Mauro Lustrinelli broke down the left and sent a precise cut-back across the face of goal. Ferreira tapped it in at the far post. But just as the Swiss fans erupted, the assistant raised his flag—offside.
Fifteen minutes later, another swift break saw Lustrinelli again involved. He latched onto a loose ball in the box and scored what looked like a legitimate goal. But once more, the assistant flagged for offside. Replays suggested the decision was at best marginal, and at worst, a clear error.
With tempers boiling over, Thun's players struggled to contain their frustration. Yet worse was to come.
In the 88th minute, with Arsenal still unable to find the net, Van Persie went down in the box under minimal contact. Initially, the referee waved play on. But seconds later, after consultation with the assistant, he changed his call and awarded a penalty—claiming a shirt pull from a Thun defender.
The decision stunned the stadium.
Pirès stepped up and calmly converted from the spot. Arsenal escaped with a 1–0 win in a match that many felt they didn't deserve.
After the match, Thun's head coach Urs Schönenberger didn't hold back.
"My team should have qualified for the UEFA Cup tonight," he said bitterly at the press conference. "Instead, we got a red card in the first half, two legitimate goals disallowed for offside, and a very soft penalty awarded to Arsenal. What more can we say?"
Wenger, for his part, admitted Arsenal's performance had been underwhelming. He acknowledged the red card had affected the rhythm of the match, but insisted the penalty decision at the end was not controversial.
When pressed directly about the two offside calls, Wenger avoided comment.
The result meant Arsenal remained just behind Ajax in the group, setting up a decisive final group match at Highbury.
...
...
Over the weekend, Ajax's remarkable unbeaten run in the Eredivisie finally came to an end.
Ronald Koeman's side faced a difficult away test at Stadion Galgenwaard against a stubborn FC Utrecht team. Despite dominating possession and chances for much of the match, Ajax found themselves trailing after the 59th minute when Utrecht capitalized on a rare opportunity and scored the only goal of the game.
Even more concerning than the loss, however, was what happened just 19 minutes into the match.
Yang Yang, who started the game as usual, was forced off early after a clash with one of Utrecht's central defenders. During a physical challenge for the ball, he went down awkwardly and immediately signaled for a substitution.
Medical staff rushed onto the pitch, and although he managed to limp off under his own power, the expression on his face told the story. Something wasn't right.
Later that evening, after a thorough examination by the Ajax medical team and fitness coach Kruitenberg, the diagnosis was confirmed: a mild strain in his right foot muscle. The initial prognosis estimated a recovery time of one to two weeks. It was not a serious injury, but the timing was problematic.
With the sixth and final Champions League group stage match against Arsenal approaching, there was real concern he wouldn't be fit in time.
The news sent shockwaves through Ajax supporters.
After the match, dozens of fans gathered outside the club's De Toekomst training ground, hoping for updates. Others went as far as making the trip to Ouderkerk, where Yang Yang lived, bringing flowers, cards, and well wishes.
Inside the club, anxiety rippled through the dressing room. Though the injury wasn't major, Yang Yang was the centerpiece of their attack, and his absence—however short—was felt immediately.
Even Su Ye, upon hearing the news in Beijing, called in tears, begging to book a flight to Amsterdam to be with him. Yang Yang gently reassured her that it wasn't necessary.
"I'll be fine," he told her, doing his best to sound casual despite the pain in his foot. "It's only for a few days. And I still have to go in every morning for rehab—what will you do, sit alone at home all day?"
Su Ye sobbed quietly on the other end of the line, unconvinced.
But Yang Yang insisted. He didn't want her to spend money on international travel, especially as a student with no income. And deep down, he knew it would be better if she stayed focused on her studies.
Eventually, Su Ye relented, though not without one final promise: she would call every day.
Calls from his parents and close friends soon followed, each filled with concern. And that same night, his uncle Shen Ming and his wife made the trip from Almere to Ouderkerk, arriving late but needing to see for themselves that Yang Yang was truly alright.
Only after watching him walk, talk, and smile with no visible distress did they allow themselves to relax.
Elsewhere in the league, the title race tightened.
PSV Eindhoven bounced back from recent stumbles with a 3–0 win at home over ADO Den Haag, narrowing the gap to league leaders Ajax to just one point. With 32 points, Hiddink's team was now breathing down Koeman's neck.
Feyenoord, too, delivered a statement victory, thrashing Heracles 7–1 at De Kuip. Dirk Kuyt netted twice, bringing his season tally to 10 goals, and reinforcing his position as a leading Dutch striker.
But all eyes remained on Amsterdam and the fitness of Yang Yang.
Would he recover in time for the decisive showdown at Highbury?
Would Ajax hold the top spot in the Eredivisie without him?
Those questions lingered in the minds of fans and pundits alike, casting a shadow over the club's otherwise stellar campaign.
...
...
A week later, Ajax returned to action in the fourteenth round of the Eredivisie, and Yang Yang remained sidelined due to injury.
At the pre-match press conference, head coach Ronald Koeman confirmed what many had feared: Yang Yang was still not fit and was likely to miss the decisive midweek UEFA Champions League group-stage clash against Arsenal. It was a heavy blow, both for Ajax's chances and for the team's morale.
"Of course, losing a player like Yang is significant," Koeman admitted. "But we believe in this group. The team is strong, and everyone is ready to step up in his absence."
Despite the optimism, there was no denying the reality.
Yang Yang's absence created a clear void—particularly in Ajax's attacking fluidity and threat. The opposing defenders no longer had to worry about the league's most dangerous forward, and that change shifted the tactical landscape.
At home in the Amsterdam ArenA, Ajax hosted RKC Waalwijk. The opening half saw the hosts dominate possession and territory, repeatedly pinning the visitors deep into their own half. But despite their territorial control, Ajax struggled to find the final pass. Their movement lacked bite, and the chances they did create went begging.
As often happens in football, the team that controls the game but doesn't score gets punished.
Just before the halftime whistle, RKC launched a rare counterattack and stunned the crowd by taking the lead. The goal was against the run of play, but it served as a brutal reminder: dominance alone doesn't win matches.
However, the setback seemed to jolt Ajax awake.
Koeman's halftime team talk had an immediate effect. Within the opening three minutes of the second half, Ajax flipped the match on its head. First, Nigel de Jong found space in the box and finished coolly to level the score. Just moments later, Wesley Sneijder fired a low drive from the edge of the area to make it 2–1.
From that point forward, Ajax looked far more assured. Though they still lacked the flair and unpredictability that Yang Yang brought to the final third, their midfield control gradually wore down RKC.
Late in the match, substitutes Nicklas Bendtner and Ryan Babel sealed the victory with goals in the 84th and 86th minutes, respectively, bringing the final score to 4–1.
It was a solid win on paper—three points, four goals—but the performance left much to be desired.
Media outlets across the Netherlands were quick to point out Ajax's struggles in the first half. Fans, too, recognized that without Yang Yang, the team lacked its usual menace in the final third. The fluidity, the acceleration, and the improvisation that had defined Ajax's attack this season were clearly diminished.
With 18 goals and 10 assists already this season, Yang Yang's influence was impossible to ignore.
He wasn't just a scorer. He was a catalyst, a creator, a constant source of threat.
And this match only reinforced what many had suspected: Ajax could still win without him, but they weren't the same.
...
...
In the middle of the week, the final round of the UEFA Champions League group stage took center stage.
Although Yang Yang was still recovering from his injury and not in the matchday squad, he insisted on traveling with Ajax to London to support his teammates from the sidelines. His presence alone lifted spirits in the camp.
The match at Highbury was crucial. Arsenal, needing a win to finish top of the group, were under pressure. Ajax, on the other hand, required only a draw to secure first place in Group B.
From the outset, the difference in approach was clear.
Ajax played with discipline and caution, focusing on defensive structure and counterattacking opportunities. Without Yang Yang's pace and creativity up front, they were careful not to overcommit, knowing their margin was slim.
Arsenal dominated possession but continued to show the same offensive bluntness that had plagued them two weeks earlier. There was no spark, no breakthrough, no cutting edge.
In truth, if it hadn't been for the string of controversial decisions that went against Thun in the previous round, Arsenal would already have been out of contention by now. That night in Switzerland, with the red card and two disallowed goals, had effectively handed Arsenal a lifeline. Now they were clinging to it.
Ajax, meanwhile, played their game to perfection.
The Dutch side executed their plan with maturity beyond their years—compact at the back, intelligent in midfield, and opportunistic in transition. Though they didn't create many clear chances, they didn't need to. Their job was to avoid defeat, and they did exactly that.
After ninety minutes of cautious football, the final whistle confirmed the result: 0–0.
Ajax had done enough. Arsenal, for all their pressure, never truly threatened to break through.
In the other match of Group B, Thun drew with Sparta Prague, closing out a campaign in which the Swiss side had won admirers for their resilience and fighting spirit. They secured third place and a spot in the UEFA Cup.
With that, Group B was officially settled:
1st – Ajax: 14 points (4 wins, 2 draws)
2nd – Arsenal: 13 points (4 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss)
3rd – Thun: 5 points
4th – Sparta Prague: 2 points
Elsewhere across Europe, the other group winners were also confirmed.
Joining Ajax at the top of their respective groups were Juventus, Barcelona, Villarreal, AC Milan, Lyon, Liverpool, and Inter Milan.
Some outcomes were expected. Others stunned the football world.
In Group D, Villarreal topped the table ahead of a shocking last-place finish for Manchester United, who bowed out of the competition in humiliating fashion. It was arguably the biggest upset of the group stage.
Over in Group F, Lyon defied expectations and finished above Real Madrid, impressing with fluid, aggressive football and remarkable balance.
The second-placed teams, aside from Arsenal, included Bayern Munich, Werder Bremen, Benfica, PSV, Real Madrid, Chelsea, and Rangers.
Because of UEFA's rule preventing clubs from facing group-stage opponents again in the Round of 16, Ajax will avoid Arsenal in the draw. But their list of potential opponents remains daunting: Bayern Munich, Werder Bremen, Benfica, Real Madrid, Chelsea, and Rangers.
It was clear: topping the group had spared Ajax an early meeting with Europe's biggest juggernauts like Juventus or Barcelona. But even among the second-place teams, danger lurked everywhere.
For now, though, Ajax could take pride in what they had achieved.
Group winners. Unbeaten. And through to the Round of 16.
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December 11th, GelreDome, Arnhem.
In the fifteenth round of the Eredivisie, Ajax traveled to face Vitesse away in Arnhem.
By the seventeenth minute, the visitors finally found their rhythm and launched a smooth, coordinated attack down the left flank.
Steven Pienaar cut inside from the wing with close control, dragging a defender with him. Then, with a sharp change of pace, he slipped a perfectly timed through ball toward the byline. Maxwell, overlapping at full speed, latched onto it and surged forward. Without breaking stride, he whipped a driven left-footed cross back across the top of the penalty area.
Vitesse's back line, momentarily disorganized, had followed Charisteas into the box, leaving the edge of the area unguarded.
Arriving at just the right moment was Yang Yang.
Having returned from injury after missing two games, he controlled the ball cleanly with his chest just outside the box. In one fluid motion, he brought it down into his path, let it bounce once, and then unleashed a thunderous strike with his left foot—low, direct, and unstoppable.
"Goooooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaal!!!"
"He's done it! Yang Yang scores!"
"Seventeenth minute, and Ajax take the lead in Arnhem—who else but Yang Yang to break the deadlock!"
"This is his first appearance since returning from injury—and it took him only seventeen minutes to leave his mark!"
Yang Yang didn't hold back.
He sprinted toward the nearest camera on the touchline, raising his arm high and kissing the multicolored wristband on his left arm. Then he beat his chest with his right hand again and again, eyes burning, heart pounding.
It was more than a celebration. It was a message.
A message to Su Ye, who had called every day during his recovery, reminding him to dress warmly and take care of himself. To his parents and friends who had been worried sick. To his uncle, who had driven from Almere to Ouderkerk almost daily just to check in on him. And to everyone else who stood by him.
This goal was for all of them.
This was his way of saying: I'm back.
"Two weeks out, and Yang Yang returns with fire in his veins!" the commentator exclaimed. "In his pre-match interview, he told reporters he felt stronger than ever—that he was 'choked up' from being sidelined and ready to let it out. And now we see exactly what he meant!"
"There had been growing pressure from the chasing pack in the scoring race. With players like Huntelaar and Arveladze closing in, some wondered if Yang Yang's momentum would suffer."
"But just like his idol Ronaldo, who always found a way to respond to injuries with brilliance, Yang Yang marks his comeback with a stunning goal."
"Ajax's cutting edge is back—and so is their talisman."
...
In the seventeenth minute, Yang Yang had already opened the scoring, but he wasn't even close to satisfied.
He kept running relentlessly across the pitch, weaving into spaces, pressing high, tracking back—hungry for the ball, hungry for more goals. His intensity didn't waver for a second. The Vitesse defenders, already struggling to contain him, were being pulled apart by his ceaseless movement and positional shifts.
Then came the thirty-eighth minute.
Ajax were building play down the middle when Yaya Touré picked up possession near the center circle. He spotted Yang Yang drifting quietly toward the left flank—unmarked for just a moment—and released a sharp pass in his direction.
Yang Yang collected the ball in stride on the left side of the pitch, close to the corner of the penalty area. With a burst of pace, he cut inside past the retreating full-back, then shifted the ball slightly to his right and bent a curling shot with his right foot from just outside the box.
The ball arced beautifully through the air, beyond the outstretched fingers of the Vitesse goalkeeper, and dipped just under the bar into the far corner.
2–0. Yang Yang had a brace.
The Ajax players swarmed him again, ecstatic.
To score twice within forty minutes after returning from injury—it wasn't just impressive. It was statement-making.
In the second half, Yang Yang continued to shine.
Now playing with growing confidence, he began orchestrating Ajax's transitions. In the 70th minute, he dropped deeper to collect a pass from Pienaar in midfield, then drove forward with pace. Spotting Charisteas making a diagonal run, Yang Yang released a perfectly weighted through ball into space.
The Greek forward didn't hesitate. One touch to set, another to finish low across the goalkeeper.
3–0 Ajax.
The home fans were silent. The away section erupted.
Vitesse did manage to score a consolation goal late in the match, capitalizing on a defensive lapse in the 85th minute, but it did little to change the result.
Final score: Ajax 3, Vitesse 1.
Yang Yang returned from injury with a performance that reignited all of Dutch football.
Media outlets across the country couldn't stop praising his impact. Many had predicted that the two-week layoff might have dulled his rhythm—but instead, Yang Yang returned sharper, more decisive, more dangerous than before.
If not for several outstanding saves by the Vitesse goalkeeper, Yang Yang could have easily completed a hat-trick, or even netted four. The message was loud and clear: He hadn't lost a step. If anything, he was stronger.
Meanwhile, the headline clash of the round took place in Rotterdam, where Guus Hiddink's PSV Eindhoven faced Feyenoord at De Kuip.
Dirk Kuyt opened the scoring in just the seventh minute, but despite Eindhoven's efforts, Feyenoord held firm. The hosts ground out a hard-fought 1–0 victory, tightening the title race.
Ajax's win, coupled with that result, allowed them to extend their lead atop the Eredivisie.
After fifteen rounds:
Ajax: 40 points
Alkmaar: 33 points
Feyenoord: 32 points
PSV Eindhoven: 32 points
Louis van Gaal's AZ Alkmaar continued their surprise challenge, fueled this time by an unlikely contributor.
Away at Twente, Alkmaar fell behind early and couldn't find the equalizer. In the 60th minute, Van Gaal turned to the bench—and called on Chinese striker Gao Lin.
Within six minutes, Gao Lin struck.
He latched onto a cross at the near post and swept it in to equalize. More than that, his intelligent positioning and off-ball movement created space for two more goals from his teammates before full-time.
Alkmaar came from behind to win 3–1, and Gao Lin left the pitch to a standing ovation from the away fans—and a grateful handshake from Van Gaal.
The Dutch press praised his performance as a "breakthrough," saying he'd now earned a permanent place in the team rotation.
Back at the top of the scoring charts, Yang Yang's brace pushed him to 20 goals in just 14 Eredivisie matches. He now led the league with a commanding margin.
Yang Yang (Ajax): 20 goals
Arveladze (Alkmaar): 13 goals
Huntelaar (Heerenveen): 12 goals
Kuyt (Feyenoord): 11 goals
With more than half the season still to play, Yang Yang's chase for records was fully back on. The injury hadn't slowed him. It had only sharpened his hunger.
...
...
One week later—16th round of the Eredivisie.
Ajax traveled to the MyCom Stadion to take on NAC Breda in an away fixture that promised to test their rhythm after Yang Yang's explosive return from injury.
But it didn't take long for Ajax to assert themselves.
Just four minutes into the match, Yang Yang burst down the right flank, cutting past his marker with a sharp feint before accelerating toward the byline. Spotting space in the middle, he whipped in a low, driven cross into the heart of the penalty area.
Making his return to the starting eleven, Danish striker Nicklas Bendtner—who was given the nod ahead of the more physical Charisteas—timed his run perfectly and met the ball with a powerful header from close range.
1–0 Ajax.
A clinical start.
Ajax didn't take their foot off the gas.
In the 21st minute, Wesley Sneijder picked up the ball just inside the opposition half and immediately noticed Yang Yang making a curved run between the central defenders. With a perfectly weighted pass, Sneijder played it through.
Yang Yang sprung the offside trap, latched onto the ball, and coolly slotted it past the onrushing keeper with his left foot.
2–0.
By halftime, Ajax were in full control, dominating possession and dictating the rhythm.
After the interval, they came out even more aggressive. A well-constructed attack down the left saw Maicon overlap with purpose. The Brazilian full-back delivered a pinpoint cross into the box, and once again, Bendtner rose above his marker and buried a header into the net.
3–0 Ajax. Bendtner had a brace.
Five minutes later, it was Yang Yang's turn again.
Dropping slightly deeper to receive the ball near the edge of the box, Bendtner turned sharply and spotted Yang Yang sprinting into space on the left channel. The Dane slid a clever pass behind the defense. Yang Yang met it in stride and struck low and hard across goal, beating the goalkeeper at the far post.
4–0 Ajax. Yang Yang's second of the night.
NAC Breda didn't give up without a fight. Their attack opened up late in the match, and with Ajax slightly relaxed, they managed to score two quick goals through set-piece chaos and a deflected effort.
But Ajax responded decisively.
Steven Pienaar scored next, taking advantage of a defensive mix-up after a corner, and not long after, Sneijder put the final nail in the coffin. The Dutch midfielder curled in a powerful strike from the edge of the box after a smart layoff from Yang Yang—his third goal contribution of the night.
Final score: Ajax 6, NAC Breda 2.
...
...
Due to the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, leagues across Europe had compacted their schedules to accommodate the summer tournament.
For Ajax, this meant an intense stretch of fixtures. Just days after their emphatic 6–2 win over NAC Breda on December 18, there would be no winter break—not yet. On December 22, the team would play the Round of 16 in the KNVB Cup.
The opponent? Eindhoven—not PSV, but FC Eindhoven, their city rivals.
Then, after Christmas, it only got busier.
On December 27, Ajax were set to host Groningen in the 17th round of the Eredivisie, and just three days later, on December 30, they would travel north to face Heerenveen for the 18th round.
The fixture congestion was brutal, nearing Premier League levels in intensity.
Fortunately, after the Heerenveen match, Ajax would finally break for winter, enjoying a much-needed two-week rest.
According to the coaching staff's internal schedule, Yang Yang would not be involved in the KNVB Cup tie against FC Eindhoven. Instead, he would be traveling to Zurich, Switzerland, for a special occasion.
This journey had been in the works for months.
After his unforgettable performance in the final of the FIFA World Youth Championship that summer, FIFA President Sepp Blatter had personally extended an invitation to Yang Yang. It was later followed up by FIFA's formal letter and arrangements: first-class airfare, accommodation, and full hospitality.
Ajax fully supported the trip.
FIFA had a reputation for frugality and, more importantly, for holding grudges. Declining their formal invitation—especially without a compelling excuse—could lead to being quietly blacklisted from future honors, events, or even administrative favors. And with no urgent matches during the Zurich ceremony, Ajax had no reason to block the trip.
Ronald Koeman, along with assistant Ruud Krol, both agreed Yang Yang should attend.
Even Marco van Basten personally called the young star to stress the importance of building goodwill with FIFA at this stage of his career.
And as Raiola put it, "This is the core circle of football. You want to be known there."
So, Yang Yang accepted.
With the awards night fast approaching, FIFA announced the final three-man shortlist: Ronaldinho and Eto'o of Barcelona, and Frank Lampard of Chelsea. Given the trajectory of the past season, Ronaldinho's coronation seemed all but inevitable.
Still, despite the apparent certainty of the outcome—and even leaked vote tallies making the rounds—this gala captured global attention.
Over 1,000 distinguished guests were expected in Zurich, ranging from high-ranking officials of national football federations, to legendary players, current global stars, and renowned coaches. Over 150 media outlets would be covering the event, with live broadcasts in more than 160 countries.
FIFA, now with full awareness of its brand and influence, had been cultivating this award into football's definitive ceremonial night.
Yet, for all its prestige, the FIFA World Player of the Year award had never been without controversy.
Originally, FIFA allowed each national team coach to freely nominate and vote for any player. That system quickly spiraled into farce, with obscure players from lesser-known nations popping up inexplicably on ballots. The process became a joke.
To fix this, FIFA reformed the rules—coaches could no longer vote for their own players—but chaos still reigned, with regional bias and poor judgment distorting results.
Later, a shortlist system was introduced: FIFA's technical committee selected a longlist of candidates, then head coaches and captains voted from that pool. But this, too, raised concerns.
Famous names continued to dominate, regardless of form.
The 2003 edition remained the most controversial. That year, Pavel Nedvěd, winner of the Ballon d'Or, had outperformed everyone—on both the domestic and European stages. Yet somehow, Zinedine Zidane, well past his peak that season, received more votes in the FIFA tally, largely from coaches of smaller nations. It created a firestorm.
Even last year's result saw backlash. Ronaldinho, overlooked by many coaches from traditional powers, won due to sweeping support from smaller footballing nations. Allegations emerged of backroom lobbying, even canvassing, among federations to sway the votes.
Critics argued that FIFA's prize lacked the professional integrity of France Football's Ballon d'Or, but the governing body had something just as powerful: visibility. And with meticulous branding, FIFA had successfully transformed their award into the most coveted accolade in world football—flaws and all.
For Yang Yang, this was his first time stepping onto that global stage.
Zurich wasn't just about awards. It was about being seen, acknowledged, and remembered by football's elite. A chance to stand among the titans. A chance to listen, learn, and observe from the inside.
He wasn't naïve—he knew he wouldn't win anything that night. But that didn't matter.
He was going to witness what football looked like at the very summit.
And next time?
Next time, maybe he wouldn't be in the audience.
Maybe he'd be on stage.