Liverpool's home game against Chelsea attracted the attention of journalists and fans around the world, as well as a huge response in English and European football.

Surprisingly, it was surprisingly calm before the game.

When Chelsea held a press conference the day before the game to announce the squad for the Liverpool game, Jose Mourinho excused himself not being in time to attend and assistant coach Villas-Boas was in attendance.

But in fact, according to the inside information obtained by the media afterwards, Mourinho was in the Cobham training base at the time.

Instead, while attending Liverpool's Melwood and Benitez at the pre-match press conference to announce the squad for the game, he publicly stated in an interview with the media that the person who has contributed the most to Chelsea in recent years is Roman Abramovich.

That sounds weird, doesn't it?

But in reality, it was Benitez who was adding to Mourinho's blockage.

Because everyone knows that Mourinho and Roman Abramovich are at odds, the two sides have not even spoken for a long time, and during the winter break last season, the two were also divided on the choice between Alex and Ben Haim, and now Chelsea are not keen on the Daniel Alves that Mourinho wants.

No one knows what the situation is inside Chelsea right now, but Benitez didn't mind distracting Mourinho before the game, but he didn't expect that Mourinho would be unusual, and he didn't even have a big war of words, and he didn't even attend the pre-match press conference, which made Benitez's punch feel like it hit cotton.

As for Carvalho's absence from this game, Benitez said it was good news.

'According to the data, without Carvalho, Chelsea's chances of winning are 30 per cent lower'

For the next game, the Spanish coach said that the team will do his best to get the three points.

'Yang Yang will still be the key to our win in the game, I feel that his form is better than ever, he is almost unstoppable, I have a hunch that he will score in the game, but don't forget, we have other people.'

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Although Mourinho did not come forward to take the call, the atmosphere in the whole of England became very tense before the big game.

The city of Liverpool is even more smoky.

Everyone is full of anticipation for the upcoming matchup, which has been hailed by media reporters as a key matchup in the championship outpost, and at the same time is very nervous, not knowing whether Liverpool will be better at home, or Chelsea will be away from the challenge.

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Liverpool were still on the night before the game, and everyone checked into the Hope Street Hotel on time.

But just when everyone was paying attention to this upcoming crucial showdown, FIFA quietly occupied the pages of major media around the world on the morning of the game.

Although there are still four months to go before the FIFA Awards ceremony in December, FIFA has already begun to warm up for the event four months later, with the first 30-man squad for the World Footballer of the Year shortlist.

Yang Yang's name appears on this list for the third year in a row, and Messi appears for the first time.

Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs were also included, while Chelsea also had Didier Drogba, Petr Cech and Essien shortlisted, but Shevchenko was not included in the list.

Although it is normal for players to go in and out of the list with the ups and downs of their performances, Shevchenko is indeed a little faster to fall out of the squad this time, especially with his current situation, it is even more difficult to return to this list.

Last season's Champions League champions Liverpool only had two players shortlisted, Yang Yang and Steven Gerrard, while AC Milan made six shortlists: Kaka, Andrea Pirlo, Seedorf, Maldini, Inzaghi and Gattuso.

AC Milan is also the team with the most players shortlisted, which makes many people wonder about this list, after all, AC Milan's performance last season was not very good, especially in the Champions League, and finally failed to beat Liverpool to win the championship, why did so many people enter the list?

But considering that FIFA's selection has always been a tradition of valuing fame and paying more attention to actual performance, I am relieved of this list.

It's just that the world has launched a heated discussion about who will be the last World Footballer of the Year.

Yang Yang is undoubtedly the number one favorite, not to mention that he just played a hat trick in the Premier League, let's just say that last season, he won the Premier League's top scorer king, assist king, and Champions League goalscorer king and assist king These four awards, each of which is heavy and genuine.

It can be said that if he doesn't take it, who is still qualified to take it?

But there are also many people who believe that Yang Yang was born in a weak football country, although there have been no major national team events in 07 years, and more references to the Champions League, but the overall strength of Liverpool where Yang Yang is located is slightly stronger than AC Milan, which makes many people think that Yang Yang is more dependent on the whole.

In terms of individual performances, Kaka is even more difficult because he almost single-handedly dragged AC Milan to the final, and he is from Brazil, and it is known that Brazilian players are more favored in this selection, which is also tradition.

After FIFA announced the 30-man squad, major European bookmakers also offered the first round of odds.

Judging from the odds announced first, Kaka surpassed Yang Yang and became the number one favorite to win the World Footballer, which has to be said to be a very surprising thing.

Yang Yang is second in the favorites to win the award, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and Drogba.

The odds offered by the bookmaker have once again sparked heated discussions.

In the end, who is more likely to win the award between Yang Yang, Kaka and Xiao Xiaoluo, this will undoubtedly become the focus of attention and heated discussions among all fans and media reporters around the world in the next four months.

And that's clearly what FIFA is all about.

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The Liverpool players only saw the news from the newspaper provided by the Hope Street Hotel on match day morning.

For Yang Yang to lose to Kaka in the bookmaker's odds, Liverpool felt incredible.

"Those who bet on Kaka must be crazy, we are the champions, Yang Yang has won all the Premier League awards alone, and also won the Champions League goalscorer king and assist king two awards, who else can there be?"

"Who's to say it isn't? If you are not blind, you know that you want to vote for Yang Yang. ”

"But don't say it, it's really not easy for players from weak football countries to win this award."

"Not to mention the World Footballer, Shevchenko won the European Ballon d'Or before, thanks to Berlusconi personally called the headquarters of the French football magazine to go around?"

"yes, no way, it's really hard for Asian and African players to win awards."

Teammates, you and I are talking about it.

Yang Yang kept eating silently, and didn't seem to take this matter to heart at all.

Gerald sat across from him, looked up at him, and comforted: "Don't take it too seriously, this kind of thing is like this sometimes, no matter what others think, in my eyes, you are the strongest in the world." ”

Yang Yang nodded and smiled at the captain, "Thank you." ”

"The odds of the bookmaker are changing at any time, and in the current situation, it can only be said that they are more optimistic about Kaka, that's all, but who knows what will happen next?"

Gerald's words made Yang Yang nod again and again.

"I know, so I never pay too much attention to it, I will continue to do my best to perform, show my best form to prove myself, as for whether I can get it, then leave it to fate."

Gerard smiled and nodded, "The better you behave, the more they won't dare not give it to you, otherwise, this award will lose credibility sooner or later, and it will be up to them to see who still praises them." ”

Yang Yang smiled faintly, he admired Kaka very much, and even to some extent, he and Kaka were far closer than Xiao Xiaoluo and Messi, because they were not only competitors, but also friends.

From his first appearance at the UEFA draw and award ceremony, he met Kaka and exchanged phone calls and contact details, and then communicated with each other a few times.

But there is only one award, and everyone wants to win it, and Yang Yang is no exception.

Therefore, they can only rely on their own abilities and fight for their own efforts.

Yang Yang is not surprised by the so-called statement that it is more difficult for weak countries in football to win awards, because this is the case.

Players from football powerhouses are more likely to win this award, which is recognized by all.

Or rather, it's an unspoken rule of professional football.

But knowing doesn't mean approval, it doesn't mean submission.

What others think, Yang Yang doesn't care, but he must be dead to the end.

Regardless of whether he can win the award in the end, at least he has a clear conscience.

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FIFA's announcement of the list of 30 players somewhat affected Yang Yang's mind, but it did not affect his preparations.

On matchday, everyone at Liverpool was preparing according to the plan arranged by the coaching staff, and it was clear to everyone that this game against Chelsea would be the first test of the new season.

And on the day of the game, Liverpool also kept receiving messages from their opponents.

In the afternoon, the coaching staff announced in their final tactical meeting that John Terry would be playing with an injury.

Where the source of the information came from, the coaching staff did not disclose, but it was certainly Liverpool's scouts who were spying on Chelsea's military intelligence.

This is a war without gunpowder, and in any war, food and intelligence are the most important things.

Rafa Benitez has tweaked the team's offense specifically for John Terry, but there are still few changes overall, with Yang Yang continuing to start, with Crouch and Kuyt partnering him.

The Spanish boss has rotated a number of players in the past two rounds of the competition, with the aim of getting the best possible form for the squad to play Chelsea at Anfield.

Now, it's time to test the team's preparation throughout the summer, as well as the rotation over the course of the season.