<h4>Chapter 177: Controversy Surrounding the Ballon d''Or</h4>


    Aldrich''s scathing criticism of the Ballon d''Or voting immediately became the hottest topic in the UK.


    After all, the sports world thrives on sharp, contrasting viewpoints. If the majority only showered praises and apuse, what would be the point?


    While the existence of controversy cannot be judged by any authoritative body, listening to different voices is exactly the kind of explosive sh that the news industry needs.


    However, Aldrich''sments offended some people, especially fans of La Liga, who favor Ronaldo and Shearer.


    Yet, he has his supporters. A few months ago, Brazil''s coach Zagallo didn''t hold back, saying, "Personally, I dislike the media''s praise and hype surrounding him. It''s absurd that a big club like Barcelona ces all the responsibility on a 20-year-old''s shoulders."


    He went on to criticize bluntly, "If he keeps floating on cloud nine, it won''t benefit him. He still doesn''t understand the importance and significance of teamwork. Although Ronaldo will surely be one of the great yers in football history, Pelé was much more well-rounded at his age."


    Many legends and sportsmentators supported Aldrich with rational arguments when discussing the Ballon d''Or on programs.


    Their debate wasn''t about whether Ronaldo or Shearer has the skill or if they''ll be sessful in the future. No one denies that if they continue to perform well, they will undoubtedly be great stars.


    But in what can only be called a fruitless year, seeing yers like Ronaldo and Shearer finish as the second and third in the Ballon d''Or rankings seems utterly ridiculous.


    What''s the reason for this?


    It''s because he scores often and scores beautifully.


    A sports media outletpiled highlights of Ronaldo and Shearer''s goals over the past year andpared them to the highlights of Larsson and Nedvěd.


    The conclusion was evident: Larsson scored the most goals, and as a midfielder, Nedvěd showcased aprehensive performance with both goals and assists. However, Ronaldo''s goals were simply the most visually striking. Without the European Championship Golden Boot, Shearer wouldn''t even be in the running.


    Most of Millwall''s goalse from teamwork executing lethal strikes, and even the asional individual effortcks that visual impact. yers like Larsson only need one movement to create an angle for scoring, while Ronaldo''s long runs, dazzling dribbles, perfect physical technique, and incredible speed make him an attractive figure for fans.


    It''s an old saying that football is a team sport, yet the heroic ideal in people''s hearts seems never to fade.


    Upon returning to the club, Aldrich held a high-level meeting, realizing a pressing issue brought forth by the Ballon d''Or voting.


    No matter how well Millwall performed, they always felt unable to attain a prominent ce in the footballndscape.


    After all, they are used to being the underdogs,rgely due to external perceptions. Foreign media often refer to Millwall as a vige club, and outside Ennd, few pay attention to them.


    Specifically, if AC Mn achieved five or six consecutive victories, they would be the focus of Europe immediately. Likewise, if Barcelona''s Ronaldo scored a beautiful goal, it would be reyed on media tforms across the globe. Millwall winning ten matches in a row barely raised any eyebrows; it wasn''t until they equaled Real Madrid''s fifteen-match winning streak that they finally captured significant attention. But alongside that came skepticism, with critics doubting Premier Leaguepetitiveness, iming that Millwall''s sixteen-match winning streak was just a fluke.


    From today''s perspective, the Premier League indeed doesn''t hold a leading position among the top five leagues. Recent disappointing performances in Europeanpetitions make it hard to look favorably at the Premier League, especially after ckburn finished bottom of their groupst year and became aughingstock. While Manchester United managed to scrape past the group stage this year, it was mostly because Juventus, already qualified, didn''t sabotage Manchester United''sst round.


    Aldrich realized: this isn''t just an era of snatching talents; it''s also an era of capturing fans!


    With the development of broadcasting technology andmercial operations, this is the most advantageous stage for clubs to mize and capture market share.


    Sess in the ying field alone isn''t enough; they need to bombard fans'' nerves through media broadcasts to capture their attention first and gain influence.


    With all executives present, Aldrich sat at the head of the long table, listening to Adam''s marketing development report.


    Over the past two years, Millwall has rapidly spread, centered in East London, creating substantial influence. Their impressive record of two trophies and a runner-upst season earned them many neutral fans, as evidenced by an increase in sponsors.


    However, many factors restrict Millwall''s growth, foremost being their stadium, which has limited capacity. Neutral fans often find it hard to get tickets, and the stadium''s image doesn''t align with that of a strong team.


    Additionally, Millwall''s southeastern London location doesn''tpare with the modern splendor of Stamford Bridge or Highbury. Most importantly, if they want to extend their influence beyond Ennd, sess in Europeanpetitions is essential.


    This season in the European Cup Winners'' Cup, Millwall has advanced to the quarter-finals, but their matches garner little interest. When they faced Switzend''s Sion in the second round, if Aldrich were a neutral fan abroad, he wouldn''t feel enthusiastic about it.


    Millwall vs. Sion?


    And the quarter-final opponent drawn alsocks appeal: a team from Northern Europe, Brann.


    Meanwhile, tickets for the matches held at Wembley for the European Cup Winners'' Cup sold quite well, with an average attendance of around 50,000. However, many fans expressed disappointment because they wanted to see star yers like Nedvěd, Larsson, and Trezeguet, rather than Van Nistelrooy, Gronkjaer, Phillips, or Lampard.


    Adam''s report showed that Millwall''s influence was steadily increasing, evident through jersey sales, fan numbers, ticket demand, and media exposure.


    But Aldrich felt it wasn''t enough—not nearly enough.


    He didn''t expect instant sess but knew they must recognize that this is the dawn of a golden age formercial promotion.


    "Let''s establish a new department specifically responsible for promoting the Millwall brand. Adam, you keep pushing in themercial side. Additionally, I''ll propose two projects for you to refine and implement. First, set up an official Millwall TV channel that broadcasts programs rted to Millwall 24/7—match highlights, yer interviews, team training videos—creating the most engaging content possible to attract fans and make them familiar with Millwall. Second, we need an official Millwall website. Moreover, increase signage advertisements in the stadium. Through TV broadcasts, we can entice fans worldwide to visit our site, developing sales channels for our memorabilia. Fan organizations can also be featured on the site, with content including news, promotions, and interactions. Fans should be able to register for memberships and receive regr email updates. In short, we must stay ahead of the trends and not stick to past promotional strategies."


    Aldrich''s words left those in attendance exchanging nces, and someone asked, "Boss, if we start a TV channel, we don''t have broadcasting rights."


    Aldrich replied, "We won''t be broadcasting; we''ll simply show our past highlight matches. You canpile ssic match footage, interview fans and celebrities, and even make a feature on a yer''s performance throughout the season. For instance, take Nedvěd: he arrived at Millwall in the summer of 1994 when no one knew who he was, and fans were skeptical of his abilities. His role in the team wasn''t obvious at first, but through two seasons of hard work, he became a star. You can showcase his growth through clips from previous matches, instilling a spirit of motivation and resilience. We can also promote our football values through our youth training base; the 1996 Youth FA Cup victory is a fantastic example. Setting the record for promotion to the Premier League in 1995 andst season''s glory—aren''t these all materials we can use for promotion?"


    Everyone nodded, beginning to grasp the promotional philosophy behind the TV channel.


    "What about the official website? Do you mean we should set one up like the UK Treasury to listen to fans'' opinions?"


    The inte developed in the 90s but was still seen as a novelty, as it relied on hardware infrastructure. Governments worldwide have established official sites, which have been somewhat ineffective, but it''s still a sign of keeping pace with the times.


    Aldrich patiently exined, "We can post thetest news on the official site, turning it into a reliable source of information for our fans. For example, news about yer contract renewals, transfers, injuries, travel ns, ticket discounts, charity events, yer awards, and interviews can all be featured. We can establish a forum on the site for fans to discuss Millwall and create a tform formunication with fan organizations. Adam, who is responsible for transfer negotiations, can outline our recruitment policies, team philosophies, and outlook on yers'' futures. We can even give each yer a dedicated section where fans can show their support and discuss yers'' performances, rating each game. Additionally, we should organize regr events where fans can engage with yers or even me, as long as the individuals agree. The inte is the most crucial media tform for the future. We must seize this trend, allowing other media to pay attention to our site, releasing some important news exclusively on there. This willpel other outlets to visit our site. Once we umte a significant number of Millwall fans abroad, we can coborate to set up overseas fan sites, and so on. Just think creatively and explore various ways to promote Millwall Football Club."


    Aldrich''s speech opened the eyes of those present, many of whom regarded Aldrich as a shrewd businessman and talented coach, but were surprised to discover his visionary ideas.


    With inte technology evolving rapidly every year and the impending streaming era promising to further integrate the inte into everyday life, rapidly increasing its user base.


    Aldrich simply wanted them to broaden their thinking, not to focus only on their own little patch in Ennd. In the past, international promotion relied on Europeanpetitions or foreign stars. However, the inte has blurred the lines of real distance. If Millwall, with its humble background, doesn''t seize this opportunity, waiting for a future when the market matures to im a slice of the pie would only mean left with the scraps.