Long Live the King of Football

Long Live the King of Football is a long football novel by the web author Zhu Tou Qi, first serialized on Zongheng Chinese Network. It runs 824 chapters and about 3.14 million characters, was completed in June 2025, and has circulated in electronic and audiobook editions. The protagonist, Zhang Yang, is accused of trying to bribe a coach and is released by the club he plays for, sending his football career to its lowest point. Unwilling to give in, he travels alone to France and seeks opportunities with Marseille in Ligue 2 and Ligue 1: from the youth team and the substitutes' bench to his first-team debut, he proves himself match after match with astonishing speed and tireless drive, and step by step confronts doubt, contempt, and all manner of injustice. The novel is driven by "goals," and Zhang Yang is portrayed as the most controversial and most feared striker in world football: unruly, flamboyant, and never yielding—"when it comes to Zhang Yang, you either love him or hate him, there is no other possibility." Much of the book depicts match play, tactical battles, and locker-room dynamics, interspersed with media opinion, fan reaction, and the protagonist's family ties, following the wish-fulfillment path of a grassroots rise and steady leveling up. Unlike many similar works, the author starts the protagonist at a "stepping-stone club" like Marseille before moving on to higher stages, giving the growth arc relative coherence; the pacing is brisk and match descriptions dense, suited to readers who love the green-pitch theme and relish passionate leveling up and the thrill of "racking up goals."