Starting With Real Madrid

In the past, Gao Shen often saw a scene in TV dramas.

A wealthy man would buy a pair of valuable artworks. As soon as he got them, he would smash one to pieces. Then, pointing to the remaining piece with pride, he would say, this is the only one left in the world.

The value of that unique piece would immediately soar several times.

This is, of course, a device of film and television.

But in the European football transfer market, there is a similar logic.

Ordinary fans do not have a complete concept of the transfer market. They often think it is like in a video game, where the head coach fancies a player, the club goes to negotiate, and the transfer is completed at a price acceptable to both parties.

That is not wrong.

But it is only the ideal scenario where everything goes smoothly.

For example, the agent factor, which is widely criticized, is one of the hidden dangers.

As players' market values continue to rise, agents' commissions have gradually become a major problem for clubs.

Manchester United's former chief executive, David Gill, once tried to insert a clause in the Premier League that would require players to cover their own agent fees, instead of the clubs paying them as is currently the case.

Because he found that every time the club worked hard to generate revenue, and every time the Premier League worked hard to negotiate broadcasting rights, the ultimate beneficiaries were the players and their agents.

As a result, the Premier League discovered it was paying tens of millions of pounds in agency fees to intermediaries every season.

Unfortunately, that proposal did not pass.

There are also transfer rumors that many people do not fully understand, although they are no secret in the British football circle.

The BBC once reported that the transfer gossip page is the most visited section on their website every day, without question.

But you have to understand that almost all of that content is rumor and speculation, with no solid evidence. Some are signals fabricated by journalists, agents, or even the players themselves.

More and more people have seen the profit in this space, and more and more media and practitioners are pouring into it.

Fans and readers are immersed in transfer rumors every day, both true and false.

It has become an industry from which countless people benefit, including clubs and players.

Gao Shen once discussed this topic with Wenger, and he still clearly remembers what the Frenchman said.

"Any problem you have in the UK is because someone wants to make you spend money!"

Wenger believes the Premier League's increasingly frenzied transfer activity is changing and overturning the past.

In the summer of 2011, the 20 Premier League clubs spent more than £500 million in total. According to current estimates, by 2016, when the new broadcasting contract expires, Premier League clubs will have spent more than £1 billion in the transfer market.

That is an astronomical figure.

The huge influx of funds also brings more problems.

Wenger once complained about an event in the winter of 2005, at the Royal Park Hotel in London, involving Mourinho, Peter Kenyon, Ashley Cole, agent Jonathan Barnett, super-agent Zahavi, and others.

All parties gathered to discuss Ashley Cole's weekly salary after signing for Chelsea, appearance fees, goal and assist bonuses, title bonuses, off-field requirements, and how he would fit into Mourinho's tactical system.

Everything was discussed except one thing.

"It had only been two and a half years since he signed a five-year contract with us, and we knew nothing about the negotiation."

"Do you know how we found out?"

"A hotel waiter recognized them and served drinks and snacks. According to him, the atmosphere was harmonious and everyone was laughing."

Of course, Chelsea were penalized afterward, and so was Mourinho.

When Wenger brought up the past, he was not whining or complaining. He wanted to make the point that this is a war.

A war for talent.

The situation is far from as peaceful as fans imagine.

Today, there are more than 100,000 active football agents in Europe. Many people only know big names like Mendes and Raiola, but the other hundreds of thousands are like cells in the capillaries, active everywhere.

Often, the same club will receive multiple approaches from agents claiming to represent the same player.

Which is true and which is false?

On the other hand, the same player might be offered to multiple clubs at the same time. What should you do?

Just compete for him.

Suppose, in Wenger's plan, Higuaín and Icardi are his two striker targets this summer. If one is taken by someone else and the other faces competition, what should he do?

Either endure the pain and pay a higher fee, even far above the normal price, or simply do not buy.

But if they do not buy, the team's performance will be affected. Not only will the club suffer more losses, but the head coach's position may become unstable.

Even the management will feel the pressure from fans.

In this situation, how should the head coach and the club's hierarchy choose?

Gao Shen knows better than anyone how this game is played.

Not only him, but Lucas and Borrell as well, because they have both been through it.

This is the rule of the game in European football today. If you cannot play it, you will either be eliminated or become the one being fleeced.

Many people think Wenger and Ferguson are old and can no longer keep up with the times.

But what is the reality?

It is not that they are old. It is that they do not want to play that way.

Wenger and Ferguson both adhere to a traditional and simple principle in the transfer market. They will never sacrifice the club's interests, or force the club into a desperate situation, for the sake of a single player.

So they refuse to be coerced.

But this can make them seem slow to react.

When Alex Song transferred to Barcelona last summer, Wenger said something helplessly.

"Agents all know that we do not have the financial resources of other clubs, so many times we are forced to sell players."

This was the case with Henry, Van Persie, and Fàbregas, and it was the same with Alex Song.

The transfer market is a world full of deception and dirty tricks. It is also fickle and full of mind games.

In such a jungle, where the strong prey on the weak and the situation is treacherous, you can never rush. You must always be fully prepared and wait for the best moment.

This is the survival code Gao Shen has ingrained in Su Qing, Fernando Lucas, and Rodolfo Borrell since the day he bought Leeds United.

…

On the morning of the final, everything proceeded according to plan, with the evening's match as the target.

There was a detailed schedule from wake-up to meals to rest.

Real Madrid even had a set menu for what the players ate and drank. All ingredients were airlifted from Madrid, and the chefs were also brought from Spain by the club.

In short, there was only one purpose, to ensure that Real Madrid's players would be in the best possible condition for tonight's Champions League final at Wembley.

In the morning, Real Madrid held their final tactical meeting, focused on tonight's game.

It provided in-depth analysis of Bayern Munich's tactics and offered targeted instructions.

Real Madrid had already rehearsed the specific approach during the past few days of training. The key now was execution on the pitch.

While Real Madrid were thinking about how to contain Bayern, Bayern were also planning how to target Real Madrid.

Whose plan would prevail would be decided on the field.

There was one thing Gao Shen was very confident about.

"Do not worry about what the opponent thinks or how they will play. We just need to be ourselves, play to our strengths, and show our unique identity, and we will be fine."

What are Real Madrid's strengths and characteristics?

Attacking with both wings, plus large switches of play.

One could say that after Marcelo's return, Real Madrid's two-wing attack has become a nightmare for Europe's elite.

The big switches have also given every opponent headaches.

Real Madrid just happens to have the players to do it, and the ability to execute it.

Gao Shen was absolutely right. As long as Real Madrid played to their strengths, nobody could stop their attack.

"I have great confidence in you, and I hope you have confidence in me."

"We will definitely win tonight."

…

At noon, Real Madrid welcomed several groups of visitors.

At the invitation of the UEFA President, leaders from both participating countries would attend the final, such as Spain's King Juan Carlos and members of the royal family, as well as the Spanish Prime Minister and the German Chancellor.

At the same time, the host nation, the United Kingdom, would send members of the royal family as representatives, and the British Prime Minister would accompany them.

Juan Carlos and the Spanish Prime Minister came to Real Madrid's hotel to meet Gao Shen and the players. They specifically asked Gao Shen about his confidence, especially the King.

After receiving Gao Shen's affirmative answer, he never mentioned abdicating, which left Gao Shen somewhat deflated.

How long would it take for his wish to unify the European continent to be realized?

In addition, many European political and business figures, as well as football legends, gathered at Wembley.

Every Champions League final is a star-studded event that draws global attention.

This season would be no exception.

What really surprised Gao Shen was that Ferguson, Wenger, and Mourinho all sent messages and called to say they would attend the final, and many other coaches would show up as well.

This was not only the Champions League final, but a top-level tactical feast. For head coaches, it was a rare chance to observe.

You know, Gao Shen has led tactical trends in world football for years. Even his disciples, such as Guardiola, Klopp, Tuchel, Sarri, and Pochettino, have all made their names in Europe.

Naturally, this draws more people in pursuit of advanced tactics.

How could they miss such a final?

(To be continued.)