Starting With Real Madrid

Gao Shen really didn't expect Real Madrid to go this big.

President Florentino personally led the delegation, accompanied by two vice-chairmen, the general manager, the technical director, and the president's advisor. This didn't look like a coach recruitment team at all—it looked more like a top-level diplomatic visit.

The Real Madrid delegation consisted of more than a dozen people, drawing plenty of attention. Naturally, they didn't escape the notice of the ever-present British paparazzi, who had been watching both Real Madrid and Gao Shen closely.

Of course, neither side had any intention of keeping it a secret.

Now that Gao Shen had "peacefully parted ways" with Manchester City, it was only natural for him to reconnect with Real Madrid.

Even after Manchester City published an emotional thank-you letter, the club's fans did a lot to express their gratitude and reluctance to part with Gao Shen, including buying full-page ads in the Manchester Evening News for two consecutive days.

Gao Shen, accompanied by Su Qing, booked a high-end restaurant in Alderley Edge to host Florentino and the others.

The atmosphere remained warm and respectful throughout the entire meeting and dinner.

Everyone present was on good terms with Gao Shen, and he and his wife treated them like old friends.

So when they met, things felt immediately intimate.

After the meal, they headed straight to Gao Shen's manor.

This was when the real business began.

…

Real Madrid's sincerity in inviting Gao Shen to coach was evident from the contract offer.

The after-tax annual salary was 20 million euros, the highest in world football at the time.

Previously, the highest salaries were those of Gao Shen and Mourinho. Mourinho had received 10 million euros after tax while at Real Madrid, and now, they were offering Gao Shen twice that amount.

In addition, the bonuses and benefits were also quite generous.

What surprised Gao Shen the most was that Real Madrid didn't want any share of his image rights.

Keep in mind, his annual income from commercial endorsements already exceeded his salary. Su Qing had previously insisted they negotiate carefully on image rights and not concede easily.

But unexpectedly, Real Madrid declined to claim any rights at all.

It wasn't that they didn't recognize the value—this was a deliberate display of sincerity.

Gao Shen could feel it.

To be honest, regarding the personal remuneration contract, after looking it over, he found there were no major issues.

Or rather, he didn't care much about it.

Florentino never cut corners.

Compared to personal terms, he was more concerned about what Florentino really wanted.

"What do you want?"

Florentino smiled. He was genuinely curious about such a deep question.

His first instinct was to say "championships," but it was clear that wasn't what Gao Shen meant.

"I can clearly say that Real Madrid's current squad is of high quality and very strong. But they always seem to fall short at the final hurdle. The problem lies more on the tactical and technical side."

Gao Shen's words made Florentino, Butragueño, Zidane, Valdano, and the others nod thoughtfully. They also wanted to know how Gao Shen viewed the current Real Madrid.

"If it's just about winning titles, then bringing me in is a bit of a luxury. With Real Madrid's current squad, as long as a few key positions are strengthened, the team would still be very competitive and capable of winning titles. Ancelotti could manage that. Even Zidane, I think, could do it."

His last comment, pointing to Zidane, drew laughter from everyone in the room. They all took it as a joke.

Zidane even laughed and swore good-naturedly.

Now was not the time for jokes!

"If I take over at Real Madrid, I'm not just aiming for titles. And I can't promise that we'll win everything right away, especially the league title. To be honest, Barcelona currently has a significant advantage in that area."

Valdano and Zidane exchanged glances and nodded.

Gao Shen's view was sharp and grounded.

It showed that even after winning four Champions League titles, Gao Shen remained calm and rational.

Florentino kept smiling. "You know, Gao, I've been optimistic about you since 2006. To be honest, I'm a bit confused right now. I'm not even sure what I really want."

"I was thinking, let me turn the question around. What do you think you can bring to Real Madrid?"

Gao Shen immediately laughed—what an old fox!

Confused?

No, this was a counterattack.

Well, you're the president.

I should really look into this. Can foreigners join Real Madrid as members? Can they run for president?

If so, one day I might fire you, old fox, and send you into retirement.

Despite the sarcastic thoughts in his mind, Gao Shen still wore a smile on his face.

"I think I can bring at least ten years of glory to Real Madrid!"

Ten years?!

Everyone present was stunned.

Not just Florentino and the others—even those who knew the situation well, like Zidane and Valdano, were shocked.

European football changes so fast. Who dares to guarantee success for the next ten years?

Su Qing, sitting beside him, lowered her head slightly and smiled. She knew her husband's personality best. This was what he called "never stop until you say something shocking."

But still, coming from Gao Shen, with his current standing in world football and the seriousness in his tone, the statement inspired real confidence.

Why?

Because over the past six years, no one in European football had been more successful than him.

More importantly, Gao Shen was only 31 years old.

Even ten years later, he'd still only be 41.

That's still young, even for a head coach.

"I believe you!" Florentino nodded.

At this point, even if he didn't want to believe, he had to.

"So, what do you need from us?" Florentino asked again.

From the moment he decided to come to Cheshire, he was mentally prepared for Gao Shen to make big demands.

Valdano had even hinted privately that if Gao Shen didn't want him as technical director, he would resign.

But Gao Shen smiled and shook his head. "I just want control over transfers."

Now Florentino and the others looked at each other in surprise. Wasn't that a bit too simple?

"You must've noticed, Florentino, that the landscape of European football has changed drastically in recent years. Manchester City invested heavily, then came Málaga and Paris Saint-Germain.

"I can say for certain, the European transfer market will become more competitive than ever. The Galácticos policy will also be impacted. Real Madrid must adapt in time."

Florentino nodded.

As a shrewd businessman, he sensed these changes earlier than most.

"From a tactical and technical standpoint, it doesn't matter whether you have top stars. In recent years, the trend in football has become clear. Superstars with exceptional individual skills are just the cherry on top. No team will ruin the whole system for one flower."

It's really a matter of mutual achievement.

Just like the old debate—did Messi make Barcelona, or did Barcelona make Messi?

Before Gao Shen's time travel, people argued over whether it was Ronaldo who made Real Madrid, or the other way around.

It was never a contradiction.

Are superstars useful?

Yes, very.

But their value comes from being integrated into the collective.

Take Ibrahimović, for example. Despite his immense talent, the teams he played for often struggled in high-intensity matches.

If forced to choose between building a team around collective strength or around superstars, every head coach would choose the team.

Real Madrid is the club most deeply obsessed with superstars. It wasn't until Ronaldo left that they realized how much they had tilted everything tactically to accommodate a single player.

Of course, in real football, Ronaldo had the strength, confidence, and influence to demand that from Real Madrid—and he did deliver.

Until one day, Real Madrid felt it was no longer worth it, and Ronaldo left.

That's fair.

Gao Shen's biggest concern with Florentino was that he would buy superstars without the coach's approval.

That's a nightmare.

If the club spends a fortune on a player the coach doesn't want or doesn't fit the system, it creates tension in the dressing room and may force changes to tactics. Is it worth it?

Now, if Gao Shen's team needed a top winger and Florentino said, "Let's sign Messi," Gao Shen would agree with both hands and feet. Only a fool would object.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi? Best combo ever!

So, Gao Shen wanted control over transfers to prevent issues like that.

Florentino understood this well. His willingness to come to Cheshire showed he was already prepared.

"In front of everyone here, I solemnly promise: during your tenure as head coach, you will have veto power over all Real Madrid transfers. It can be written into the contract!"

Florentino was firm.

Before, he had some doubts. But now, he was fully convinced.

Especially after years of setbacks and reality checks.

More importantly, Gao Shen was always right. You couldn't not be convinced.

Gao Shen quickly softened the tone, saying there was no need for guarantees. They could just discuss all future transfers together.

This gave Florentino face and a graceful way out.

It's not called a veto. It's called consultation.

Florentino's expression eased, and he nodded to Gao Shen.

But both sides knew very well—the clause would be written into the contract.

How to put it?

They were brothers, but they would settle accounts clearly.

No matter how good the relationship, things that needed to be in black and white had to be written down.

Most conflicts between friends and relatives came from unclear expectations.

After getting Florentino's promise, Gao Shen joked with Zidane, Butragueño, Valdano, and the others, expressing hopes for a pleasant cooperation.

This was his way of showing he didn't intend to grab power. Valdano would remain as technical director, which reassured Florentino and the others.

But with his position secured, Valdano began to worry about his job.

"Gao, what do you think of the current squad?"

(To be continued.)

***

For every 200 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on P/treon to read 30+ advanced chapters: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves

(Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)