SWR: Chapter 1241/1245

Chapter 1241: The Highest Level of a Head Coach

"Dad!"

As soon as Gao Shen entered the house and got out of the car, Gao Ming, who had just been playing football, immediately pounced on him, jumping onto Gao Shen with such force that he almost knocked his frail father over.

Gao Shen didn't mind at all. He laughed and hugged his precious son, but before long, he couldn't hold him up anymore.

Without realizing it, the boy was already six years old.

By the traditional Chinese age reckoning, he was seven.

Because he had been playing football from a young age, he was very healthy, rarely got sick, taller than kids his age, and had an outgoing, cheerful personality. This was what Gao Shen and Su Qing were most pleased about.

Perhaps influenced by Gao Shen and the people around him, Gao Ming had developed a love for football very early on.

As for Gao Shen, it didn't really matter. If his son could play football in the future, that would be great. What if he really did become a superstar?

At first, Su Qing didn't think much of it. But as the child grew, she started to worry.

Especially now, with preparatory school starting at age eight, she had already begun preparing ahead of time.

For instance, they had contacted a top private school in the UK two years in advance and even sold a house near Oxford, planning to move there with their child.

In her opinion, it would be better to focus on academics and treat football as a hobby.

On this point, she and Gao Shen had some disagreements, but they agreed to let Gao Ming make his own choice when the time came.

After playing football with his son in the garden for a while, Gao Shen left him there to play on his own and went inside.

"This kid hasn't been paying attention in class ever since he heard you were coming home today. The teacher just complained to me," Su Qing said as she walked over, took the things from Gao Shen's hands, and gave him a look of disapproval.

She always felt that Gao Shen was shameless. All he did was coax the child to play and make him happy, which made their son extremely clingy to him. On the other hand, she, as the mother, had to worry about everything but got no appreciation for it.

Their family dynamic was that of a kind father and a strict mother.

"What's the harm? He's so smart anyway. Besides, we've been apart for so long," Gao Shen said with a smile.

Su Qing rolled her eyes, "It's only been three or four days, okay?"

...

This time, Gao Shen had gone down to London to take care of a lot of things that had piled up.

He not only met with Wenger and Ferguson but also attended the FIFA Football Congress and gave a speech.

Things like that had become second nature to him.

Even if he were to stop coaching today, he could live off his past achievements without ever worrying about food or drink.

And with the wealth he had accumulated over the years, not only him, but even several generations of his family could live comfortably, as long as they didn't squander it.

But at his level, it was no longer about fame and fortune. It was about reaching his own potential.

"Infantino and Ceferin both said they would organize people to study my proposal carefully when they got back. On first impression, they both think my idea is good."

Standing by the window, Gao Shen looked at Gao Ming playing football in the garden as he spoke to Su Qing.

"So, it seems like there are no major problems."

"There weren't any to begin with. I just wanted some reassurance," Gao Shen said to his wife with a smile.

He had always done things steadily and methodically, often leaving himself a backup plan.

Given his current reputation, status, and connections, even if he were to act directly, as long as nothing went wrong, FIFA and UEFA wouldn't cause trouble. But the problem is, that's not the best way to go about it.

It's always better to communicate in advance than to scramble to fix things afterward.

"How's everything on your end?" Gao Shen asked.

"Don't worry. Everything went smoothly," Su Qing replied.

She was more thorough and meticulous in her work than Gao Shen.

The separation of several departments—such as the Big Data Center, Methodology Department, and Scientific Research and Innovation Laboratory—from Leeds United didn't actually have much impact on the club's operations, and the outside world remained largely unaware.

That was to be expected.

Who pays attention to a club's daily operations?

Manchester United had been in London for quite some time, yet many fans still didn't know and thought they were still in Manchester.

Even though those departments were now independent, they were still temporarily housed at the AXA Centre in Leeds United.

Why?

Because the AXA Centre itself was an advanced facility. Leeds United had just been renting it.

Would someone as capable as Gao Shen really be using someone else's facility?

Fans had no idea what was happening inside Leeds United, or whether those departments had become independent, because these were all complex business operations. At most, it was like shifting things from one hand to the other.

"We still need to keep investing in the medical field, especially in injury prevention. That's crucial."

If one were to ask what the riskiest and least controllable factor was in the entire Gao Shen project, it would definitely be...

Injuries.

After taking over the first team of any club, Gao Shen's team would deliver a detailed plan after thorough evaluation and planning. This plan included promised results, based on the club's budget, investment, squad composition, and transfer targets.

Of course, the promised results could never be something like winning the league or a title.

That would be unrealistic.

In professional leagues, not winning a title is the norm. Winning one is the exception.

Isn't this different from how many fans perceive elite clubs?

In this kind of setup, if a major injury occurs, the entire plan could be thrown off. Especially if there's a sudden increase in injuries.

So injuries aren't just a player's worst enemy—they're also the biggest threat to Gao Shen's entire plan.

That's why he had always invested heavily in sports medicine.

Initially, Leeds United had partnered with Huawei on research in AI and sports medicine, as well as working with several domestic universities. Later, they collaborated with the University of Leeds, and through them, with globally renowned institutions like Oxford and Cambridge.

Massive investments had gone into this project.

If Leeds United hadn't made so much from transfer fees in recent years, they wouldn't have been able to afford it.

Other football clubs—even top ones—simply couldn't match that level of research and development funding.

However, once this research began yielding results, it would significantly improve a team's training level, injury prevention, and recovery, which in turn would elevate the quality of service that Gao Shen and his team could offer.

Have there been results?

Yes, and quite a few.

For example, sleep monitoring.

Players who sleep well perform better in training and matches, and are less likely to get injured.

Leeds United studied five to six hundred players from their youth academy, monitored their sleep, and collected extremely detailed data. They then researched how to help players sleep better.

Many fans might not know, but sleep is a huge issue for professional athletes.

Many players suffer from insomnia before games, and some have even become dependent on sleeping pills.

Leeds United's research aimed to help players fall asleep using various assistive devices and to create personalized plans for each individual, fostering healthy sleep habits through big data analysis.

These measures were already being implemented in both the youth academy and the first team.

In addition, with the advancement of medical technology and scientific training, significant progress had been made in preventing and recovering from certain injuries.

But muscle damage remained a huge challenge.

Issues like the groin injury that led to Kaka's downfall, or other soft tissue problems, were all extremely troublesome.

Gao Shen's investments in this area were divided into two parts: recovery and prevention.

Oxford University was focusing on cell therapy and regenerative medicine, which could become the future of muscle and tendon injury treatment.

Meanwhile, prevention was about lowering the injury risk through a comprehensive strategy—especially during two-match weeks—by analyzing the impact of training loads, recovery, rest, and diet on muscle damage.

In the past, most of these areas had barely been researched. Even for major injuries, prevention largely depended on the overall improvement of global medical standards. FIFA and UEFA did invest in this field annually, but the results were minimal.

If Gao Shen wanted to pursue this career path, then injury risk had to be controlled, which meant investing in this type of research.

In fact, this would become one of the core competitive advantages of Gao Shen and his team.

Just think, how would players view a training team that could offer this kind of support?

...

"Florentino called me."

Su Qing was a bit surprised. "What did he say?"

"He watched my speech at the FIFA Congress, and..." Gao Shen chuckled twice, "He received some messages and wants to talk to me for more details."

"You think he's interested?" Su Qing asked.

Gao Shen smiled and nodded. "Definitely."

"You know Florentino has a team of people who are experts at making money. If there really were a team that could guarantee relatively stable results for Real Madrid, freeing up his hands to focus entirely on the commercial side, do you think he wouldn't be tempted?"

Su Qing thought about it and nodded in agreement.

Real Madrid's exit from the Champions League Round of 16 this year had been a major commercial setback.

What's worse, Barcelona was struggling too, yet they were still leading La Liga and had beaten Real Madrid by a large margin.

Many people might think Barcelona slapping Real Madrid is good news for them.

Yes, in terms of results, maybe. But commercially, it's a disaster.

Without Ronaldo, Messi's popularity had clearly declined.

This might be hard for some people to accept, but in essence, professional football is a reality show.

No one enjoys watching matches where the outcome is predictable.

Occasionally crushing a weak team is fine, but do it too often, and people lose interest.

That's why the Premier League is more exciting and more popular.

Of course, when Gao Shen said "reality show," he didn't mean a scripted or fake one. That would be low-level. Football is the highest level of reality show.

It's the most genuine competition, where both sides are truly fighting with real weapons and full of unpredictability.

What Gao Shen wanted to do now was to become the director of this reality show.

Maybe no one would notice him. Many fans might not even know he existed. But he was about to completely overturn the existing management model and even the power structure of European football.

This was the highest level a head coach could achieve.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1242: Profound and Unfathomable

On the day Florentino arrived in Leeds, Leeds United were playing an FA Cup quarter-final match.

And it just so happened to be a home game: Leeds United vs. Manchester United.

This was bound to be a highly anticipated showdown.

Alongside Florentino Pérez and his ever-present personal assistant Manuel Redondo, Real Madrid CEO José Sánchez and Vice President Butragueño had also made the trip.

Gao Shen arranged for them to stay in the city center of Leeds, not far from Leeds United's Amazon Stadium.

After a short rest upon arrival, they left the hotel and headed to Leeds United's home ground.

Heading south from the city center, one could already see Leeds United's AXA Centre and Amazon Stadium in the distance.

Since its completion, this building had become a landmark of Leeds United.

Back when the Amazon Stadium was completed, Real Madrid had been invited to play a friendly match for the opening ceremony. Florentino had attended that match, but at the time, Elland Road Stadium, located to the east of the Amazon Stadium, was still being demolished, and the surrounding area was chaotic.

Now, however, the shopping malls and pedestrian streets were mostly completed, and the building facades were long finished.

From a distance, the stadium, pedestrian street, and shopping mall formed a seamless, flowing line. The view was truly spectacular.

"Norman Foster is really amazing," José Sánchez exclaimed from afar.

Florentino nodded slightly, but behind his glasses, his eyes were filled with undisguised envy.

The Bernabéu was too small. It didn't give him enough room to expand. If it had, and if Real Madrid could have done what Leeds United had, they would certainly have been more successful.

The reason was simple: the Bernabéu was located in the very center of the Spanish capital.

"Gao Shen is very shrewd. Back then, everyone thought building such a training base and stadium was entirely unnecessary. Now, all those who were waiting for him to fail are probably feeling ashamed of themselves," Florentino said with a chuckle.

He had already decided that Gao Shen's plan held great potential.

The combination of Norman Foster, Leeds United in the Premier League, and top academic cooperation was a unique selling point. It was like creating a major intellectual property in itself, capable of instantly drawing global attention.

Just imagine the development potential surrounding such a desirable IP. From project initiation to launch, from progress updates to award recognitions, it could continuously generate media buzz. Even occasional achievements could attract significant attention.

And just from the sponsorships drawn in by this buzz alone, how much of the cost could be recouped?

The irony was, those ordinary people who questioned the project had no idea how the world really worked.

They clearly didn't have much money in their own pockets, yet they were always eager to give advice to the wealthy on how to invest or run businesses. Wasn't that just laughable?

Take Gao Shen's training base and stadium as an example. Florentino believed that while the training base might have been built on a whim, the stadium project, along with the surrounding commercial street and shopping mall, must have been supported by professional third-party research.

With such a massive investment, wouldn't it be normal to pay a bit more for expert analysis?

And the results clearly weren't bad. Otherwise, Gao Shen wouldn't have gone ahead with it.

Now that the stadium was completed, Leeds United's matchday revenue had multiplied several times, surpassing 100 million pounds and helping the club solidify its status as a top-tier team.

The shopping mall and pedestrian street had long been leased to the Westfield Group, which was expected to bring in at least 30 to 40 million pounds annually in rental income. Who could still say the project wasn't profitable?

It had turned out to be a massive success.

And the most incredible part?

Gao Shen used Leeds United's own money to build the training base and stadium, then turned around and leased them back to the club, collecting a hefty sum in rent each year.

In essence, Leeds United helped him build everything, then paid him to use it — and without a discount.

Calling that profound was putting it mildly. It was basically getting something for nothing.

"Honestly, if all head coaches were as shrewd as him, none of us would survive," Florentino sighed, both amused and exasperated.

Over the years, he had met countless people, but Gao Shen remained the most mysterious and difficult to understand.

José Sánchez and Butragueño both nodded in agreement.

Profound. Truly unfathomable.

...

The match was scheduled to kick off at 7:55 p.m.

Gao Shen had reserved a VIP box to host Florentino and his party. They could dine inside, and a dedicated chef was arranged to serve them, so they arrived at the Amazon Stadium early.

To their surprise, the area was already crowded both inside and out when they arrived.

Although the shopping mall and commercial street hadn't officially opened yet, an Apple Store had already moved into a prominent position.

It was said that Apple opened a store here for two reasons. First, there was indeed a strong market. Second, Norman Foster had always been the lead designer for Apple's official stores and was also responsible for the design this time.

"If I had this kind of wealth and these assets, I wouldn't bother with anything else. I'd just lie down and sleep," Manuel Redondo sighed.

Standing on the commercial street between the Amazon Stadium and the shopping center opposite, one could see that the three complexes shared a unified architectural roof.

The design was truly masterful.

"That's why you'll never become profound," José Sánchez teased with a laugh.

"Why not?" Redondo retorted, visibly annoyed.

Was it a crime to indulge in a little daydreaming? Couldn't he just imagine himself in a profound role for once?

"It's just like with top superstars. Many people think signing them is a huge risk because of the money, but that's not the case. The fact that they can become superstars is already the best guarantee of their value," Florentino said with a smile, explaining the logic to Redondo.

"Once they reach that level, they'll never settle. They'll do everything they can to become even better."

Butragueño, a former professional footballer himself, fully agreed with this view.

The group chatted and laughed as they reached the stadium's interior.

Gao Shen had arranged for staff to receive them, and they were immediately welcomed inside.

Outside the VIP room, Gao Shen was already waiting with Su Qing, Gao Ming, Fernando Lucas, Borrell, and others.

They exchanged greetings naturally as they met.

In particular, young Gao Ming was already showing the charisma of a protagonist.

After all, he was now the most popular young player at Real Madrid.

Florentino had previously visited the Amazon Stadium and praised its facilities — not just the circular screen, but also the vast retail space, which would greatly boost Leeds United's matchday revenue.

As the host, Gao Shen had arranged for a Spanish chef to cater to Florentino and his entourage.

Although both sides understood the true purpose of the visit, they tacitly avoided talking business immediately.

Gao Shen had told Florentino ahead of time not to discuss anything yet. First, they would tour Leeds United's training base, where Gao Shen would demonstrate the services his team could offer, along with the supporting hardware and software infrastructure.

Demonstrating capability first, then gradually moving into negotiations, showed strong self-assurance.

"Your attendance tonight is quite impressive."

While waiting for the chef to prepare the meal, José Sánchez couldn't help but comment on the crowd.

"The stadium will be full tonight," Lucas replied confidently.

"For an FA Cup quarter-final?" José Sánchez asked, clearly surprised.

Though it was a clash between two heavyweights, it was still a domestic cup match. And it didn't seem like Leeds United would field their strongest lineup.

"Our lowest attendance this season was around 60,000," Lucas replied.

José Sánchez and Butragueño were genuinely shocked by this number.

The stadium's total capacity was only 67,000, and their lowest attendance was still 60,000?

"You drew that many for a League Cup game?" José Sánchez asked, still in disbelief.

Lucas smiled and nodded. "It was the first home game of the League Cup."

There was nothing more to say after that.

All anyone could say was that Leeds United's home match operations were genuinely top-class.

And Premier League fans were indeed passionate.

"So your matchday revenue this season should hit a new high," José Sánchez remarked.

Of course, Real Madrid wouldn't envy Leeds United too much. Their membership fees and matchday revenue reached around 170 million euros per season, with membership fees alone accounting for between 1,000 and 14 million euros.

In other words, Real Madrid's pure matchday revenue each season was around 150 million euros.

Leeds United could still grow in the next two years, but the pace would slow down and eventually plateau.

That was the nature of matchday revenue.

It was a very stable income stream, largely unaffected by on-pitch performance, making it a core component of any club's financial structure.

Of course, missing the Champions League meant losing several home games, so there would be some impact.

Like Real Madrid. If they failed to qualify for the Champions League next season, their matchday revenue might actually fall behind Leeds United's.

And from the current situation, Real Madrid's chances of finishing in the league's top four weren't looking good.

This was exactly why Florentino and his team were so eager to meet Gao Shen.

Although Gao Shen hadn't yet met with members of the opposition faction on Real Madrid's board, Florentino must have been quite anxious.

If Gao Shen sided with the opposition, it would be a devastating blow to Florentino's position as chairman.

"Manchester United's form has improved since changing managers. Solskjaer took over from Mourinho, and the results have picked up. Since they've got nothing to fight for in the league, they'll probably go all out in the FA Cup," Butragueño said about tonight's match.

"Exactly," Fernando Lucas nodded with a smile. "Changing managers always brings a brief spark, but that spark already faded. The change happened back in December."

"More importantly, Solskjaer's tactics have started to take shape over the past few months. Once they're stable, it's not hard to study them and make targeted adjustments."

After a short pause, Lucas smiled confidently. "Sometimes, football matches are actually quite simple."

The Real Madrid executives exchanged bewildered glances.

Simple?

Come on.

Real Madrid had so many star players, and yet they couldn't even crack the top four...

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1243: Genius Concentration Camp

When the match reached the 42nd minute, the score was still 0-0.

In midfield, Kalvin Phillips dispossessed Dele Alli and pretended to drive the ball forward, drawing the attention of Manchester United's midfield defense, before suddenly passing the ball back.

Kimmich made a forward run to receive it, then delivered a long pass that landed precisely on the left side of the penalty area.

At this point, Manchester United's entire defensive line was pushed very high and was also biased toward their left side. Right-back Dalot had shifted centrally, leaving much of their right flank completely exposed.

Then a black figure darted forward. He didn't appear particularly fast, but his positioning was impeccable.

Who was that?

Watching from the stands, Butragueño was instinctively surprised.

Real Madrid had been keeping a close eye on Leeds United's left winger, Mbappé, all season, so they were very familiar with the players on that side. But this young player was unfamiliar.

They had still been in the VIP box during the player announcements and hadn't heard the lineup.

But immediately, this unfamiliar player showed remarkable quality.

Calmness.

Kimmich's long pass reached the left flank of the attacking third. The Leeds United player quickly accelerated and controlled the ball deftly with the outside of his right foot, stopping it perfectly in front of him for the next move.

That first touch ignited the entire Amazon Stadium into thunderous cheers.

Dalot quickly tracked back, but the Leeds United player wasn't in a rush. He dribbled diagonally toward the left corner of the penalty area, broke into the box, and before the defenders could close in, he feinted toward the byline, tricking Dalot into scrambling to cover. Then, with a sudden stop, he flicked the ball with the outside of his right foot and cut inside.

After shaking off Dalot, and before Maguire could arrive, he leaned his body and unleashed a quick low shot with his right foot. The ball flew across the ground toward the right side of the goal.

De Gea dived to save but couldn't get to it. The ball bounced off the edge of the six-yard box.

De Gea lunged again, but still couldn't reach it.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLL!"

Cheers erupted from the announcers throughout the Amazon Stadium.

All the fans leapt from their seats, screaming at the top of their lungs.

The circular screen continuously displayed the goal replay, and combined with the booming sound system, it sent the stadium into complete frenzy.

This was the madness of Leeds United's Amazon Stadium.

The name of the scorer echoed throughout the stadium.

Rodrygo!

After scoring, the young Brazilian ran toward the sidelines to celebrate with the roaring Leeds United supporters.

The circular screen replayed the entire sequence of Kimmich's long pass and Rodrygo's goal again and again, while the commentator shouted that he was only 18 years and 2 months old.

That made the crowd erupt even louder.

A prodigy is always a major draw in professional football.

Although Leeds United had no shortage of young stars, their every appearance still drove the fans wild.

Rodrygo, especially, had just broken through Manchester United's defense to score.

...

"Too calm."

Butragueño had been a striker himself and understood very well that in that situation, every move and every action Rodrygo made was close to perfect.

That wasn't just a sign of solid fundamentals, but of tremendous composure.

"Is he really only 18?" Butragueño couldn't help but ask.

Borrell looked at Gao Shen and Lucas, then nodded with a smile. "He only joined Leeds United from Brazil in January. We applied under the exceptional talent clause. He became eligible to play in February."

"His speed wasn't explosive, but his technique was excellent. The way he handled the ball and linked up his movements was smooth. Honestly, that whole sequence was special. There was no dragging, no hesitation, just clean execution. That cut past Dalot especially," Butragueño commented.

His eye for detail was sharp.

After saying that, he looked at Gao Shen and Lucas, then glanced at Florentino. He seemed to want to say more but held back.

He understood perfectly well that Leeds United were already preparing for Mbappé's eventual departure.

Mbappé had been outstanding this season, scoring over 29 goals in the Premier League, almost one per match, and delivering 8 assists.

Last summer, after Leeds United sold Harry Kane and Sadio Mané, many doubted whether their attack would hold up.

But now, with Mbappé's rise, along with Vardy and Dembélé, the team's attacking firepower hadn't weakened.

Mbappé's departure had been expected, and Leeds United had clearly planned ahead.

Vinícius, who had been phenomenal this season, plus Grealish, and others like Rashford, Sancho, and Félix, who could also fill in on the left, all provided depth.

And tonight, Rodrygo was starting on the left.

The key point was that aside from Grealish, who was 23, the rest were all between 18 and 20 years old.

"How do you manage that?" Butragueño asked with sincere curiosity.

"Manage what?" Borrell was momentarily confused.

Butragueño pointed to the pitch. "These young players, so young, yet they consistently perform."

Gao Shen smiled and said, "Remember when I told you at Valdebebas that the issue with young players isn't ability? They just need to grow, gain experience. As long as the tactical system is stable and roles are clearly defined, they can break through in a single season."

"Honestly, it's not that great. Think about Messi and Ronaldo. At 20, they were already putting up Ballon d'Or-level performances. If we use them as the benchmark, these players still have a ways to go."

"Besides, with technological advances, better youth training, and more scientific methods, players will peak longer and start showing elite traits at younger ages."

These words hit differently for Florentino and the others.

Was Gao Shen talking about young players?

Not exactly. He was talking about high-level youth development, elite coaching, precise role assignment, and a mature tactical system.

All of this was being delivered by Gao Shen and his team.

To Florentino and his delegation, tonight's FA Cup quarter-final between Leeds United and Manchester United didn't feel like just a knockout match. It felt more like a demonstration lab, a showcase of Leeds United's talent development system.

This was a full-blown talent factory, unmatched in European football.

...

As if to confirm Florentino's impression, the second half only reinforced Leeds United's dominance.

After scoring the first goal, Manchester United had to push forward to find an equalizer, giving Leeds more chances to counter.

In the 57th minute, Leeds launched a quick counterattack after winning the ball in midfield.

Haaland dropped deep, received the ball with his back to Matic, shielded it, turned smoothly, and broke free from the Serbian midfielder. After dribbling forward a few steps, he played the ball to the right.

Sancho sprinted down the right wing to collect the pass and faced Luke Shaw, who had tracked back. He threw in a series of feints but couldn't get past Shaw and was forced to stop.

By that time, Haaland had already charged forward.

Sancho calmly passed the ball inward. Haaland suddenly accelerated, received the ball between Maguire and De Vrij, and charged into the box, causing the two center-backs to scramble to close him down.

Haaland stopped suddenly, tapped the ball to his left with his right foot, then swung his left foot for a shot.

A powerful strike.

The ball went straight into Manchester United's goal.

2-0!

"Erling Haaland!"

Even before the stadium announcer called out the scorer's name, the fans were already celebrating.

The 18-year-old Norwegian had already made several appearances this season and had consistently impressed.

He wasn't just tall and strong, but also quick and explosive.

Even more incredibly, he had come up through Leeds United's youth system and had grown under Borrell's guidance, which made his footwork far superior to what it had been in his previous development.

It was ridiculous.

How do you stop a player like that?

Just look at what happened to De Vrij and Maguire. They were both strong and tall, but not as fast as Haaland, and their footwork wasn't as sharp. In direct duels, they had no advantage.

Against physically weaker defenders? Forget it. He would bulldoze them with sheer force.

Majin Buu was still in his initial form. Give him time to evolve, and he would only become more terrifying.

But this was already enough to stun the Real Madrid delegation.

Leeds United's front three, all around 18 years old, had scored two goals against Manchester United.

And on defense, veterans like José Fonte were alongside 18-year-old Alphonso Davies and Achraf Hakimi.

Hakimi had been developed by Real Madrid and had done well, but since being picked up by Leeds United, he had completely transformed.

"Leeds United now reminds me of Ajax at the turn of the century," Florentino said.

Back then, he had just taken over as president of Real Madrid, and Ajax had a youthful squad of players in their early twenties who dazzled in Europe.

"Times have changed," Gao Shen replied with a smile.

Comparing Leeds United to early-2000s Ajax was a compliment to Gao Shen's team, but also a criticism of Ajax.

Because that Dutch club had declined for many years.

There were many reasons for Ajax's fall, depending on who you asked.

But one thing was certain.

"Clubs that can't keep up with the times will become the next Ajax," Gao Shen said meaningfully.

Florentino and the Real Madrid executives all fell into deep thought.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1244: This Is Truly Cutting-Edge Technology

In Spain, the night begins at midnight.

Although often said in jest, it accurately reflects the Spanish way of life.

After Leeds United defeated Manchester United 2-0 at home and advanced to the FA Cup semi-finals, Gao Shen finally had a proper reason to return to Cheshire with his wife and son.

Fernando Lucas and Rodolfo Borrell were left in charge of hosting the Real Madrid delegation, while Florentino also made up an excuse to leave, leaving the follow-up contacts to his staff.

Often, it's harder to negotiate when the top boss is present, as both parties tend to hesitate more.

Florentino didn't even know what time things wrapped up.

He was getting on in years, and he had fallen asleep not long after returning to the hotel.

By breakfast the next morning, Butragueño was already up. He hadn't stayed until the end either. On the contrary, José Sánchez looked sleep-deprived and yawned constantly, clearly the one who had stuck it out until the very end.

After getting some food and filling his stomach, he felt much better.

Following breakfast, they returned to Florentino's suite for a private meeting.

According to the itinerary arranged by Gao Shen, they would soon visit the AXA Centre at Leeds United, followed by a trip to their joint research and development project at the University of Leeds. These were highly anticipated stops.

...

"After I left last night, did you and Lucas go to a few more events?" Butragueño asked José Sánchez with a smile.

When it came to socializing, Real Madrid's CEO was the master.

Over the years, he had polished his skills dealing with sponsors and had become a true equal to Fernando Lucas.

The two had a very strong rapport. It was even said that Gao Shen once told Lucas to learn from José Sánchez.

"That kid's been getting pretty playful lately," José Sánchez said with a chuckle.

Even though Real Madrid's sponsorship deals were worth tens of millions of euros, entertaining partners was still necessary.

The same was true for Leeds United.

Manuel Redondo, seeing Florentino's expression, quickly asked, "Did you get any useful info?"

José Sánchez immediately perked up. "There's some trouble with Bayern. The Germans are very conservative in this area, so not much progress has been made. On the other hand, in the Premier League, Manchester United and Chelsea have shown interest, but their approaches are different. For instance, Manchester United doesn't intend to hand over the coaching and training responsibilities of the head coach to Leeds United."

"They're leaning toward something more like a technical advisor arrangement, but they're still observing. After all, it's their first time encountering this kind of model, and no one knows how it'll turn out."

Manchester United was indeed facing a dilemma. Their overall playing style lacked a mature, stable framework.

Since Ferguson's retirement, they had gone from Moyes to Van Gaal to Mourinho, all of whom had taken different approaches. It had become a patchwork.

They spent big on signings, but the players brought in often had conflicting styles and profiles. This created significant issues.

So, it was perfectly reasonable for Manchester United to be considering cooperation with Gao Shen.

"PSG President Nasser will be bringing his management team to Leeds United in a few days for an inspection."

As soon as José Sánchez said this, Florentino and the others were a little surprised. But after thinking it over, it made sense.

Real Madrid's response time was quick, but that didn't mean other clubs were slow.

In terms of European football, Real Madrid undoubtedly understood Gao Shen and his team better than anyone.

As for Paris Saint-Germain, they had the least psychological burden and were probably the most open to such a partnership.

"So, they're having productive talks with PSG?" Butragueño asked.

"I asked Lucas. He said there was a major disagreement earlier. PSG wanted to add a clause in the contract that would prevent Gao Shen from working with any other big club during the cooperation period, but Gao Shen refused."

Butragueño and Redondo immediately turned to look at Florentino. After all, Real Madrid had originally wanted a similar exclusivity clause.

Real Madrid's thinking was clear. As long as Gao Shen didn't work with other top clubs, his influence wouldn't affect Real Madrid.

Everyone wanted to monopolize the best resources.

In that sense, Nasser wasn't being foolish.

But then again, it was perfectly reasonable for Gao Shen to refuse.

If he agreed to that kind of clause, how was it any different from just returning to coaching?

Even though they hadn't discussed serious business matters during last night's match, Florentino had still chatted with Gao Shen extensively.

According to Gao Shen, he could provide a full range of technical services and, when the time came, could offer customized services according to the club's specific needs. But for now, the infrastructure wasn't fully in place.

To put it bluntly, this business model was still in its infancy. Gao Shen was still feeling his way forward.

"He's currently looking to select one or two clubs that are genuinely interested in cooperating. All contracts will be signed under his company's name."

This was also preparation for scaling the business in the future.

Everyone knew how rare talented players were, but in reality, elite coaches like Gao Shen and his team were just as rare.

Star players were tied to clubs and couldn't play for more than one team at a time. But coaching didn't have that restriction.

There were plenty of precedents where managers simultaneously coached a national team and a club. Gao Shen was simply taking it a step further.

...

"How many secrets did you spill last night?"

Upon arriving at the AXA Centre, Gao Shen went straight to Fernando Lucas's office and asked with a grin.

Lucas and Borrell both burst out laughing.

"José Sánchez is a sharp one. He spent the whole night trying to fish info out of me. I came prepared, but I still had to be extra careful. I was afraid I might let something slip," Lucas said.

Compared to him, Butragueño was more reserved.

Whether they were footballers or fans, they tended to be more straightforward.

After Lucas briefly recounted what happened the night before, Gao Shen understood the situation clearly.

This new cooperation model didn't yet have a mature market. For one thing, talent was a major bottleneck.

With his current team, Gao Shen could only handle two clubs at most. Anything more, and the operation would become unmanageable.

So, for now, he was still taking things slowly, learning and adjusting along the way.

"Based on what José Sánchez said, I'm guessing Florentino still wants you to return to Real Madrid as head coach. He might even be open to you taking on both the head coach and technical director roles. I just didn't expect it to unfold in this way."

Gao Shen smiled. He had considered the possibility, but he hadn't expected Real Madrid to be the first to approach him.

"Come on, Florentino and the others should be arriving soon. Let's go greet them."

...

From the moment they stepped into the AXA Centre, Florentino and his team looked like country folk visiting a palace, visibly impressed.

Their first stop was the first-team training ground.

Having just played Manchester United the day before, the players were currently undergoing recovery training. While the exercises themselves weren't anything new, what stood out was the artificial intelligence analysis system.

A huge screen stood beside the pitch, surrounded by three or four cameras transmitting real-time data. It wasn't cutting-edge in and of itself, but Leeds United's setup included six high-definition cameras, which could simultaneously capture wide shots and zoomed-in technical movements.

Everything was automatically processed by the system. The videos were generated directly, without needing a human operator.

More importantly, it included an error correction feature.

"At the moment, the correction function is mainly used during targeted training. For example, when correcting a player's specific technical motion, we enter the reference data in advance. But we plan to explore broader uses soon."

As Cruyff once said, most of a player's time on the pitch is spent off the ball. But in over a century of professional football, there has never been a clear definition of what constitutes off-the-ball movement.

It has always been something of a mystery. Players who are good at off-the-ball movement are often praised as having high football intelligence. But football IQ is a vague concept. There has never been a quantifiable metric for it.

Gao Shen then showed the Real Madrid delegation a prototype system still in development. It looked rough, but the core framework was in place. The AI could calculate spatial changes caused by each player's off-the-ball movements.

Simply put, it could measure how much space an attacking player created for himself and his teammates through movement, and how much tactical value that space held. It also analyzed how much value a defender added by blocking passing lanes or reducing space.

These were all areas that had previously been unmeasurable and unstandardized. Now, they were actively being studied and improved.

According to Gao Shen's plan, once the AI analysis system was fully developed, it would be considered for external licensing. For now, it was only being tested at Leeds United. It would also be implemented with teams directly managed by Gao Shen, significantly improving coaching efficiency.

Of course, the same tools would yield different results depending on the coach using them.

The Real Madrid staff were even more astonished than they had anticipated. Leeds United's technological edge far exceeded their expectations.

But that wasn't the point.

Gao Shen's core advantage wasn't software, data models, or hardware. All of that was merely infrastructure.

The real core was people. The most professional, elite people.

In this regard, Gao Shen didn't need to explain much. Everyone in European football already knew his capabilities.

In fact, to a certain extent, if Gao Shen couldn't handle something, who else in today's football world could say they could?

Just like the current mess at Real Madrid. Aside from Gao Shen, who else could fix it?

Florentino understood this. That's why he had come all the way to Leeds.

"Wow, I really didn't expect you to be this far ahead."

In the car heading north from the AXA Centre to the University of Leeds, Gao Shen and Florentino sat in the back.

Clearly, the Real Madrid president wanted a private conversation.

"Actually, I have no worries about entrusting Real Madrid's first team to you. I know you, and I know your strength. You've never failed at anything you've set out to do, and I believe this time will be no different."

"Thank you."

"I'm confident I can persuade the board of directors. But I need you to promise me one thing."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1245: Scared Florentino

Florentino had never taken the opposition members on Real Madrid's board seriously. To him, they posed no real threat.

Back then, had Florentino remained on the board, Calderón would have still been working as his lawyer.

It was the same situation now.

Gao Shen knew this well. That was why he had always ignored the opposition faction and had repeatedly refused to meet them. Because meeting with them would only boost their visibility and lend them credibility.

What Florentino was truly worried about was the anger of Real Madrid's members.

The team's performance this season had dropped sharply. For a combination of reasons, the results had been dismal, sparking widespread dissatisfaction among the club's membership. As president, Florentino Pérez could not escape responsibility.

Regarding the potential collaboration between Real Madrid and Gao Shen, Florentino had just one request: Gao Shen must return to Real Madrid and take full control of the situation.

"You should know that Real Madrid is in serious trouble right now. There's a very real chance we won't qualify for the Champions League. This is a terrible situation, and they desperately need someone to step in and turn it around."

If last summer, when Gao Shen chose to leave, Florentino had still believed that Real Madrid wouldn't fall into the same trap as Manchester United, then now, that confidence was gone.

Because the team had collapsed this season.

Real Madrid had long prided itself on its modern management, with a strong internal technical team responsible for monitoring and analysis. Yet even that had produced complex conclusions that pointed to the same problem.

Real Madrid had always been known for its physical preparation, particularly the conditioning and athletic training of its players. In recent years, they had consistently had one of the lowest injury rates among top European clubs. Even last season, when they suffered a wave of injuries due to a mix of subjective and objective factors, they still managed to overcome them.

This was mostly due to the advanced standards of their training system.

Ramos had once told Florentino that their elite team staff tracked the players' physical data daily and adjusted training loads accordingly. But Benítez ignored that completely, believing that overcoming discomfort was something players had to do on their own.

Florentino had spoken with many players and, at first, was confused. But after watching one of Gao Shen's in-depth talks, he finally understood the root of the problem.

Gao Shen always emphasized helping players become better versions of themselves, not managing or disciplining them.

This was a fundamental mindset shift required of modern head coaches in professional football.

The old-school approach was patriarchal, with the coach as the all-powerful boss, commanding absolute obedience in the dressing room.

But now, a head coach should be a service-oriented manager, someone who considers the personalities and needs of the players.

As a businessman, Florentino deeply understood this shift.

Across the globe, young people in the workforce were no longer like they used to be.

This new generation, raised on the internet, had now grown up and become the core of both society and the football world. That was a fact everyone had to face.

Still unwilling to give up, Florentino had studied Manchester United and discovered something even more concerning.

In the final three or four years of Ferguson's reign, the Carrington training ground had barely changed. No new equipment, no major upgrades. Yet, during that time, football had evolved drastically, and the overall standard of training had risen sharply. Manchester United's players were falling behind.

Why did Manchester United fans dislike Zaha?

Because he told the truth.

After joining the club, he suffered an injury and later told the media that Manchester United's training was outdated. He compared it to Leeds United and said United were at least ten years behind. That statement enraged the fanbase.

But he wasn't wrong.

Gradually, Florentino had come to realize just how profound Gao Shen's approach really was.

Gao Shen was different from other coaches in his mindset, ambition, and values. He was younger, bolder, and more forward-thinking.

He dared to think about things other coaches wouldn't even consider. He dared to do things they wouldn't dare to attempt. More importantly, he truly treated football as a career.

Yes, a career.

Guardiola might see football as his faith. Ancelotti might view it as a lifelong passion. Others might see it as a job, a craft, a means of living…

But for Gao Shen, football was a career. Something he was building, growing, and improving continuously.

Gao Shen didn't know what Florentino was thinking, but for the Real Madrid president to speak the way he did was already a kind of admission. Maybe even an apology.

An apology for the past.

"Actually, Real Madrid's issues are internal, and none of them are unmanageable. If we formally sign a cooperation agreement, I can immediately begin planning for the next season."

Florentino smiled and nodded.

To be honest, you don't really see the difference until you compare.

Over the years, Florentino had seen many head coach proposals. Gao Shen's were by far the most professional. In fact, they were more convincing than some of the business tenders submitted by his own companies.

Some other coaches came to negotiate with nothing. No proposal, no plan, just their mouths.

It was all far too basic and crude.

...

Gao Shen had shown real sincerity in hosting Real Madrid's top brass.

After all, both sides had a solid foundation for collaboration and knew each other very well.

So Gao Shen also made sure to share valuable insight wherever possible.

For example, when they visited the University of Leeds, he took Florentino and his team to visit a special interdisciplinary project group.

The team was small, fewer than ten people, including computational scientists, economists, management experts, and others.

"They're developing a decision-support system," Gao Shen explained.

"What do you mean?" Florentino was puzzled.

Whether it was at the AXA Centre or here at the university, he had already experienced too many surprises.

"Last year, at a sports tech seminar at Leeds United, I met a British economist who was very interested in what we were doing but thought we were still lacking in some areas. For example, he suggested using workflow software to increase our efficiency."

Seeing the confused looks on Florentino and the others, Gao Shen smiled and elaborated, "Workflow software isn't just about going paperless. It's about automation. It can handle a lot of repetitive, high-frequency tasks. For example, automatically organizing data reports or generating the training matrix from earlier. There are already mature solutions for this."

"The same applies to human resources. In large corporations, when reforming internal structures, they'll often simulate outcomes in advance, like who gets promoted or laid off. So some companies developed decision-support systems for that exact purpose."

"Management scientists set the parameters, economists use game theory to model decisions, computational scientists solve the models, and programmers build a system that helps businesses simulate changes."

Even José Sánchez and Butragueño looked stunned.

In their minds, this all sounded complicated and borderline science fiction.

What exactly was this?

Gao Shen gave up on trying to explain the academic side and instead cut straight to the point.

"Look, we're always complaining that signing new players is risky, right? And we're always worried about how well a new player will adapt to the team."

Everyone nodded. That was a very real issue.

"It's one of the biggest issues we face."

"I'm currently developing a system to predict team resource allocation. By inputting past player and team data, we can simulate how well a player might integrate after joining a new team. It also helps identify weaknesses in the current squad. Basically, it gives us a stronger reference for making decisions."

"You mean, before signing a player, we simulate the transfer in the system to see if it works?" José Sánchez asked.

"Exactly. The same goes for selling players," Gao Shen said, smiling.

Florentino and the others were completely dumbfounded.

This was insane.

If this actually worked, it would be revolutionary.

Not just clubs. Even players would love it.

Because it represented a huge leap forward in professional football.

Imagine a world where clubs and players didn't need to worry about transfer risks. Where you didn't need 100% certainty, just a high enough success probability. No more "flop" transfers.

Especially for a club like Real Madrid, which relies so heavily on buying top players, this would be a killer weapon.

"Gao, I really want to take you to a lab, open your skull, and see what your brain looks like. It's definitely different from ours," Butragueño said, half-joking, half-serious.

"Of course we're different. We're human, you're a vulture," Gao Shen shot back.

The group burst into laughter.

Butragueño's nickname as a player was, after all, "The Vulture."

But when you thought about it, many of these ideas weren't actually new in the business world. Some were already commonplace. So why hadn't anyone brought them into football before?

The biggest problem was that football club management had long been outdated. Even more importantly, many people viewed football with a kind of mysticism or superstition.

Gao Shen had been working with big data since 2006. Back then, he had even forced Fernando Lucas to learn data analysis. That story was still widely known among fans and the media.

Gao Shen wasn't the first to apply data to football, but he had been the key force in making it mainstream.

Florentino was truly shocked now. Even more than during yesterday's match.

There was only one genius. Leeds United was just one club. But what Gao Shen was building had the potential to transform professional football as a whole.

"Let's go back."

At that moment, Florentino stood up.

"What? There's still more cutting-edge tech you haven't seen yet," Gao Shen said, surprised.

"We'll see it next time. Let's go back and sign the agreement first."

It was rare to see Florentino this impatient.

It was as if he was afraid Gao Shen might change his mind or get snatched away by someone else.

Clearly, he had been genuinely frightened today.

(To be continued.)