SWR: Chapter 1186/1189

Chapter 1186: The Difficult Birth of a Successor

When Gao Shen decided not to renew his contract with Real Madrid, he stopped involving himself in the club's decisions.

This included transfers, signings, contract renewals, and even the most pressing issue at hand: choosing a new head coach.

The Gao Shen era had been one of unmatched glory.

Five consecutive La Liga titles, the third time in La Liga history and also in Real Madrid's history. Six consecutive Champions League titles, setting a new record in European football. The Copa del Rey, Super Cup, and Club World Cup trophies filled the Bernabéu's Hall of Fame to the brim.

In terms of both momentum and reputation, this Real Madrid side stood at the very peak of its history.

It was, in fact, the pinnacle of world football history.

Under such circumstances, whoever succeeded Gao Shen was destined to face a difficult task.

For instance, Real Madrid had their eyes on Zidane. But who was Zidane?

This intelligent Frenchman knew better than anyone that taking over Real Madrid now was like picking up a hot potato.

Having served as Gao Shen's assistant for years, he had already gained invaluable experience. Taking charge now would bring more risk than reward.

He preferred to lead the French national team, which he considered his true stage.

Guardiola was at Manchester City, having come from Bayern. Klopp was at Liverpool, and his results were outstanding. Mourinho was at Manchester United and doing well. Simeone remained the boss at Atlético Madrid. Ancelotti, after years at Paris Saint-Germain, had moved to Napoli. Tuchel was managing Paris Saint-Germain, while Sarri was at Chelsea.

Pochettino, a young Argentine coach who had risen rapidly in European football, was performing impressively with Leeds United.

In the 2013/14 season, Leeds finished fifth in the Premier League, earning recognition. The following season, they improved further, finishing fourth and sparking more debate across Europe.

Over the next two years, Pochettino's Leeds United consistently ranked third. After years of steady progress, they finally won the Premier League this season, making him one of Europe's most talked-about coaches.

European football was now dominated by Gao Shen's disciples.

From Guardiola to Klopp, Tuchel to Pochettino, and Sarri, all were top coaches enjoying immense popularity. This only enhanced Gao Shen's prestige across Europe and the world.

Real Madrid initially hoped Pochettino would replace Gao Shen, but the Argentine tactician politely declined. After five years at Leeds United, he wished to continue building his legacy in the Premier League.

According to him, he wanted to make his name in England.

As a result, Europe's top coaching options were nearly exhausted.

While contracts were one reason, the real issue was that no one wanted to take over Real Madrid at this moment. Everyone knew it was an impossible job.

Just look at Real Madrid's last season. Aside from Gao Shen, even legendary names like Sacchi, Michels, or Ferguson in their prime might not have achieved what Gao Shen had done.

It was truly an impossible situation.

Once a team reaches its peak, a rapid decline inevitably follows. Who can prevent that?

Klopp's Dortmund collapsed badly, and Guardiola's Bayern also fell apart. Everyone understood it was historical inevitability, impossible to avoid.

But Gao Shen defied fate. With his extraordinary coaching ability, he reversed the situation and led Real Madrid to win both La Liga and the Champions League—both titles rewriting football history.

That record was simply insurmountable.

So, to take over Real Madrid now would be suicidal.

Which top coach would dare accept the job?

…

"We are currently evaluating two candidates," said José Sánchez, explaining Real Madrid's progress in selecting a new coach. "One is to continue our current style, and we're considering Julen Lopetegui, the Spanish national team coach, who's very interested in joining us. The other is a full rebuild, and we're looking at Rafael Benítez, a true Madrid native."

The club had to choose between the two but hadn't decided yet.

Lopetegui could be considered a disciple of Gao Shen, at least in his own view. He had collaborated with Gao Shen multiple times before managing Porto and Spain with decent results.

There was no question about Benítez's ability either. After leaving Liverpool, he managed several clubs successfully. However, his biggest problem was his strong personality and strict management style.

Real Madrid's current issue was its aging squad, which needed a gradual and balanced transition.

It would be unrealistic for a new coach to immediately replace all the veteran players with new ones.

Even if Real Madrid could afford it, the fans' backlash would be immense. That would be slow suicide.

But could Benítez handle Real Madrid's dressing room?

And what about Lopetegui?

Could he manage it?

José Sánchez clearly wanted Gao Shen's insight.

But Gao Shen only smiled and said nothing. He was no longer Real Madrid's coach.

Given his status and influence, any comment he made could be interpreted as digging a trap for his successor.

Besides, if he was proven right, it would bring him no benefit. If he was wrong, it would undermine his credibility.

So, silence was the best response.

Still, everyone knew choosing Real Madrid's next coach would be extremely difficult.

It was like Manchester United's chaos after Ferguson's retirement.

Even after hiring Mourinho, they had yet to recover.

Last season's Premier League was a battle between Leeds United and Manchester City. Leeds finished with 101 points, surpassing Guardiola's 100-point Manchester City record and becoming the second-highest total in history after Gao Shen's Manchester City.

Manchester United, in third, only managed 81 points, while Liverpool in fourth had 75.

Although the Premier League was called the "Big Six," their performances varied greatly.

United had been weak for years, far from the dominance of the Ferguson era.

With Manchester United's struggles as a warning, Florentino had to proceed cautiously.

Initially, he wanted Zidane to take over since it seemed natural, but Zidane declined. He even decided to take a break from Real Madrid altogether.

He called it rest.

In short, Real Madrid's search for a new coach was proving extremely difficult.

…

When the team bus arrived at the Bernabéu, countless Real Madrid fans were already gathered there.

The streets outside the stadium and even the stands were packed with supporters.

Real Madrid was holding a grand celebration ceremony at the Bernabéu.

The players entered one by one, holding the trophies they had won this season.

Only then did people realize that, except for the Copa del Rey, Real Madrid had won every possible title this year.

Those who hadn't followed the season couldn't truly understand how much this meant to Real Madrid fans. They knew how tough it had been.

Before the winter break, the media had speculated endlessly that Gao Shen wouldn't survive until January, that he would face a disastrous fall and tarnish his reputation. Nobody believed Real Madrid could win so many trophies.

They had nearly been eliminated in the Champions League group stage after being beaten twice by Leeds United, including a humiliating away defeat. In La Liga, they trailed far behind Barcelona and Atlético Madrid, with almost no hope of winning the title.

Soon after, they were knocked out of the Copa del Rey.

Everything looked hopeless.

Florentino publicly promised not to sack Gao Shen mid-season, but the media took it as a sign that a coaching change was imminent, as his reassurances had always preceded a dismissal in the past.

The situation was dire, and the dressing room atmosphere was fragile.

Cristiano Ronaldo demanded a pay rise and considered leaving. The center-back trio of Pepe, Ramos, and Varane was struggling with mistakes and inconsistency. Di María was injured, and Benzema's form was poor.

Real Madrid, the mighty Galácticos, seemed to be sinking.

At that moment, Gao Shen boldly declared he would never resign, vowing to fight until the very end, staking his honor and career on it.

From then on, Real Madrid began their comeback, winning point by point, match by match.

In almost every game, they were outplayed, yet they still found ways to win, slowly climbing up the table and advancing in the Champions League.

Now, looking at the countless trophies, especially the La Liga and Champions League titles, their achievements seemed dazzling.

But only those who had lived through the season knew how much blood and sweat went into those two trophies.

The Bernabéu never boos talent because it knows how difficult greatness truly is.

As they looked at the championship trophies, many fans found tears welling up in their eyes.

Some couldn't help crying.

Suddenly, someone shouted, "Gao Shen!"

Then more and more joined in.

The chants grew louder until the entire Bernabéu and even the streets outside echoed with his name.

Countless fans cried as they shouted, unwilling to see him go.

Many players on the pitch crouched down or hugged their teammates, tears streaming down their faces.

From now on, that familiar, reassuring figure would no longer stand on the home team's touchline at the Bernabéu.

Everyone felt lost.

Inside and outside the stadium, the shouts of hundreds of thousands of Real Madrid fans filled the Madrid night sky.

Gao Shen stood quietly at the entrance of the players' tunnel. He claimed to be calm, but deep down, he was truly moved.

It was an indescribable feeling, one he knew he would never forget for the rest of his life.

Gradually, the chants changed.

Fans began shouting "Stay!" over and over.

Eventually, the entire stadium stood up, chanting in unison for him to stay.

This had happened the previous year too.

But this time, Gao Shen didn't come out.

He was afraid that if he did, his resolve would weaken, and he might change his mind, just like last season.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1187: The Football Team That Lays Golden Eggs

"Gao Shen!"

Amidst the misty lake, I seemed to hear the shouts of Real Madrid fans.

Gao Shen suddenly opened his eyes, and what he saw was a slightly unfamiliar ceiling.

It felt unfamiliar because since taking charge of Real Madrid, he had not spent much time in Cheshire each year, although he had always kept this mansion.

He took a deep breath. His wife Su Qing, sleeping beside him, clung to him like an octopus, lying on his left side and murmuring softly, "It's still early, sleep a little longer."

Yeah, it was quite early.

That damned biological clock.

Gao Shen even forgot that he was now laid off and unemployed.

But his body clock could not be adjusted. He still woke up on time every morning.

After the night of celebrations at the Bernabéu, Gao Shen stayed in Madrid for another two days to deal with a few matters, though he kept a low profile. Then he flew to Cheshire, England with his wife and child.

Although his contract would not be renewed, there was nothing that needed resolving between him and Real Madrid.

The commercial contracts would continue, and his share of profits remained the same.

Florentino intended to give Gao Shen an honorary role as presidential advisor, mainly to appease the fans and maintain the connection between Gao Shen and Real Madrid.

According to Florentino, even if Gao Shen coached another team in the future, that position would still be reserved for him.

"I and all Real Madrid fans hope that once you have rested enough, you can come back. We will always wait for you."

That was what the Real Madrid president told Gao Shen in person when they had dinner later.

Go back to Real Madrid?

Gao Shen did not have that idea, at least not for now.

In fact, if Real Madrid had reorganized and refreshed the squad according to Gao Shen's plan in 2017, it would never have reached this point, and Real Madrid would not have fallen into last season's state.

Ronaldo was indeed very strong, but no matter how strong a player is, there are limits in a team sport like football.

When the rest of the team had to compromise and sacrifice their own strengths to facilitate Ronaldo, and when the head coach Gao Shen had to give him special consideration in building the team's tactics, this Real Madrid was no longer frightening.

But from the moment Real Madrid decided to keep Ronaldo, Gao Shen had to do that.

Florentino also had his own difficulties and frustrations.

Real Madrid had made a lot of money in recent years, but expenses were also huge, especially with plans to renovate the Bernabéu.

Real Madrid's commercial team assessed that if they sold Ronaldo and brought in Mbappé, the commercial value would drop significantly, because while Mbappé might replace Ronaldo on the pitch, he was far inferior commercially.

This was not just a commercial consideration. At that time, Ronaldo and many players were up for contract renewals, and many internal issues became complicated and difficult.

Even Florentino was in a tough position, with major differences within the board.

In short, to sum it up in one sentence, everything that goes up must come down.

From the outside, many people would think Real Madrid was foolish, and with hindsight, they would say the decisions were inappropriate. But only when you were inside the Real Madrid vortex would you realize how hard it was for everyone.

Now, after last season, Real Madrid had basically reached a consensus on the direction, so there was not much more to say.

Gao Shen was very familiar with this.

Not only Real Madrid, many companies are the same.

…

Maybe he still needed to adjust. After stepping down as Real Madrid's head coach, Gao Shen felt quite strange.

It was not just having too much free time. There was also a sense of emptiness, as if something was missing.

In the past, he did not feel this even when taking a month off in the summer, but now his life felt very empty.

So he had to find more things to do.

For example, he got up every morning to make breakfast for his wife and child.

After finishing his business in Madrid, he flew straight to Cheshire. In the morning, he met with the Leeds United management and visited the site of the second phase of the stadium project.

Leeds United's new stadium had been officially named after Amazon from the United States, so it was now called Amazon Stadium.

The sponsorship fee was 20 million euros per year, and Leeds United had extensive cooperation with Amazon.

In addition, AXA Insurance's deal to sponsor Leeds United's new training base had been increased to 25 million euros, including naming rights for the training base and sponsorship of the training kit.

On top of that, Leeds United worked with Amazon and AXA in various promotional areas, including online marketing.

When the new stadium was completed last year, Leeds United announced the launch of the second phase of the stadium project, which directly razed Elland Road. The entire project was now in full swing, and the construction schedule was on track, with the aim to be in use before the end of May 2019.

All of Leeds United's phase two commercial properties had been leased to Australia's Westfield Group, which would build the largest Westfield shopping center in northern England next to the Leeds United stadium, including the entire commercial street.

The two sides signed a long-term contract with very high rent.

However, the rent was signed directly with Gao Shen's company by Westfield Group, not through Leeds United.

Not only that, the Amazon Stadium and AXA Center naming rights, as well as the commercial leasing within the stadium, were all private properties of Gao Shen and did not belong to Leeds United.

On the contrary, Leeds United had to pay substantial annual rent to lease the training base and stadium from Gao Shen.

But the costs of building the stadium and training base, as well as daily maintenance, were borne by Leeds United.

The specific operating model was overseen by Su Qing. Gao Shen did not get involved, and the media and fans outside were basically unaware of these details.

It was just like back when Elland Road and the Thorp Arch training base did not belong to Leeds United.

Who among ordinary people cares about that?

Besides, the entire club was now Gao Shen's private property. Wasn't it normal for money to move from the left hand to the right hand?

The reason for pushing the phase two commercial project forward urgently was that in September last year, UEFA announced that three stadiums would compete for the right to host the 2018/19 Champions League final. After the preliminary selection, the one in Azerbaijan was discarded because it was too far away.

The remaining two were Leeds United's Amazon Stadium and Atlético Madrid's Metropolitano Stadium.

In the end, Leeds United's Amazon Stadium won the right to host the final, while Atlético Madrid got the Europa League final.

This caused a huge response at the time. The Amazon Stadium, hailed as the world's top and most advanced football stadium, had already won numerous awards worldwide. Hosting the Champions League final as soon as it opened was undoubtedly the greatest recognition.

The British government and the Leeds City Council were also thrilled, because hosting the Champions League final would greatly boost the city's economy.

Behind the scenes, Gao Shen had also put in a lot of effort, mobilizing connections within UEFA and holding several talks with Atlético Madrid. Atlético decided to bid for the 2020 Champions League final.

This time, the Mattress Makers would have almost no rivals.

It was precisely because Leeds United won the hosting rights that Westfield Group signed the operating rights for the phase two commercial project and the commercial street at a high price, planning to open before the Champions League final.

Leeds United was now very popular in the city. It not only created jobs, it also boosted the economy and paid a large amount of tax every year. It was like a goose that lays golden eggs.

Leeds United fans were also very satisfied with the club's development, especially since, after moving into the new stadium, the basic ticket prices had not increased at all. That was truly conscientious.

Nowadays, Leeds United's Amazon Stadium was always packed. Not to mention the league and the Champions League, even FA Cup and League Cup matches were often two-thirds full. Where else in the Premier League could you find such attendance?

So now, Gao Shen was really looking forward to seeing how much Leeds United's matchday revenue would grow after moving to the new stadium.

…

After breakfast, Gao Shen played with his son in the garden for a while.

Strangely enough.

The kid had not liked Gao Shen much before, even resisting being held by him, but now he was especially attached.

When it was nearly time, the family set off from Cheshire to the northeast, heading for Leeds.

Turn onto the 621 from the M62, and soon you could see Leeds United's magnificent Amazon Stadium.

Standing 40 meters high, the whole structure rose in the southwest of Leeds city center. Coming from the 621, you could see the Amazon Stadium logo from a distance. It was eye-catching, and the architecture was unique.

Norman Foster had won numerous awards thanks to this building.

After exiting the motorway at the southwest junction, Gao Shen did not head north to the AXA Center. Instead, he circled the roundabout and went onto Elland Road.

Near the roundabout, the second phase of the commercial project was nearly complete, apart from the roof that would connect to the new stadium.

The commercial street between the two buildings was basically done, but the scene was still messy and a bit chaotic.

The landscaping and interior finishes were not yet complete, and that would take time.

Gao Shen found a place to park outside the construction site. After getting out, he looked at the new stadium and then at the phase two project. He felt very satisfied.

Not only was the design excellent, the level of completion was extremely high. It basically reproduced the design draft.

"Let's go in and take a look," Gao Shen said with interest.

Su Qing held Gao Ming's hand, and the family of three entered the construction site.

Soon, the person in charge from the Chinese company handling the project received the news and came over.

"Mr. Gao, Ms. Su, why didn't you let me know you were coming?" The Chinese manager was also from China. They had had dinner together before. His company had taken on two of Leeds United's major projects in succession, and he had been in Leeds for five years.

Gao Shen's visit was not a big deal. A third-party company supervised quality, so he did not need to worry. Moreover, he trusted the standards of the top construction company from the land of infrastructure mania.

What he cared about most was the construction schedule.

"Don't worry, we are already rushing the project. Now, the steel and membrane for the roof need to be ordered from China and shipped over for assembly, which will take some time. All in all, rest assured, we will complete the project on schedule."

After hearing this, Gao Shen felt relieved.

"Thank you, Mr. Yang."

"You are welcome, Mr. Gao. As I said, I am your most loyal fan."

If you had not mentioned it, I would have forgotten.

Su Qing knew he was a football fan, so she had prepared a gift for Gao Shen to bring. Gao Shen went to the trunk to get it.

It was a commemorative jersey for the six consecutive Champions League titles, signed by Real Madrid's players.

"It is not on sale yet, you cannot buy it outside."

The other party was immediately overjoyed that we had catered to his interests. He repeatedly assured them that he would strictly control quality, quantity, and schedule.

Gao Shen and Su Qing were also very happy.

After taking another look around the construction site, they headed to the AXA Center.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1188: New Premier League Giants

It has been four years since it was put into use, and Leeds United's AXA Centre has consistently been regarded by major media outlets and fans worldwide as the best training base, without a doubt.

This is not only because it has won many architectural awards and has the most advanced hardware and software facilities, but also because it brings together the world's most cutting-edge training technologies, top training experts, and the most authoritative events.

The Sports Technology Innovation Seminar has been held three times. From being unknown at first, it gradually became familiar within the football world, then broke out of the circle, attracting strong attention from all sectors of global sport.

Gradually, the media began to pay attention to this seemingly inconspicuous event, which is becoming increasingly well known in professional fields and is being cited by more and more specialists.

The third seminar in 2017 attracted more than 4,000 people, making it extraordinarily influential.

According to Su Qing, attendance this year is expected to exceed 10,000.

It is not just people from football and sport who attend. More importantly, suppliers and technical service providers, as well as various professionals, all plan to use this platform to promote their equipment and technologies.

Every year, countless professionals present their research and inventions at the seminar, including new training methods. Experts in sports medicine, physiotherapy, and rehabilitation also participate.

This is no longer just a seminar within football. It has completely crossed over.

Gao Shen had not expected this before. It has only been held three times. Of course, this is inseparable from Leeds United's promotion, but the seminar's own value, especially the need for such a platform across the industry, is striking.

To quote FIFA President Infantino's speech at last year's opening ceremony: In recent years, the training level of world football has greatly improved, and advanced technologies have emerged continuously. The Sports Technology Innovation Seminar founded by Leeds United has played a vital role.

This is not Gao Shen or Leeds United bragging, but a statement from the FIFA President.

This shows the importance of the event today.

It can be considered an unexpected gain for Gao Shen.

Given the scale, Leeds United plans to use two venues this year, one at the AXA Centre and the other at the Amazon Stadium, each with different functions.

After all, the seminar dates are staggered from league and cup schedules.

…

Every time Gao Shen arrives at the AXA Centre, he cannot help stopping in front of the magnificent office building to admire it.

The dynamic spatial design provides an excellent visual experience, and it is pleasing just to look at.

So every time he parks, Gao Shen chooses to walk, taking in the details as he goes, and he cannot help wanting to invite Norman Foster to dinner again.

Although the league has paused, Leeds United's offices remain open as usual.

This is normal.

After the league stops, it is actually the office's busiest period.

It is not just about player contract renewals and transfers, nor solely because this year is the World Cup in Russia. More importantly, professional football often divides time by seasons, not calendar years.

Many sponsorships start on July 1 and end on June 30.

The off-season is often the busiest time for clubs.

Of course, after this busy period, the club arranges staggered holidays for staff.

Leeds United is particularly generous with benefits in this regard.

Gao Shen and Su Qing's visit had been scheduled for a long time.

Fernando Lucas, Rodolfo Borrell, and others had been waiting.

As soon as Gao Shen's car arrived, they got the message and came out to greet him.

"Hi."

"Fernando, Rodolfo."

Gao Shen grabbed his two old partners, one with each hand. The three had not seen each other for a long time.

There was no helping it. Gao Shen had been too busy this past season.

Busy with matches, preparations, and training, even during the breaks in the league.

For the past year, he had almost completely left Leeds United in others' hands.

Su Qing asked her secretary to take Gao Ming out to play, and the group went straight to the executive conference room.

Everyone present was a core senior executive at Leeds United.

In addition to Gao Shen, Su Qing, Lucas, and Borrell, there was also a CFO whom Su Qing had headhunted at a high salary. She was a senior partner who had worked at PwC's UK headquarters for many years.

Leeds United offered her an annual salary twice what she earned at PwC, reaching 3 million pounds.

Of course, the other Leeds United executives' salaries are not low either. For example, Fernando Lucas earns 4 million pounds annually, and Rodolfo Borrell earns 3 million pounds.

These three are Leeds United's most core senior executives besides Gao Shen and Su Qing.

Their high salaries were not raised all at once, but gradually increased in recent years as Leeds United's revenue grew, allowing them to share in the club's development.

Do not underestimate these figures. Leaving others aside, among current Premier League executives, Manchester United's CEO, Sandro, earns less than 3 million pounds per year, Manchester City's Soriano earns 3 million, and Fernando Lucas earns 1 million more than him.

He is now the Premier League's highest-paid executive.

Based on Leeds United's development in recent years, no one would question whether Lucas's salary is too high.

Especially when he produced Leeds United's revenue statement for last season, which surprised Gao Shen.

…

In last season's Premier League, Leeds United performed very well and finally won the title by one point over Manchester City. It was the first Premier League title in Leeds United's history.

Just now, outside the Amazon Stadium, Gao Shen could still see the traces left by the fans' wild celebrations.

Winning the title brings not only honor but also remarkable income.

Leeds United received an astonishing total of 150 million pounds from the Premier League last season, the highest broadcast share in the club's history.

Interestingly, after the 2013 to 2016 broadcast contract ended and a new cycle began, Leeds United had consistently been among the Premier League's top three in distributions, earning more than 145 million pounds annually.

This season it reached 150 million pounds.

The Premier League is truly a league driven by money. Even relegated teams this season could take home 100 million pounds in broadcast revenue.

A few years ago, this would have topped other European leagues.

That is no longer the case.

This season's figures have not been finalized yet, but last season, among the top 20 European clubs by revenue, 10 were Premier League teams, accounting for half.

Even as Champions League runners-up, the prize money would be around 80 million pounds.

In other words, Leeds United could earn 230 million pounds from the Premier League and the Champions League alone.

Last season, Leeds United officially moved into the Amazon Stadium, with a capacity of 67,000 and essentially full attendance. This pushed matchday revenue above 100 million pounds, a revolutionary change compared to the old Elland Road.

The growth in matchday revenue came mainly from three aspects.

First, ticketing is stratified. The club's minimum ticket price has not changed and remains above 300 pounds as before, but the highest price has reached more than 800 pounds. This preserved the club's reputation with fans while actually increasing ticketing revenue.

In addition, there are 190 executive boxes and 60 premium executive boxes in the stadium.

This is standard in the Premier League. Compared to other strong clubs, Leeds United's prices are very reasonable.

Second, a crucial factor was that Leeds United played in the Champions League and did well. Champions League ticket prices are much higher than for the Premier League, which boosted ticket revenue.

Third, and most importantly, the new stadium has more commercial areas, improving efficiency and increasing fan spending inside the ground, further increasing matchday income.

In short, multiple favorable factors combined to push Leeds United's matchday revenue above 100 million.

However, this is nothing to be complacent about, because the Premier League's highest matchday revenue belongs to Manchester United, close to 120 million pounds, and that is despite poor recent European performances and aging facilities at Old Trafford.

In this regard, Leeds United still has great potential.

What really pleased Gao Shen was that Leeds United's commercial revenue also made a breakthrough, exceeding 200 million pounds.

This is the result of Leeds United's sustained international strategy. The club has enjoyed rapid growth in North American and Asian markets for four consecutive years.

Lucas was pleased with this result. He believed the club still has considerable room to grow.

For example, in shirt sponsorship.

Leeds United's kit deal is about to expire. Adidas is eager to renew, while Nike and Puma are both very interested.

Lucas's view was to take advantage of the team's strong performance and push for a major contract.

Manchester United's shirt sponsorship is as high as 75 million pounds per season. Chelsea signed with Nike for 50 million per year, and Arsenal just agreed a six-year deal with Adidas, also 50 million per year.

With Leeds United's current performances and global online popularity, they should not lag behind Arsenal and Chelsea.

In addition, in recent years Leeds United's kits, training wear, other apparel, scarves, and accessories have all been designed by the high street brand River Island and sold by the American e-commerce giant Fanatics. Sales have been steadily rising, and the situation is very good.

This does not include the domestic market, which is handled by the company founded by Gao Shen and Su Qing, and sales there are also excellent.

All of this makes Lucas and the others full of confidence. They firmly believe Leeds United has the potential to become a new Premier League giant.

"Our preliminary estimate is that this season's revenue should rank among the top European clubs. By our calculations, it should be sixth or even fifth, depending on Manchester City's revenue."

Lucas seemed extremely proud when he said this.

Manchester City is backed by a wealthy consortium, and its income has always been relatively opaque. They can spend as much as they like.

Paris Saint-Germain is the same.

But Leeds United is a true start-up. In just six years, it has transformed from a nearly bankrupt Championship club into the quasi-European giant it is today. That is definitely something to be proud of.

More importantly, this does not include transfers.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1189: We Really Have a Mine

If we were to ask who has been the biggest black shop in European football in recent years, fans around the world would, without hesitation, point to the Premier League.

Leeds United deserves it.

How dark is it?

In the summer of 2014, before the World Cup in Brazil, Paris Saint-Germain made an inquiry for Leeds United goalkeeper Keylor Navas, but Leeds United rejected the offer. Barcelona's inquiry for De Vrij was also declined.

At the time, Leeds United CEO Fernando Lucas swore in front of the media that the team would never sell core players. At the same time, he launched a contract renewal plan and claimed they would extend several core players' contracts.

For a time, almost everyone believed it.

After all, Leeds United had just finished fifth in the league and the outlook was very good. If they could use this opportunity to break into the top four, the future would be limitless. Public opinion at the time generally believed that it would not be easy to poach players from Leeds United.

But after the World Cup in Brazil, Navas's ability was fully recognized through his outstanding performances for Costa Rica, and De Vrij was named in the World Cup Best XI and voted Best Defender thanks to his outstanding displays.

Both players' values skyrocketed.

At that point, Paris Saint-Germain waved their checkbook and raised their offer repeatedly. Finally, Leeds United agreed to sell Navas to PSG for the hefty fee of 40 million euros.

At the time, that was already a sky-high price for a 27-year-old, relatively short goalkeeper.

Even more outrageous, after Van Gaal joined Manchester United, he targeted De Vrij, while Barcelona also entered the race. The two sides went back and forth, with Leeds United mediating in the middle, and the deal was finally completed at a sky-high fee of 50 million euros.

De Vrij joined Manchester United, setting the world transfer record for a centre-back at the time.

Together with Trippier's move to Newcastle and Bertrand's move to Liverpool, Leeds United earned 120 million euros in a single season, becoming the club with the highest profit in the transfer market.

…

Just when the whole world was shocked and thought De Vrij's record would be hard to break, only one year later, in the summer of 2015, Stones, pursued by many Premier League teams, transferred to Manchester City for 70 million euros, further breaking the centre-back transfer record in European football.

In the same year, Martial transferred to Manchester United for 70 million euros, and Salah moved to Liverpool for 120 million euros, shocking the entire European football world.

After a long soap opera that lasted the entire summer, Barcelona, having just come off a transfer ban and urgently needing to strengthen, finally compromised and signed Coutinho for a whopping 140 million euros just before the transfer window closed.

This Brazilian is the best partner of Barcelona's future star Neymar in the national team. Barcelona clearly hoped to replicate the Brazilian national team's attacking setup.

Across 2015, Leeds United sold only four players but brought in a staggering 400 million euros in transfer fees.

Of course, as everyone knows, those transfer fees are paid in installments.

But it was stunning enough.

…

As player valuations soared across Europe, by 2016 Leeds United sold only a handful, including Sterling, Zaha, Rabiot, Brozović, and Bellerín, with total income of 300 million euros.

This once again shocked the world.

More importantly, in the 2016/17 season, despite selling players for several consecutive years, Leeds United still finished third in the Premier League. In the summer of 2017, Leeds United sold five more players.

Among them, Maguire transferred to Manchester United for 100 million euros, and Felipe Anderson joined Barcelona for 150 million euros.

Both deals caused a huge stir in European football.

There have always been black shops in European football, such as Porto, Benfica, Ajax, and others. But there has never been another team like Leeds United, selling players every year while improving performance rather than declining.

Especially this season, when Leeds United unexpectedly surged to the top of the Premier League, finally beating Guardiola's Manchester City to the title, and also reached the Champions League final.

All of this is unbelievable and casts a veil of mystery over this upstart Premier League club.

Almost everyone says Gao Shen is casting magic on Leeds United, allowing this white rose of the Premier League to bloom fully and usher in its golden age.

Now, in the summer of 2018, players such as Van Dijk, Mané, Dele Alli, Kanté, Fabinho, Harry Kane, Mbappé, Alexander-Arnold, Dembélé, Bernardo Silva, and others at Leeds United have all attracted the interest and attention of European giants.

As early as last summer, Paris Saint-Germain offered a staggering 150 million euros for Mbappé, but Leeds United still rejected it.

After another season, Mbappé's current value is clearly higher.

Not to mention that Leeds United also have local players such as Sancho, Grealish, Rashford, and Foden. These players were brought in from Manchester City's academy over the past few years through trade add-ons or transfer fees.

This has given Manchester City fans very mixed feelings toward Leeds United.

Beyond that, the entire Premier League fears and hates the White Rose.

…

Gao Shen and Su Qing once ran their own numbers. In the past few years, Leeds United have earned more than one billion euros in the transfer market. After covering the cost of building the new stadium and training base, most of it was withdrawn by Gao Shen and Su Qing through financial operations.

This is also why Su Qing poached that senior partner from PricewaterhouseCoopers at a high salary.

At the same time, Gao Shen offered high salaries to several core senior executives at the club for the same reason.

Back when Twitter went public, Gao Shen asked Su Qing to sell her shares and cash out.

Last year, Gao Shen sold Bitcoin at its peak, exchanging it for a large sum of money.

All the funds were transferred to accounts in China and either invested in the Hong Kong stock market, most of it used to purchase shares in domestic manufacturing companies, such as Biyati, in which Gao Shen invested heavily, or directly invested in some of China's future famous companies, such as Jingdong, Xiaomi, Jinri Toutiao, Meituan, and others.

It is worth mentioning that in 2015, before the rise of new energy, Gao Shen took advantage of the Linde Generation share reform to buy 15 percent of Linde Generation from Japan's Tokyo Electric in advance, becoming the third-largest shareholder. The latter was also very happy to get Gao Shen's investment, using the fame of Gao Shen and Leeds United as endorsement.

The transaction cost less than 100 million RMB.

Gao Shen knew very well that new energy would be the future, so he placed heavy bets on Biomoleculars and Linde Generation.

Linde Generation not only became a sponsor of Leeds United and started gaining international recognition, but also delivered high returns.

Not long ago, Su Qing returned to China and invested 500 million RMB, together with Linde's 200 million, to establish a new energy company specializing in the production and sales of battery-grade lithium hydroxide.

To put it simply, it means being an upstream supplier for Linde Generation.

Currently, lithium mines are only being auctioned in various places in China, but Gao Shen is already impatient. He hopes this company can go overseas and bid for lithium mines around the world. He wants to seize the current lithium market before it really takes off and expand aggressively.

Contribute to the future domestic new energy industry, while taking their own wealth to a higher level.

From now on, Gao Shen can proudly tell everyone that he really has a mine.

Although Su Qing is now the chairwoman of Leeds United, she actually has little to do with day-to-day club affairs and spends most of her time managing Gao Shen's business empire.

This is their family's future.

Gao Shen is not particularly familiar with business, but as a transmigrator, he can always use his foresight and judgment to win praise from Su Qing and other partners.

Especially his investments in recent years. If he had not deliberately kept them low-key, the media would have exaggerated them long ago.

But what Gao Shen is truly passionate about is football.

…

"Although we renewed many contracts and raised salaries last year, our total wage bill has been kept around 200 million pounds, which is considered very healthy in the overall European football environment."

Fernando Lucas analyzed the club's current business situation.

"But the problem is that our salary structure has not been raised. Currently, our team's wage cap is set at 100,000 pounds per week, but that is obviously no longer enough to satisfy the players."

At this point, Lucas shook his head with a wry smile. "A lot of people are even starting to question where all our huge transfer income has gone. They think I am being too stingy."

Senior executives like Lucas and Borrell certainly know where the funds have gone, but they will not disclose it publicly.

Moreover, Leeds United generates more than 30 million pounds in tax revenue for the city of Leeds every year, not including players' taxes. In addition, the club's finances are very well managed, which means the media and fans can hardly see any clues.

They do not understand the specifics.

In fact, Leeds United's current player wages are indeed low, especially compared to the top six. But the total wage bill is not much lower. For example, Liverpool's total human resource costs, including salaries, social security, and pensions, are 260 million pounds.

Leeds United's total human resource cost is 200 million pounds.

What is the difference in practice?

After Salah moved from Leeds United to Liverpool, his weekly wage jumped from 100,000 pounds to 200,000. That is the gap.

Liverpool have 13 players on at least 100,000 pounds per week, but Leeds United have only three.

Leeds United also has a large human resource cost in club staff, which is far higher than Liverpool's.

So this is the current situation. Leeds United are holding the 100,000 pound line.

Just like Harry Kane and Mané, their current weekly salaries are 100,000 pounds. Kane has been on that wage for more than a year, so it is almost time to renew his contract.

But if other clubs can offer more and Leeds United cannot, there is only one outcome. Sell.

This has happened several times in recent years, and they have become accustomed to it.

But Gao Shen believes that some adjustments should be made this time.

(To be continued.)