SWR: Chapter 1104/1107
Added 2025-09-18 17:33:31 +0000 UTCChapter 1104: Angel Wings
"Real Madrid's quick counterattack failed."
"The ball moves to the right flank and is given to Pogba. Let's see how he handles it this time."
"Pogba plays a low pass into the right side of the penalty area."
"Di MarĂa has shaken off Evra and bursts into the box at high speed. There is a chance!"
"He takes a touch and looks to square it..."
"Ah, Ferdinand heads it clear."
"Di MarĂa overran it but quickly checked back and is dueling with Evra."
"The ball is still at Di MarĂa's feet, he brings it back under control."
"Evra is tight to him."
"Di MarĂa feints, dribbles back, and shoots directly with his left foot!"
"A fantastic save!"
"De Gea with a brilliant stop."
"Di MarĂa's shot was very sudden."
"A sudden stop, a fake, a cut, then a direct left-footed shot."
"The whole sequence was very smooth and Evra did not block the angle."
"The shot had power, but the angle was narrow and De Gea flew to tip it out."
"Real Madrid corner."
"Di MarĂa has been very lively at the start of the second half, with a strong desire to score."
"I do not know what fired him up at halftime, but he is a different player this half."
"Di MarĂa's excellence on the right has lifted Real Madrid's entire attack."
"Manchester United are finding it difficult to put together anything threatening now."
"The BernabĂ©u faithful are giving Di MarĂa huge applause for his performance."
"Here comes the corner."
"Toni Kroos sends it in. The two at the near post cannot reach it, and then Ramos at the back..."
"The ball is in!"
"Real Madrid score!"
"2-1!"
"Ramos!"
"In the 53rd minute, Ramos heads in from a corner to turn the game around for Real Madrid!"
"Toni Kroos's corner was clever, with a very flat trajectory. Everyone thought it was going near post, but no one met it at the near or in the middle. Instead, Ramos at the back post was ready."
"This is Real Madrid."
"At the crucial moments, someone always steps up."
"2-1, the score is reversed."
âŠ
"Real Madrid attack again!"
"Toni Kroos plays a diagonal to the left side of the final third."
"Marcelo arrives and drills it straight into the box, looking for Ronaldo and DĆŸeko."
"VidiÄ gets a touch with the header and it drops on the right side of the area."
"Di MarĂa collects on the right side of the box, one on one with Evra."
"Pressing forward step by step, constant shimmies, feints, driving toward the byline..."
"He cuts it across..."
"Cristiano Ronaldo..."
"The ball is in!"
"Real Madrid score again."
"Cristiano Ronaldo finishes from the edge of the six-yard box to make it 3-1!"
"Oh my, look at that. Di MarĂa is steadying it with his right foot, then with his left..."
"That is a rabona."
"At the key moment, Di MarĂa's rabona cross from the right side of the area flashes across the face of goal, and Ronaldo pounces to score, adding another for Real Madrid."
"Evra raised his hands helplessly, as if to say, I did all I could, but you cannot defend that."
"That is Di MarĂa in this second half."
"He has created danger on the right time and again. Almost every time he gets the ball, he unsettles United's defense. Evra bears the brunt and is clearly under huge pressure."
"He earned the corner and helped create one goal, and now he has assisted Ronaldo."
"Di MarĂa has been the standout in the second half for Real Madrid, and now they are only one goal shy."
"If Di MarĂa could score tonight, it would be perfect."
"Let us look at this again."
"Di MarĂa's rabona assist was truly brilliant and imaginative."
"Ronaldo's run at the crucial moment was perfectly timed."
"3-1, Real Madrid's victory looks sealed."
âŠ
"Real Madrid win the ball at the edge of their own box and Manchester United drop back quickly."
"Xabi Alonso launches a long pass to the right side of the final third."
"Di MarĂa brings it down with his back to goal."
"What a lovely touch, full of skill."
"Let us see how Di MarĂa handles this one."
"He turns and tries to cut inside, but Evra is tight to him."
"He stops suddenly, shakes off Evra, then cuts inside across the top of the box."
"Another feint, Evra goes to ground with a tackle, but misses."
"Di MarĂa keeps driving inside, very persistent, then suddenly stops and accelerates, bursts past Ferdinand, and shoots!"
"Curler!"
"The ball is in!"
"Di MarĂa!"
"4-1!"
"Real Madrid score again in the 78th minute through Di MarĂa!"
"This is pure individual brilliance."
"Even though Evra tugged him hard, Di MarĂa refused to go down. He carried the ball across, beat Evra and Ferdinand, then bent a wonderful shot into the left side of the goal."
"Di MarĂa's second-half performance has been incredible."
"We even have to wonder what kind of spark Gao Shen gave him at halftime."
"Throughout this half, Di MarĂa has been the most threatening attacker on the pitch for Real Madrid."
"Look at that, Evra really tried everything, even resorting to a foul, but he just could not stop him."
"Di MarĂa was relentless, insisting on cutting inside. The moment he went past Ferdinand really tested his strength, and the final curler was outstanding."
"This is Di MarĂa."
"Angel wings from Real Madrid."
"The entire BernabĂ©u is chanting his name. Real Madrid fans are making no secret of their love for Di MarĂa."
âŠ
After Di MarĂa scored, Gao Shen spread his arms in delight and applauded loudly.
This season, Di MarĂa's form had dipped slightly, which was not what Gao Shen wanted to see.
He would rather the Argentine demand more of himself, and preferably keep raising his standards, so he can keep improving.
Di MarĂa is very fast, has excellent footwork, and a complete skill set, but he also has a trait many top players lack, durability.
He is hardly ever injured.
Do not underestimate that, because for a professional, injury is the biggest enemy.
Ask yourself, if Robben had not been injured so often, how high would his ceiling have been?
What could Ribéry have achieved without frequent injuries?
Whether people admit it or not, Ronaldo and Messi are both extremely durable and rarely injured. That has allowed them to stay at the highest level from debut to now and remain the best in the world.
Just think, what if Ronaldo and Messi suddenly suffered frequent injuries at the critical stage of their careers?
Di MarĂa is already 25. His achievements now are higher than in Gao Shen's previous life, but still short of Gao Shen's expectations. He hopes Di MarĂa can climb even higher.
Because he is durable, as long as he sets higher standards for himself, he can reach astonishing heights, even challenging at the top of the Ballon d'Or list.
This is really not impossible.
At Real Madrid, as long as Di MarĂa performs at his best, it is entirely possible.
"This kid really needs to be pushed," Gao Shen said happily.
Zidane and Carlo both nodded repeatedly.
Back in Naples, they watched Di MarĂa grow.
In recent years at Real Madrid, Di MarĂa had not progressed much and had stagnated somewhat, but last season he grew a lot and this season had dipped a little.
Gao Shen now has higher demands of him, which is also a kind of encouragement.
That is not a bad thing.
Sometimes people need external pressure to maintain self-discipline.
At Real Madrid, no matter how well Di MarĂa plays, Ronaldo is still the top star.
If no one pushes him, Di MarĂa might simply play within himself.
Now, Gao Shen pushed him a bit, and once he took it seriously, he came alive.
"Honestly, he is very complete. If he works harder, he can break into the top ten, even the top five for the Ballon d'Or. I think it is possible," Zidane was very optimistic about Di MarĂa.
"So we have to keep his temper in check."
Hearing this, Zidane and Carlo could not help glancing at Gao Shen again, feeling the head coach's smile was a bit mischievous.
"Are you trying to set a trap for him to jump into?" Zidane knew Gao Shen well.
Usually when he smiled like that, he was up to something.
"Please, do I look like that kind of person?" Gao Shen looked innocent.
But Zidane, Carlo, Hierro, and the others all wore skeptical expressions.
Do you not look exactly like that?
"It is impossible to have a normal conversation with you. I cannot be bothered."
With that, Gao Shen walked straight to the visitors' bench.
Soon, Jesé ran out to warm up.
It was 4-1. Real Madrid would keep attacking Manchester United, and the players had performed well, so they should be rewarded, which would motivate them even more.
Not long after, Gao Shen replaced Di MarĂa with JesĂ©.
As the Argentine walked off, all the Real Madrid fans at the Bernabéu rose to their feet to applaud and cheer him.
This is the highest honor and reward a Real Madrid player can receive.
Gao Shen also applauded on the touchline and welcomed Di MarĂa off.
In that moment, Di MarĂa was like a hero returning in triumph.
The Argentine smiled broadly, hugged Gao Shen, and thanked the head coach for everything he had done.
Gao Shen praised him warmly.
Di MarĂa then high-fived and hugged Zidane and the others one by one before returning to the bench.
On the pitch, Real Madrid continued to maintain pressure on Manchester United, especially down the flanks.
After Di MarĂa went off, Real Madrid lost their sharpest blade, but they still posed real danger on the wings.
Manchester United were on the back foot for the entire second half and had only one shot, which was off target.
In the end, Real Madrid came from behind to beat Manchester United 4-1 at home.
But the real big news came after the game.
(To be continued.)
Chapter 1105: Di Maria, Your Goal Is Not Difficult
Gao Shen has always been generous in praising the team's performances.
As long as the players perform well, he will basically give them a good evaluation.
So many people say Gao Shen is a very loyal coach. The credit goes to everyone, and he takes the blame himself.
From Napoli to Manchester City to Real Madrid, Gao Shen's way of handling people and matters has been popular with players. Even if some of them occasionally have objections, they are usually on other levels.
When it comes to how he treats people and things, there is really nothing to fault with Gao Shen.
After beating Manchester United 4-1, he not only praised the players in the dressing room, he also gave them high praise again at the press conference.
Especially Di MarĂa, who was named Man of the Match.
Everyone knows Di MarĂa is a player developed by Gao Shen and his favorite. He was the hero who helped Real Madrid win the Champions League and the Copa del Rey last season.
In this match, the Argentine once again became the decisive player, especially in the second half.
Many reporters were puzzled. What did Gao Shen do at halftime that made Di MarĂa suddenly explode in the second half?
Gao Shen smiled and said he only gave Di MarĂa the right encouragement.
"He has always set high standards for himself. He is a top player with the ability to change the game. We all believe he should and can change the game."
"As it turns out, he did."
Gao Shen said Di MarĂa's performance in the second half again proved one thing.
"He still has a lot of room for improvement. He can play even better and become an even more important player."
Gao Shen has higher expectations for Di MarĂa.
"He is 25 now and entering the peak years of his career. I believe he and everyone else will have higher expectations of him. We all think he can do more."
Gao Shen noted that last season Di MarĂa registered 10 goals and 17 assists in all competitions, a double-double and a very good return, but he still thinks that is not enough.
"I personally think his assists this season should be over 20, and his goals should also hit double figures."
Twenty goals and twenty assists?
All the reporters were shocked.
That would be an extraordinary output.
You know, Di MarĂa has never been a pure scorer like Ronaldo. He is more all-round, so he has always had many assists but relatively fewer goals. Last season was his first time hitting double figures in goals.
But now, Gao Shen's expectations are even higher.
It borders on outrageous to ask him to hit a 20-20 season.
You know, players who can reach 20-20 in one season are all top superstars.
For example, Henry at Arsenal.
Gao Shen also noticed many reporters' skepticism, but he said he is full of confidence in Di MarĂa.
"I think the question is not whether he can, but whether he wants to."
In other words, Di MarĂa has the ability and can do it if he wants.
The press conference became a bit chaotic.
Although Gao Shen has always had a very good image, he will occasionally make one or two bold remarks that leave a deep impression.
Setting such high expectations for Di MarĂa was undoubtedly another bold statement.
But several reporters on site tried to read Gao Shen's intentions, especially those from Real Madrid-friendly Spanish outlets like Marca and AS. They follow Real Madrid's games and training closely and understand Gao Shen better.
Gao Shen said he encouraged Di MarĂa at halftime, which completely changed the Argentine's performance. Who would believe that?
Even if he did not tear into him, he definitely piled on the pressure.
At the very least, he will drop his classic catchphrase to intimidate the players.
You are dead.
In the Real Madrid dressing room, everyone knows not to take the coach's intimidation lightly. If they do not deliver, they will be punished.
Real Madrid's daily training is already very tough. If you get punished on top of that, someone might really die.
So, generally speaking, sophisticated intimidation is quite a deterrent.
And now, Gao Shen suddenly went public with his expectations for Di MarĂa, which is definitely unusual.
A reporter from AS reacted first, raised his hand, and questioned whether this was a bit unreasonable.
"Forcing someone to do it?"
Gao Shen looked at the familiar reporter and smiled slightly. "Then I will make a bet with you."
After hearing that, the other reporters immediately understood and regretted not reacting in time.
The free benefit had been snapped up by AS.
Make a bet with Gao Shen?
Is he the type to casually bet with anyone?
He had been waiting for that opening.
Win or lose, AS would not suffer.
Well, that is why they are called Real Madrid's mouthpiece.
As soon as Gao Shen's eyelids twitched, AS guessed exactly what he wanted to do.
âŠ
Twenty and twenty.
When the news from the press conference reached the dressing room, everyone stared at the door in disbelief, then turned to Di MarĂa and found his expression had changed.
Boss, this joke is a bit much.
Is that something you can just achieve?
Oh my, that is a 20-20 season.
"It is fine, it is fine. It is just twenty and twenty. It is not difficult," Ronaldo came over, patted Di MarĂa on the shoulder sympathetically, and tried to comfort him.
The Argentine gently pushed Ronaldo's hand away, raised his head, and asked, "Have you ever done it?"
Ronaldo could not help laughing. He raised his right hand and pinched his index finger and thumb together. "Just a tiny bit short."
Everyone burst out laughing.
Ronaldo scores a ton, but he does not assist as much. His highest in a single season was 17.
He looks more like a goalscorer.
By contrast, Messi, the Argentine superstar, has done it, and did it in each of the last two seasons.
That shows just how difficult 20-20 is.
Di MarĂa turned away in annoyance, not wanting to pay attention to those gloating.
"Honestly, it also shows the boss's high expectations for you. Do not let him down," Ronaldo said.
"Yes, you know the boss. If you disappoint him, the consequences will be..." Ramos chimed in.
Everyone, hoping for chaos, started to stir it up.
Di MarĂa had no intention of responding.
"Anyway, the words are out there. I will do my best and hit my ceiling. If I cannot, then I cannot. The boss is not going to kill me, right?" Di MarĂa played it off and slumped back.
Everyone glanced at each other, a bit surprised by Di MarĂa's defiance.
"Aren't you scared?" Marcelo asked from the side.
"What is there to be scared of? If I do my best and still cannot do it, what can I do?" Di MarĂa said calmly.
When everyone heard that, it seemed fair.
"But the bossâŠ"
"That is not my problem. I did not brag," Di MarĂa said with a roguish look.
Just then, Gao Shen pushed open the dressing-room door and walked in.
"Boss!"
"Hello, Boss!"
Everyone greeted him, dispersed, and continued packing.
As soon as Gao Shen entered, he did not look at anyone else. He walked straight to Di MarĂa.
"Ăngel, did you hear what I said at the press conference?"
"I heard, Boss."
"Well, I have already said it, and I made the bet, so you seeâŠ" Gao Shen pondered for a moment.
Everyone pricked up their ears and listened in secret.
"Boss, I think this matterâŠ"
"Go on, tell me what you think."
"...I⊠what can I think? Boss, since you said it, I will risk my life rather than let you lose face, right?"
The whole dressing room nearly fell over.
Come on, that is not what you just said.
You shameless guy, you were so righteous just now, why are you backing down now?
"Boss, do not worry. I promise I will not let you down."
Gao Shen looked Di MarĂa up and down, then nodded with satisfaction, pointed at him as if to say, take care of it yourself, and turned to leave.
As soon as the head coach left, Di MarĂa was surrounded.
"Do not look at me like that. The boss is doing this for my own good," Di MarĂa said weakly.
Everyone just looked nauseated.
Di MarĂa, you could be even more shameless.
âŠ
Gao Shen's bold remarks drew media attention and even overshadowed Real Madrid's 4-1 win over Manchester United.
Everyone wondered whether Gao Shen's expectations for Di MarĂa were excessive.
A 20-20 season is a bit outrageous.
As a result, many outlets expressed doubts, believing Di MarĂa could not reach those numbers.
However, many others voiced support for Gao Shen, arguing that professionals should dare to challenge the peak. Whether they succeed or not, set the goal first, then strive to achieve it.
Even if it does not work out in the end, so what?
If you do not dare to try or think big and are always timid, how can you achieve great things?
Alfredo, the editor-in-chief of AS, said that judging from Di MarĂa's past performances, he is approaching the peak of his career and is fully qualified to set a 20-20 target for the new season.
Especially after the second half against Manchester United, Di MarĂa showed a world-class level.
"At 25, he is becoming more mature and very complete. He is comfortable in Real Madrid's tactical system and fully capable of achieving the goals Gao Shen set for him."
Alfredo said that if Di MarĂa really achieves it, Real Madrid will have two world-class stars. Add Benzema, and Real Madrid will have the strongest attacking trio in the world.
"This trio could even help Real Madrid win La Liga and European trophies in the coming years."
Alfredo also revealed that inside Real Madrid, Gao Shen not only has high demands of Di MarĂa, but also of Benzema.
"He has even arranged for Zidane to work with Benzema on his finishing, which shows how high his expectations are."
"I believe it will not be long before Real Madrid's trident terrifies all of European football."
(To be continued.)
Chapter 1106: Powerful Alliance
In Gao Shenâs previous life, many Ronaldo fans liked to argue about who had more talent, Ronaldo or Messi.
He did not understand what there was to argue about.
Wasnât it obvious that Messi was more talented and technically superior?
Ronaldo, with less innate talent than Messi, was able to compete with the Argentine genius for so many years. That is the most commendable and respectable thing about Ronaldo. Why canât some of his fans see it and admit it?
Throughout football history, how many people are as obsessive as Ronaldo, almost to the point of self-abuse?
How many can maintain Ronaldoâs level of self-discipline for decades?
The answer is none.
Therefore, over the years, when Gao Shen trained players, he never used Ronaldoâs self-discipline and diligence as a benchmark, because he, like Messi, is the kid from someone elseâs family.
But with your own players, you have to supervise them strictly.
Di MarĂa undoubtedly belongs to this category.
Work harder and your level goes up. Slack off and it drops.
Gao Shen not only set a target for Di MarĂa, he also raised the bar for him in training, including finishing work and a series of other areas.
The day after the match against Manchester United, Gao Shen again took time for a long talk with Di MarĂa.
Starting from the doubts raised by outside media and fans, the staff stoked Di MarĂaâs fire, then combined it with his own situation, offered targeted strategies, and even encouragement, which finally made the Argentine feel there was great potential to tap.
So Di MarĂa naturally agreed to Gao Shenâs demands and worked very hard in training.
He even gritted his teeth and stuck with gym work, which he usually resisted the most.
âŠ
Three days later, in La Liga Round 8, Real Madrid visited Levante.
After facing Atletico Madrid and Manchester United back to back, Gao Shen made extensive rotations.
As a result, the first half ended 0-0, with neither side scoring.
Real Madridâs performance dipped noticeably, and their attack lacked bite.
In the 60th minute, Gao Shen brought on Di MarĂa.
With his first touch, Di MarĂa produced a lovely pass on the right, winning a corner near the byline.
He took it himself, played it quickly, and delivered it accurately to the back post. Ramos finished from close range to give Real Madrid the lead, 1-0.
Just four minutes later, Real Madrid attacked again. Di MarĂaâs shot from the right hit the side netting, missing a good chance.
But in the 70th minute, Di MarĂa won the ball high up the pitch and released a pass. Benzema laid it back, the Argentine winger burst into the area from the right and squared it. Marcelo arrived at the back post for an easy finish, 2-0.
Within ten minutes of coming on, the Argentine created two goals for Real Madrid.
After that, Di MarĂa kept creating chances and had shots, but failed to score.
Until the 90th minute, Varane played a wonderful pass, and Morata, on as a substitute, finished low to make it 3-0. In stoppage time, ModriÄ threaded a superb pass, Di MarĂa took a sharp touch on the right side of the box and curled a left-footed shot into Levanteâs net to make it 4-0.
In the end, Real Madrid beat Levante 4-0 away.
Since Barcelona came from behind to beat Valladolid 4-1 at home with a brace from SĂĄnchez and a goal from Neymar, Real Madrid and Barcelona remained level on points, both maintaining eight wins from eight.
Real Madrid temporarily led La Liga on goal difference.
Atletico Madrid beat Celta Vigo 2-1 thanks to a brace from Diego Costa.
âŠ
After the Levante match, although Di MarĂa came off the bench and was not named Man of the Match, he was in fact Real Madridâs best performer and the most threatening player on the pitch.
Major media outlets in Spain and across Europe praised Di MarĂaâs performance.
In particular, his consecutive goals and assists drew high praise.
The Argentineâs displays were world-class both against Manchester United and in this match against Levante.
Gao Shen was generous in his praise, believing the Argentine had been excellent, but he also insisted Di MarĂa could go further, especially in his goal output.
"He can be even hungrier."
Di MarĂa also made a rare statement, saying he was very happy to hear the head coachâs assessment and hoped to meet his expectations.
"I will work harder and try not to let our boss down."
After the Levante match, La Liga paused again for two weeks of international fixtures.
Facing the test of the FIFA virus again, Gao Shen had to be even more cautious.
Especially for Real Madridâs players, after a series of intensive schedules, everyoneâs physical condition was not what it was at the start of the season. Matches were more draining and injury risk was higher.
The coaching staff maintained close contact with the various national teams, and logistics were handled perfectly, striving to ensure the players went safely and returned intact.
After Levante, Real Madrid also had two days off.
Gao Shen took time from his busy schedule to travel north to the UK.
âŠ
The nickname of infrastructure maniac may not be especially prominent yet, but the capabilities of construction companies are obvious to all.
When Gao Shen arrived at the construction site of the new training base in the city center, he was moved by the bustling scene.
Over the past six months, the framework of the base had basically been completed, the office building was topped out, and the suspended bridge connecting the functional areas had also been finished. Progress was even ahead of schedule.
According to preliminary estimates, the training base would be almost ready for use after the end of this season, and Leeds United would then begin preparations to move in.
As for Leeds Unitedâs administrative offices, an earlier move was not ruled out.
Accompanied by Fernando Lucas, Borrell and others, as well as the head of the engineering team, Gao Shen and Su Qing inspected the site and were very satisfied with the quality, materials, and workmanship.
According to the project lead, they were building Leeds Unitedâs training base with the determination to create a benchmark project, striving for excellence and meticulous detail.
The roof of Leeds Unitedâs indoor pitch uses a single-layer ETFE membrane, the same material that Norman Foster designed for the new stadium roof. This project was handed to a domestic company that had participated in projects such as the Water Cube and has extensive experience.
It is just that the materials used by Leeds United this time had higher requirements, since they had to account for the grassâs lighting conditions and so on.
Gao Shen had a meal with the team, mainly to discuss project progress and some matters, and to look ahead to potential cooperation on the new stadium project.
The project budget for the new training base, including the municipal park, is only about ÂŁ80 million in total, but the total budget for Leeds Unitedâs new stadium site is conservatively estimated to be more than ten times that of the training base.
This is already a truly large project.
Of course, such a major engineering project cannot be agreed upon with just a few words or a few meals, nor can it be settled privately between Leeds United and Chinese companies. It still requires communication and negotiation at government level between the two countries.
There are also bids from Chinese companies.
After lunch, Gao Shenâs group went to the hotel to rest for a while, then went to Elland Road for a meeting.
Lucas reported on the latest sponsorship progress, mainly the signing of two deals in Asia, but what really caught Gao Shenâs attention was that Leeds United were in contact with three American companies.
One is a well-known insurance company, and the other two are internet companies, YouTube and Amazon.
"Are these two companies interested in naming our new stadium?" Gao Shen was really surprised.
"In recent years, YouTube has opened a dedicated sports section, especially for football, and has invested heavily. Amazon also values sports resources. I have also heard that Facebook plans to enter the sports industry," Lucas explained.
Gao Shen was not surprised.
He still remembered that before he transmigrated in his previous life, he had heard that YouTube, Amazon, and Facebook were all competing for sports broadcasting rights and resources to seize market share.
There was also a report at the time saying this was because sports programming has greater user stickiness.
Everyone knows internet companies attach great importance to user stickiness, and YouTube, Amazon, and Facebook are no exception.
The biggest difference between Leeds United and other European teams is that Leeds are absolute internet celebrities and have achieved quite good results.
For example, in this Premier League season, Leeds are still fifth after selling âŹ300 million worth of players.
In the just-concluded Round 7 of the Premier League, Leeds beat Swansea 2-0, moving up a place in the table, even one spot above Tottenham Hotspur.
Manchester United had just suffered a heavy defeat at the Bernabéu, but returned to the league and narrowly beat Sunderland 2-1 away, moving up to ninth.
With the powerful combination of an internet celebrity brand, a strong Premier League team, and a world-class designer like Norman Foster, it is not surprising that the new stadium has attracted interest from internet companies such as YouTube and Amazon that value sports resources.
"We are only in initial contact and nothing is decided yet, but they are indeed interested. We are also considering our targets. If we can sign this sponsorship, it will be a huge boost for us."
Lucas smiled and analyzed, "Furthermore, for internet companies, this sponsorship fee is nothing. Compared to their sky-high annual marketing budgets and promotion costs, it is a drop in the bucket."
Gao Shen understood what Lucas meant. If they could really reach an agreement, that would be best.
But how easy is that?
Compared with top teams such as Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, and even Real Madrid, Leeds Unitedâs biggest advantages now are their internet celebrity brand, online marketing capability, and the new stadium.
The old stadium is a burden, but Leeds are different. With a new stadium, everything starts afresh, which benefits sponsors.
For example, Bayernâs Allianz Arena and Arsenalâs Emirates Stadium are already tightly bound together and are mentioned all the time.
(To be continued.)
Chapter 1107: Youth Training Methodology
Gao Shen always attached great importance to market research.
For example, Leeds United wanted to invest in building a new stadium. Although the club had conducted a detailed market survey more than ten years ago, with the passage of time, Gao Shen still asked the club to entrust a third party to prepare a new one.
The results were very different from the past.
For example, the Trinity Shopping Centre in the city centre, which did not exist back then.
This requires Leeds United to pay more attention to differentiation when planning the commercial mix and sponsorship for the new stadium.
The same is true for stadium naming.
When the decision was made to build a new stadium, Gao Shen hired a professional third-party agency through the club to conduct market assessments of stadium naming in several mainstream sports markets around the world.
The conclusion was that Premier League stadium naming rights are seriously undervalued.
The most obvious example is Arsenal.
When the Emirates Stadium was being built, Arsenal signed a package deal with Emirates Airlines. What was the result?
It seemed like a lot at the time, but as time went on, looking back now, it is clear Arsenal suffered a huge loss.
But there is no way around it, the long-term contract has already been signed.
There are other cases like this.
For example, the Los Angeles Chargers in the American league.
In 1997, the Chargers signed a 20-year stadium naming rights contract, with a fee of less than one million US dollars per season. What about now?
It would be worth at least five million.
Of course, we must also consider the commercial value brought by marketing itself.
However, this report from a third-party organization clearly states that many financial companies, such as banks and insurance companies, personal investment firms, as well as some retail, aviation, and internet companies, are very interested in this type of cooperation.
"They realised early on that sponsorships could generate far more than just branding."
In the Bundesliga, stadium naming is nothing new. Many teams have sold their home stadium naming rights, such as Bayern and Dortmund.
These two Bundesliga clubs both demonstrate stadium naming value well.
Bayern's cooperation with Allianz Arena can be regarded as a model. The annual sponsorship fee of more than six million euros is money well spent. Allianz also used this opportunity to tightly bind its brand to Bayern and the stadium.
Now, when people talk about Bayern, they naturally think of the Allianz Arena.
In contrast, Dortmund's situation is different.
Many people probably do not remember the name Signal Iduna Park. They still remember Dortmund's original name, Westfalenstadion.
Many may find that strange. Why?
This is the importance of first impressions.
The difference between Bayern and Dortmund illustrates the crux of stadium naming in Europe's top leagues.
All the top teams basically do not plan to build new stadiums in the short term, but the risks of naming old stadiums are high and the returns are not great.
For example, in Leeds United's report, Manchester United's stadium naming rights sponsorship is about 17 million pounds per year. That is not a small amount, but how many people would remember the new stadium name by then?
I guess when people around the world mention Manchester United, they will still think of Old Trafford.
Needless to say, whether such a sponsorship would anger Manchester United fans.
Because of historical baggage, Manchester United wanted to sell naming rights early on, but has never succeeded.
United's asking price is high, but companies that can afford it are concerned about returns.
If the price is too low, Manchester United would be unwilling to sell.
The same is true at the Bernabéu and Camp Nou.
To cater to fan sentiment, the two giants will not easily touch naming rights. They want to sell, but they also want to retain the names Bernabéu and Camp Nou, which weakens sponsor interest.
This is a bit like someone who divorced, found a new partner here, and still lives with their ex there. Who can accept that?
According to current Premier League valuations, Manchester United and Manchester City have the highest. Arsenal's first contract was not signed well, so its value cannot rise. Teams such as Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, and Everton are basically less attractive, since they are old grounds.
But preliminary estimates suggest that the value of Premier League stadium naming rights will at least double in the next five years.
This is because the Premier League has a huge advantage that other top leagues cannot match, the overseas market.
Therefore, Leeds United's current target is a contract of around ten years at about 15 million pounds per year.
This is also the advice given by a third-party consulting firm.
Of course, it is a bit early to talk specifics now, as we are still in the contact stage.
After all, Leeds United's new stadium is still in the planning stage and there are no visible signs yet.
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After attending the meeting at Elland Road, Gao Shen and his team headed north, out of the city of Leeds, toward the Thorp Arch training base.
According to the original plan, after the new training base was completed, Thorp Arch would continue to serve as the youth training base, but after reconsideration, this plan was cancelled.
After seeing the plans for the new training base, everyone felt there was no need to keep Thorp Arch.
So once the project is completed, the entire club will move to the new base.
It is human nature to prefer the new to the old.
As Leeds United continues to grow, Thorp Arch has indeed become more and more crowded.
From the data center to the scouting team, to the methodology department, as well as the coaching staff, kit department, and medical room, Leeds United is becoming more complete, and Thorp Arch feels smaller and smaller.
Now, everyone at the club is eagerly looking forward to the new base being completed and put into use.
Gao Shen and his team inspected every department.
Under Borrell's management, there were no major problems.
After all, Borrell is a veteran of Barcelona's youth system, so there is basically no problem with him running Leeds United's training base.
More importantly, Gao Shen has always adhered to professionalism, so every department at Leeds United gathers specialists from across Europe.
With an investment of over ten million pounds every year, Leeds United's youth setup is growing by the day and has now become a force in England that cannot be underestimated.
Of course, many also criticize that Leeds United's youth development is built on money and that they poach players from all over the world.
Gao Shen did not see anything wrong with that at all.
Even when meeting scouting director Steve Walsh, Gao Shen repeatedly urged him to quickly improve the South American scouting network and to work closely with talent bases in South America, especially Brazil and Argentina.
Leeds United's positioning is very clear, a transit station for stars.
Before Gao Shen transmigrated, many people criticized Real Madrid for spending big to sign VinĂcius, Rodrygo, and Reinier in Brazil, but few understood why.
According to convention, Brazilian players should first make their mark at home, then be noticed by mid- and lower-table clubs in Europe's top leagues, or by teams in second-tier leagues such as the Eredivisie and Primeira Liga. After performing well and proving their strength and potential, the top teams then move in.
This step-by-step model minimizes recruitment risk for elite clubs.
Therefore, we can see wealthy teams paying high prices to snatch players because it is safe and the risk is not high.
Of course, teams like Barcelona and Manchester United, which sometimes poach without clear rules, are exceptions.
But with Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Monaco, and especially more wealthy teams pouring into the big four leagues, everyone found that path no longer worked.
Once a player proves himself and makes his mark in a European league, he becomes very hot and everyone scrambles.
That is outrageous.
Even some relatively unknown players can easily fetch over 100 million. Is that not absurd?
Therefore, clubs like Real Madrid began buying lottery tickets, going to Brazil to search for talents, paying higher fees to identify gifted youngsters early and develop them themselves.
This led to the signings of VinĂcius, Rodrygo, and Reinier.
Of course, there are also cases like Valverde in Uruguay, where the quality is high and the price is low.
But not all clubs are like Real Madrid. Even Real Madrid are not always willing to go this way because the risks are indeed very high.
Before Gao Shen transmigrated, many saw the success of VinĂcius and Rodrygo, but Reinier was not very successful, and the former prodigy Ădegaard did not take off quickly either.
Behind every success, there are many who fail, but their failures are little known.
If given a choice, Real Madrid would still prefer to pay high prices to sign players from European leagues.
For example, in 2017, they wanted to sign the 18-year-old genius Mbappé from Monaco for a huge 160 million euros, plus add-ons up to 180 million.
Unfortunately, they could not beat Paris Saint-Germain.
Gao Shen's focus during this visit to Thorp Arch was the methodology department, where he held a meeting with two experts, Paco Seirul·lo and Juan Vila, to discuss Leeds United's youth development research.
In the past two years, they have invested in youth development studies. From tailored instruction to daily training programs, these have been key projects with very fruitful results.
For example, this season Leeds United's U21, or reserve team, has performed well in the Premier League Reserve League. Local players Kalvin Phillips and Dele Alli have both impressed. Coupled with young players such as Martial and Kimmich, who often come back to play in the reserves, Leeds United's results in the reserve league are very eye-catching.
The methodology department also focuses on these U21 players, tailoring training programs and development plans specifically for them, including diet, training, and other aspects, doing everything possible to nurture them.
The Spanish coach Luis Ramis led the team in a wave of attacking football in the reserve league. The players performed well and improved significantly.
The methodology department deserves credit for this.
Moreover, in the past two years, they have been committed to creating a youth system for Leeds United that is rich in English characteristics and in line with the development trends of European football.
It has basically taken shape and the effects are starting to show.
Gao Shen came this time to inspect the results.
(To be continued.)
