SWR: Chapter 1089/1092

Chapter 1089: Winner in Life

"What? That is impossible?"

After the UEFA Coaches Summit, Gao Shen had dinner with several familiar coaches.

Most of those present were old friends, such as Ferguson, Wenger, Ancelotti, Guardiola, Mourinho, Sarri, Allegri, Pochettino, and Klopp.

This has become a big circle in European football.

The core of the circle is sophistication.

This dinner was arranged because Ferguson and Wenger invited Gao Shen, and Gao Shen happened to have an appointment with Guardiola and others. In addition, a group of Italians including Ancelotti, Sarri, and Allegri also planned to dine together, so they all gathered.

Gao Shen paid for this dinner at a hotel in Nyon.

When a group of football coaches get together, they naturally talk about football-related topics.

The latest topic was of course a continuation of the afternoon's discussion, namely player transfers and salaries.

In European professional football, many people were saying that Barcelona actually paid far more than 57 million euros to sign Neymar.

Gao Shen held up the index finger of his right hand.

Everyone was shocked.

"Do not make a fuss. I am underestimating it. According to current information, it is at least this number, and it may even reach 150. No one knows the exact figure," Gao Shen said with a smile.

Everyone looked at Guardiola in surprise.

Guardiola was no longer Barcelona's head coach, and Martino could not fit into their circle. Guardiola knew Barcelona best, but even he could not get detailed information.

"I do not know the exact number, but what Gao said is similar to what I know, and it is much higher than the public figures."

Guardiola is cautious by nature, and since he said so, he must be right.

Everyone was surprised again.

"Not only that, his salary is also very high. According to preliminary estimates, it is probably similar to Iniesta and Xavi after their renewals, and slightly lower than Messi," Gao Shen added.

Many were surprised, though there were exceptions, such as Mourinho.

"I heard some of these rumors long ago. The word inside Real Madrid then was that Barcelona had secretly tied up Neymar through unknown channels, so Real Madrid announced they were giving up."

"When you think about it, it is outrageous," Wenger said, shaking his head.

He had been coaching Arsenal for many years and had always been frugal. Looking at the current environment, he felt something was off no matter how he looked at it.

Neymar is certainly a genius, but is a genius who has never truly proved himself in European football worth so much money?

"Times have changed, Professor," Gao Shen said with a smile.

"In the past, people did not have this awareness, but now young players often receive all kinds of information very early, including from their families, so they form an early understanding that professional football is a job, and the purpose is to make money."

"For many top stars, forget sentimentality. That is over 100 million euros. Have any of us here earned more than that in our lifetimes?"

Everyone fell silent.

Who would not agree?

Who would be sentimental in the face of such profits?

Everyone has their own values. Just because you do not want something does not mean others cannot.

Besides, someone like Neymar, joining Barcelona from Santos, making a lot of money and winning honors. He is definitely Brazil's future number one and very likely to win the Ballon d'Or after Messi and Ronaldo. Who has the right to say there is something wrong with his and his family's plan?

"You know what? This past summer, the Rothschild family in the City of London contacted me at least three times. They were potential buyers interested in Leeds United, and the offers were quite good."

Everyone looked at Gao Shen in surprise, as they had never heard this.

"As far as I know, sovereign funds from places like Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Dubai, as well as several large financial groups from the United States and elsewhere, and even from China, are very interested in European football."

"They have judged that the economy will remain sluggish, but they believe Europe's top leagues are a good safe haven."

"Imagine that in the next few years there will be more and more teams like Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain. By then, player values will go higher and higher, and salaries will go higher and higher. Even Neymar's transfer, which we think is outrageous now, may seem like nothing in the future."

In fact, if Neymar had not later gone to Paris Saint-Germain with an astonishing buyout fee, his move to Barcelona would really be nothing compared to the subsequent transfers that often exceeded 100 million.

After all, Neymar's potential and talent are obvious.

But Gao Shen changed the subject. "But for those of us in the industry, it does not matter. If player values go up, the salaries of top coaches will go up too, and you will all get rich."

Everyone laughed at Gao Shen's words, except Ferguson.

"Why did you not say this earlier?"

Everyone laughed again.

"I did it on purpose," Gao Shen said confidently.

He did not believe Ferguson could not see it.

Even if he did not see it fully, at least the overall trend was clear.

"That is why you chose to buy Leeds United and invest in youth development," Wenger understood.

Gao Shen nodded. "It is not entirely for making money. I actually have some ideas of my own."

Everyone knew each other well and had been acquainted for many years, so they were not afraid to be candid.

"Actually, I just wanted to try to see if I could run a successful club in a different way."

"That is real success," Ancelotti could not help laughing. "You made 100 million euros last year and another 300 million this summer. You bought Leeds United for 50 million back then, and now you have made 400 million in the transfer market alone."

Everyone was shocked when they heard it.

Leeds United's ability to generate revenue was indeed strong.

The key was that the team had many young players emerging.

Now, after selling one batch, a new batch had emerged.

"I think the young talents at Leeds United are like leeks in a field. Once you cut one, another grows back soon."

Ferguson's description made everyone burst into laughter.

But amid the laughter, there was still admiration.

Look at Gao Shen, he is definitely a winner in life.

He is a good coach and a good club operator, but he cannot play football.

"Hey, Gao, sometimes I think if I had met you in your teens, maybe I would have signed you and developed you, because I think you might have been a football genius," Ferguson joked.

Everyone laughed.

"Then wait. My son is a genius, Zidane said so."

"Is that true?"

"Really? Sign him to us first?"

"No, no, sign him to me first. If nothing else, he is Gao Shen's son. The name alone is worth signing."

"We can talk about that later. Why would Gao Shen send his son to our club? Because he could not coach him well himself."

"Haha, that is right. I am telling you, Gao Jue really cannot handle his son. He will not even let him hold him."

"Is it really that outrageous?"

Everyone immediately looked at Gao Shen with a grin.

"Bullshit," Gao Shen shot back with just two words.

Everyone fell over laughing again.

…

The meal lasted several hours, and everyone returned to their hotels at midnight.

Outside, they are all world-class coaches, each a household name, but in fact each carries heavy pressure to deliver results.

The club has invested hundreds of millions, and all the pressure falls on them. Who can relax?

It is rare to be able to chat, joke, and laugh together like this.

This is actually a misunderstanding among many fans. They always think head coaches do not get along privately, but that is not true.

For example, Ferguson and Wenger have a good private relationship. Mourinho and Ancelotti also spar verbally, but their relationship is quite good. When they were in Italy, they often played cards together.

At most, the relationship between Guardiola and Mourinho is a little worse, but not too bad. They just do not want to engage with each other. It is more a personality issue.

Gao Shen is very eloquent and can get along with anyone, so naturally he has friends everywhere.

In the words of Ferguson and others, they just gave Gao Shen a good beating.

But for Gao Shen, this was nothing.

The UEFA Elite Coaches Summit lasted two days, but everyone arrived late on the second day, and some did not even attend.

For example, Gao Shen flew directly to London after waking up.

Pochettino did the same, flying to London with Gao Shen.

At this time, Su Qing was already waiting in London with Fernando Lucas and Rodolfo Borrell to report the latest progress to Gao Shen. The main projects were the construction progress of the training base and the new stadium plan.

But the most important thing at the moment was attracting investment.

To put it simply, if the title sponsorship could be secured in advance, it would bring huge income to the team.

There was also progress on Norman Foster's side.

Unlike the training base design, the Elland Road land design is not just the stadium, but also includes commercial areas and parking lots. The stadium occupies less than half of the area.

The entire design work is very complicated and is expected to take at least a year.

During this process, repeated communication and negotiation are required. The design team must fully understand the client's requirements, report the latest progress, make timely changes, and adjust direction.

Norman Foster's team has extensive experience in this area.

This time, Foster assembled the best design team in his company.

As he announced previously in Leeds, he truly wants to use this project to make up for regrets over Wembley Stadium, Camp Nou, and other projects, and do his best to create a landmark building.

Therefore, the time and energy invested are naturally extraordinary.

As for Leeds United, Gao Shen is more concerned about attracting investment.

As for the team's performance, he had already discussed it with Pochettino in Nyon and believed there would be no major problems.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1090: Fantasy Stadium

Leeds United's trip to the United States this summer was not successful.

At least, it was far from Leeds United's original expectations, and Fernando Lucas was quite disappointed.

When he was in the United States, Gao Shen told him that this was a long-term task and could not be accomplished overnight.

Professional competition is very realistic, and the strong prevail.

So, like this year when Leeds United went to the United States, they were more of a sparring partner for top teams, just looking to become familiar to them.

But whether it was Gao Shen, Su Qing, or Lucas, they all felt they should continue to persevere.

The North American market is a juicy prize. It is not easy to take a bite, but if you can really take one, it will be a crucial step for Leeds United in opening the global market.

"After returning from the United States, we have been in contact with potential partners there, and I have been urging the people in the U.S. office to keep following up and pushing cooperation projects."

Gao Shen nodded. "This is one of the most important core projects for our Leeds United commercial development in the next few years. We must not slack off."

Leeds United has signed a three-year contract with the International Champions Cup, and will be in North America for the next three years. Their goal is to develop the North American market.

The club also set up an office in the United States and formulated a three-year development plan, which is a long-term strategy.

There has also been some progress in commercial development in several other areas, but it has not been particularly smooth.

The current economy is in recession and many companies are having a hard time.

But the Chinese market is an exception.

Thanks to advanced operations, Leeds United's commercial development in China and Asia has progressed smoothly. In addition, the team has established an Asia office in China, which has helped Leeds United's commercial plan in China and Asia advance well.

It is true that when the west is dark, the east is bright.

In fact, there are indeed many Chinese companies that have an urgent need to promote their brands overseas. Leeds United provides a very good platform, especially since the team has also entered the Europa League this season.

The Premier League has developed very strongly in recent years, and overseas broadcast rights have caught up with domestic rights. It shows the Premier League has done an excellent job in globalization. Sponsoring a Premier League team like Leeds United is equivalent to giving Chinese brands the wings of globalization.

Not only in China, but also in Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, and other regions, many brands are interested in Leeds United.

What is more, Leeds United has a huge influence in Asia.

According to previous media statistics, Leeds United may not have as many fans in China as the top teams, but in terms of Weibo followers and heated online discussions, it is definitely among the best.

At present, European giants are the main force in developing the Chinese market, but they generally adopt two methods. One is to entrust an agency with full authority, and the other is outsourcing.

But that is not Leeds United's approach.

Leeds United's office in China has a total of 15 full-time employees, responsible for media, e-commerce, sponsorship, and other areas.

The general manager is the former marketing director of a world-leading sports marketing and entertainment group, and the deputy general manager worked for more than ten years at the sports channel of a major domestic TV station. The two have joined forces to help Leeds United explore the Chinese and Asian markets.

In addition, they have cooperated with a well-known multinational digital media marketing and consulting company, which has provided a 10-person team dedicated to Leeds United's social media services. They work within Leeds United to ensure efficient communication and execution.

Leeds United UK has also fully authorized Leeds United China, allowing them to go all out. For example, designing jerseys and souvenirs for fans in China and Asia, organizing fan events, and more.

Among these, the fan events have been the most eye-catching, including inviting Chinese fans to watch Leeds United matches.

Now, Leeds United's flagship store has officially entered the e-commerce market, and the club is also in talks with China's largest retail leader to introduce the team's merchandise into shopping malls across the country.

All of this has led to the rapid development of Leeds United's business in China and Asia.

This is also because Gao Shen knows better than anyone that in the next few years, the Chinese and Asian markets will usher in rapid growth, and Leeds United must seize this opportunity.

What is more, this is his base camp.

…

A club's income comes from three main sources, match days, broadcasting fees, and commercial income.

At present, Leeds United's match-day income is very fixed, and it is basically difficult to see any significant improvement. However, there have been some changes in broadcasting fees. Because the team performed well last season, Premier League broadcasters will increase the number of Leeds United broadcasts this season.

In other words, Leeds United's broadcasting revenue will also increase.

In terms of commercial revenue, thanks to AXA Insurance's sponsorship and the cooperation being negotiated in China and Asia, Fernando Lucas is very confident that commercial revenue will grow significantly.

However, due to the lack of progress in North America, it may be difficult to reduce the proportion of broadcasting income.

After all, the newly signed Premier League broadcasting contract this season has led to a surge in income for every Premier League team.

"It is okay, take your time. I believe that as long as we keep accumulating strength, there will be no problem," Gao Shen encouraged.

What Leeds United is doing now is basically laying the foundation and building from within.

Of course, we must also see that after Leeds United expanded its operations, the resulting costs also brought pressure.

For example, the China office. Outsourcing and part-time work cost money, and the salaries of full-time employees also cost a lot.

These are all costs.

Not to mention that Leeds United is also a large operation in the UK, and employee salary costs are really high.

"Now I really understand why the managers of top football teams are so anxious and try every possible means to cut some departments. For example, Barcelona cut the methodology department, and AC Milan even cut the Milan Lab," Lucas said with a wry smile.

The reason is simple, money.

What fans talk about so much, from the perspective of club operators, are all costs and money.

Fortunately, Leeds United has done a good job controlling player salaries, so the overall pressure is not particularly great.

But this goes back to Gao Shen.

If it were not for Gao Shen discovering so many young talents for Leeds United, how could the team dare to sell players so aggressively?

If players are not sold, salaries cannot be controlled.

Everyone wants to have both results and wage control, but when you can only choose one, everyone will choose results.

Of course, the premise is that wages are not too high.

But the wage-to-turnover ratio of many Premier League teams has reached 70 percent or 80 percent, which is almost out of control.

"This is only temporary. As long as we gradually open things up, everything we invest now will bring us valuable returns in the future," Gao Shen said confidently.

He has always believed that in the business world, those who crave quick success do not last long.

Quick profits are temporary. The key is to build a solid foundation.

He firmly believes that as long as Leeds United perseveres, and as long as the two major markets of North America and Asia can be developed, Leeds United's business will surely see rapid growth. This will be a pair of strong wings for Leeds United to achieve globalization and become a top club.

…

After Gao Shen took a short rest, Norman Foster came over with his team.

The new training base has been under construction for three months and is progressing smoothly. The ability of the infrastructure experts is obvious to all.

Not only Leeds United, but Norman Foster's team is also very satisfied with the progress.

For the same amount of work, a construction giant would take three months, while a British company would take at least four or five months.

This is not about so-called overtime or harsh treatment of workers, but rather the rich experience and control in the infrastructure field, as well as the response measures when encountering emergencies.

Judging from the current progress, the construction period will be brought forward rather than delayed.

Since the client came in person, Norman Foster gave Gao Shen a warm welcome. He also brought his plans for Leeds United's new stadium and the surrounding land, but they were basically only hand-drawn sketches.

According to Norman Foster's idea, he wanted to continue the design concept of the Leeds United training base and create an open urban forest environment.

The entire project has two important buildings. One is on the west side of the plot, which is the current parking lot. A new football stadium will be built there, accommodating at least 60,000 people and expected to be more than 40 meters high.

The eastern part of the site, which is now Elland Road Stadium and the Leeds United Museum, will be used to attract investment, ideally bringing in a large shopping mall like the Trafford Centre.

The two buildings will share the same dome, but the dome and the buildings will be separated, forming a semi-open stadium and shopping space.

A canyon hall has been created between the two buildings and in the surrounding area. Through stepped landscape design, it is connected to the ground green space. A two-story commercial pedestrian street is embedded within, blending with the surrounding greenery, allowing public green space and commercial space to complement each other and create a green public realm.

If Leeds United's training base blurred the boundaries between indoors and outdoors, then this time it completely blurs the boundaries between inside and outside, high and low, integrating the entire project into one.

A sinuous, swooping dome envelops the building. The stadium bowl, canyon hall, and shopping center areas will all be covered with a single layer of ETFE membrane, similar to the material used on the exterior of the Water Cube in China, but thinner.

It not only reduces heat from the sun, but also allows natural light to enter the stadium, canyon hall, and shopping mall unimpeded, which can maximize the sunlight required by the pitch and make the indoor and outdoor areas bright and transparent.

In addition to the ETFE membrane, other areas of the dome are made of anodized aluminum panels, which can emit a variety of different colors of light through controlled lighting.

To put it simply, it is similar to the lighting principle of the membrane at the Allianz Arena.

In addition, Norman Foster also strives for perfection in the stadium's interior spaces, from the comfort of the seats to the inclination of the stands, putting in great effort to give fans the best viewing experience.

At the same time, more luxury boxes and commercial spaces should be designed for Leeds United.

But Gao Shen still made more requests.

For example, he wanted a large double-sided LED display with 360-degree coverage.

This is a must-have for his dream stadium.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1091: Big Deal

In his previous life, Gao Shen once saw a dream stadium with a 6,500-square-meter circular double-sided display, which served as the scoreboard and big screen, and could also be used to interact with fans on site.

Gao Shen still remembers how shocked he was when he first saw that massive circular screen.

Later, when Florentino renovated the Bernabéu, a circular screen was also designed above the stadium. It was single-sided, and it was far less striking than the circular double-sided screen at the SI Stadium in the United States.

When Gao Shen proposed this idea, both Norman Foster and Su Qing were puzzled.

They knew about big screens, since all stadiums had them.

But what was a circular double-sided screen?

Gao Shen could not hold back any longer, so he simply took Norman Foster's pen and paper and started drawing.

He had no art background and his drawing skills were poor, but he could outline stands and the pitch, and he explained as he sketched. Gradually, Norman Foster and the others understood.

Soon, a designer from Foster's team took over and quickly hand-drew the effect Gao Shen wanted.

At first glance, everyone was dazzled.

A huge circular double-sided screen suspended above the center of the stadium looked truly stunning.

It was also very friendly to fans in the stands. No matter how high or low the seating, everyone could see the screen, unlike current big screens, which are quite unfriendly to many sections.

But while everyone was shocked, they also had questions.

"Is this realistic?" Norman Foster asked.

This was a curved display, and in a ring.

"It is absolutely possible."

Leeds United's circular double-sided screen did not need to be mass-produced. It was a showcase of a company's research and technological capabilities. It only needed to be made once. Gao Shen firmly believed this could be achieved by current domestic display manufacturers.

The key was to give them the opportunity to demonstrate their technical and R&D strength.

Su Qing thought for a moment, then came over and told Gao Shen she wanted to ask classmates and friends in related industries and government departments in China to learn more about the specifics.

Gao Shen mentioned several companies that would become famous in the future and said with certainty, "They will definitely be interested."

This was a rare opportunity to show technical prowess to the world.

You know, when projects like this come up, everyone's first reaction is the two Korean companies.

Su Qing agreed and went out to make a phone call.

Gao Shen continued discussing details such as ventilation with Norman Foster and the others.

Thanks to the separation between the dome and the bowl, ventilation would not be a problem.

There would also be ample retail and dining space inside the stadium, with at least 150 luxury boxes, which would greatly increase Leeds United's match-day revenue.

In fact, Leeds United fans have strong spending power, which can be seen from the fact that even when the team had sunk into the lower leagues in recent years, fans still bought tickets to enter the stadium.

Once a team starts building a new stadium, it must maximize fans' spending potential.

About half an hour later, Su Qing returned after finishing her call.

She learned that a university classmate works at a leading domestic enterprise. After hearing Su Qing's introduction, he thought it was feasible, but the specifics still needed careful study.

This was not just a display problem, it was about the entire display system.

"They are very interested in this project. I want to contact the Chinese company. If we can cooperate in the form of sponsorship, we can hand it over entirely to a domestic company," Su Qing suggested.

These words hit the mark for Gao Shen.

In fact, domestic companies' technology and R&D capabilities are not bad, especially the leading company Su Qing mentioned.

"Okay, you follow up on this."

Norman Foster also needed Leeds United to come up with a plan as soon as possible.

According to Gao Shen's idea, the huge circular double-sided screen would be hung directly above the pitch, which required consideration of weight and the load-bearing capacity of the stadium dome. These factors had to be integrated into the design.

In addition, multimedia entertainment systems, intelligent management systems, and Wi-Fi all needed to be designed and laid out in advance. At that time, many partners of Norman Foster's design team and Leeds United's sponsors would participate in the design.

This was a very large systems project and could not be completed overnight.

So the preliminary estimate was that it would take at least a year.

Even after construction began, modifications would be required based on actual conditions.

Once completed, it would surely become the most dreamlike stadium in the world, especially the huge circular screen proposed by Gao Shen, which was bound to win over all fans.

Of course, the cost would be quite impressive.

…

Leeds United had just completed the first round of communication with Norman Foster's team, and the club immediately released the news, even publishing several hand-drawn sketches, including the huge circular screen outlined by Gao Shen.

This instantly caused a huge response online.

Fantasy. Sci-fi. Incredible. Unbelievable.

There were so many superlatives that no one could believe this was really Leeds United's new stadium.

But Leeds United has a good reputation in this regard.

When the first draft of the new training base was released, many people questioned it. But when the drawings came out, everyone was impressed, especially by the design skills of Norman Foster's team.

Now, with the same design team and a consistent design concept, it was naturally convincing.

The Times even revealed that the huge circular screen was Gao Shen's brainchild, which further ignited fan enthusiasm.

These days, in professional football, if you get high marks, your popularity skyrockets.

Leeds United officials had been quietly promoting and hyping the project, aiming to attract potential sponsors and a naming partner, as well as investment for the shopping mall next to the stadium.

To be honest, I have been using it recently to keep up with the latest updates. It has a variety of reading voices and can be used on both Android and Apple devices.

On the other hand, Leeds United was also in intensive communication with Leeds City Council, hoping to obtain approval as soon as possible.

This was also a time-consuming and laborious task. Su Qing was very experienced and well prepared.

At the same time, Lucas was contacting British banks to prepare financing for the new stadium.

As long as approval was obtained, the design completed, and other work in place, construction could begin immediately.

Everyone was amazed at Leeds United's courage to keep making big moves.

The new training base had already cost 70 to 80 million euros and had only been under construction for three months, but now the new stadium was already on the agenda. Even Manchester City, with a major sponsor, did not always show such boldness.

But everyone had to admit that Leeds United seemed to have the confidence to do so.

Last summer's transfers brought a net profit of 100 million, and this summer's a net profit of 300 million. In European football, few teams could match that money-making ability.

More importantly, Leeds United was currently tenth in the Premier League, and relegation did not seem likely.

According to Su Qing and Lucas's preliminary estimates, with revenue from Premier League broadcast rights this season, Leeds United would definitely turn a profit, largely thanks to the increased broadcast income.

All told, it should be 30 million euros.

Therefore, Leeds United had enough confidence to negotiate bank loans.

However, these were not Gao Shen's biggest concerns, and he left them to Su Qing and Lucas.

…

After meeting Norman Foster and the others in London, Gao Shen set off back to Madrid.

Su Qing stayed in London to continue handling follow-up matters. Next, she would go to Leeds, and depending on the situation, might have to fly back home. She was mainly busy with matters related to the new stadium.

After returning to Madrid, Gao Shen threw himself back into Real Madrid's work.

With World Cup qualifiers kicking off, Real Madrid players began returning one after another. Gao Shen and the coaching staff were very worried, fearing injuries in the internationals.

Fortunately, this time all Real Madrid players returned safe and sound, which made Gao Shen breathe a sigh of relief.

He is really worried about injuries. They are serious.

However, since there were no injuries, that had to be set aside for now, though player condition still required attention.

This was the task Gao Shen assigned to the second coaching group, and it was the top priority.

In the fourth round of La Liga, Real Madrid would visit Villarreal, which would be a tough battle.

After being relegated to the Segunda División in 2012, the Yellow Submarine took only one year to return to La Liga.

Now, the team's overall strength was not weak. After three rounds, they were eleventh in La Liga.

But Gao Shen clearly remembered that the team performed very well under Marcelino.

Marcelino made his name at Villarreal. Not only did he take half a season to bring a Segunda side with little hope back to La Liga, he also turned them into a famous dark horse and a strong team in La Liga.

As a result, Marcelino became a well-known new-generation coach in Spain.

After facing Villarreal, Real Madrid would travel to Belgium to play Anderlecht.

This was the first match of the Champions League group stage. Real Madrid was determined to top the group, so they had to beat Anderlecht, otherwise they would be on the back foot in the next matches.

Especially in the battle with Manchester United.

Moreover, behind the two heavyweights, Bayer Leverkusen were also lurking.

This Bundesliga team is no pushover.

After the international break, Real Madrid would have two consecutive away matches, which would also be a major challenge.

Gao Shen had to manage everything well, especially adjusting player fitness and form.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1092: This Is the Power of a Superstar

On the evening of September 14, at Villarreal's El Madrigal.

In the fourth round of La Liga, Real Madrid were away to the Yellow Submarine.

When the match reached the 62nd minute, two Real Madrid players stood on the touchline at the same time.

Ronaldo adjusted his shorts while waiting for Morata to leave the field.

After the two high-fived on the sideline, the Portuguese quickly rushed onto the pitch.

At the same time, Modric replaced the Italian midfielder Verratti.

After Morata and Verratti walked off, they both came to head coach Gao Shen.

"You have done a great job. Your next task is to watch closely and study carefully. Do you understand?"

Morata and Verratti both turned their heads toward the pitch and immediately understood what the coach meant.

Gao Shen wanted them to learn more from Ronaldo and Modric, to see how these top stars with greater strength and experience make decisions when facing similar situations.

Both young players nodded, returned to the bench, sat down, and watched the match intently.

Gao Shen remained standing on the touchline.

At this moment, the scoreboard showed the current score.

1-0.

By convention, the home team is listed first and the visiting team second.

Real Madrid had conceded in the first half due to a defensive mistake.

Goalkeeper Courtois performed very well. Without the Belgian's outstanding display, Real Madrid would definitely have conceded more than one.

The FIFA virus had a great impact on Real Madrid, especially for some internationals whose condition was seriously affected by long travel.

Gao Shen had actually put all the South American internationals on the bench, but it still did not work.

Of course, there was another problem, Illarramendi.

Gao Shen spoke to Illarramendi several times in the first half, asking him to control the shape and his position and to avoid pushing too far forward, but Illarramendi obviously did not grasp Gao Shen's intention.

Or perhaps he understood but could not execute it.

As a result, Real Madrid could not score in the first half and also exposed problems in their defense.

In addition, the team wasted chances frequently, so Gao Shen had no choice but to release his ace players.

After Modric came on, he quickly communicated with Pogba and helped Illarramendi control midfield, pulling the three lines back toward the halfway line.

Gao Shen nodded with satisfaction.

Turning around, he looked at Verratti on the bench and found the Italian watching the game intently. He sighed inwardly. Verratti was still a little young.

Modric's ability to control the tempo is truly unique.

Once he sorted things out, the rhythm of the match took on its own cadence.

Sometimes fast, sometimes slow, giving the opponent a headache.

Just like now, after Real Madrid dropped off a little, Villarreal's defense naturally followed.

At this time, Ronaldo, Dzeko, and Jesé lined up just outside the top of the box.

This is a very suitable zone for attackers to use their power.

It was not just Modric. After Ronaldo came on, he quickly opened up the left side of the attack and created two straight threats, though neither resulted in a shot.

Villarreal began to pile numbers on Real Madrid's left, their own right.

If Marcelo were behind him, Ronaldo might still insist on attacking, but with Marcos Alonso there, Gao Shen told Ronaldo he could wait for the right moment to switch sides and attack from the other flank.

Not long after, Ronaldo quietly swapped with Jesé.

In the 68th minute, when Real Madrid launched another attack down the left, everyone was surprised to see Jesé there. The youngster tried to beat his man but failed, then worked it back to Marcos Alonso, who played Pogba.

After Pogba carried it forward a step, he suddenly stopped and laid it off to Modric.

Modric killed the ball dead and looked up. When Ronaldo was in position and Villarreal's defenders were converging, he immediately switched it diagonally back to Ramos on the back line. It looked like he was being forced to recycle.

As expected, this confused Villarreal's defenders, who began to step up.

On the forward line, Jesé and Dzeko both drifted left, and Ronaldo also dropped in.

This drew Villarreal's left center-back Dorado forward as well.

But just when everyone thought Real Madrid's attack was about to fizzle out, Ronaldo in front of Dorado suddenly stopped, spun, and sprinted in behind.

Almost at the same time, Ramos took Modric's pass and launched a long ball.

Among all the center-backs in the world, Ramos's long passing is among the very best.

His ball was fast and vicious, with a low, skimming arc. It sailed over Villarreal's center-back and dropped straight into the area.

After shaking off Dorado, Ronaldo accelerated, timed his run to beat the offside trap, and met Ramos's long pass with a header.

The ball glanced off Ronaldo's forehead, changed angle, and flew toward the left side of the goal.

The goalkeeper had already started shifting right, his weight on that side. How could he recover? He tried to reach back for it, but it was too late.

He could only watch the ball fly into the left side of the net.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"

"Cristiano Ronaldo!"

"Just over six minutes after coming on, Ronaldo levels for Real Madrid!"

After scoring, the Portuguese did not over-celebrate. He sprinted to the touchline to celebrate, looking composed.

Gao Shen was not overly excited on the sideline, he just waved his hands.

1-1, level.

…

On the bench, Morata and Verratti were both dumbfounded.

They had just experienced it on the pitch. Villarreal's defense was really solid and their players were relentless.

No matter how they pulled or moved, it was difficult to shake off Villarreal's markers, which was frustrating.

But as soon as Ronaldo and Modric came on, the score was tied within six minutes.

Was that a coincidence?

How could it be?

If that was not enough, they soon saw another attack.

In the 73rd minute, Villarreal entered Real Madrid's box. Ramos used his body to block Pereira's path and left the ball for Courtois.

After the Belgian gathered, he quickly threw out to Marcos Alonso on the left.

Marcos carried it forward, spotted the opening, and launched a long diagonal to the right flank.

Nacho stepped up, controlled, and gave it to Ronaldo, who laid it back to him immediately.

Real Madrid's right-back drove to the edge of the area, saw the line, and slipped a pass down the right side of the box.

Ronaldo had made a diagonal run there, but Dorado, having learned his lesson, stuck tight, forcing the Portuguese wide and making him return it to Nacho.

Nacho nodded it back to the trailing Illarramendi.

The midfielder then fed it forward to Modric.

Modric cushioned it to his right and, seeing Nacho primed, shuffled two steps sideways and zipped a low pass.

With Dorado still locked on Ronaldo to the left, a gap had opened in Villarreal's back line.

The ball threaded between two defenders and went straight to the byline on the right side of the area, where Nacho surged at top speed.

Even within Real Madrid, Nacho's pace is very high. He immediately shook off his man, reached Modric's pass before it crossed the line, and squared first time with his right foot across the six-yard box.

Dzeko arrived and swept it home.

The ball was in again.

"2-1!"

"Turnaround!"

"Dzeko's finish puts Real Madrid ahead of Villarreal!"

"My God, those two substitutions, Ronaldo and Modric, have completely revitalized Real Madrid's attack."

…

After scoring twice in quick succession to turn it around, Real Madrid grew even more confident.

Villarreal immediately made a flurry of changes, trying to steady the situation.

But soon, Real Madrid seized another opportunity.

In the 81st minute, Villarreal won a throw-in on the left side of their attack, Real Madrid's right, near the edge of the area.

The Yellow Submarine took it quickly. Three players combined down the left, but Varane forced them to the byline and they recycled in a triangle.

There was no one there.

The pass rolled back toward the penalty spot. Illarramendi hacked clear under pressure, but it did not travel far.

Pogba surged forward, rose, and outmuscled Soriano to head it on. As he landed he burst after it and fed Ronaldo, who was already streaking ahead.

Ronaldo carried it forward and slipped the pass inside to the right side of the box from the left channel.

Jesé had been flying up in support. He met Ronaldo's pass and shot first time.

The strike was fast and venomous, arrowing toward goal.

Villarreal's goalkeeper reacted sharply and got down in time.

But the shot had too much power to be held and spilled loose.

For a split second the center-backs were caught flat-footed, and Ronaldo ghosted into the prime spot in front of goal. With his right foot not set to strike, he let his left meet the bouncing ball and lashed it in.

3-1.

A brace.

Now Ronaldo was truly fired up.

The Portuguese tore off on a lap of celebration, reveling in his second goal.

In less than twenty minutes, he had been involved in all three goals, scoring twice himself. What could be more exhilarating than that?

Now, who dares underestimate his role in this Real Madrid team?

Who else dares say he is not on Messi's level?

Finally, the Portuguese performed his signature celebration on the touchline.

On the bench, Morata and Verratti were stunned.

This is the power of a superstar.

It is true for Modric, and even more so for Ronaldo.

(To be continued.)