SWR: Chapter 907/908

Chapter 907: Gao Shen Finally Got a Piece of Fat Meat

When Gao Shen returned to Cheshire, Fernando Lucas, Rodolfo Borrell, Sarri, and the others soon heard the news and came to visit him one after another.

They weren't just talented employees, they were also close friends.

Gao Shen expressed his surprise at Leeds United's outstanding performance this season and gave Sarri high praise.

"Frankly speaking, you've done better than I did," Gao Shen said generously.

Sarri was flattered and responded humbly, saying there was no comparison.

This wasn't Sarri being modest. It was the truth.

Gao Shen was managing Real Madrid, a team full of superstars.

Real Madrid's players were all famous names. They had strong individual ability but had also developed personal playing habits over time. Changing those habits wasn't something that could be done overnight.

Leeds United, on the other hand, was different. The players of the White Rose were younger, and most had already played for the club before. That made it easier for Sarri to integrate the team, lowering the difficulty to some extent.

But even so, climbing to third in the standings — even if only temporarily — was no easy feat.

"How does it feel?" Gao Shen asked Sarri with concern.

The Italian admitted, "The pressure is greater."

"That's right. Coaching a team is like that. The better the results, the heavier the pressure."

Gao Shen was certainly satisfied with Leeds United's current situation, but he still emphasized that both management and the coaching staff must remain sober and rational — whether dealing with the media and fans or facing players in the dressing room.

Leeds United was a young team, easily prone to recklessness. If they developed unrealistic expectations, once results declined, confidence could collapse. It was the classic case of "the higher you climb, the harder you fall."

As long as they kept their feet on the ground and followed their strategic goals step by step, the results could end up even better.

The most practical goal for Leeds United now was to play well at home and strive to remain undefeated.

The left wing, where Coutinho, Pogba, and Kurzawa operated, was already a serious threat in Leeds United's attack this season. However, they couldn't afford to overlook the right wing either — especially Salah, who had been in excellent form.

Trippier was currently the team's main right-back and had been performing quite well.

Of course, this was all while the team was still running smoothly. The real test was still to come.

But one thing was clear: José Fonte was indeed a mature and reliable veteran.

In last season's Championship, both Koulibaly and Maguire had looked impressive.

But after promotion to the Premier League this season, the central defensive pairing of Koulibaly and José Fonte had performed brilliantly in the first three league matches, conceding only one goal. Koulibaly even scored one himself.

It wasn't just about the stats. Koulibaly had clearly become much more composed and far less reckless.

The centre-back had outstanding physical attributes, strong speed and agility, solid passing ability, and good technique. It was clear at a glance he was an excellent central defender.

After promotion to the Premier League, his performance had improved significantly.

In contrast, Brazilian centre-back Marquinhos, who had performed very well in the pre-season friendlies, was now relegated to the bench.

However, Marquinhos might still get another chance to prove himself.

Poor Maguire had basically become the fourth-choice centre-back and could only play in the reserve team.

Even the Premier League reserve league was highly competitive. Considering Maguire's age, getting minutes there was still valuable for his development. There was no need to worry about a lack of match experience.

…

After their promotion to the Premier League, Leeds United had played three games, two of them at home, both with 100% attendance.

This was quite rare in the Premier League.

According to Lucas, fans of the White Rose had already begun complaining that the stadium was too small and were calling for expansion, particularly a renovation of the West Stand. However, that would cost tens of millions of pounds and wasn't considered cost-effective.

The idea of renovating the West Stand dated back to the early 2000s. Back then, Leeds United had planned to tear down the old training base and build a shopping mall and hotel in its place, turning Elland Road into a major commercial zone in Leeds.

The plan was ambitious and backed by solid market research. But the club didn't have the money. After suffering consecutive seasons of financial losses and relegation, the project was shelved indefinitely.

Now that Gao Shen had taken over, he had no intention of reviving that plan.

To put it bluntly, Elland Road's potential had been fully tapped.

The club had already invested in renovating stadium facilities to boost match-day revenue. While it had worked, the results were limited. That proved Elland Road had hit its ceiling.

So, was it worth spending 20 to 30 million pounds to expand the West Stand?

For Leeds United at this stage, the top priority was to build a new training base.

Speaking of which, Norman Foster's team had actually lived at Thorp Arch for a while, eating and staying with the club. They claimed they wanted to immerse themselves in the team's culture. During their stay, they held in-depth discussions with the coaching staff, players, and personnel from various departments to better understand their needs.

But designing such a training base would be time-consuming. It couldn't be rushed.

Leeds United's fans were aware that the club was working on a new training base. They also understood that stadium expansion wasn't the top priority. So while some were calling for it, it was more to draw attention than a real demand.

In truth, the situation had become somewhat exaggerated. Leeds United now had a large number of employees, and Thorp Arch was extremely crowded.

Let's talk about the scouting department.

Currently, Leeds United had a full scouting network across Europe and South America. There were ten full-time scouts — not including chief scout Steve Walsh — and around five hundred part-time scouts around the world.

Yes, five hundred.

These 500 part-time scouts were scattered all over the globe, especially across Europe and South America. As long as they submitted detailed player information and data that was accepted into the club's long-term tracking database, they would immediately earn a £25 reward.

Leeds United had even developed a dedicated app for this purpose. Through the app, scouts could submit player profiles, data, videos, and preliminary scouting reports. They could also receive feedback directly from the club.

These part-time scouts submitted huge volumes of player data to Leeds United every day, helping enrich the club's database.

If the player they recommended was eventually accepted into the youth academy or the first team, the scout would receive a generous referral bonus.

In the future, if that player performed well or secured a transfer to another club, the scout would receive an additional reward. This incentive structure was designed to motivate part-time scouts to identify the most promising talent.

Just managing such a large-scale scouting system would be impossible without a well-designed infrastructure and a dedicated big data center.

Now, the staff from the scouting department and big data team had made Thorp Arch extremely overcrowded. Office space was in serious short supply.

This was why Gao Shen, Su Qing, Lucas, and others agreed — a new training base had to be built as soon as possible.

…

One of the major differences between Leeds United and other clubs was that Gao Shen had set up a dedicated new media department.

As the name implied, "new media" referred to internet-based media.

Among Leeds United's sources of income, broadcasting rights were allocated through the league, and match-day income had already reached its limit. That meant commercial sponsorship had become the key growth area.

In European football, the three most commercially successful clubs were Manchester United, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid.

Real Madrid leveraged stars and media traffic. Manchester United pursued a global branding strategy. Bayern focused on domestic dominance and regional strength.

Each had its own recipe for success.

It was unrealistic for Leeds United to compete directly with these giants, or with other elite clubs like Arsenal and Barcelona, in the global market.

For example, Leeds United wasn't even invited to participate in the International Champions Cup, which would become hugely popular in the following years.

Why?

Because if you hadn't won anything, why would they invite you?

So from the very beginning, Gao Shen targeted a new and less saturated market — the internet.

This was a new frontier with less competition, global reach, and massive potential. It was arguably the best track for a team like Leeds United to overtake their rivals.

Ever since acquiring the club, Gao Shen had committed to turning Leeds United into a football internet celebrity. The new media department was responsible for that mission. They published interesting content daily across major social media platforms, video sites, and other traffic hubs around the world to attract more fans.

Gao Shen himself actively participated in promoting content to drive traffic. As a result, Leeds United's online following steadily grew.

But this was a long-term, systematic project. Gao Shen believed that internet influence would eventually translate into commercial value.

This season, the team's surprise rise to third place in the Premier League gave Leeds United a moment to shine. The new media department took full advantage of the opportunity, launching an aggressive online campaign to push the club's visibility even further.

At the same time, Lucas and the stadium operations team were working to improve match-day atmosphere and increase revenue through various initiatives. These included promoting in-stadium consumption and inviting live bands to perform on game days.

However, due to the limited stadium capacity, the results remained modest.

Still, as Lucas put it, every small increase here and there would add up and help the club boost revenue in the new season.

Even better news came from the latest Premier League domestic broadcasting rights auction for the 2013–2016 cycle. The two main broadcasters, Sky TV and BT, had paid a combined £3.018 billion — far exceeding the previous deal of £1.773 billion.

Gao Shen had finally gotten a taste of this juicy piece of fat meat!

But on the flip side, the wages of top Premier League players were also rising. Superstars like Rooney were now expected to earn over £300,000 a week, and Manchester City's players were among those seeing big increases.

In other words, the massive windfall from broadcast rights could very well be eaten up by skyrocketing player salaries.

This made it even more important for Leeds United to strictly control their wage structure and limit pay increases as much as possible.

Only by doing so could they truly maximize the club's profits.

The booming market had naturally attracted interest from all sides.

With Leeds United riding high, some people had already begun making their moves.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 908: Deep Ambition

At this level, every move he makes involves the interests of many parties.

The British media were well aware that Gao Shen's wife still lived in Cheshire, so they naturally paid close attention to his whereabouts. Even if he kept a low profile, as soon as he returned to Cheshire, it was immediately picked up by the press.

This wasn't unusual. When Mourinho coached Real Madrid, he often traveled back and forth to London. It was normal.

The key was how the media chose to report it.

Recently, Manchester City's form had been less than ideal, and they were currently ranked below Leeds United in the league standings. This had led to both the British media and Manchester City fans reminiscing about the days when Gao Shen was in charge.

When meeting reporters in Cheshire, Gao Shen always tried to be cooperative, but he made his stance clear.

Don't write nonsense!

He was now the head coach of Real Madrid and did not want to create unnecessary trouble.

The media understood this was a matter of mutual benefit.

So during his time in Cheshire, Gao Shen mostly ate, drank, and caught up with friends.

For example, he sent two cases of fine wine to Ferguson, and Ferguson's wife, Cathy, even cooked a meal for them, warmly hosting the Gao Shen couple.

Later, Manchester City chairman Mubarak, consultant Brian Marwood, and others also came by to have dinner with Gao Shen.

Throughout this period, the media followed and filmed them, but Gao Shen didn't try to hide. It was just friends getting together.

However, during the gathering, another matter was brought up.

…

The entire Premier League market had truly taken off.

According to assessments by several banks involved in football finance — including the Rothschild family's bank in the City of London — the Premier League's valuation surged the moment the 2013–2016 domestic broadcasting rights deal worth £3 billion was signed.

"I heard Cash Harris from Seymour Pierce Investment Bank contacted you recently?"

At the dinner table, Mubarak asked with interest.

Gao Shen paused briefly, then smiled. "You're really well-informed."

Everyone at the table laughed. In this industry, there weren't many secrets.

The Premier League circle was quite small.

Cash Harris was the biggest player in football business within the City of London. By his own account, nearly every foreign acquisition of an English club had passed through his hands in one way or another.

Another powerful figure was Rothschild Jr. from the Rothschild bank. However, despite the myths about his family, he wasn't as influential as people imagined. He was just moderately well-known in the financial world.

At the very least, Gao Shen had met him and rated him lower than Cash Harris.

"The Bahraini royal family is interested in Leeds United," Gao Shen explained.

The Bahraini royal family had shown interest in the White Rose as far back as 2003, when Leeds United was on the verge of bankruptcy. But for unknown reasons, the talks collapsed and the deal was shelved.

Now, after the Premier League signed a new three-year broadcasting deal, the entire world was stunned.

The domestic rights had jumped from £1.7 billion to £3 billion. And that was just domestic. The international broadcasting rights were rising rapidly every year. It was clear the Premier League's total media value was going to explode.

At this point, trying to get in was already a bit late.

But not impossible.

"What price did they offer?" Mubarak asked with a smile.

"£100 million for 49% of the shares, plus an annual investment of £50 million for the next three years," Gao Shen replied.

It was clear the Bahraini royal family was looking for a partnership.

Anyone who had done a bit of research would realize that Leeds United now had a very solid foundation.

From an administrative standpoint, the club already operated with a structure on par with the top sides. Gao Shen had been building it for over a year, bringing in professionals like Lucas and Borrell. They had invested heavily in this area.

Not to mention the summer transfer window, where Leeds United made over £100 million from player sales but still managed to rank third in the Premier League.

This might be a short-term peak, but it spoke volumes about the club's operational capabilities.

After Abu Dhabi's Mansour made a fortune from acquiring Manchester City and Qatar's consortium caused a stir by buying Paris Saint-Germain, it was no surprise the Bahraini royal family rekindled their interest in football.

Especially given the Premier League's enormous TV deals.

Of course, Gao Shen couldn't tell them that this was only the beginning.

Even so, the Bahraini royal family's offer shocked Mubarak and the others.

It was very generous.

"I remember you didn't spend much when you bought Leeds United, right?" Marwood asked, clearly envious.

With this £100 million deal, Gao Shen would be financially free. Why keep coaching?

More importantly, with the backing of the wealthy Bahraini royal family, how could Leeds United possibly fail?

"It's a bit low, isn't it?" Gao Shen looked at Marwood and smiled. "We already have nearly £100 million on hand, plus future installment payments over the next two years. With the way the club is developing, do you think it's worth selling half the shares for £100 million?"

Mubarak and Marwood exchanged glances. They found his point hard to argue with. Gao Shen clearly wasn't planning to make Leeds United just a talent pipeline for the rich clubs.

The Premier League landscape was clear. Manchester City stood in a class of its own.

Even though Chelsea were currently top, everyone knew Manchester City had dipped slightly after their peak last season. With a new manager in Pellegrini, they were adjusting. But once back in form, it would be hard to stop them.

With Manchester City's strength and resources, they were still the title favorites.

…

During dinner, Mubarak also mentioned another interested group — the Dubai Investment Group.

They had nearly acquired Liverpool years ago, but the deal fell through.

Now, watching Abu Dhabi succeed in the Premier League, they were naturally envious and wanted to jump in.

But Gao Shen declined.

He wasn't even curious about their offer.

"Leeds United is like my own child. It's just learning how to walk. I want to see what it looks like when it grows up. That process will be wonderful for me," Gao Shen explained.

Mubarak didn't mind. He was only passing along a message from a friend.

Because of the new broadcasting rights deal, many foreign financial groups had set their sights on the Premier League. With its prestigious name, Leeds United had naturally become a prime target.

But Mubarak was more intrigued by Gao Shen's long-term view.

"You seem really optimistic about the Premier League's future."

"You don't think it's a good idea?" Gao Shen asked with a smile.

Mubarak smiled.

"I've done the math. Since 2013, domestic broadcasting revenue is £1 billion per year, while overseas rights are about £700 million annually. That number will continue to grow. Eventually, overseas rights may equal or even surpass domestic ones."

Key areas of growth were North America and Asia.

These would be the Premier League's main targets in the next few years and were expected to be the fastest-growing markets.

Leeds United would also need to focus there.

They had already set up an Asia office in China and would soon establish one in North America.

Following the Premier League's trajectory, these were two fat pieces of meat.

"Actually, excluding transfer income, we basically broke even last season. This season we expect to break even again, or even make a small surplus. So we've begun the construction of a new training base, with a budget of £50–60 million."

"That high?" Marwood was surprised. "Tottenham's training base was the first in the Premier League with an indoor pitch, and the budget was only £45 million. Are you also building an indoor training pitch?"

Manchester City was also constructing one, and its facilities were even more advanced, including the ability to simulate different playing surfaces.

"Yes. Plus, our youth team's stadium will have stands, and the player dormitories at the training facility will be built to five-star hotel standards. In the future, whether it's a home or away match, we'll stay at the training base before the game."

At that point, the club's offices would also be relocated to the training base. Every square meter of Elland Road — where space was extremely valuable — would be optimized for match-day revenue.

This meant Leeds United's new training base would be larger and better equipped.

Mubarak and Marwood exchanged another glance.

Gao Shen's ambition was no small thing.

In this favorable situation, as Leeds United continued to gain momentum and looked ready to enter a rapid development phase, what reason did Gao Shen have to sell now?

Besides, did he even need the money?

If he really wanted financial freedom, he'd already be free.

With shares in major companies like Apple and Tencent, plus the bitcoins he held and his real estate in major Chinese cities, Gao Shen could've retired any time he wanted.

But clearly, that wasn't what he wanted.

He was after something more.

…

As the head coach of Real Madrid, Gao Shen couldn't stay in Cheshire for long.

After three days, he returned to Madrid.

This time, he brought his wife Su Qing, his mother, and his mother-in-law. The four of them traveled south from Cheshire together.

According to Su Qing, she just came to check on her house.

As for whether she would return to Cheshire after looking at it, she didn't say.

It had to be said, the climate in Madrid was much better than in the UK.

As soon as they arrived, Gao Shen's mother and mother-in-law urged him to finish the house quickly.

Clearly, they were tired of British weather.

After returning to Madrid, Gao Shen wasted no time. He immediately threw himself into intense work.

First was checking on how the national team players had performed and their physical condition.

Next, it was time to prepare for the brutal stretch of fixtures ahead.

In the fourth round, Real Madrid would face a tough away match against Sevilla. After that came the first two rounds of the Champions League group of death, followed by Rayo Vallecano, Deportivo La Coruña, and then Barcelona.

Every match would be a major challenge.

To make things worse, Real Madrid's international players — as core members of their national teams — had played heavy minutes, some appearing in both games.

Once they returned from international duty, Gao Shen had to clean up the aftermath.

(To be continued.)