SWR: Chapter 794/795

Chapter 794: The First Person to Reject Real Madrid

After returning to Manchester from Porto, Gao Shen would soon lead the team in another away match.

But their opponent in the seventh round of the Premier League was Blackburn Rovers, located just over 30 kilometers north of Manchester, so they would travel there and back on the same day.

This allowed the team to train for one more day in Manchester, and the players and staff could spend more time with their families and girlfriends. After all, playing consecutive away games was never easy.

Su Qing had learned of Gao Shen's schedule early and carefully prepared a lavish candlelight dinner.

After sending off the housekeepers and staff, the two of them sat down across from each other as Gao Shen returned from training. It felt formal and intimate, though the dishes on the table weren't Western but traditional hometown meals from Gao Shen's region.

They were both their favorites.

Having grown up together, they liked the same food and shared countless interests. Whenever they were together, they always had endless things to talk about, never noticing the time pass.

Until Florentino's unexpected call.

That's the thing about the Spanish—they always liked to make calls in the dead of night.

Didn't they know it could seriously interfere with a couple's emotional bonding?

"Someday, when I inherit the Spanish throne, the first thing I'll do is get rid of Florentino!"

Gao Shen raised his phone and showed the screen to Su Qing, letting her see the caller ID before walking away to take the call.

He answered the phone as he stepped outside.

Su Qing sat at the table with a soft smile on her face, but her eyes never left Gao Shen.

She knew this call was no ordinary one.

Real Madrid was in trouble and urgently needed a manager who could steady the ship.

Moreover, Gao Shen had already received confirmation that Florentino's position as president was being questioned.

Florentino was a man of ambition and boldness. He wouldn't have called Gao Shen personally unless he had no other choice.

In the past, he had always reached out through Valdano, Zidane, Butragueño, and others.

The reason was simple. At his level, he didn't want to risk being rejected directly.

But now, things were clearly serious.

Otherwise, Florentino wouldn't have picked up the phone himself.

Su Qing remained seated, watching her husband on the phone outside. She didn't know what choice he would make.

Emotionally, she believed that if Florentino made a strong enough offer, Gao Shen would consider returning to Real Madrid. But Manchester City had treated him with great sincerity, and knowing Gao Shen's character, he wouldn't betray them so easily.

More importantly, Manchester City didn't want to let Gao Shen go.

Recently, Mubarak had been actively contacting other Premier League clubs, seeking their understanding.

If Leeds United were promoted to the Premier League next season, they hoped Gao Shen could continue coaching Manchester City.

Technically, as long as there were enough clubs in favor, the Premier League wouldn't object.

But this would be difficult, because Manchester United under Ferguson, as well as Chelsea and others, had already expressed firm opposition. They believed that as long as Gao Shen remained at Manchester City, they wouldn't stand a chance.

Given Leeds United's position, how could they refuse?

Some even speculated that Ferguson had sent Pogba to Leeds United as a roundabout way to get rid of Gao Shen.

Others claimed that Chelsea supported Leeds United's loans just to help them return to the Premier League sooner.

In short, it was a mess.

Gao Shen's phone call with Florentino lasted over an hour.

When he came back inside, his expression had become more serious.

"What's wrong?" Su Qing asked softly.

She had already reheated the food on the table.

"The situation is worse than we thought." Gao Shen sat back down.

There was a glass of water in front of him. He picked it up and drank it. It was a little cold, but it quenched his thirst.

With Gao Shen's connections in Real Madrid and Spanish football, it wasn't difficult for him to learn things, not to mention that he had players currently at the club.

Of course, Gao Shen didn't deliberately try to dig for information, but he knew a fair bit.

For example, doubts about Florentino had already emerged within the board.

For now, no one could shake his position, but the situation might continue to decline.

Gao Shen knew exactly how Calderón had come to power back then.

If the team's decline continued and the board failed to act, the fans would take to the streets with banners. At that point, the mounting pressure would leave Florentino with no choice but to resign.

Would his successor be another Martín? Or another Calderón?

"Is it really that bad?" Su Qing was surprised.

From the outside, Real Madrid was still second in La Liga. It didn't look like a disaster.

Gao Shen smiled at her. She was starting to understand the business of European football in depth, but she still didn't fully grasp the Real Madrid ecosystem.

At Real Madrid, even finishing second in the league—let alone first—might not be enough to keep your job.

"Florentino calling me is the clearest proof."

Actions speak louder than words.

"What did he say?" Su Qing asked, concerned.

She had blocked Florentino for Gao Shen once at the Grimaldi Forum during the Champions League draw.

But this time, there was nothing she could do.

"There wasn't much to say. He knew my demands and was clearly willing to meet them. His call alone showed that. Things like salary and bonuses—I don't even care about those."

Gao Shen wasn't short of money anymore.

If he cared about money, he wouldn't have bought Leeds United.

Florentino making the call himself was a complete concession, a surrender. If he had tried to bargain with Gao Shen over transfer authority, salary, or perks, he wouldn't have been Florentino.

And Gao Shen would never return to a Real Madrid under such a man.

"What he wanted from me was a promise."

"What kind of promise?" Su Qing was even more curious.

"A promise to return to Real Madrid next summer!"

Su Qing frowned. "You agreed?"

"No, I refused." Gao Shen smiled bitterly.

He might have just become the first person in history to turn down Real Madrid.

And turning down Real Madrid wasn't easy.

Especially since he had always wanted to go back.

"Why?" Su Qing asked.

According to Florentino, Real Madrid's situation was far worse than expected. They could be eliminated in the group stage at any moment.

No one expected Real Madrid to be drawn into a group of death two years in a row.

If they failed to qualify this year, they could drop to Pot 3. That would be an embarrassment for the club and a disaster for Florentino, Mourinho, and everyone involved.

Even Florentino himself was hesitant.

If a new coach was needed, Ancelotti would be the best option. But the Italian might not be able to manage the fractured dressing room, and the board would have to step in.

Also, Ancelotti couldn't just be a temporary fix.

In other words, if Ancelotti took over, he wouldn't be replaced easily.

But the world knew that Leeds United was the favorite for promotion this season. If they did get promoted, Gao Shen's status at Manchester City would become awkward, and he'd likely leave.

That created a dilemma.

If Real Madrid wanted to wait, they'd have to turn down Ancelotti and keep Mourinho, risking a collapse in performance.

No one could predict what would happen.

More importantly, if Manchester City managed to convince the Premier League, would Gao Shen still leave for Real Madrid?

On the other hand, if they picked Ancelotti and Gao Shen left Manchester City, then PSG or Bayern could swoop in.

Real Madrid would miss out again.

So Florentino and the club were in a tough spot, and all he wanted was Gao Shen's commitment.

Real Madrid would retain Mourinho until the end of the season. Even if he was fired, they wouldn't hire a big-name coach, just promote someone from the youth ranks temporarily. Then next summer, regardless of what happened with Manchester City, Gao Shen would take over.

That was their insurance.

Even if results were poor, Florentino could still use that promise to placate the fans.

But Gao Shen turned it down.

He made it clear: if Manchester City could resolve their Premier League issues, he would stay.

On the phone, he explained his conversations with Mansour and the trust Manchester City had shown him. He said he couldn't do anything to hurt the club.

So he couldn't promise to coach Real Madrid next summer.

"If—and this is a big if—I really leave Manchester City because of Leeds United, then I'll consider Real Madrid. But until then, I won't make any decisions or promises."

That was as far as Gao Shen could go.

What Florentino and Real Madrid did next wasn't something he could control.

When he left Naples, it was Manchester City who opened their doors to him.

Over the past two to three years, Manchester City had treated him with complete trust. If he betrayed them now, Gao Shen wouldn't be able to live with himself.

Of course, he also believed he had done right by them.

Not only him, but Carlo and the others fully supported his decision.

To Gao Shen now, Manchester City was a team he had built to perfection. But in a way, that made it less of a challenge. Their tactics were advanced, their strength was elite.

And with Manchester United, Chelsea, and others faltering, Manchester City were clearly dominant. Staying here would be comfortable, but less exciting.

Coaching Real Madrid would be far more intense and challenging. The thought was thrilling.

But even so, Gao Shen still chose Manchester City as his first option!

(To be continued.)

Chapter 795: History

"How did it go?"

In the president's office at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid.

As soon as Florentino hung up the phone, Zidane, Butragueño, Valdano, and Manuel Redondo stepped forward and looked at the Real Madrid president with concern.

Recently, Florentino had clearly aged. He was under immense pressure.

At this moment, the president wore a helpless expression. He sighed heavily and shook his head. "He turned me down."

The four others were stunned!

Who was Florentino?

Everyone in European football knew his capability and decisiveness. He rarely acted impulsively, but when he did, he could even convince the biggest stars.

And now, Gao Shen had turned him down.

After Florentino briefly recounted his phone conversation with Gao Shen, Zidane and the others immediately understood. In fact, they had vaguely anticipated this outcome.

Gao Shen had always valued emotion and loyalty. Those who knew him well understood that, with the way Manchester City treated him, he would not leave easily.

So it wasn't surprising that Florentino had been rejected.

Still, even with mental preparation, it was hard not to feel a bit disappointed now that it had actually happened.

"What do we do now?" Valdano looked at Florentino.

The Real Madrid president sat down in the chair behind his desk, took off his glasses, placed them on the table, and rubbed his tired eyes. It was clear he was mentally and physically exhausted, bearing the full weight of the crisis.

This made Valdano and the others hesitate to push him.

"I really regret it," Florentino said suddenly.

Valdano, Zidane, and the others all looked at him in surprise.

"If I had shown him enough respect back then, Gao Shen wouldn't have chosen Manchester City. Then none of what we're facing now might have happened. We might even have overtaken Barcelona."

Florentino's voice sounded aged, filled with deep regret.

No one could deny that this was a very real possibility.

Just look at the team Gao Shen had built at Manchester City.

A huge sum of money had been spent, but that team was now the most valuable in the world. Suarez had only cost 15 million euros, yet he had finished second in the European Player of the Year vote, even ahead of Ronaldo.

Some media outlets had long evaluated Manchester City's transfer activity, noting that although Gao Shen had been mocked for spending 400 million euros, if one calculated the current market value of the team, it had already surpassed 800 million euros—ranking first in the world.

In other words, in just over two years, the value of Manchester City's squad had doubled.

Because in reality, Gao Shen hadn't even spent the full 400 million. Surely Mark Hughes' prior investments shouldn't all count against him?

More importantly, that figure was only temporary. Given the age and potential of Manchester City's players, their total value could eventually exceed one billion euros.

Take Gareth Bale, for instance. His current value was at least 70 million euros.

Player value aside, how many titles had Gao Shen already brought to Manchester City over the past two seasons?

Was that just a coincidence?

Absolutely not!

Gao Shen had already done the same thing at Napoli.

More than two years had passed since his departure, but that Serie A team was still able to sell over 200 million euros worth of players this summer—all from the foundation Gao Shen had left behind.

Despite selling so many, the current core remained: Hamsik, Nainggolan, Verratti, Callejón, Mertens—still the same group from Gao Shen's time.

Media and fans might have forgotten Gao Shen's impact at Napoli, but in European football circles, with time, his brilliance had become even more evident.

Especially this past summer, Napoli offloaded another wave of players yet remained competitive at the top of Serie A. It all stemmed from Gao Shen's original work.

Did Florentino regret it?

He regretted it so much.

And not just him—the Bayern Munich board had been openly saying how much they regretted not hiring Gao Shen.

It was also said that Chelsea owner Abramovich was so harsh with Ancelotti because he regretted choosing him instead of hiring Gao Shen. His frustration got taken out on Ancelotti.

Now, the moment of choice had come again.

"Jorge, if Mourinho stays, what are the chances we qualify from the group?" Florentino suddenly asked.

Valdano thought deeply before shaking his head. "Hard to say. The locker room is in disarray, full of conflict. Many issues that were previously suppressed have now surfaced. It's a huge mess."

Some problems don't seem serious until you actually weigh them. Once you do, they can become overwhelming.

That was exactly Real Madrid's current problem.

Mourinho's handling had exposed many things that should have remained hidden. Even worse, the media and fans were latching onto it, scrutinizing the players and the dressing room.

Now, nobody in the locker room felt safe. Everyone was on edge.

Casillas was in a particularly difficult situation.

Even if he reconciled with Mourinho, many Real Madrid fans would still see him as a traitor.

That label couldn't be erased in the short term. It would take a long time to slowly fade.

Casillas understood this very well, which is why his attitude had become so firm.

He had played his whole career for Real Madrid. He could have retired here as both club and national team captain, becoming even more legendary than Raúl or Hierro.

After all, in terms of titles, both with the club and country, his achievements surpassed theirs.

As captain, he aimed to become a legend—maybe even the greatest in Spanish football history.

But now, it was all gone!

Who could accept that?

The Casillas incident was destined to become a turning point in both Real Madrid's and Spanish football's history.

Inside the dressing room, many players were distancing themselves from Mourinho, but nobody dared speak up.

Maybe they didn't dare. Maybe they didn't want to. Maybe they just couldn't.

There was no doubt that changing coaches was the fastest way to solve the current crisis. But the risk was enormous.

Keeping Mourinho carried its own risks too.

Right now, Real Madrid was like a damaged ship adrift on the Atlantic, tossed by waves. No one knew what could happen next.

"Florentino, I must remind you, this is an extremely risky move," Valdano warned.

Though he was close to Gao Shen, he had to acknowledge that if Florentino waited without a firm commitment from Gao Shen, he might pay a heavy price.

He could even lose his presidency.

If Florentino were forced to resign again, there would be no coming back.

"Yes, Florentino," Zidane agreed. "I heard Mubarak and Gary Cook from Manchester City are in talks, trying to negotiate leniency with the Premier League board."

"If we keep Mourinho now, and Gao Shen stays at Manchester City next summer, and our results are a disaster, it will be catastrophic."

Florentino looked at the two men in front of him with some surprise, then suddenly laughed. "You've both been staunch supporters of Gao Shen becoming Real Madrid coach. Why are you trying to talk me out of it now?"

Valdano and Zidane exchanged looks, smiling bitterly.

They were close to Gao Shen, but they were also Real Madrid executives.

At a time like this, it was their duty to offer professional advice.

Yet even now, Zidane and Valdano had different views on Mourinho.

Zidane insisted he should be fired and all bridges burned. Valdano was more cautious, worried about provoking the Portuguese camp and the players who supported Mourinho.

Both had their own reasons and concerns.

It could only be said that in the current situation, Real Madrid had no guaranteed path to success.

Florentino slowly reached out and picked up his glasses from the table.

Manuel Redondo immediately stepped forward and handed him a cleaning cloth.

He began wiping them slowly, thoroughly cleaning each part, from the lenses to the temples.

Then, he put them back on.

"In 2009, you all advised me against it, but I didn't listen and made a huge mistake. Looking back, that was the worst decision I've ever made as president. We missed a perfect opportunity to revive Real Madrid."

"Thinking about it now, I really regret it."

As he said this, Florentino stood up.

"Now, things have reached a point where we have to choose. This time, I'll make the decision again. And I still won't listen to you."

"You all know that I've always believed in never relying too heavily on any one person or role when managing an institution. It's irrational. But this time, I'm willing to give it a shot."

"Gao Shen is the first person who has ever made me feel that he was born to manage Real Madrid. I've felt that way since 2006. It's been five or six years since then, and after everything, I've realized I may have gone down the wrong path."

"So I want to go back to 2006."

"Give Gao Shen a chance. Give Real Madrid a chance. And give myself a chance."

As he said this, Florentino narrowed his eyes slightly, his sharp gaze sweeping over the four men in the room.

"From this moment on, everything said here today stays between the five of us. Understood?"

Zidane, Valdano, and the others immediately nodded.

"Tomorrow, I will summon Mourinho and Casillas to have a proper talk. I hope they can both prioritize the bigger picture."

With that, Florentino waved his hand to adjourn the meeting.

"That's all."

(To be continued.)