"Capello said Real Madrid is like a scumbag."
Gao Shen hadn't touched a drop of alcohol, so his mind was crystal clear.
"But you know, I don't like working in an unstable environment. I have a strong desire for control. For other managers, Real Madrid is a scumbag, but I want to try and change it, turn it into a stay-at-home husband!"
"I have great respect for Ferguson. So, if I go back to Real Madrid, I'll have only one goal, to become the Ferguson of Real Madrid. I want to completely change the club's long-standing tradition of prioritizing star players over the head coach!"
Carlo, Lucas, and the others weren't surprised, but Borrell, Buenaventura, and the rest were visibly shocked.
It was the first time they had heard Gao Shen speak so candidly about his thoughts.
But thinking it through, this was exactly what you'd expect from someone as meticulous as him.
He had always been this way.
"To be honest, I can clearly see the problems Real Madrid is facing now, and I also know how to solve them. But..." Gao Shen paused, scanned the group, and continued slowly, "I don't think Florentino would give me that kind of authority right now."
"Without the authority I need, taking over Real Madrid means nothing to me. Even if I win a championship with the team, it wouldn't be the Real Madrid or the championship I truly want."
Everyone immediately understood what Gao Shen meant.
In fact, they'd sensed this long ago from working with him every day—he had just finally voiced it.
"The Daily Mail says Mourinho is Real Madrid's first choice, with Wenger second. But I don't think Wenger would take the job right now. As for Mourinho, I don't think he'll succeed at Real Madrid."
Mourinho's current situation was clearly different from the one in Gao Shen's previous life.
In that life, Inter Milan sold Ibrahimović to Barcelona in the summer, receiving Eto'o in return. They also brought in players like Diego Milito and Sneijder. Their strength improved dramatically, culminating in a Champions League win.
The most iconic moment was their semifinal win over Barcelona.
But Inter Milan now was clearly not the same.
Thiago Motta, once their midfield core, was now playing for Barcelona. Sneijder was at Manchester United. Diego Milito remained at Genoa, Eto'o was still at Barcelona, and Ibrahimović stayed at Inter Milan.
From their match against Chelsea, it was evident that even though the Nerazzurri advanced, their overall performance wasn't convincing.
All things considered, Chelsea were simply out of form—hence Inter's win.
In Gao Shen's previous life, Mourinho went from Inter Milan to Real Madrid with two Champions League titles under his belt. That was the peak of his managerial career. But even then, he faced enormous challenges.
Though he won La Liga and reached the Champions League Round of 16, Mourinho eventually left Real Madrid amidst tensions with players and the club hierarchy. It's hard to judge who was right or wrong in just a few words.
Now, based on Inter's current form against Chelsea, Gao Shen really didn't see any chance of them winning the Champions League.
And without that Champions League title, what would happen if Mourinho took over at Real Madrid?
With his personality, could he really control the Real Madrid dressing room?
Gao Shen had been Real Madrid's head coach, even if only for a few months, and he knew all too well that to last in that role, you needed much more than just coaching skills or a domineering attitude.
Real Madrid's locker room was arguably the most complicated and difficult to manage in world football.
"No one can predict the future, but I can tell you this—I will return to Real Madrid, and that day isn't far off."
"When that time comes, I hope all of you will join me in creating a brand-new era that belongs to us!"
Carlo, Lucas, Buenaventura, Borrell, Lopis, even Pintus, they all showed visible excitement, full of anticipation for the future Gao Shen was promising.
"But before that, we need to elevate Manchester City to an entirely new level."
Gao Shen paused again and flashed a confident smile.
"Even if I eventually have to leave Manchester City, I'll make sure to lay the most solid foundation for my successor and turn this club into one of the top teams in the Premier League and even in Europe!"
This was Gao Shen's way of repaying Mansour and Manchester City!
…
Gao Shen wasn't just all talk.
The next morning, the team was still on break.
That's the benefit of only playing two matches a week.
One rest day per week was the norm. If the players performed well, they might even get two days off—it was a comfortable schedule.
Of course, this comfort came at a price: Manchester City had already been eliminated from both the League Cup and the FA Cup.
So, when Gao Shen announced the break, he told the players they should thank Ferguson.
Unexpectedly, the entire group shouted in unison: "Thank you, Sir Ferguson!"
Yes, even the people next door heard them clearly.
Ferguson was probably startled and immediately called Gao Shen to ask what was going on.
After hearing the explanation, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
He was incredibly busy himself, and hadn't expected Gao Shen and the Manchester City players to be in such a good mood.
Taking advantage of the free time, Gao Shen went to the Etihad Stadium.
Waiting for him were Chairman Mubarak, CEO Gary Cook, consultant Brian Marwood, and Brian Kidd, who was nominally Gao Shen's assistant coach.
The purpose of the meeting was simple: this summer's transfer window.
It was already March, the perfect time to finalize summer transfer plans.
Gao Shen had been too busy before, but in recent days, he'd finally had time to review the team's situation and organize his thoughts. The coaching staff had also offered their suggestions.
The current squad was strong, but not strong enough to handle multiple competitions simultaneously.
Moreover, there were quite a few players who didn't meet Gao Shen's expectations, so he wanted to use the summer transfer window to make another round of upgrades and adjustments.
Take Bridge, for example.
On a personal level, Gao Shen sympathized with Bridge's situation—Terry's actions were clearly unfair.
But as the manager, Gao Shen had to be objective: Bridge simply wasn't up to the required standard.
Filipe Luís would definitely start, and Gareth Bale would be given a key role. But for the Welshman, Gao Shen hadn't locked him into the left-back spot, he'd also try him as a left midfielder and left winger.
It all depended on the team's needs.
So if Bridge was sold, they'd need to bring in a top-tier left-back.
At the very least, someone better than Bridge.
Then there was the right side.
Micah Richards hadn't had many chances under the current tactical system, and relying on Zabaleta alone wasn't enough. Trippier had shown promise, but he was still too young.
With Manchester City set to play in the Champions League next season and also competing in the domestic cup tournaments, it wouldn't be viable to rely on just Zabaleta and Trippier.
New signings were necessary.
Currently, there were only three center-backs, which clearly wasn't sufficient.
As for defensive midfield, De Jong had been completely dropped from Gao Shen's plans, so Javi Martínez needed a backup.
Henderson had been performing well lately, but the issue remained: one Henderson wasn't enough for a team competing on multiple fronts, especially the Premier League and Champions League.
By contrast, the midfield and attacking areas were in the best shape.
That was largely due to Gao Shen's previous focus on building up those areas.
As a result, Manchester City had become the most attacking side in the Premier League—and even in all of Europe.
"Yesterday, I had a phone call with Mr. Mansour," Mubarak said to the group.
"Gao, he asked me to pass along his regards to you."
"Thank you. Please pass on my regards to him as well," Gao Shen replied politely.
Everyone in the room noticed something: Gao Shen clearly held a special status in Mansour's eyes.
Otherwise, why would he single out Gao Shen for his greetings?
"I'm here today on behalf of Mr. Mansour and Manchester City's management to say this, we are very satisfied with the team's performance this season. We firmly believe that under your leadership, Manchester City will reach new heights next season," Mubarak said confidently.
Right now, Manchester City was leading the Premier League by a wide margin. Although they'd been eliminated from both domestic cups, it wasn't a big deal. Not many people took those competitions seriously.
As the media liked to mock the big clubs: the League Cup and FA Cup are just fig leaves for teams that can't win the league title.
And Manchester City had basically wrapped up the league.
"Just like last season, the board will fully support the coaching staff in the transfer market this summer, there will be no budget cap!"
As soon as Mubarak finished, everyone in the conference room became visibly excited.
Even though they were all from Manchester City, they were still stunned by the Abu Dhabi group's ambition.
Last season, it made sense not to have a transfer budget as they were rebuilding.
But now, even with a league title nearly in hand, there was still no budget cap?
How much more money were they willing to invest?
When everyone looked at Gao Shen again, their expressions changed.
With his sharp eye for talent and world-class coaching skills, if he was allowed free rein in the transfer market, the other clubs might as well give up now.
Just imagining it was exciting!
"Gao," Mubarak said, smiling at him.
One thing he hadn't said aloud, Mansour had personally praised Gao Shen's work during their call.
Especially last year, when he insisted on bringing in top-class players.
It had proven to be a wise and correct decision.
Gao Shen understood Mubarak's meaning. "I want to say this too—during the winter window, my colleagues and I underestimated the challenges and lacked experience. But we've learned from that and won't let it happen again."
"As for this summer's transfers and signings, our foundation will be one thing—the goal for next season isn't just the Premier League title, but also the Champions League!"
"I have great confidence in our current squad. And with the right additions, I believe we can take this team to the next level!"
"I will lead my staff and my players to do everything we can to win both the Premier League and the Champions League!"
Gao Shen's words rang out clearly, powerful and full of conviction, echoing through the conference room.
(To be continued.)
***
Support me on patreon to read 30+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves.