"Are you crazy? You didn't say anything about this before!"
The entire press conference hall erupted.
Reporters and fans alike went wild, bombarding Gao Shen with questions, but Butragueño had had enough. He grabbed Gao Shen and dragged him away, leaving the press officer behind to deal with the chaos.
As soon as they got backstage, Butragueño exploded. His veins bulged, and his voice echoed off the walls, revealing just how worked up he was.
Real Madrid had finally managed to bring Gao Shen on board, and now he had gone and declared that he would be fired if he didn't win a title? What was he thinking?
Who dares to say they can definitely win a championship?
Who?
"Come on, Emilio, don't get so worked up, okay?"
"How can I not be? Do you know what that kind of statement means?"
"I'm confident I can do it."
"You're confident? Then keep it to yourself! Why say it in public?"
Gao Shen grinned. "Come on, look at the reaction. The buzz is incredible."
Butragueño almost blurted out a national-level curse. Buzz? This?
"Have you thought about what happens if you don't win?"
"Don't worry. I will win!"
"I'm saying, what if?"
"There is no what if!" Gao Shen emphasized.
"You think the title is yours to take? That you can just reach out and grab it?" Butragueño was truly panicking now.
He had always believed that Gao Shen was the perfect head coach for Real Madrid.
But beating Barcelona's dynasty and winning the Champions League in a single season?
The whole world knew how strong Barcelona was. Even without Guardiola, they were still Barcelona!
And Manchester City was still out there. That was Gao Shen's own creation. In terms of squad depth, who could match them?
Then there was Bayern Munich. Heynckes had just completed the local treble and was aiming even higher this season.
Real Madrid was still rebuilding. Even Florentino had said that winning La Liga or the Champions League within two years would already be a great success.
And now what?
Gao Shen publicly shouted that he would win a title this year, and if not, he'd be fired?
"Emilio, you have to believe me. I know myself, I know my assistants, and I know my players."
Gao Shen's tone turned serious as he suppressed his smile.
"Like I said earlier, I thrive under pressure and challenges. They push me, the players, and the whole team to improve."
"I want every Real Madrid player to know that we have no other option. We have to win a title!"
Butragueño understood now.
Gao Shen wasn't just trying to appease the fans. He was using this moment to motivate the players, to push them to fight harder, because the Real Madrid locker room was already under his control.
Had this been more than a month ago, Gao Shen wouldn't have dared to say this. But now, he had the courage.
That was because the players trusted him.
If he got sacked, it wouldn't go well for the players either.
First Mourinho, then Gao Shen—if both fell, what big-name manager would dare take over this team?
"But have you really thought about what happens if you don't win?" Butragueño was still worried.
Gao Shen laughed and spread his arms. "No. Because I won't let that happen."
Just as Butragueño was fretting, his phone rang.
It was Florentino.
The vice president waved his phone at Gao Shen and said, "See? The boss is already calling to chew me out. Unbelievable…"
Gao Shen just smiled and waved. "You take the call. I'm heading back to Valdebebas. Still have things to do."
"By the way, let's make time to pick out the cars later. Audi's been calling about delivery."
"I know."
Butragueño watched Gao Shen's back as he walked away, equal parts frustrated and impressed.
This guy never follows the rules.
…
A minute after Gao Shen left, Butragueño walked into the president's office at the Bernabéu.
As expected, Valdano and José Sánchez were already there.
"What the hell happened? How could he make that kind of promise? What are you even doing as PR director?" Florentino snapped the moment he saw Butragueño.
You can't just go throwing around declarations like that in public!
Butragueño braced himself and repeated everything Gao Shen had told him, word for word.
After hearing the full explanation, Florentino's anger eased a bit, but he still didn't like it.
"There are a thousand ways to motivate a team. Why choose this one?"
Valdano, who had been quiet, finally spoke. "He wants the players to know that the head coach is standing with them."
Florentino and Butragueño both turned to look at him.
"After Gao Shen made that statement, he was no longer standing above the players. He stood beside them. His situation is more dangerous than theirs. He placed his future in their hands. So now, the players will give everything for him."
"What if they don't?" Florentino asked.
"Then they don't deserve to play for Real Madrid, and they don't deserve to be in this dressing room."
"But if that time really comes..."
Florentino stopped mid-sentence.
He suddenly understood what Valdano meant.
If one public statement could decide the fate of a Real Madrid coach, that would be absurd.
Even if things really got that bad, there were still ways to de-escalate the situation.
But with one sentence, Gao Shen had bound himself to the players.
If you don't want me to get sacked, then fight for me with everything you've got.
If you want me gone, then I'll make sure you go before I do!
"This guy really knows how to stir things up!" Florentino let out a long breath.
Anyone with real ambition would never take a statement like that literally.
"Jorge, give him a scolding later. Tell him my heart can't take this kind of stress!"
At the end, even Florentino was laughing bitterly.
…
"If I can't win La Liga or the Champions League, I'll be fired!"
When Gao Shen's words were aired live on TV, the Real Madrid dressing room was stunned.
Did he really just set a flag like that?
He had so much confidence in them!
Everyone felt a strong sense of trust, but also a growing pressure.
What if we can't do it?
Barcelona was still terrifying. The Champions League was full of elite teams. Winning either title was never easy.
"Boss is really going all-in!" Ramos suddenly stood up and shouted.
Everyone in the Real Madrid locker room respected him.
After all, his first Champions League title came when Gao Shen coached Real Madrid, and he had been a core player then.
"Yeah, he believes in us. That's why he dares to make that kind of statement," Di María agreed, also standing.
"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'll say this now—I'm going to fight for him!" Ramos pointed at the image of Gao Shen on the screen.
"Same here. If anyone in this locker room gives the boss trouble, I'll be the first to deal with them!"
"Me too!"
"Count me in!"
"I support the boss!"
"With a head coach like him, how can we not give everything?"
"Right, if he has confidence in us, why wouldn't I?"
"This season, I'll be in the best shape of my career!"
"Let's go all in! Not just for ourselves, but for the boss!"
One by one, the players spoke up, and soon, they had all reached a consensus.
They were all behind Gao Shen—including Ronaldo and Kaka.
If Kaka had hesitated before, now he had made up his mind.
No regrets!
This was Gao Shen's choice, and now it was his too.
…
With the press conference broadcasted live and the news spreading rapidly, Gao Shen's "flag" went viral.
His criticism of the media and heartfelt words to Real Madrid fans caused a stir, but what really captured attention was his public vow.
If he didn't win the title, he'd be fired!
What confidence!
Alfredo, the editor-in-chief of AS, immediately tagged Gao Shen on Twitter, declaring him the most fitting coach in Real Madrid's history.
"No Real Madrid coach has ever dared to make such a statement, but Gao Shen did!"
"From this moment on, I see it clearly—the Real Madrid we know is coming back!"
"Many will doubt him, but I believe Gao Shen will succeed!"
"Because he is a great manager, and the team he leads is Real Madrid!"
Marca also published a commentary, calling Gao Shen's ambition the greatest counterattack to external doubts.
"What moved me most was what he said to the Real Madrid fans. If you're not truly part of this club, you can't speak with such sincerity!"
Marca believed that in recent years, Real Madrid's decline and poor performances had left fans feeling more and more fragile and uncertain.
But Gao Shen's words reminded everyone of what Real Madrid once stood for.
Mature, composed, confident, calm, elegant…
Weren't those the traits of the most powerful version of Real Madrid?
The more neutral El País believed that Gao Shen's real aim was to motivate the squad and reassure the fanbase. But his vow also revealed the depth of his confidence and ambition for this Real Madrid team.
This was a side aiming for titles.
More importantly, Gao Shen had never lost to Barcelona in the past few years.
That alone was enough to stoke anticipation.
"Everyone believes Gao Shen will succeed at Real Madrid because over the last six years, he has become synonymous with success."
"Gao Shen, with his Real Madrid team, is charging toward that impossible goal."
"Just like Don Quixote!"
"Or rather, more like Juanito!"
(To be continued.)
***
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