"Pochettino's Leeds United really surprised me."
In the evening, Real Madrid had free time, and Gao Shen's parents and in-laws had also come to Lisbon.
He and Su Qing left their child in the care of the elders. The couple sat down at the hotel's open-air café, each ordered a coffee, and chatted.
The elders would be delighted to give them more private space, so they could prepare for a second child.
Yes, they had been urging them to hurry up and have another.
Gao Shen had stubbornly resisted, because his income was too high and having more children than permitted would result in a heavy fine in his country.
But his father quickly dismissed that objection, since the country already allowed couples with one son or one daughter to have a second child.
Gao Shen really wanted to tell them he would relax completely in the future, but he did not dare say that now.
He and Su Qing did not think too much about it.
Having a little good fortune is already enough. Any more can be distracting.
Besides, they were both fully focused on their careers. Where would they find the time?
Gao Shen was genuinely surprised by Leeds United's achievements this season. He did not expect Pochettino to elevate the team to this level. He had originally expected a top-ten finish.
For a long time, Leeds United's performances made Gao Shen feel that simply staying in the top ten would be good enough.
Who would have thought they would go on a five-match winning streak at the end.
But in reality, that was not everything.
There is a huge gap between fifth and fourth in the league.
"Pochettino has also come to Lisbon. He said he wanted to observe and learn on the spot," Su Qing said with a smile.
Her husband Gao Shen had always brought her pride and glory, but it also motivated her, reminding her to keep improving so she would not fall too far behind.
She had always believed that a woman who relies only on her husband will find it difficult to be truly happy.
Gao Shen also reflected on why he had underestimated them.
In fact, this was not the first time he had underestimated Leeds United. He had done so repeatedly.
The reason was simple. Gao Shen felt that the competitiveness created by this group of young players gathering together was something he had not anticipated.
Needless to say, in the attack, Harry Kane, Felipe Anderson, Salah, Sterling, Mané, Vardy and others are all future stars, which proves they are essentially young players with outstanding talent.
In midfield, Rabiot, Kanté, Brozović, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Coutinho, Fabinho and others form the core, all of whom are future midfield standouts.
When so many talented young players come together, the fighting power they generate is immeasurable.
Especially when the team operates in a sound and stable tactical environment and the players are developing rapidly, the competitiveness that emerges is astonishing.
And there is Pochettino, who is clearly better now than in Gao Shen's previous life.
In his previous life, Pochettino achieved some success at Espanyol, but when he later coached Southampton, he was still exploring and refining his tactical identity and direction.
In this life, he had been influenced by Gao Shen's tactics several years earlier, often discussing tactical issues with him, and he determined his own direction much earlier.
Especially later, after being dismissed by Espanyol, Pochettino moved directly to Madrid and studied with Gao Shen every day. At the same time, he carefully learned about and familiarized himself with Leeds United in preparation for taking over.
Not only that, Pochettino often discussed problems with famous coaches such as Gao Shen and Zidane. He would also seek out Carlo, Buenaventura, and Pintus to resolve issues, continuously improving his coaching plans and methods.
From a hindsight perspective, Pochettino's success at Leeds United does not seem surprising. Failure would have been the odd outcome.
But because of this, Leeds United's development has far exceeded Gao Shen's expectations.
This is certainly not a bad thing, but even rapid progress requires some adaptation.
"How are the preparations for the new stadium?" Gao Shen asked with concern.
"We are making the final preparations before construction. The project team has given a timetable. It is very complex, and the initial estimate is a construction period of 36 months, or three years."
This involves many advanced technologies, such as the most sophisticated Wi-Fi network and an intelligent management system. That will require great effort, because at that time everything from stadium entry security to merchandise sales can be handled through a mobile app.
Fans will even be able to place orders from their seats, and staff will deliver directly to them.
As for the stands, to maximize the viewing experience, the seats in the new stadium will be larger, with more legroom and greater comfort. That is particularly important for the spatial planning of the stands.
The most troublesome part is the roof.
The stadium will be semi-open, with the roof separated from the stands. In the design, Norman Foster must fully consider ventilation and the conditions when the stadium is full, providing the best all-weather comfort for the team and fans.
The retractable roof over the pitch will use a single-layer ETFE film with excellent light transmission to ensure the turf receives sufficient sunlight and air, maintaining optimal growth conditions.
But there is a problem. Gao Shen has partnered with a leading domestic company to develop a huge circular screen, expected to weigh several hundred, even over a thousand tons. How can it be supported and suspended?
According to Norman Foster, the complexity of this stadium is unimaginable from both an architectural and design perspective. Given the constraints of a football ground, it will be the most challenging project he has ever undertaken.
In that case, three years is not difficult to understand.
This is basically consistent with the estimates previously made by Gao Shen and Norman Foster.
Especially considering Tottenham's new stadium took more than four years to build and was less challenging than Leeds United's, completing this one within three years would already be very fast.
After Norman Foster's recalculation, the stadium's capacity is expected to be around 65,000.
That is already a very luxurious stadium.
According to the club's current projections, Lucas is very confident about attendance, because every Leeds United home match is sold out, and even some cup matches are at full capacity.
Next, Leeds United will increase publicity in Leeds and surrounding areas to attract more fans to follow the club.
Not only that, once construction begins, the club will start attracting investment for the new stadium, including a dining area capable of serving 40,000 people at once, a retail zone for beverages and snacks, and corporate boxes.
Currently, several local catering and retail companies, including PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, and KFC, are exploring partnerships with Leeds United to lease exclusive sales areas.
As for the stadium naming rights, talks are ongoing primarily with Amazon. Progress is smooth, and both parties are waiting to finalize some terms. It is expected that the contract can be signed.
…
Thinking of this, Gao Shen felt relieved.
It is now 2014, and the new stadium is set to be completed within three years, in 2017, just in time before a sharp rise in raw material prices. As for the commercial facilities around the stadium, they can be built faster and with lower investment.
The total project investment is £1 billion, most of which will go to the new stadium.
By then, Leeds United's value will be far beyond what it is now.
The White Rose will become one of the most valuable sports clubs in the world.
In terms of transfers, many Leeds United players are attracting attention from outside.
The most eye-catching are, of course, Navas, who won the Premier League Golden Glove, and local top scorer Harry Kane.
The latter's breakout this season did not surprise Gao Shen, because he has been making obvious progress, improving every season. It is only natural that he is exploding now.
But Harry Kane has already renewed his contract with Leeds United, so he is highly likely to stay.
In addition, left-back Bertrand has been targeted by Rodgers at Liverpool. As early as the winter break, Rodgers wanted to sign the Leeds left-back, but Leeds United rejected it.
Now, Liverpool have done well and qualified for the Champions League. The American owners have decided to increase investment. Rodgers hopes to sign Bertrand this summer to strengthen the left flank.
Leeds United have no objection, because the team still has two left-backs, Benjamin Mendy and Robertson, who can fully fill the vacancy.
Among them, Robertson is already at Leeds, while Benjamin Mendy is currently on loan in Ligue 1 and performed well this past season.
Besides, does building a new stadium not require money?
Another player worth mentioning is Kanté.
Highly valued by the club's hierarchy, Kanté has become a key player for Leeds United. He has lived up to expectations and performed very well this season, especially with interceptions and ball recoveries in midfield.
He is not tall, but his bite in midfield is fierce.
More importantly, whether due to Leeds United's influence and training or his own development, his passing has become very good.
Kanté played in every Premier League match this season and is considered one of the league's best-performing midfielders. Right after the winter break, Leeds United had already renewed his contract.
Vardy and Martial have also begun to emerge this season. Among them, Martial has been a focal point under Borrell and Pochettino. His profile is very similar to Henry's.
Leeds United are now teeming with talent. Gao Shen has reason to believe that as long as Pochettino maintains his current level, Leeds United will surely become a rising force in the Premier League in the coming years.
They even have a chance to break into the top four.
That will be the starting point of Leeds United's soaring rise.
(To be continued.)