When people talk about Real Madrid, many often mention how much special treatment the club receives, such as the membership system, government support, and so on.
But none of that is irrefutable.
In the early years, Spanish clubs were almost all membership-based. Why did they later change the system?
Because the membership model eventually became unsustainable.
There are many clubs with royal titles, like Real Mallorca and Real Betis. Is it really only Real Madrid that received government support?
Whenever people mention government support for Real Madrid, the first thing they bring up is Florentino selling the old training ground when he first took office. But no one stops to consider whether the government also benefited from Real Madrid's old sports city project.
Just check the map. The answer should be clear.
If you still don't get it, think of it like an old city renovation project in a Chinese city.
Around the year 2000, Real Madrid's debt situation was very serious, but Florentino's sharp business acumen, his excellent personal network, and his real estate background gave him the confidence and ability to persuade the Madrid city government to acquire Real Madrid's old training ground and develop the Four Towers commercial district.
But that alone wasn't enough.
Florentino's keen business sense made him realize that with the rise of the internet, the world was entering an era of information explosion. The attention economy was becoming viable, so he proposed the strategy of signing one superstar a year and created the golden brand of the Galácticos.
In fact, managing to sign and handle one superstar per year is an impressive feat no matter the era.
Especially since these were star players from top clubs. For anyone else, this would have been nearly impossible.
As Real Madrid president, Calderón tried for years to sign Kaka and Ronaldo. Did he succeed?
If we say that the first phase of the Galácticos was a massive commercial success but ultimately fizzled on the pitch, then in 2009, after Florentino returned, he made significant adjustments to his Galácticos strategy and launched the second phase.
That led to the crazy summer transfer window of 2009.
No matter how many years pass, that summer's madness remains unforgettable for fans.
This was the triumph of Real Madrid's superstar strategy.
Everyone knows that during those years, the world economy underwent tremendous changes again, ushering in the mobile internet era. Various social media platforms emerged, and anyone with a smartphone could connect globally.
Real Madrid was arguably the first top team to quickly embrace and ride this wave.
Previously, The New York Times reported that in the mobile internet era, the most influential football clubs online were Leeds United and Real Madrid, ranked second.
On social media, Real Madrid had the second-largest following, just behind Leeds United.
But in Gao Shen's previous life, Real Madrid was unquestionably number one in the world.
That's fate.
When Serie A was still considered a mini-World Cup, with AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Juventus dominating European football, they failed to seize the opportunity. But Real Madrid did, and they continued to adapt with the times. Even the most prestigious and historic brands must continuously innovate and promote themselves to stay relevant.
As a historic powerhouse in European football, Real Madrid must use its ambition to show the world that it not only has a glorious past but will continue to be great.
Temporary setbacks are inevitable, but Real Madrid will always remain ambitious, always striving to win everything.
Just like now. Many people think Manchester United is a mess, blaming inflated prices and incompetent management.
These criticisms aren't wrong. Sandezi and others on the board have made some questionable football decisions.
But Manchester United can afford to keep spending.
Do you really think Manchester United's top executives are fools?
Absolutely not. In professional football, anyone who rises to that level at Manchester United is extremely shrewd.
Because no one can predict results. In a league of 20 teams, there can only be one champion.
To some extent, failure is a high-probability outcome, while success is an exception.
But by continuously spending, Manchester United sends a clear message to the media, fans, and players around the world: they are still a top club, still full of ambition.
Once you lose your results and lose your ambition, it's over.
Just look at the traditional giants in Serie A. They are cautionary tales.
...
Football, like war, is about logistics. To a certain extent, the same principle applies.
Gao Shen had always felt that Florentino's management of Real Madrid was worth studying and learning from.
To a degree, Leeds United was learning from Real Madrid. But it wasn't just blind imitation, it was about grasping the essence.
For example, Real Madrid's business model was based on attracting attention and converting that into commercial revenue.
Leeds United currently follows the same model and has even surpassed Real Madrid in terms of generating traffic. But their conversion rate is still not on par, which is why Leeds United's commercial revenue remains lower than Real Madrid's.
Real Madrid has always strictly controlled its wage structure, and Leeds United is doing the same.
It took Leeds United several years to raise their maximum weekly wage from £100,000 to £150,000.
Currently, the training base is completed, the new stadium is in use, and the shopping center and commercial street are progressing steadily. Leeds United will make some small adjustments, and when the time is right, they'll go further, increasing the cap from £150,000 to £200,000, and eventually to £300,000.
Everything depends on the club's revenue and performance.
But there was one thing Gao Shen realized.
"The team is in pretty good shape right now. Ruben Dias' contract renewal should be on the agenda," Gao Shen reminded.
Ruben Dias was the best-performing central defender at Leeds United and possibly in the entire Premier League this season. Gao Shen had high hopes for the Portuguese center-back, but his current weekly wage was only £60,000, and that was after a previous renewal.
Based on his current performances, this contract would not last. A new deal was necessary.
"If we renew, it'll likely cost at least £100,000," Su Qing reminded.
Gao Shen nodded. "Centre-backs are playing an increasingly crucial role in modern tactics. Doubling the salary is worth it."
Su Qing understood what he meant.
Wage control is a very delicate matter. A single misstep can affect the entire wage structure.
It's hard to keep it under wraps. The media could expose it at any time.
Just like Leeds United now. Things look great, but without careful handling, everything could fall apart.
Ruben Dias was still young and full of potential. More importantly, it was almost 2019, and Gao Shen's advantage as a transmigrator was down to only about two years.
From now on, Leeds United's development would no longer be as smooth.
To advance, they needed to plan ahead and prepare in advance.
So they couldn't keep selling players as easily as before.
Gradually increasing the wage ceiling and keeping more players in their prime would become Leeds United's next business focus.
Behind that, the club needed to further increase its income.
...
While Real Madrid suffered defeat at the hands of Barcelona in Spain, Leeds United was on a winning streak in both the Premier League and the Champions League.
In Premier League Round 9, Leeds United beat Huddersfield 1-0 away. Despite some struggles after the international break, Pochettino's team still managed to grind out a tough win.
Then, they beat Inter Milan 3-0 at home, earning their third consecutive win in the Champions League group stage.
That essentially meant Leeds United already had one hand on a ticket to the round of 16.
Back in the Premier League, in Round 10, they beat Cardiff City 5-0 at home, scoring another big victory.
In midweek, they hosted Nottingham Forest in the fourth round of the League Cup.
In 2017, Greek shipping magnate Marinakis and tycoon Kominakis jointly acquired Nottingham Forest and invested heavily. The club went from a lower-mid table Championship side to currently sitting 6th after 15 rounds, with a solid shot at promotion.
But at Amazon Stadium, Leeds United fielded a squad of backups and young players, yet still beat Nottingham Forest 3-1.
Players like Haaland, Foden, Vinícius, Sancho, João Castro, and Reece James all got minutes, continuing Leeds United's tradition of using domestic cup matches as a platform for young talent.
Haaland scored twice and was outstanding in this game.
After the match, many clubs from both the Championship and Premier League, including Nottingham Forest, submitted loan requests for Haaland. But Leeds United rejected them all.
Haaland was different from other players. He was raised in Leeds and came up through the club's youth system. Although he returned to Norway as a child, he held British citizenship and was regarded as a native of Leeds United.
Previously, England's youth national teams had tried to recruit him, but Haaland chose to represent Norway.
Now, with Harry Kane's move to Manchester City, Leeds United had begun to focus more on Haaland's development. He had even started making regular appearances off the bench in the Premier League.
...
When Leeds United's youth team beat Nottingham Forest, Real Madrid's new coach was also announced.
Spain's national team manager Lopetegui resigned and took over at the Bernabéu.
Both AS and Marca reported that Lopetegui was not Real Madrid's first choice.
Alfredo revealed in his column that Florentino had personally called Gao Shen, but was politely turned down. Afterward, Ancelotti also publicly stated that he had no interest in returning to coach Real Madrid for now.
In the end, Real Madrid chose Lopetegui.
At the press conference, Florentino said he hoped Lopetegui could get Real Madrid back on track and lead the team out of its current troubles.
But Marca revealed that Lopetegui's coaching contract only ran until the end of the season.
"It's obvious that Real Madrid's management is also unsure about Lopetegui. No one knows if this disciple of Gao Shen can restore order at the Bernabéu and bring back the glory Gao Shen once achieved."
(To be continued.)