Chapter 211: Sky-High Sponsorship! Nice Rises! A Shockwave from a Chinese Consortium!
Whether in China or across the globe, there's always talk about the "Big Four" or "Big Five" leagues in European football.
The difference lies in what fans mean when they refer to the "top four"—do they mean Europe's top four leagues or the traditional top five?
If there's still some debate about the ranking of the top four, then the status of the fifth league is almost undisputed.
No other league dares or is even able to contend with Ligue 1 for that fifth spot.
Professional football, as an industry, follows the same 80/20 rule as any other sector.
Even within individual leagues, the rule holds true.
As the traditional fifth league in Europe, Ligue 1's influence has taken a major hit, especially following the decline of Lyon, the seven-time consecutive champions. With no other team able to carry the flag in European competitions, Ligue 1 has lost much of its prestige.
A leading team is vital for a league's reputation and competitiveness.
With Ligue 1's declining influence, all 20 clubs in the league are now facing an unprecedented struggle in securing sponsorships.
On one hand, the economic crisis has plunged businesses across Europe into turmoil, prompting them to slash marketing budgets.
Less marketing from businesses means fewer sponsorship deals for clubs.
On the other hand, Ligue 1 has fallen seriously behind in commercial development.
Several reasons are often cited for this: the league's lack of global influence; its reputation as a "youth academy" for the top four leagues; even though football is the number one sport in France, the French aren't as fanatical about it as fans in other countries...
All these factors have contributed to Ligue 1's poor overall commercial development.
And yet, interestingly enough, despite all these setbacks, Ligue 1 isn't like Serie A, where many clubs are running around with no front-of-shirt sponsor.
That's a rare sight in Ligue 1.
But if you take a closer look at Ligue 1's front-of-shirt sponsors, you'll notice that they'll accept just about anything.
Online betting companies are currently the most common front-of-shirt sponsors in Ligue 1. Even a strong team like Lille is sporting a poker site on the front of their kit.
Some smaller teams have even plastered restaurant ads across their chests.
And yes, we're talking about the main shirt sponsor here.
In short, Ligue 1 clubs aren't picky—any sponsor is welcome. The amount of money involved is negotiable.
Another thing that sets Ligue 1 apart from other leagues is the sheer number of sponsor logos on their kits.
There's the traditional front-of-shirt sponsor, the club crest on the left chest, and the kit supplier's logo on the right—those are standard.
But then they add logos to the left and right shoulders, both sleeve cuffs, the back, and even the inner lining.
Basically, if there's a surface that can fit a logo, they'll slap one on.
Ligue 1 jerseys are so covered in ads, they look like Formula 1 racing suits.
Some might say, "Well, that's not so bad—it brings in revenue, doesn't it?"
But from a commercial standpoint, this kind of clutter drastically reduces a sponsor's value.
The oversaturation dilutes the commercial appeal.
That's why Ligue 1's sponsorship fees aren't high, and contracts tend to be short-term.
Take Lyon, the most high-profile club in Ligue 1. Their current kit deal with Adidas brings in €10 million per year.
That's not a small number.
But that's as good as it gets in Ligue 1.
Even Lyon's front-of-shirt sponsor is a gambling website.
Sponsorships might seem plentiful on paper, but they don't last.
From front-of-shirt sponsors to ads in various spots on the kit, many deals are signed on a year-to-year basis.
In some cases, clubs receive sponsorships but don't even make back the investment.
That's just ridiculous.
So, sponsor turnover in Ligue 1 is extremely frequent.
There have even been cases where a club has one sponsor in the first half of the season and a completely different one in the second.
In short, Ligue 1 is a total mess on the commercial front.
Even a club like Lyon is barely hanging on.
Most clubs survive by selling players.
Nice is no different.
This season, Nice is running without a front-of-shirt sponsor.
If Yang Cheng hadn't bought the club, they would've had to sell off players like Rémy just to stay afloat.
Even then, they'd be scraping by.
That's why the French Football Federation and the French government welcomed Yang Cheng's acquisition with open arms.
At the very least, it was a ray of hope.
It's easier to thrive in the shade of a big tree!
With financial powerhouses like Yang Cheng and the Chinese owners of Bayswater backing them, how could Nice possibly collapse?
In fact, from the French government to the Football Federation to the Nice municipal government, and even to other Ligue 1 clubs—everyone's got their eyes on Nice.
They all want to see what Yang Cheng, who worked wonders in the Premier League, can do in Nice.
Could he pave a new path for other Ligue 1 clubs to follow?
What kind of transformation could the resources of Bayswater's Chinese ownership bring to Nice?
On the competitive side, Nice has already climbed to third place in Ligue 1. The new signings have been performing well, and the team's improved competitiveness is now widely acknowledged.
But what about the business side?
Bayswater's Chinese club is currently the second-highest earning football team in Europe, trailing only Real Madrid.
So what can Yang Cheng bring to Nice—and to Ligue 1?
Amid all this anxious anticipation, Yang Cheng, along with Xia Qing, Adam Crozier, Omar Berrada, Dan Ashworth, and Mike Rigg, once again arrived in Nice in the south of France.
...
This time, unlike previous visits, was an official one.
The French authorities gave it top priority.
The Ministry of Sports assigned key officials to attend the meeting in Nice.
The Nice municipal government organized a reception with all the pomp usually reserved for foreign dignitaries.
Mayor Estrosi personally met with Yang Cheng and his entourage the next day.
The meeting took place at Nice's City Hall.
That alone showed just how seriously the French authorities were taking this.
During the meeting, Yang Cheng discussed the strengths of Ligue 1, which were part of what drew him to invest.
As the owner of the most commercially successful club in Europe and the most successful head coach in the world, Yang Cheng believed that Ligue 1's commercial and competitive potential had yet to be fully tapped.
And he wasn't speaking without evidence.
"French football has the world's most complete and elite youth development system. For years, it has consistently produced top-tier players—that alone is Ligue 1's greatest asset!"
"The French national team is one of the strongest footballing powers in the world, producing global superstars like Zidane, Henry, and Ribéry. Even though they eventually go on to play in other leagues, the impact and driving force they provide to French football is undeniable."
Yang Cheng also touched on the cultural diversity of French football.
For many years, South American and African players have seen Ligue 1 as their gateway to Europe.
Especially African players.
With so many French-speaking countries in Africa, there's a natural affinity toward France.
And therein lies a massive potential.
But on the flip side, Ligue 1's operations are deeply flawed.
Despite having so many African players and being the former colonial ruler of numerous African nations, Ligue 1 has very little influence in Africa.
That reflects just how far behind the league is in terms of globalization.
If even French-speaking African countries show such little engagement, what hope is there for other regions?
Asia and North America are the current hot markets, with every major club scrambling to get a piece of the pie.
But Ligue 1? No signs of activity at all.
"Revenue from international broadcasting rights is negligible. The overseas market share is practically nonexistent. The league is overly reliant on the domestic French market."
"But as we all know, French fans aren't as fanatical as those in England, Spain, Italy, or Germany. The elegant French not only enjoy football—they're also into cycling, tennis, and other sports and competitions."
Yang Cheng's Message: French Football's Foundation Falls Behind the Big Four
What Yang Cheng wanted to express was that the foundational base of football in France simply doesn't compare to that of the Big Four leagues.
To support his point, Yang Cheng even presented a set of data.
In the 2009/10 season, the total revenue of all 20 Ligue 1 clubs was €1.272 billion, with a total loss of €345 million.
Unlike other leagues, Ligue 1 does not include transfer revenue and expenditure in their operating income.
Even so, in the 2009/10 season, Ligue 1 clubs made a net profit of €153 million on the transfer market.
That still leaves a net loss of €192 million.
This was the total deficit of all 20 clubs combined—what the exact loss was for each individual club is hard to determine.
Yang Cheng had done his homework thoroughly for this visit.
After all, this was an official visit—not only representing Bayswater China but also the Yang Group behind it.
Faced with such detailed data and market research, the French side found it hard to argue.
In fact, some of the numbers Yang Cheng presented weren't even available to the French Ministry of Sports or the French Football Federation.
Which was frankly ridiculous.
When it came time for Yang Cheng to offer suggestions, he was completely candid.
First, he believed that France's proposed domestic policy to raise taxes on the wealthy should exclude professional football leagues.
To illustrate this, Yang Cheng used the Premier League as an example.
Even with a global fanbase and an enormous domestic market, English clubs are struggling under the combined pressures of tax increases and a weakening pound.
If those circumstances were replicated in Ligue 1, the league would be doomed.
At a time when foreign capital—such as PSG and Monaco—had yet to fully flood into the league, Yang Cheng's comments were nothing if not honest and accurate.
"This will absolutely drag down all of professional football in France!"
His second suggestion was for the Ministry of Sports or the French Professional Football League to take the lead in establishing a Ligue 1 Branding Committee—an expert team to globally promote the Ligue 1 brand in a unified, professional manner.
This is exactly what the Premier League has been doing.
In terms of globalization, Yang Cheng believed in taking a two-pronged approach.
First, retain local identity—build regional brands and tell compelling local stories.
Take Nice, for example. The Mediterranean and the Côte d'Azur are the city's most dazzling and alluring features—they are Nice's brand, its story.
There also needs to be internal reform, such as splitting the sale of broadcasting rights to attract more competitive international broadcasters.
Combine this with internet platforms and new media to bring in a global fanbase.
While embracing local flavor, Ligue 1 should also proactively expand into North America and Asia, and use linguistic and cultural ties to grow its fanbase in the Middle East and Africa.
If Yang Cheng's earlier analysis and insightful suggestions were all solid, objective advice, then his final point carried a bit of personal interest.
"My third suggestion is that most stadium facilities in Ligue 1 are seriously outdated, which has a significant negative impact on matchday revenue and the overall fan experience."
Of course, Yang Cheng wouldn't make this claim without data to back it up.
Over the past six or seven seasons, Ligue 1's average attendance hovered around 21,500 spectators.
But last season, it dropped to 20,239.
This season, it's falling even further.
If averages aren't convincing enough, let's use Nice as an example.
Since their return to Ligue 1 in the 2002/03 season, Nice's average home attendance was 13,494, with a total of 256,381 attendees that year.
Keep in mind, the Stade Municipal du Ray had a capacity of 17,415.
By the 2003/04 season, those numbers had dropped to an average of 11,912 and a total of 226,321 attendees.
In the years that followed, Nice's average attendance generally stayed above 11,000.
Until the 2008/09 season, when it dropped to 10,622.
And by the 2009/10 season, it had fallen below the 10,000 mark—to just 9,198 spectators.
Across all of Ligue 1, only three teams averaged fewer than 10,000 fans per match: Le Mans, Monaco, and Nice.
Coincidentally, all three had very old stadiums.
Nice's Stade Municipal du Ray was originally built in 1927, with renovations in 1997 and again in 2004.
But it was now clearly outdated.
Le Mans' Stade Léon-Bollée was built in 1906.
Monaco's Stade Louis II was constructed in 1939.
Everyone knows Monaco has a total population of just over 30,000—no matter how you spin it, attendance will always be limited.
Putting Monaco aside, Le Mans had already invested over €100 million in building a brand-new stadium, set to open in January 2011.
Nice?
Still nothing on the horizon.
This season, Nice's average home attendance has dropped to just over 8,000.
"According to research commissioned by our club from a third-party firm, one of the main reasons fans don't attend matches is due to the outdated stadium facilities."
Yang Cheng didn't push his own agenda too hard—he made his point and left it there.
"Ticket prices in Ligue 1 aren't expensive, but the outdated stadiums are a serious issue holding back attendance. It's become a real problem."
And the issue isn't just the stadiums themselves—it's also their locations.
Take Nice's Stade Municipal du Ray, for example.
While it's conveniently located in the city center, the surrounding transportation options are quite poor.
There's tram and bus access, but it's a nightmare for drivers.
Back when the stadium was built in 1927, no one even considered these things.
Christian Estrosi, 55, is a native of Nice. He's been in politics since the 1980s and became Mayor of Nice in 2008.
Before entering politics, he was a highly successful motorcycle rally racer, winning multiple French championships.
Since taking office, Estrosi has been actively working to improve his hometown.
Football is naturally one of the key areas he focuses on.
After hearing Yang Cheng's analysis, Estrosi expressed his gratitude.
"This has helped us gain a much clearer understanding of our hometown club, and it's given us a better vision of the path ahead."
Estrosi told Yang Cheng that the Nice municipal government already had a clear plan to support the development of OGC Nice. They hoped the club would stay in Ligue 1 and become the brightest gem on the Côte d'Azur.
He also expressed appreciation on behalf of the city government and Nice's citizens for the progress and development achieved under Bayswater China's support this season.
As the fifth largest city in France, it was always a point of regret that Nice didn't have a strong Ligue 1 team.
Estrosi said that the city government hoped to use the opportunity of France hosting the European Championship to build a modern stadium in the western suburbs of Nice.
That area would also become a key development and investment zone over the coming years.
Yang Cheng had already learned about this project from a report by the club's CEO, Martin Harrison.
To put it simply, the plan was to develop a new urban district on the western outskirts of the old city.
The problem is, the new district lies in a river valley between two mountains, with the mountains separating it from the old city, making integration difficult.
But Xia Qing had commissioned an in-depth study and believed that there were pros and cons to everything.
While the new district's location was indeed more remote, it also offered significant advantages.
There would be tram lines, bus stops—everything you'd expect.
In addition, it would be next to a highway.
That would be a huge convenience for fans who drive to matches.
By moving away from the city center and leveraging the highway network, OGC Nice wouldn't just be the football club of Nice—they could also extend their reach to neighboring cities.
Such as Èze, Antibes, Cagnes-sur-Mer, and even Cannes.
While Cannes has its own professional club, it's been stuck in the third division for years.
Staying in the old part of the city, with its inconvenient transport links, severely limited Nice's development.
But by moving to the western suburbs and using the highway network, they could significantly expand their catchment area.
This Was No Shot in the Dark by Yang Cheng
This wasn't Yang Cheng talking without evidence.
In his previous life, after Nice moved their stadium out of the city center, attendance jumped from a mere 7–8,000 to over 20,000.
What's more, the new urban development plan included supporting infrastructure like IKEA, major supermarkets, and shopping centers.
Since the internal agreements within Nice had already been settled in advance, Yang Cheng naturally gave his full support.
Not only did he back the idea of moving the stadium, he also stated that Nice's training base should relocate to the western suburbs—right next to the new stadium. He requested the city government to help select the site and announced a planned investment of €15 million.
"We want to build in Nice the most complete, cutting-edge, and advanced training base in all of France—to help train more outstanding football talent for French football!"
Mayor Estrosi exchanged glances with his colleagues, eyes gleaming with excitement.
This was exactly what they were hoping for.
A €15 million investment!
Their hospitality toward Yang Cheng was, in the end, all about attracting investment—and benefiting from the branding power of Yang Cheng and Bayswater China.
Did Yang Cheng not understand their intentions?
Of course he did. Very clearly, in fact.
And it was precisely what he wanted.
This visit wasn't just about signing the €15 million training base project with the Nice city government—it was also a chance to show his value.
With representatives from the Ministry of Sports, the French Football Federation, the French Professional League, and the Nice City Council all present, Yang Cheng dropped another bombshell.
"After more than two months of hard negotiations, we've officially secured several sponsorship deals for OGC Nice."
"Starting next season, Germany's Puma will replace Italy's Lotto as the official kit supplier for Nice."
Estrosi and the others were visibly surprised.
This was a major sponsor!
"€5 million per year!"
There was an audible stir in the room, but it was still within control.
€5 million a year was a lot—especially for a club like Nice.
It fully showcased the commercial strength of Bayswater China.
Without their involvement, how could Nice possibly land a major sponsor like this?
Let alone at €5 million a year.
But before anyone had time to react, Yang Cheng made another announcement: beginning next season, Orange—France's telecom giant—would become the club's front-of-shirt sponsor, also for €5 million per year.
Now that truly shocked everyone in the room.
Orange? A telecom behemoth sponsoring Nice?
And for €5 million a year?
It was like a dream come true.
"In addition, we've signed a €2 million-per-year sleeve sponsorship deal with Boulanger, a French electronics retailer with a strong presence across the country and ambitious expansion plans into e-commerce and overseas markets."
"Also, MUTUELLES DU SOLEIL, a well-known French health insurance company, will become one of Nice's global partners for €1 million per year."
"And INTERSPORT, the renowned French sporting goods retailer, will also join as a global partner, also at €1 million per year."
"All of the above sponsorship deals are for a duration of five years!"
Yang Cheng's final sentence drew gasps from everyone present.
Five years!
In Ligue 1, aside from giants like Lyon and Marseille, who gets sponsorship deals that long?
And these were all major sponsors!
Estrosi did some quick mental math and instantly understood the numbers.
€14 million in annual sponsorship revenue.
Add to that the €15 million investment in the training base…
This was Yang Cheng's welcome gift to him!
And also a demonstration of Yang Cheng and Bayswater China's real power.
Only with the backing of a footballing powerhouse like Bayswater China—and their credibility—could Nice land sponsorship deals like this.
Each individual deal might not seem overwhelming, but in Ligue 1, they're on par with what top-tier clubs like Lyon and Marseille get.
And with a five-year duration, the financial foundation is incredibly stable.
Just look at Marseille—they change sponsors practically every season.
Omar Berrada, ever the seasoned executive, chimed in at just the right moment, explaining that due to limited time—barely two months—this was all the commercial team had been able to finalize.
But he expressed confidence that with Nice's performance continuing to improve, the commercial side would soon soar even higher.
This was mostly a setup to let Yang Cheng shine.
But it still left everyone, including Estrosi, looking at Yang Cheng with newfound respect.
This was, after all, one of the most commercially capable football clubs in the world.
In just over two months, they had secured €14 million in sponsorship revenue for Nice.
That meant starting next season, Nice would no longer be running a deficit!
Of course, that's not counting the training base investment.
…
"Mr. Yang, that surprise was a bit much!"
After the official meeting ended, Estrosi invited Yang Cheng for a private chat.
There were some things that couldn't be discussed in front of people from the Ministry of Sports and the Football Federation.
"We just hope to earn your trust. We're not here to hype things up or to make a quick buck—we're here for the long term. We want to build something lasting with OGC Nice and turn the club into our most important partner in French football."
Estrosi wasn't surprised at all.
He had done his homework on football matters.
He was aware of the Pozzo family, for instance.
And how the group that acquired Tottenham Hotspur also held stakes in clubs across multiple countries.
In short, he understood the trend.
And Yang Cheng had shown him both the commercial capabilities of the Bayswater China team and their genuine commitment to managing Nice in the long run.
"To be honest with you, Nice is our city's only professional club. If we build a new stadium, it will absolutely be designed with the intention of being used by OGC Nice."
Yang Cheng's smile faded slightly as he nodded solemnly.
Everything he had done up until now was in anticipation of Estrosi offering exactly this chip.
"We used to have concerns about Nice, but now…"
Estrosi smiled and waved his hand, clearly putting those concerns to rest.
"Our ambitions for a new stadium go back to the last century. Even before France successfully bid to host the 1998 World Cup, we had already applied to host matches."
"But unfortunately, cities like Lens, Nantes, Montpellier, Saint-Étienne, and Toulouse were selected instead—we failed."
"In 2002, we once again proposed building a new stadium, but as you can see, year after year passed with no progress. Nothing ever came of it."
As Estrosi recounted the past, there was a touch of emotion in his tone.
Although he wasn't the mayor back then, he had held senior positions in the city council and government.
And he was a native of Nice.
"This time, we've pulled a lot of strings in hopes of securing a spot as one of the host cities for Euro 2016. But based on what I've heard in Paris, government funding is extremely limited—they'll only cover up to 70% of stadium construction costs."
Which meant the remaining 30% would need to be raised locally.
And even that 30% was a staggering amount.
Yang Cheng immediately understood what Estrosi was hinting at.
The city government simply couldn't afford it.
If they had the money, construction would've started long ago.
Yang Cheng, on his end, had already done the math.
For example, Manchester City leased the City of Manchester Stadium from the city council, but they had to share ticket revenue and pay £30 million in renovation costs.
In Yang Cheng's past life, West Ham United got a sweet deal after the 2012 Olympics by securing use of the London Stadium—but they, too, had to cover part of the renovation costs.
Not Only That—West Ham Didn't Even Have Full Access
Not only that, West Ham United only had matchday usage rights. Outside of their games, the stadium wasn't theirs to use—not even for renovations inside the stadium. They didn't even have the right to modify interior spaces.
That's why Premier League teams at the time often criticized the poor conditions at West Ham's ground.
Because right before a match, the venue might've just hosted an expo or some other public event.
"We would be very happy to participate in a project that benefits the citizens of Nice, and we're also willing to shoulder part of the stadium's construction cost—but what we want is full usage rights for the entire stadium."
"Full usage rights!" Yang Cheng repeated with emphasis.
He went on to explain his reasoning: to facilitate the development of commercial spaces and interior renovations.
This was a crucial part of generating matchday revenue.
Estrosi understood. "But the stadium will be owned by the municipal government."
"We could sign a long-term lease—say, 99 years—and within that agreement authorize your group to carry out internal renovations."
Estrosi clearly knew what Yang Cheng was getting at.
But he wasn't particularly bothered by it.
Right now, the most important thing for Nice was securing the hosting rights for Euro 2016.
Which required a new stadium.
Every city applying to build a new stadium had to face one major issue—what happens to the venue after the Euro?
Nice was the obvious choice.
Both sides understood this perfectly.
On this topic, Yang Cheng and Estrosi exchanged their views.
The Nice city government hoped the remaining 30% of the stadium cost would be split 50-50.
But Yang Cheng clearly couldn't agree to that.
This stadium project had been originally designed as early as 2002. After being relaunched recently, design firms estimated a total investment of €250 million.
15% of that would be €37.5 million.
Yang Cheng wasn't stupid.
Nice was only willing to cover up to 10%—that's €25 million.
However, after the Euro, all usage rights for the stadium—including naming rights and rental income—would be handed over to OGC Nice, under a 99-year lease.
As for rent? Just like the current Stade Municipal du Ray—it would be symbolic, a token amount.
But all maintenance costs for the stadium would fall entirely on Nice.
That was clearly within the range of what both sides could accept.
And with that, Yang Cheng and Estrosi had essentially reached an agreement.
…
After leaving the city hall, Yang Cheng and his group set off west along the Côte d'Azur from the city center.
After arriving at Nice Côte d'Azur Airport, they headed north.
Soon, they arrived at the proposed site of the new stadium—Saint-Isidore.
On both sides of the river valley were rolling hills...
Well, okay—by Chinese standards, they were just hills.
Running between the hills was the Var River, flowing from north to south and emptying into the Mediterranean.
The famous A8 motorway cut through here, heading east through a tunnel past old Nice, then through Monaco and on into Italy.
Following the Var River southward, the A8 passed the airport and curved east, eventually reaching Marseille.
The stadium site was located at a junction where the A8, a national highway, and the Var River met at a right-angle bend.
There was a highway exit right there.
Martin Harrison told Yang Cheng they had already coordinated with the city government—ideally, the club's training base would be just north of the airport, where there was another highway exit.
The location made both northbound travel to the stadium and southbound access to the airport extremely convenient.
Yang Cheng suddenly remembered something amusing.
Before his time travel, French media had reported a story: a Nice player, heartbroken over a breakup with his girlfriend, drove onto the A8 and threatened to jump from a 100-meter-high bridge. The police had to be called in.
At the time, Yang Cheng thought it sounded ridiculous.
Now, after seeing the location for himself, he had to admit—it was pretty accessible.
The hills around Saint-Isidore were filled with residential villas—densely packed luxury homes.
But Martin Harrison explained that the truly wealthy—not just in Nice but across France—lived east of old Nice, in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
That peninsula was filled with ultra-luxury villas, a hotspot that had drawn wealthy British nobles and European elite since the 19th century.
There were over 500 villas on the peninsula, and the cheapest didn't go for less than €7 million.
"I think we should be involved in the planning of the new stadium—build a batch of high-end VIP boxes specifically to serve these global elites," Martin Harrison suggested.
"To the east, Monaco has an old stadium. To the west, Cannes doesn't even have a top-flight team. Yet every year, the entire south coast draws global celebrities, tycoons, and superstars."
"With this new stadium, we'll be the only club capable of providing them with luxury matchday services."
This Brit, a University of London graduate with a background in business management, later joined Bayswater China and became Omar Berrada's right-hand man.
Now, with Yang Cheng needing someone to run Nice, both Adam Crozier and Omar Berrada recommended Martin for the job.
It was both a way to give internal talent a path to promotion and an acknowledgment of Martin's sharp instincts—he had immediately zeroed in on the key business angle.
Nice alone received four million tourists a year. If you included Cannes and Monaco, the figure was far higher.
Not to mention the countless people who came to the southern coast for holidays or to escape the winter.
"I'll leave this project in your hands," Yang Cheng said to Martin Harrison with a smile.
He never hesitated to reward capable people—both with praise and with generous material compensation.
"The group's already opened the door for you. Now do a good job, and I'll be waiting to hear your good news!"
Martin Harrison was clearly thrilled and nodded repeatedly.
This was a pivotal moment in his career.
If he succeeded, whether he stayed with Nice, got promoted within the group, or transferred to another club, he'd have solid credentials and confidence.
…
Yang Cheng also made a trip to the old training ground.
The facilities were, indeed, in terrible shape.
Not many Nice players had made the national team, so most of them were still at the club training daily.
Yang Cheng's arrival came as a surprise—and a major morale boost.
This was the head coach of Bayswater China!
If he took a liking to a player, that player could rocket to stardom, possibly even join the elite club.
Yang Cheng first met with the players and commended them on their performance this season.
He also shared the news about the club's new sponsorships.
The players were shocked—but also thrilled.
It meant the club would be stable for years to come.
And the benefits of being backed by a giant like Bayswater China were starting to show.
Yang Cheng urged them to stay focused on the pitch.
"I promise you—as long as you perform, this club will never let you down!"
Blaise Matuidi, the team's biggest star and current captain—selected by Ronald Koeman—had transferred from Bayswater China, and Yang Cheng gave him words of encouragement.
There was also N'Golo Kanté.
So far, the player hadn't delivered the kind of consistent performance Yang Cheng was looking for, but he remained full of expectations for him.
Yang Cheng even made time to check in on Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé.
It was just a casual chat to maintain rapport with the youngsters and remind them he was paying attention.
As for Ronald Koeman, Yang Cheng was overall satisfied with the team's performance this season, though there were still areas needing improvement.
Koeman had a proud personality, so Yang Cheng didn't criticize him directly. Instead, he offered tactful suggestions to steer him in the right direction.
For example, he advised more squad rotation, giving players more trust and encouraging more offensive participation.
Sometimes Yang Cheng Just Found It Strange
Why are the Dutch always so stubborn?
Yang Cheng's visit brought a weighty gift to Nice and also delivered an unexpected surprise to French football as a whole—especially with Nice's new approach to commercial partnerships for the upcoming season.
The day after Yang Cheng's group departed, Nice CEO Martin Harrison gave an exclusive interview to Le Figaro, during which he talked about the club's commercial strategy.
Martin Harrison expressed his incomprehension regarding the widespread practice among Ligue 1 clubs of cramming their shirts with sponsorships.
Too much is as bad as too little!
What's more, stuffing the jersey with ads sacrifices the interests of the sponsors.
While such an approach may yield short-term sponsorship revenue, in the long run, it severely damages the club's brand value.
He also spoke about betting companies.
Martin Harrison firmly stated that Nice would never accept any form of sponsorship from gambling companies.
The CEO, who had come over from Bayswater China, laid out Nice's commercial logic: the club would only allow two ad placements on the kit—the front of the chest and the sleeve. The right chest would remain reserved for the kit supplier, as standard.
"We must ensure we deliver real commercial value to our sponsors!"
Since Ligue 1 has a winter break, Martin Harrison revealed that the club was actively planning a winter training camp in the Middle East.
"In the coming years, we will aggressively invest in overseas market development—across North America, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa."
North America and Asia would be the focus in summer, while the Middle East and Africa would be targeted during the winter break.
This was an advantage Ligue 1 had over the Premier League.
As for the international connections? Bayswater China had more than enough resources.
From Yang Cheng's visit, to the string of sponsorship announcements, to Martin Harrison laying out Nice's future strategic plans, and finally to the series of cooperation agreements revealed by the Nice city government...
This entire package of moves stunned the entire French football world.
Everyone started to realize that Nice might truly be on the rise!
But that was just within France.
What really shocked all of Europe was Bayswater China!
When Yang Cheng returned to London after his trip to France, Bayswater China held a massive press conference to announce that the club had officially signed a five-year sponsorship deal with German brand Puma—worth a staggering £30 million per year!
It sent shockwaves around the world!
£30 million per year!
The CEO of Puma personally flew to London to sign the contract and attend the press conference, stating that partnering with Bayswater China was the company's most important strategic move in recent years—and for the years to come.
Adam Crozier thanked Puma for their trust and said he hoped the partnership would create greater value for both parties in the coming years.
In addition, Bayswater China also announced a global partnership with Boulanger, the well-known French home appliance retailer, which is actively expanding both internationally and online.
Nice's two sponsorship deals were included as part of Boulanger's negotiations with Bayswater China.
As for the other deals? They were with companies that had previously shown interest but had failed to close earlier.
Some thought Bayswater China's asking price was too high, others had different concerns.
But when Bayswater China recommended Nice to them, they became interested—and the deals came together quickly.
The record-breaking shirt sponsorship with Puma immediately exploded across the European football world.
Fans and media around the globe were left stunned.
Jumping from £10 million to £30 million per year—Bayswater China's commercial power was no joke!
Adam Crozier also revealed that several of the club's sponsorship renewals had been completed over the summer, but hadn't yet been publicly disclosed.
For instance, Mercedes-Benz had extended their deal through 2016, at £5 million per year.
Domestic brands Huawei and TLC had also renewed through 2016, each at £3 million per year.
These sponsors would continue to drive Bayswater China's commercial growth.
But the most critical deal was still the front-of-shirt sponsorship.
It's the most visible spot and always the center of attention for fans and media alike.
Bayswater China's sponsorship deal with Prudential Insurance was set to expire in 2011, and negotiations for renewal had been ongoing for quite some time, but the two sides had yet to reach an agreement.
Qatar Airways, among others, had also expressed interest in sponsoring Bayswater China.
In an interview, Adam Crozier said the club hoped to finalize the sponsorship deal before the end of 2010, but the outcome remained uncertain.
"The only thing I can reveal is that the new sponsorship deal will definitely not be lower than our shirt sponsorship!"
This comment once again ignited intense discussion across European football.
Currently, the most expensive front-of-shirt deal in Europe belonged to Barcelona.
The La Liga giants sold the space to Qatar Sports Investments for €30 million a year.
If Bayswater China's new deal really matched or exceeded their shirt sponsorship value, that would mean £30 million—enough to shatter Barça's record and make it the most expensive chest in European football history!
Everyone could already see it—Bayswater China was on track to set new revenue records.
Of course, all of this would happen in the next season.
But that didn't stop fans and media from celebrating early.
One of the key reasons Puma was willing to sign a record-breaking deal was because of its declining position in the Big Four leagues.
Especially in the Premier League.
All the major clubs had already been snatched up by Nike or Adidas. Even Manchester City had Umbro under Nike as their supplier.
Bayswater China was the only top-tier club still under the Puma banner.
Under such circumstances—and with Bayswater China's rapid rise in recent years—Puma placed great faith in Yang Cheng's team and its future trajectory.
That's why they were willing to go all-in: £30 million for Bayswater China and an additional €5 million for Ligue 1's Nice.
As for the standoff with Prudential Insurance, a key issue was the naming rights for the new stadium.
Prudential was more than happy to sponsor Bayswater China with £30 million per year.
But they also wanted to secure the naming rights to the club's new stadium.
After all, this was prime real estate in the heart of London—land where every inch was worth gold. Once named, every mention of the stadium would carry the sponsor's brand. For a sponsor, it was a dream come true.
However, Yang Cheng, Xia Qing, and Adam Crozier had studied this carefully and even hired third-party firms to assess the value.
In the end, Bayswater China set the standard: the stadium naming rights would cost no less than £30 million per year.
And it had to be a 10-year contract.
That exceeded Prudential's budget.
Negotiations had reached a stalemate.
In the meantime, Bayswater China was also in talks with other sponsors, including AXA, Qatar Airways, and Barclays Bank.
If talks with Prudential broke down completely, they would simply negotiate separately.
Didn't Adam Crozier already set a deadline?
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