After Bernstein's thorough analysis, Gao Shen suddenly realized that the hearing really wasn't that big of a deal.
All the documents, expert testimonies, and formal procedures were just for show.
The key lay in how the jury members voted.
Were there officials from the Ministry of Labour supervising the process?
Come on, they might be from the Department of Labour, but do they understand the nuances of professional football?
Even if they're hardcore fans, how much do they really know compared to seasoned professionals in the sport?
Even if one of them vetoes the case, aren't there still five other votes?
Could one person really outvote the other five?
So, the critical issue wasn't anything else, it was all about the jury members.
"I get it now!" Gao Shen slapped his thigh hard, as if he'd had an epiphany.
The more Bernstein looked at Gao Shen, the more he liked him. Among the world's top managers, there was only one this young. More importantly, he was genuinely pleasant and easy to deal with. No one else was like him.
Look at all the top managers in European football. Which one doesn't act like they're worth half a million?
Capello? Damn, his arrogance could shoot through the roof.
And Ferguson? Always parading around as a seasoned veteran—bah!
Wenger might look gentle and polite, but deep down he's full of tricks.
Then you look at Gao Shen. What a fine young man.
This was a friend worth making.
Especially since Gao Shen also hinted, quite naturally, at a public relations budget.
"Alright, Gao, since you've come to me, I'll handle this matter personally. Just prepare all the necessary materials. You don't need to worry about the rest," Bernstein promised.
Gao Shen laughed and clapped his hands. "Great, I feel reassured hearing that from you."
But soon, Gao Shen thought of another issue.
"I heard we need someone authoritative to testify, right?"
When he heard this, Bernstein looked at Gao Shen with an expression of disbelief. The look made Gao Shen feel a bit awkward.
What was going on?
Did I say something wrong?
"I mean, Gao, do you still need to find someone else to act as an authority?"
Gao Shen was stunned. What does that mean?
"In the world of talent evaluation, is there anyone more authoritative than you?"
When Gao Shen heard that, he couldn't help but grin from ear to ear.
What a compliment...
This man is going places. No wonder he's going to be the chairman of the FA!
"Can I…?" Gao Shen asked "modestly."
"Tsk, Gao, it seems you still don't fully understand your influence. You know what they say? When it's a 'Gao Shen product,' it's guaranteed top-tier. If you like a player, there's no mistake. When the time comes, just show up as the head coach and say this player is a genius. Who's going to argue with that?"
Gao Shen thought, that makes a lot of sense.
"But… won't they think I'm playing favorites?"
"Gao, this is about your professional credibility. Are you kidding me?"
Gao Shen understood.
Clearly, he still lacked experience in this kind of thing.
The two of them quickly moved on to other topics and eventually arranged to grab a coffee to wrap up the meeting.
After seeing Bernstein off, Gao Shen let out a long sigh of relief.
If this were in China, after a meal and drinks, you might treat your guest to some special entertainment, but unfortunately, this was the UK. Gao Shen had no such options here.
As for Manchester City's PR expenses, there was indeed a specific budget for it—around £200,000.
How to get that money into Bernstein's hands in a legal and appropriate way wasn't Gao Shen's concern. That would be Gary Cook's job.
Anyway, all Gao Shen did today was have a meal with Bernstein and "consult" him on how to handle the hearing.
Stuff like this happened all the time.
All the big clubs and high-profile managers did it practically every day.
Wherever there are people, there are networks. There are relationships, favors, and politics. That's the same everywhere in the world.
Even in Europe, there were plenty of people like Bernstein.
They understood the rules and laws very well, so they also knew exactly how to bend them while staying within the limits.
By comparison, Gao Shen still felt a bit small and inexperienced.
Well, if I hadn't chosen to be a head coach and had inherited Juan Carlos' throne instead, my current status might be very different.
What a pity!
When I have time and see Juan Carlos again, I need to ask if that promise he made still counts.
…
As the World Cup progressed, all the media and reporters were stunned by how accurate Gao Shen's predictions had been.
Especially after the quarterfinals, the teams that made it to the semifinals—Uruguay, the Netherlands, Spain, and Germany—were all squads Gao Shen had previously praised.
Uruguay had Suarez and Cavani, the Netherlands had Robben, Germany had Neuer, and Spain had David Silva, Casillas, Ramos, Arbeloa, and others—players who were all once Gao Shen's favorites.
This made everyone feel that Gao Shen's influence was spreading further and further.
Even though he was just a club head coach, the number of stars he had developed was increasing, which made his reputation and impact on world football continue to grow.
More importantly, Gao Shen was only 29 years old and already had two Champions League titles under his belt.
In time, he was bound to become the most legendary and accomplished manager in world football history.
No one doubted his future.
While the World Cup was in full swing, Manchester City's transfer activity was also moving forward.
First, they signed Lichtsteiner from Napoli for a hefty 30 million euros. The Swiss right-back had helped Switzerland defeat Vicente del Bosque's Spain 1-0 in the opening round of the group stage.
Lichtsteiner played the full match and performed excellently, preventing Spain from creating any real threat down his flank.
Napoli also announced Lichtsteiner's transfer at the same time, along with the sale of Dossena to Premier League side Liverpool for 20 million euros.
After selling two full-backs in quick succession, Napoli announced the arrivals of Alex Sandro and Danilo from Brazil, as well as local defender Davide Santon from AC Milan. The total cost of these three signings was less than 5 million euros.
While Manchester City was rolling out a series of new signings, Manchester United finally made a move.
After a long period of negotiations, Ferguson's side finally succeeded in convincing Real Madrid to release Lassana Diarra. The transfer cost United a total of 25 million euros.
Ferguson was very pleased with the signing. He believed Lassana Diarra would greatly strengthen Manchester United's midfield defensive capabilities.
Although they already had players like Fletcher and Anderson, Diarra was regarded as a true defensive midfielder.
Of course, Diarra had great footwork and passing ability, but he held onto the ball a bit too much. To put it bluntly, he was a defensive midfielder with the heart of a number ten.
…
After meeting with Bernstein, Gao Shen left the rest of the process to the club.
He returned to a semi-vacation state.
But from late June to early July, while the veteran players were still on holiday, new signings continued to arrive in Manchester.
De Bruyne and Courtois were among the early arrivals. De Bruyne was still house hunting, while Courtois was temporarily staying in a hotel.
After completing their medicals, Gao Shen met with both of them and had a brief conversation, mainly to discuss how they would be used and positioned in the squad. Courtois would train with the team but would return to Belgium for matches.
"Just across the English Channel. Our scouts and coaches will be watching your performances in Belgium every week," Gao Shen encouraged him.
Courtois was quite mature. He knew he wasn't ready to play for Manchester City just yet, but being welcomed and valued by Gao Shen still excited him. After all, Gao Shen was now one of the world's top coaches.
Before officially signing with Manchester City, Leighton Baines had already arrived and met with Gao Shen.
According to him, meeting Gao Shen strengthened his decision to join Manchester City.
The England international was frustrated about missing the World Cup.
In fact, before the tournament, he had been one of the players Capello was closely observing and had performed well in the warm-up games. But in the end, Capello kept Stephen Warnock, who hadn't even played in those friendlies. That left Baines completely confused.
He figured it might be because of Everton's underwhelming season.
Last season, Everton finished eighth in the Premier League. Although Warnock's Aston Villa only finished one spot higher, in seventh, Warnock had experience with a top club like Liverpool.
If Baines could perform well at Manchester City, it would surely improve his future prospects with the England national team.
Gao Shen also promised Baines that as long as he worked hard in the new season, the coaching staff would treat him, Felipe, and Gareth Bale equally in terms of competing for the starting left-back position.
Of course, Gao Shen also clarified Bale's tactical role.
Otherwise, it would be too cruel to have three outstanding full-backs fighting for one spot.
While Gao Shen was welcoming new players, the FA in London also scheduled the date for Fernandinho's work permit hearing. Manchester City immediately notified the Brazilian, who was still in his home country.
Fernandinho had called Gao Shen after signing for Manchester City and was currently handling personal matters in Brazil.
Meanwhile, a major signing that Gao Shen and Manchester City had been quietly working on for several months had finally made a breakthrough after over a month of formal negotiations.
However, since the player was still at the World Cup, Gao Shen had not yet been able to get in touch, and many details remained unresolved.
Still, the biggest hurdle had now been cleared.
Just as Gao Shen was preparing for the hearing in London and getting ready to finalize the deal, he suddenly received a call from Gary Cook.
The agent of Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure had shown up in Manchester and reached out to Gary Cook to recommend Toure to Manchester City!
(To be continued.)
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