Speaking of which, no one would believe it.
When Gao Shen said he would attend the hearing for Fernandinho's work permit, the person who was most grateful was actually Fernandinho himself.
Just last night, the Brazilian midfielder was deeply moved. He sincerely said that he would give his all on the pitch to repay Gao Shen's faith and expectations.
But the ones who were the most excited were the British media, especially reporters from the major London newspapers. They all swarmed outside the FA headquarters, frantically awaiting Gao Shen and his team's arrival, eager to see the final outcome.
Even though Gao Shen had made thorough preparations, he was still surprised by how smoothly the hearing went.
Was this really a country's official process for issuing a work permit to a foreign player?
Gao Shen had grilled his own players more strictly and thoroughly when they asked for leave than the FA did in this hearing.
To put it plainly, the six panelists sat there, Gao Shen and the others entered, answered a few routine questions, the lawyer representing Manchester City gave a brief explanation and defense, then they asked Gao Shen about his stance on Fernandinho and why he believed this player was essential to Manchester City.
The key points Gao Shen highlighted were Fernandinho's goal in the final of the Abu Dhabi World Youth Championship and the fact that he was Brazilian.
Everyone knew Brazil was full of talent. Even if you weren't selected for the Brazilian national team, it didn't mean you weren't a top player.
Take Deco, wasn't he outstanding?
Who could question whether he was a world-class player?
Yet Deco never played for Brazil.
And what about Pepe? Was he called up by Brazil?
If this were a player from another country, the panel might have debated more. But when it came to a Brazilian, no one questioned it.
Gao Shen also firmly stated that Fernandinho would definitely make the Brazilian national team in the future.
The panel didn't issue a verdict on the spot, as they still needed to discuss it further. The result would come out in the next two days. If approved, Manchester City could begin the formal procedures for his work permit. If rejected, the club would have the option to appeal.
But before leaving, Gao Shen "accidentally" bumped into David Bernstein, who exchanged pleasantries with him and the others, casually hinting that they had nothing to worry about.
The unspoken message: As long as I'm here, everything will be fine!
Gao Shen nodded knowingly to express his gratitude and then led everyone out.
…
Compared to the panel inside, the reporters outside the FA building were far more difficult to deal with.
Why?
Because the England national team, which the whole country had pinned their hopes on, had just been eliminated in the round of 16 at the South Africa World Cup—suffering a humiliating 1-4 defeat to their long-time rivals, Germany.
How could this happen?
Losing to a rival was bad enough, but losing so badly?
Time for some serious reflection!
The England national team had long been known for this pattern: full of stars, but always flopping at major tournaments. Every year they were hyped, every year they were eliminated, and every year they "reflected." It was becoming just like a certain team that can't be criticized or it'll collapse.
Following this latest round of "reflection," the British media pointed the finger at the large number of foreign players in the Premier League.
There was a stat floating around: only about 40% of Premier League players were British, while over 60% were foreign.
And even that 40% included players from Scotland, Ireland, and other parts of the UK.
With the media leading the charge, the Premier League giants suddenly found themselves under fire.
The first unlucky one? Wenger.
According to Premier League rules, every first-team squad must have at least eight homegrown players.
The definition of "homegrown" is a player who has spent at least three years at an English club before the age of 21.
As luck would have it, Arsenal was famously international.
You might ask, how did Wenger meet the homegrown quota?
Easy. He bought young foreign players and trained them in England for three years. That made them count as homegrown.
So, Arsenal's "homegrown" list included Bendtner (Denmark), Clichy (France), Denilson (Brazil), Djourou (Switzerland), Fabregas (Spain), Alexandre Song (Cameroon)…
See? Plenty of them.
But before Wenger could explain, he was already singled out by the British press and severely criticized by the media and fans.
What was the implication?
You want to make a living in the Premier League but refuse to develop English players?
Do you despise us that much?
You're not that capable to begin with, and now you're arrogant too?
Look at Manchester United and Liverpool, prime examples of nurturing local talent!
And look at Manchester City. Are they like Arsenal?
Who are Manchester City's homegrown players?
Given, Joe Hart, Leighton Baines, Trippier, Gary Cahill, Stephen Ireland, Henderson, Adam Lallana, Sturridge, Gareth Bale…
And they had even sold Micah Richards and Wayne Bridge—there were more.
So yeah, Arsenal deserved to miss out on the top four!
Because they didn't have enough English players!
But soon after, the media and fans turned sour again.
They discovered that Manchester City had just submitted a work permit application for a Brazilian player who wasn't even a full international.
My god, that's just asking for trouble.
They had just been praising you, and now you're pulling this?
Why go through all the trouble for a player who hasn't even made Brazil's national team?
Can't you find someone in the UK to fill that role?
When it comes to setting the public narrative, no one beats the British press. If they're second, no one dares claim first.
So they swarmed outside the FA headquarters, demanding an explanation from Gao Shen.
What do you have to say about the fact that fewer than 40% of Premier League players are British?
…
It was a sharp issue and a deeply emotional one.
Even Brian Kidd and Marwood, both Englishmen, were a bit anxious. They advised Gao Shen not to answer. Just avoid it. There was no need to confront the press.
After all, saying the wrong thing now could turn you into the enemy of public opinion.
Even if you weren't wrong, the media would find fault.
Hide from it!
Or, just take a page from Ferguson's playbook and publicly state that there were too many foreign players.
UEFA President Michel Platini had also said that clubs and national identities should be preserved.
But here was the key: Gao Shen himself was a foreign head coach, and many of his players were also foreign. How could he stay silent?
"I think there's a serious flaw in the way you're looking at this issue."
As soon as Gao Shen spoke, the crowd of reporters stirred.
They had been waiting quietly for him to say something but no one expected him to come out with something so bold.
Was he planning to offend everyone here?
Brian Kidd and Marwood became visibly nervous, motioning repeatedly for Gao Shen to drop it.
But Gao Shen stood firm, calm and resolute.
After the crowd quieted again, Gao Shen continued.
"Not just me, but everyone here, and all the fans across the UK—I believe no one will deny one thing. That is: the Premier League is the best, toughest, most competitive, and highest-level league in world football today, right?"
As soon as he said it, many reporters and fans outside nodded in agreement.
It was simply the truth.
The Premier League was ranked number one in Europe.
"Then let me ask you this: on a stage that represents the highest standard in the world and gathers the best players from around the globe, nearly 40% of the players are British. Is that considered a failure?"
The moment Gao Shen finished, the entire scene fell silent.
Brian Kidd and Marwood both went deep into thought.
Wasn't that true?
If the Premier League were just England's league, then only having 40% British players would be too few.
But if we regard the Premier League as a global league, then 40% being British is that low?
That's quite high, actually.
Inside the FA headquarters, people like Chairman Roger Burton and Bernstein were secretly observing the situation outside. They heard Gao Shen's comments and were also struck by the question.
Is the Premier League Britain's league—or the world's?
"Mr. Gao!"
After more than ten seconds of silence, a reporter raised his hand.
"I must say, your perspective is quite novel. But if the Premier League, as the top global league, gathers the best players in the world, and 40% of them are British, then why does the England national team, supposedly made up of these elite players, perform so poorly?"
"Great question. Excellent question!" Gao Shen pointed at the reporter and praised him.
The reporter looked a bit embarrassed and waved his hands nervously.
"You're right. Logically, the national team, made up of these elite players, should be strong. But why can't they achieve results?"
Gao Shen shook his head. "I'm not the national team coach, so I can't give a definitive answer. But I can say that one reason is the league is too exhausting. That's why over the years, people have called for the cancellation of one of the domestic cup competitions. The Premier League is the only top league in Europe with two domestic cups, meaning more matches."
But that proposal always gets rejected. Fans don't want it, and neither does the FA.
"I also think part of the issue is that there simply aren't that many British players who can play at Premier League level. But because of regulations, they're included in the 40%."
"If that's the case, does it mean our Premier League and our British players aren't as strong as we believe? Because if we look across European football, we see many Spaniards, Italians, and Germans playing abroad. But how often do we see British players doing the same?"
"Why is that?"
"I think sometimes we need to be humble, seriously assess our gaps and shortcomings, identify the real problems, and then we can start fixing them."
"So in my view, the problem with British football isn't that there are too many foreign players—it's that there aren't enough. There isn't enough competition. We should bring in more top-level players and coaches to raise the standard of British football and its youth development."
"What the UK needs most is to train more outstanding, high-level players who can compete in the Premier League. Those are the ones who'll be the future of the England national team."
(To be continued.)
***
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