No one expected that, with the World Cup in full swing and the Premier League's summer training camp yet to begin, Gao Shen's comments would ignite heated discussions and widespread controversy across the UK and throughout Europe, causing a major stir.
The Times believed that his deep and unique perspective offered a fresh take, different from how most people had previously viewed the issue.
Whether it's the English FA, UEFA, or the British media, the Premier League has always been regarded as the British Premier League. As such, various policies have been introduced, including registration restrictions on foreign players and requirements for homegrown talent, all in an effort to protect British players.
They believe that the influx of too many foreign players has taken away the space for local players to grow and thrive.
And this isn't just the case in the Premier League. It's true across other leagues as well, including La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1. The only difference lies in the number of foreign players and the specific rules.
So why restrict foreign players?
The answer is simple: to protect local players.
Yet on the other hand, the four major leagues the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, and Serie A, have all been committed to globalization over the past decade. Relying on their status as the core of world professional football, they aim to export their brand globally to generate profit.
As a result, the share of the Premier League's overseas broadcasting rights revenue has continued to rise in recent years, even surpassing domestic earnings.
And that's just the broadcast rights. Once you factor in commercial sponsorships and other revenue streams, it becomes clear that the Premier League's current prosperity is entirely supported by the vast global market. Without it, that prosperity would cease to exist.
The same applies to leagues like La Liga, Serie A, and the Bundesliga, especially their top-tier clubs.
This creates a fascinating contradiction.
On one hand, they argue that the Premier League is the British Premier League and that foreign players should be restricted, even excluded. Yet on the other hand, they aggressively market the Premier League to the world and chase profits globally.
Isn't that highly contradictory?
The Times dedicated extensive coverage to dissecting the logic behind Gao Shen's comments and believed that his argument held water.
Because if the league were made up entirely of local players and coaches, the excitement and technical level of the Premier League would not be what it is today. Its rapid development in tactics and overall play owes much to the presence of foreign talent.
So what about local players?
"Gao Shen has already given the answer. He believes that the UK should strongly develop its youth training systems and increase efforts in nurturing young players. That way, more outstanding homegrown players can compete with high-level foreign imports, thereby improving the strength of English players and elevating the national team."
The Times argued that a more market-driven approach is the only sustainable development path for the Premier League, English football, and the ongoing trend of globalization.
"Further limiting foreign players and clamping down on foreign imports will only result in isolationist policies, which will do more harm than good."
Based on Gao Shen's statements, The Times also delved into the English FA's youth development investment over the years.
It's well known that a large portion of the Premier League's revenue is redistributed to lower-tier leagues like the Championship, with parts allocated to youth training and community programs. All of this is covered by the Premier League's expenditures.
So where does the FA's money go?
Each year, a handful of promising young players emerge from the Premier League, but how many truly succeed?
Take Walcott, who burst onto the scene four years ago with high expectations. Four years have passed. Does he still shine like he once did?
He's been completely overshadowed by his roommate, Gareth Bale!
"What Gao Shen said is absolutely right. If English football wants to improve, it must rely on both market competition and increased investment in youth development."
The Times pointed out that in Germany's last two major tournaments—2006 at home, and this World Cup in South Africa—a wave of young and talented players like Thomas Müller and Toni Kroos have emerged, leaving a lasting impression.
These players are the direct result of Germany's youth development reforms.
Back in the 1990s, after several poor showings in major competitions, a group led by Beckenbauer began to seriously reflect on the problems in German football. They pushed for youth system reforms and significantly increased investment, leading to today's situation where promising young German players are thriving.
Was this a coincidence?
…
But even within The Times, there were columnists who pushed back against Gao Shen's views, arguing that he was speaking from the standpoint of a foreign coach and foreign player, lacking true objectivity.
Why?
Because young players need match experience to develop.
But the Premier League is oversaturated with foreign players, leaving little to no opportunity for local youth to gain playing time.
When every Premier League club is used to recruiting players from around the globe, then how can the English players, whom the country has worked so hard to train, possibly compete with the world's best?
The truth is, they can't.
It's like having a national team go up against a club team, national teams simply don't have the depth to win.
Why?
Because of the limited player pool. National teams are naturally weaker in certain positions.
Likewise, if the Premier League continues without restrictions, or even relaxes existing rules, it could become like Serie A in the past, flooded with foreign talent, which in turn squeezes out the development space for local players.
"What's even more damaging is that clubs will lean toward buying players rather than developing them."
"The former requires less effort and carries less risk. The latter is more laborious and much riskier."
…
Similar scenes unfolded across The Guardian, The Mirror, The Sun, and other British media outlets.
TV stations, websites, and social platforms of all sizes joined the debate, each presenting their own perspectives and arguments.
Soon, the topic spread online especially on Twitter and then extended across Europe.
Before long, nearly the entire European football world and the entire internet were talking about it.
There were supporters, critics, and those who remained neutral.
But it was clear that no one was going to convince anyone else, and the debate wouldn't lead to any concrete results.
As the initiator, Gao Shen gained a massive influx of Twitter followers, boosted Twitter traffic, and significantly raised his public profile. But he didn't care at all.
Because he never intended to make a living as an internet celebrity.
His real job was still being a football manager.
He could rely on his looks if he wanted, but he chose to rely on talent instead!
As for the uproar and endless debates outside, Gao Shen's private assessment was…
…
"So boring!"
When Lucas brought up the media frenzy and asked for Gao Shen's thoughts, the answer caught him off guard.
"Don't you think this kind of discussion has value?"
"What value? What can you possibly get out of a public argument? If people in England have time to waste on this, they might as well focus on improving youth development. Just look at how bad the state of youth training is in England."
Gao Shen was genuinely baffled.
"Then why were you so passionate when speaking in front of the FA?" Lucas challenged.
Well…
Gao Shen was a little speechless. "I just couldn't stand their arrogant attitude."
Lucas was at a loss for words.
Great. You've said both the good and the bad.
In truth, Gao Shen felt that there was no absolute right or wrong in this matter.
Restricting foreign players isn't inherently a problem.
The world isn't black and white.
It all comes down to balance.
But is the issue with English football really about how many foreign players there are? Is it really about whether local players have room to grow?
Come on, just take a look at how high the price tags are for domestic players these days.
Clearly, the real issue in English football is youth development.
Gao Shen had already stated this bluntly. There are very few English players competing abroad, and even fewer who find success.
Who's the last English player to thrive overseas?
Beckham.
And then?
That's it.
Isn't that clear enough?
Damn it. If the players you train aren't good enough, they're not going to be competitive overseas. Got it?
In Gao Shen's past life, England eventually learned from its mistakes and decided to build St. George's Park, launching a major youth development reform. Eventually, a generation of talents like Sancho, Foden, Rashford, Sterling, and Stones emerged.
The national team's performance improved almost immediately.
But sadly, the media prefers sensationalism over actual analysis.
Why? Because conflict brings traffic, attention, and sales.
Analyze the problem?
Please. Most people in this world don't like thinking things through.
They want it simple, blunt, and aggressive.
…
Still, even with all the chaos, there were positive outcomes.
For example, Fernandinho's hearing went smoothly, and the jury gave unanimous approval.
They trusted the judgment of Manchester City's scouting team and believed in Fernandinho's strength and potential, even though he was already 25 years old.
Manchester City immediately began the process of securing a work permit for Fernandinho and officially submitted an application to the Home Office.
Meanwhile, Yaya Toure's agent, Seluk, returned to Africa and discussed the offer with the player. Within a few days, they got back to City with the news that Yaya Toure wanted to speak with Gao Shen directly.
Gao Shen agreed.
The two had a private meeting in Manchester that lasted over an hour. In the end, Yaya Toure agreed to join Manchester City.
The club quickly submitted an offer to Barcelona, signing the Ivorian midfielder for a hefty 20 million euros.
The deal sent another shockwave through the Premier League.
Everyone could see it now, Manchester City really was arrogant!
Even though their transfer activity had cooled off somewhat this summer, they had still spent 92 million euros. That figure alone was unmatched in European football, and City's squad had improved significantly.
And don't forget, the exciting players Gao Shen had previously mentioned still hadn't even been revealed yet.
They've already surpassed the 100 million mark again. No suspense there.
Who can stop Manchester City from signing players at this rate?
(To be continued.)