Chapter 245: Real Madrid's Deadly Hole

The day after Gao Shen arrived in Madrid, Butragueño brought him good news.

Real Madrid had agreed to the transfers of Callejon and Parejo, with the fees set at 1.5 million euros each. However, they required a buyback clause, just as Gao Shen had suggested: Real Madrid would have the option to buy back the players at market price, with priority given to them if they wished to do so.

Upon hearing the news, Gao Shen immediately contacted Marino and instructed him to finalize the deal with Real Madrid.

At the same time, Gao Shen personally reached out to Callejon and Parejo. Callejon would be an important addition to Napoli's attacking options, especially on the wings.

Currently, Napoli had wingers like Gervinho, Di Maria, and Sanchez. However, Brazilian winger Piá was not meeting Gao Shen's expectations, and it had already been decided that he would leave the club this summer. Several Serie B teams had shown interest in him.

That left Napoli with only three reliable wingers, plus Mertens, who had performed well in the Dutch second division, but it wasn't enough. Gao Shen hoped that Callejon's arrival would provide much-needed depth and strength to Napoli's attacking options.

As for Parejo, who had been hailed by Di Stefano as one of Real Madrid's most talented young midfielders, Gao Shen saw him as a key solution to Napoli's lack of creativity and organization in the middle of the pitch.

Gao Shen was determined to develop Parejo into the player Napoli needed, filling the gaps in their midfield. If necessary, he was willing to experiment with positioning to ensure Parejo could thrive.

There's a saying in professional football: the comprehensiveness of a player's skillset determines the richness of tactical options.

This principle was highly applicable to team-building. If you fill your squad with players of a similar type, you might specialize in one style of play, but it will significantly limit your tactical flexibility.

A prime example of this could be seen in Barcelona before the rise of Pep Guardiola's team. Everyone knew Barcelona had declined from their peak, with Xavi and Iniesta aging.

But why hadn't Barcelona been able to find suitable replacements?

Barcelona had long been committed to a possession-based style, focusing on intricate passing and control. Even players like Fabregas, who was raised in the Barcelona system, struggled to reintegrate after returning from Arsenal.

The only solution would have been for Barcelona to adjust their playing style, but that was easier said than done.

Consider Real Madrid as a contrast.

If Barcelona was like Apple's closed ecosystem, then Real Madrid was more like Android open and flexible. While Barcelona's system had poor compatibility, Real Madrid's system could integrate various styles and players, adapting to become stronger.

Neither approach is inherently better or worse; they just represent different philosophies. Barcelona has been deeply committed to their ball-control approach since the days of McWilliam in the 1920s and 1930s. Even when their style has faltered, they've remained self-aware.

Gao Shen recognized that he was not an idealist like Guardiola or Van Gaal. He was more of a pragmatist with occasional idealistic tendencies. He knew he couldn't replicate Barcelona's style because that wasn't his nature.

But he could build something special at Real Madrid or, in this case, Napoli.

Gao Shen's approach was inclusive. Players like Vidal, Parejo, and Rakitic all had different strengths, but they could coexist in his system.

When it came time to defend, they could be as solid as anyone. But when the moment to attack arrived, they could be more aggressive than most.

This was the essence of Gao Shen's philosophy.

After hearing that Gao Shen had returned to Madrid, many people wanted to meet him. Calderón and Mijatović even reached out, but Gao Shen politely declined, claiming he was too busy.

He knew exactly what Calderón and Mijatović wanted.

Meanwhile, Martín, the former president of Real Madrid, stirred things up again by making headlines in the media.

The most significant story came from AS: Napoli had officially made offers for Callejon and Parejo, two players hand-picked by Gao Shen.

Real Madrid had accepted the offers, which prompted Martín to accuse Gao Shen of "stealing" talent from the club.

In an interview, Martín claimed that these two players were carefully nurtured by Real Madrid, but Gao Shen was trying to poach them for a minimal fee. This, he argued, was something no former Real Madrid president could tolerate.

Martín's intention was to criticize Gao Shen, but he inadvertently sparked a feud with Real Madrid's current leadership.

Current president Calderón could not let this stand. He swiftly fired back, accusing Martín of not understanding the situation. Calderón clarified that there had been no under-the-table dealings.

Mijatović also chimed in, defending the club's decision. He explained that neither Callejon nor Parejo were part of Real Madrid's plans for the upcoming season. Selling them to Napoli would give the players valuable playing time, and Real Madrid could always exercise the buyback clause if they performed well.

In short, Real Madrid was essentially outsourcing the development of these players to Napoli, allowing them to get game time and improve, with the option to bring them back if needed. What's wrong with that?

Martín's attempt to take a shot at Gao Shen backfired, as he ended up provoking both Calderón and Mijatović.

But Martín, being Martín the former president of Real Madrid couldn't let it go.

Soon, the media was embroiled in a full-blown war of words, with Calderón and Mijatović on one side and Martín on the other.

Meanwhile, Gao Shen, the original target of criticism, became a bystander, watching the drama unfold with a sense of detached amusement.

It was almost embarrassing how quickly the attention had shifted away from him.

But such is the nature of electoral politics in football clubs.

While all of this was unfolding in public, Florentino, the former president of Real Madrid, remained calm and composed.

Florentino knew that Gao Shen was busy, so he made arrangements for a small gathering. He invited Zidane, Valdano, Butragueño, and a few others. Instead of multiple meetings, everything was combined into one dinner.

This arrangement suited Gao Shen perfectly.

At the dinner, the group discussed the biggest news in Spain over the past few days: the war of words between Calderón and Martín.

The whole situation left everyone at the table shaking their heads.

"Real Madrid might have won La Liga last season, and the club's finances might look solid on paper, but the loss of goodwill has been enormous. It's heartbreaking," Florentino said, sighing deeply.

"We spent six years building up this golden brand, and now they're squandering it."

Everyone present fell silent.

Whether it was Martín or Calderón, the damage to Real Madrid's image was undeniable.

"The most important thing Real Madrid has is its brand. As long as that brand remains strong, we're still the world's top club. We can survive dips in performance on the pitch, but once our goodwill is gone, we're in real trouble."

Gao Shen couldn't help but think of Zidane's Real Madrid team that won three consecutive Champions League titles. The squad depth, the bench strength everything was in place.

Many people credited Zidane's tactical brilliance, but the reality was that Real Madrid's squad during those years was unparalleled in its depth.

Of course, during those same years, Real Madrid struggled in La Liga, highlighting another issue entirely.

Maintaining such a strong squad came at a massive financial cost.

Any misstep in managing the club's finances, and everything could collapse.

"Over the past year, Calderón, Mijatović, and the people under them have been enriching themselves in various ways. Many have turned to transfers, but the real problem is how they've handled the brand licensing," Butragueño said, shaking his head.

"They don't have any concept of brand management. They're giving away Real Madrid's brand to anyone who'll pay. That's where the real damage is."

The value of Real Madrid's brand was immense, but many fans didn't grasp the full extent of it.

From what Gao Shen had learned, during the Galacticos era, just three players Beckham, Zidane, and Ronaldo generated over 30 million euros annually in commercial sponsorships.

In other words, those three players alone brought in almost 100 million euros for Real Madrid.

More importantly, sponsors actively sought out players of that caliber, often willing to pay handsomely. Real Madrid would often bundle sponsorships if a company wanted Beckham, they had to take a lower-profile player like Raul or Figo as well.

In the sports industry, just like in other industries, the top stars take the lion's share of the market.

This phenomenon was especially true in the football world of the past few years. While fans might debate the merits of Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, the reality was that both players commanded the attention of global brands. Other players simply couldn't compete with their commercial appeal.

As for Calderón and Mijatović, their mishandling of Real Madrid's brand licensing was far more damaging than any questionable transfer deals.

Transfers were risky, often messy, and required secrecy to execute. The profits weren't always worth the trouble.

But brand sponsorships? Those were lucrative, straightforward, and paid directly once the contracts were signed.

However, the reckless, unplanned authorization of Real Madrid's brand was doing irreversible harm to the club's long-term value.

Florentino's frustrations were clear, but he quickly shifted the conversation, realizing the atmosphere had become a bit too tense.

The group moved on to discussing other matters, particularly Gao Shen's impressive achievements with Napoli.

Even Florentino and Valdano, who had been highly optimistic about Gao Shen from the start, were shocked at just how well he had done in Naples.

Napoli's run to the Coppa Italia semi-finals and their triumphant win of the Serie B championship as a newly promoted side were incredible accomplishments. Gao Shen's achievements had not only exceeded expectations but had also raised eyebrows across Europe.

What impressed them even more was Gao Shen's bold proclamation that Napoli would challenge for the Serie A title in the upcoming season. This daring declaration had shaken fans worldwide.

When had professional football ever seen someone so audacious?

"I heard you've had some disputes in Argentina lately?" Valdano asked with a teasing smile.