The Exodus of Millwall

With the advancement of television broadcast technology and the increasing profits generated from football match broadcasts, combined with the rising values of superstar players, club operating costs have been on the rise. To chase profits and reduce operational risks, the G14 organization was born.

Edwards brought up the often-discussed "European Super League" from the Premier League owners' roundtable at the G14 meeting. Although this organization had not yet been officially established, it was essential to have a goal and stance during its formation to unify everyone.

This was undoubtedly aimed at challenging UEFA, which was merely an organizer; its biggest brand is the Champions League, and the mainstays of that league are the top European clubs. Hence, the elite clubs united to exert pressure on UEFA, which is essentially a form of "class struggle" familiar in various industries.

The "European Super League" was just an idea, but one that could incite panic in UEFA. Aldrich remained mostly silent during his first G14 meeting, aware of his subordinate position—as an inconspicuous supporting character. This organization needed the most influential clubs in Europe to join. Historically, Millwall couldn't compare to Liverpool, nor did they measure up to the clubs present that had won the Champions League. However, in the past two years, Millwall had created a youth wave in Europe that undeniably held significant public appeal. At the very least, compared to Dortmund, Ajax, and clubs in Ligue 1, nobody could claim that Millwall lacked in influence.

Aldrich kept his head down and listened quietly, knowing that if he started to talk too much, he'd only irritate others and find himself sidelined.

Millwall's inclusion in this group was already a windfall; there was no need to push his luck further.

After all, G14 served as a tangible measure of a club's standing in Europe.

They convened secret meetings in Brussels, but the organization wasn't truly mysterious, nor did they want to be. After reaching a consensus internally, they needed to communicate their decisions and plans to UEFA; either UEFA would give in, or they would break away entirely and create their own European Super League, skipping the Champions League to see who could reap the benefits and who would suffer losses.

Aside from attending this first meeting, Aldrich would not participate in future G14 summits; instead, Adam would represent them. In reality, this organization would eventually make some blunders that would force UEFA to reform. The Champions League schedule became bizarre—more matches and thus more broadcasting income and bonuses, but it put the elite clubs in a quagmire, as they could never juggle multiple competitions effectively. The end result of these poorly managed multiple campaigns was likely to be disastrous.

Upon hearing the news of Europa's top clubs plotting a rebellion, UEFA immediately contacted the owners of those clubs. However, since they had pre-formed alliances and shared a common stance, UEFA was left with no options. They began to draft revisions to the Champions League rules for the next season. It was impossible to make changes for the 98/99 season due to the lack of time.

The FIFA World Cup was in full swing. Aldrich, Yvonne, Brady, and Sol traveled to Switzerland with Carter and some friends for summer skiing—a charming change of pace.

Even before the World Cup concluded, England found itself engulfed in a mix of anger and disappointment.

In the England-Argentina clash, England was eliminated once again. This time, it wasn't Maradona's "Hand of God" or his miraculous run past five players that had done them in. The media and public turned their ire on the young star David Beckham, who had committed a reckless foul that resulted in his red card.

Beckham went straight to the United States to seek comfort with his girlfriend Victoria, while the British media's criticism of him escalated.

Even when France decisively defeated Brazil to win the final, the media's condemnation of Beckham did not cease.

Aldrich enjoyed his time in Switzerland, but as soon as the World Cup concluded, so did his holiday.

Returning to London, he held a press conference in mid-July.

Reporters from Fleet Street gathered in droves.

The purpose of this conference was to announce the club's transfer news.

However, as soon as he sat down, the reporters eagerly raised their hands to ask questions.

Aldrich was astonished: "I haven't even said a word, what do you want to ask?"

Since the outside world didn't know the topic of the conference, some were bold enough to ask a direct question, leaving Aldrich puzzled.

He decided, however, to let Richard speak first.

"Coach Hall, what do you think about Beckham being sent off with a red card during the France World Cup?"

The other reporters lowered their hands; it appeared they all had the same question.

About Beckham.

Before the World Cup kicked off, the British media considered several new generation English football idols, but the focus was sharply on Aldrich and Beckham. Owen also seemed promising. However, after the World Cup ended, public opinion shifted, with Beckham being blamed for England's crushing defeat.

Aldrich remained calm: "If you are asking about that red card, I see no issue. Beckham did retaliate, and there's no controversy in the referee's decision."

"How do you view Diego Simeone's exaggerated fall?"

"Aldrich replied, 'That has nothing to do with what Simeone did. The nature of Beckham's foul was clearly a red card offense. Regardless of the extent of the injury, it's like being attacked by a mugger on the street; I might only have a scrape, but if I scream in agony, am I in the wrong? Whether I exaggerate the injury doesn't change the fact that I was attacked.'

"So, should Beckham be held fully accountable for England's defeat?"

Aldrich chuckled, shaking his head: "I don't think so. The media is odd; when Beckham didn't play in the group stages, you blamed Hoddle for not giving him a chance. Then he plays and makes a mistake, and suddenly he's the scapegoat. The England national team has a coach and more than 11 players; winning isn't solely Beckham's glory, nor should he take all the blame for losing. He's still young, and I believe this experience will be a valuable lesson for him, helping him mature and become better suited for big moments in the future."

"There are rumors that Beckham will leave England this summer."

"Impossible. Ferguson won't let him go, and I believe staying at Manchester United is the best thing for his growth and development. So let's end the discussion on Beckham. If you want my opinion, I can only say: failure belongs to the past; we must look forward. Beckham is a great player, but he's not a god. Please give him some lenience; he will repay England with his actions."

As Aldrich finished speaking, the room fell silent.

The reporters were eager for drama, and the media's incitement had stirred many extreme England fans to protest outside Beckham's home, hurling insults and stones at his house. Beckham's departure from England was both a retreat and a forced necessity driven by the situation.

Once the reporters moved on from Beckham, they looked back at Aldrich, waiting for him to unveil the meeting's secrets.

Aldrich cleared his throat and calmly said: "Today, I'm announcing several player transfers. Millwall's recruitment efforts are ongoing without much to reveal, but a few players will be leaving."

The reporters perked up.

A few players!

It felt like Millwall was opening a supermarket!

Goodness, could England's Ajax really be facing the same fate of being emptied out?

Aldrich continued casually: "Shevchenko is transferring to AC Milan for £18 million; the deal is done."

Many journalists had already speculated that Shevchenko would leave. His emotional display following the Champions League final was a clear sign of his departure.

"Trezeguet is moving to Juventus for £18 million."

The reporters were shocked.

Wait, both star forwards are leaving?

"Then again, Trezeguet has collected all the club's top honors, and now he's a World Cup champion. Man, this kid is really fortunate!"

However, Millwall's player sales situation was surprising. Two out of the three main strikers were gone—what about Larsson? Was he leaving too?

"Ballack is signing with Real Madrid for £15 million."

Ballack ?!

That German player?

The reporters exchanged surprised glances. Real Madrid signing Ballack could push out Karembeu.

The combination of Ballack , Redondo, and Seedorf in midfield is genuinely top-tier.

In fact, outside speculation had long debated whether Ballack or Pirlo should occupy Millwall's main midfield role, a debate stuck without resolution, as each had their strengths. But now the answer emerged—Ballack chose to leave, solidifying Pirlo's spot as irreplaceable.

Lampard? Even Fleet Street didn't believe the local hopeful could challenge Pirlo's position in the short term.

"Elguera is transferring to Real Madrid for £10 million."

The Spanish center-back is leaving too?

Off to Madrid again; no wonder – being Spanish, a return home or joining a top-tier club is expected. Poor Southgate, watching each of his partners leave one after the other—first Stam, now Elguera.

"Capdevila is joining Deportivo La Coruña for £10 million."

The Spanish full-back is going back home too?

Surprisingly, during this period, La Liga clubs had plenty of cash, thanks to the broadcasting rights war, providing lots of funds to bolster their rosters. When Real Madrid and Barcelona sell their rights separately in the future, other La Liga teams' revenues will plummet.

Deportivo La Coruña, ambitious as ever, had not only brought in Irureta for the summer but had also signed many strong players in the transfer market—Pauleta, Pablo, Romero, and now Capdevila. If they could really gel these players together, they would be a force to reckon with in the future.

The room was quiet as everyone waited for Aldrich to continue with more announcements.

Aldrich shrugged and said, "That's it; the other players have signed new contracts with the club."

Winning the Champions League, Millwall would see a substantial rise in income from broadcasting rights and sponsorships in the new season. Therefore, Aldrich directly raised the salaries of first-team players by 30%. This was his usual practice; he wouldn't wait until player wages diverged drastically from the elite clubs before discussing raises or extensions. Doing so would leave Millwall in a very passive position emotionally and strategically. Plus, by extending contracts early and raising salaries, players felt appreciated, leading to a more harmonious club atmosphere. Even if a player wanted to leave, their contract status ensured a safe transaction, allowing for healthy profits.

The reporters quickly jotted down notes, arriving at a surprised figure.

Goodness, Millwall had netted £83 million as the transfer market just began!

You guys are raking it in even more than the real Ajax!

Adding the figures from recent years, Millwall had netted over £100 million in profits over four years!