In his previous life, Gao Shen once saw a dream stadium with a 6,500-square-meter circular double-sided display, which served as the scoreboard and big screen, and could also be used to interact with fans on site.
Gao Shen still remembers how shocked he was when he first saw that massive circular screen.
Later, when Florentino renovated the Bernabéu, a circular screen was also designed above the stadium. It was single-sided, and it was far less striking than the circular double-sided screen at the SI Stadium in the United States.
When Gao Shen proposed this idea, both Norman Foster and Su Qing were puzzled.
They knew about big screens, since all stadiums had them.
But what was a circular double-sided screen?
Gao Shen could not hold back any longer, so he simply took Norman Foster's pen and paper and started drawing.
He had no art background and his drawing skills were poor, but he could outline stands and the pitch, and he explained as he sketched. Gradually, Norman Foster and the others understood.
Soon, a designer from Foster's team took over and quickly hand-drew the effect Gao Shen wanted.
At first glance, everyone was dazzled.
A huge circular double-sided screen suspended above the center of the stadium looked truly stunning.
It was also very friendly to fans in the stands. No matter how high or low the seating, everyone could see the screen, unlike current big screens, which are quite unfriendly to many sections.
But while everyone was shocked, they also had questions.
"Is this realistic?" Norman Foster asked.
This was a curved display, and in a ring.
"It is absolutely possible."
Leeds United's circular double-sided screen did not need to be mass-produced. It was a showcase of a company's research and technological capabilities. It only needed to be made once. Gao Shen firmly believed this could be achieved by current domestic display manufacturers.
The key was to give them the opportunity to demonstrate their technical and R&D strength.
Su Qing thought for a moment, then came over and told Gao Shen she wanted to ask classmates and friends in related industries and government departments in China to learn more about the specifics.
Gao Shen mentioned several companies that would become famous in the future and said with certainty, "They will definitely be interested."
This was a rare opportunity to show technical prowess to the world.
You know, when projects like this come up, everyone's first reaction is the two Korean companies.
Su Qing agreed and went out to make a phone call.
Gao Shen continued discussing details such as ventilation with Norman Foster and the others.
Thanks to the separation between the dome and the bowl, ventilation would not be a problem.
There would also be ample retail and dining space inside the stadium, with at least 150 luxury boxes, which would greatly increase Leeds United's match-day revenue.
In fact, Leeds United fans have strong spending power, which can be seen from the fact that even when the team had sunk into the lower leagues in recent years, fans still bought tickets to enter the stadium.
Once a team starts building a new stadium, it must maximize fans' spending potential.
About half an hour later, Su Qing returned after finishing her call.
She learned that a university classmate works at a leading domestic enterprise. After hearing Su Qing's introduction, he thought it was feasible, but the specifics still needed careful study.
This was not just a display problem, it was about the entire display system.
"They are very interested in this project. I want to contact the Chinese company. If we can cooperate in the form of sponsorship, we can hand it over entirely to a domestic company," Su Qing suggested.
These words hit the mark for Gao Shen.
In fact, domestic companies' technology and R&D capabilities are not bad, especially the leading company Su Qing mentioned.
"Okay, you follow up on this."
Norman Foster also needed Leeds United to come up with a plan as soon as possible.
According to Gao Shen's idea, the huge circular double-sided screen would be hung directly above the pitch, which required consideration of weight and the load-bearing capacity of the stadium dome. These factors had to be integrated into the design.
In addition, multimedia entertainment systems, intelligent management systems, and Wi-Fi all needed to be designed and laid out in advance. At that time, many partners of Norman Foster's design team and Leeds United's sponsors would participate in the design.
This was a very large systems project and could not be completed overnight.
So the preliminary estimate was that it would take at least a year.
Even after construction began, modifications would be required based on actual conditions.
Once completed, it would surely become the most dreamlike stadium in the world, especially the huge circular screen proposed by Gao Shen, which was bound to win over all fans.
Of course, the cost would be quite impressive.
…
Leeds United had just completed the first round of communication with Norman Foster's team, and the club immediately released the news, even publishing several hand-drawn sketches, including the huge circular screen outlined by Gao Shen.
This instantly caused a huge response online.
Fantasy. Sci-fi. Incredible. Unbelievable.
There were so many superlatives that no one could believe this was really Leeds United's new stadium.
But Leeds United has a good reputation in this regard.
When the first draft of the new training base was released, many people questioned it. But when the drawings came out, everyone was impressed, especially by the design skills of Norman Foster's team.
Now, with the same design team and a consistent design concept, it was naturally convincing.
The Times even revealed that the huge circular screen was Gao Shen's brainchild, which further ignited fan enthusiasm.
These days, in professional football, if you get high marks, your popularity skyrockets.
Leeds United officials had been quietly promoting and hyping the project, aiming to attract potential sponsors and a naming partner, as well as investment for the shopping mall next to the stadium.
To be honest, I have been using it recently to keep up with the latest updates. It has a variety of reading voices and can be used on both Android and Apple devices.
On the other hand, Leeds United was also in intensive communication with Leeds City Council, hoping to obtain approval as soon as possible.
This was also a time-consuming and laborious task. Su Qing was very experienced and well prepared.
At the same time, Lucas was contacting British banks to prepare financing for the new stadium.
As long as approval was obtained, the design completed, and other work in place, construction could begin immediately.
Everyone was amazed at Leeds United's courage to keep making big moves.
The new training base had already cost 70 to 80 million euros and had only been under construction for three months, but now the new stadium was already on the agenda. Even Manchester City, with a major sponsor, did not always show such boldness.
But everyone had to admit that Leeds United seemed to have the confidence to do so.
Last summer's transfers brought a net profit of 100 million, and this summer's a net profit of 300 million. In European football, few teams could match that money-making ability.
More importantly, Leeds United was currently tenth in the Premier League, and relegation did not seem likely.
According to Su Qing and Lucas's preliminary estimates, with revenue from Premier League broadcast rights this season, Leeds United would definitely turn a profit, largely thanks to the increased broadcast income.
All told, it should be 30 million euros.
Therefore, Leeds United had enough confidence to negotiate bank loans.
However, these were not Gao Shen's biggest concerns, and he left them to Su Qing and Lucas.
…
After meeting Norman Foster and the others in London, Gao Shen set off back to Madrid.
Su Qing stayed in London to continue handling follow-up matters. Next, she would go to Leeds, and depending on the situation, might have to fly back home. She was mainly busy with matters related to the new stadium.
After returning to Madrid, Gao Shen threw himself back into Real Madrid's work.
With World Cup qualifiers kicking off, Real Madrid players began returning one after another. Gao Shen and the coaching staff were very worried, fearing injuries in the internationals.
Fortunately, this time all Real Madrid players returned safe and sound, which made Gao Shen breathe a sigh of relief.
He is really worried about injuries. They are serious.
However, since there were no injuries, that had to be set aside for now, though player condition still required attention.
This was the task Gao Shen assigned to the second coaching group, and it was the top priority.
In the fourth round of La Liga, Real Madrid would visit Villarreal, which would be a tough battle.
After being relegated to the Segunda División in 2012, the Yellow Submarine took only one year to return to La Liga.
Now, the team's overall strength was not weak. After three rounds, they were eleventh in La Liga.
But Gao Shen clearly remembered that the team performed very well under Marcelino.
Marcelino made his name at Villarreal. Not only did he take half a season to bring a Segunda side with little hope back to La Liga, he also turned them into a famous dark horse and a strong team in La Liga.
As a result, Marcelino became a well-known new-generation coach in Spain.
After facing Villarreal, Real Madrid would travel to Belgium to play Anderlecht.
This was the first match of the Champions League group stage. Real Madrid was determined to top the group, so they had to beat Anderlecht, otherwise they would be on the back foot in the next matches.
Especially in the battle with Manchester United.
Moreover, behind the two heavyweights, Bayer Leverkusen were also lurking.
This Bundesliga team is no pushover.
After the international break, Real Madrid would have two consecutive away matches, which would also be a major challenge.
Gao Shen had to manage everything well, especially adjusting player fitness and form.
(To be continued.)
***
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