"Congratulations! Fantastic! You've finally joined the ranks of Champions League winners!"
As soon as the match ended, many people around Gao Shen stood up to congratulate him.
Gao Shen was all smiles as he shook hands and even hugged each person who came to offer their congratulations.
UEFA President Ceferin also came over to shake hands with Gao Shen, saying, "Congratulations, you deserve it!"
"Thank you," Gao Shen replied, shaking hands and embracing him warmly.
Mubarak, Soriano, and Begiristain had also come to the Amazon Stadium. After the others had left, the three of them walked over to greet Gao Shen.
Contrary to what many fans might assume, club executives do value winning, but they won't throw a tantrum or start pointing fingers just because they lost a final.
This is the fundamental difference between club management and fans.
To a certain extent, management is more focused on operations and long-term development.
"To be honest, he was a bit impulsive tonight," Begiristain said to Gao Shen with a wry smile.
Gao Shen knew him well. After all, when Begiristain and Soriano first came to Manchester City, it was on Gao Shen's recommendation.
"He has the confidence to be bold now," Gao Shen said with a smile.
After a brief pause, he turned his head to look at the pitch. Leeds United players were running around celebrating wildly, and the fans were shouting at the top of their lungs. The 2-0 scoreline was still displayed on the large circular screen, along with highlights of the match and scenes of on-field celebrations.
Gao Shen was filled with pride.
"Sometimes, I envy him a little. After all, he's still as persistent and unchanging as ever."
Gao Shen's words surprised Begiristain, Mubarak, and Soriano.
You envy him?
In truth, they all did, in a way.
Everyone has a bit of idealism in them, but as life goes on and people get beaten down by reality, they tend to make compromises and choose the pragmatic path.
By comparison, Guardiola's unwavering idealism seems even more admirable.
Of course, it depends on how you see it.
Many Manchester City fans, and even some neutrals, viewed Guardiola's approach tonight as irresponsible.
In pursuit of his own ideals, he disregarded the efforts and hard work of the players and the club over the course of an entire season.
That criticism is not unfounded. Guardiola himself likely knew that when he made his decision.
But he was willing to accept the consequences.
Because he had the confidence to be this capricious.
Because he is Guardiola!
"I've always said that I can't manage a team like his," Gao Shen said with a chuckle.
He had his share of idealism, but he was still a realist at heart.
That didn't stop him from respecting Guardiola, not just because they were friends, but because of his ideals.
Guardiola had reached a point where he didn't need to prove anything with results, so he could afford to follow his heart.
The club could have chosen not to hire him, but since they did, they had to accept his temperament.
...
"You're really loyal."
After Mubarak, Soriano, and the others had left, Ferguson couldn't help but laugh.
He could tell Gao Shen was trying to defend Guardiola, even if it was subtle.
Of course, Mubarak and the others surely picked up on it too.
"He doesn't need me to speak for him. I was just saying what I really think," Gao Shen replied honestly.
Ferguson and Wenger both nodded in agreement.
In today's game, with so few truly top-level managers available, Guardiola didn't need to worry about job offers.
Capricious?
So what?
Plenty of clubs would gladly give Guardiola full freedom if it meant having him. He's the one who turns them down.
Besides, if a so-called "capricious" manager can lead a team to runner-up finishes in the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League, then that kind of capriciousness is something any club would envy.
"A busy summer is just beginning!"
Standing in the stands, Gao Shen stretched and looked out over the stadium, feeling a bit restless.
Leeds United had beaten Manchester City 2-0 to win the Champions League. A long-time dream of Gao Shen's had finally been realized.
Now it was time to go all out.
...
At the Real Madrid headquarters in Valdebebas, northwest of Madrid, the chairman's office was brightly lit.
Florentino Pérez, De Blas, Butragueño, José Sánchez, and others sat on the sofa, watching the just-concluded Champions League final.
Leeds United had beaten Manchester City 2-0!
Despite Guardiola's tactical flair and City's dominance in possession, Leeds United had emerged as champions.
Valdano and Zidane had been invited to watch the match in person and were seen on the live broadcast at Amazon Stadium.
Everyone present here was a key figure in Real Madrid's management.
"The Champions League final is finally over!"
Florentino exhaled deeply, as if he had waited an eternity for this moment.
Only those close to him knew how long he had truly waited.
Real Madrid had been out of the title race early, and only secured fourth place in La Liga in the penultimate round.
It was remarkable.
Ever since Gao Shen visited the Bernabéu and gave the players a stern talk, the squad seemed to transform overnight.
Real Madrid then went on a winning streak, climbing up the league standings.
That's what influence looks like.
Even AS and Marca cited Gao Shen's visit to the Real Madrid dressing room as a turning point in their season reviews.
The Catalan media mocked it as "resorting to psychological tricks to save the team."
But Real Madrid fans and local press quickly clapped back.
"Wait until next season!"
"How's the contract prep going?" Florentino asked José Sánchez with concern.
"Everything's in place."
"And what about Leeds United?"
"We've already been in contact. They said they'd discuss things after the Champions League final. According to our sources, the fee is €250 million. If we're willing to pay it, Mbappe is ours."
At this point, José Sánchez paused for a second. "To be honest, judging by his performance this season, that would be a bargain. He's already one of the world's top superstars."
No one doubted Mbappe's ability.
Leeds United had spent years nurturing him, watching him break out at the World Cup in Russia. They spent another season further refining and improving him, leading to his explosive campaign this year.
You could say Mbappe was now fully polished.
"We have three targets for this trip to England: Mbappe, Dembele, and De Ligt. We must get them!" Florentino declared.
Real Madrid had prepared a transfer war chest of €500 million, determined to sign these three stars no matter what.
...
In Paris, at the headquarters of Paris Saint-Germain, President Nasser, CEO Blanc, and other senior executives had also been watching the Champions League final.
Everyone at PSG admired Mbappe's performance, but they also felt a little conflicted.
The French winger's current valuation was €250 million.
That alone wasn't a problem, but if signing Mbappe created friction with Neymar—who had also cost over €200 million—then it would be counterproductive.
Nasser and PSG weren't blindly following Gao Shen's lead. Before diving deep into negotiations with him, they consulted with officials from the French Football Federation and Ligue 1.
Their response was unanimous: Neymar is still the biggest name in Ligue 1.
PSG's French-first recruitment policy is based on that logic.
From the French perspective, the ideal scenario was to keep Neymar, bring in Mbappe, and also sign Dembele, Varane, and Pogba.
That would satisfy national pride.
For years, French stars had made their mark abroad, while Ligue 1 remained the "fifth-best" of Europe's top leagues.
That reality made many in France uncomfortable.
Now that PSG had the financial backing, they hoped to bring their top talent home—even if it meant turning PSG into the "Bayern Munich" of Ligue 1.
As soon as the season ended, PSG representatives flew to Madrid to negotiate with Real Madrid.
Both Gao Shen and Florentino Pérez had greenlit Varane's transfer, and the two sides had reached a basic agreement.
The sticking point was the transfer fee. PSG were offering €100 million.
Varane's current market value was around €80 million, mainly because his performances this season had dipped significantly. The higher price was due to his age—he was still just 26.
Real Madrid wanted €120 million, hoping to use that money to fund a move for De Ligt from Leeds United.
The Dutch center-back was in high demand, with Juventus, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, and Chelsea all keen to sign him.
As for Neymar, he had taken the initiative to speak with Gao Shen during a visit to Paris, promising to follow team rules and regain top form.
He even apologized publicly in the dressing room.
This pleased everyone at PSG.
Only Gao Shen had the authority to say to Neymar, "If you want to leave, I'll sell you and use the money to buy Mbappe."
That line immediately forced Neymar—usually impulsive and reckless—to rein himself in and improve his performances.
"This time when we go to England, we must talk to Dembele!" Nasser declared.
Dembele's profile was exactly what Tuchel needed. He was one of Gao Shen's shortlisted signings, and the French side was excited about him.
For midfield, PSG preferred Pogba. If they couldn't get him, their backup plan was Bernardo Silva, another hot name on the market.
As for right-back, PSG had already signed Mazraoui from Ajax for just €15 million. Tuchel was thrilled.
Any player targeted by Gao Shen was sure to be quality.
With gaps at right-back, midfield, and defense addressed, PSG were poised to make a massive impact next season.
Everyone was fired up and ready.
Leeds United, are you ready?
We're coming to take them away!
(To be continued.)