Chương 144: Till then!
If Martin hadn't come down to make a scene, Gao Shen might have left Real Madrid in a more diplomatic manner.
For example, he could have announced that he wouldn't renew his contract with Real Madrid, without revealing the conflict between him and Martin. Then, at a later time, he would find an opportunity to submit his resignation to Martin, quietly ending his tenure as Real Madrid's head coach.
But things didn't go as planned.
"Emilio, please believe me when I say I have no resentment towards you, Real Madrid, the players, or the fans. Only gratitude. But this doesn't include Martin, even if I seem grateful to him."
Gao Shen didn't look back, knowing that Butragueno was standing beside him.
They couldn't leave the venue before the award ceremony, but the media frenzy in the comprehensive interview area had already begun.
Martin was desperately trying to salvage the situation, but he chose the worst possible approach—scolding.
In front of numerous reporters, he openly accused Gao Shen of being ungrateful and breaking a promise he allegedly made. However, Martin couldn't specify what that promise was, because no such promise existed.
The truth was, Martin could never admit that he had been in contact with other coaches like Eriksen even before Gao Shen won La Liga and the Champions League.
As Gao Shen led the team to an astonishing record, Martin continued his secret dealings with other famous coaches.
This was something known to the media and fans worldwide.
On one hand, Martin used Gao Shen's rising fame to bolster his election campaign. On the other hand, he refused to offer Gao Shen any future guarantees or extend his contract, effectively treating him as a pawn in his political game.
Two incidents completely made Gao Shen decide to leave : the locker room episode and the aftermath of winning La Liga.
Even after winning the La Liga title, when Martin knew that the summer elections needed to be moved up, he still only offered Gao Shen a position as the head coach of the second team or the assistant coach of the first team.
What did he take Gao Shen for?
If it hadn't been for these events, Gao Shen might have handled things privately. But now, he had no reason to hold back.
He didn't want to leave Real Madrid quietly while still swallowing his pride.
Why should he?
Just because Martin was the president of Real Madrid?
No way!
...
Butragueno understood Gao Shen's mood perfectly. When Martin had stood at the locker room door shouting and threatening to fire Gao Shen, he had been very worried that Gao Shen would resign and leave in a rage.
Fortunately, Gao Shen held back.
But now, Gao Shen no longer wanted to hold back, and there was no need to.
"What are you going to do next?" Butragueno asked with concern.
He knew that Gao Shen had been focused on preparing for the games, with no time to think about anything else, let alone contact other teams. Gao Shen didn't even have an agent.
"I don't know. I'll take a break first. Anyway, I'm not short of money now," Gao Shen chuckled.
Butragueno was momentarily stunned, then suddenly realized something and smiled bitterly. "I bet Martin will be furious when he finds out."
No kidding.
The reason Gao Shen wasn't worried about money was the contract he had signed.
In that contract, although Butragueno had tried to improve Gao Shen's terms, Martin refused to offer too much.
This included Gao Shen's annual salary, the length of the contract, and so on.
But to show that he valued Gao Shen and to ensure he would sign, Martin offered incredibly high bonuses for winning championships. Mainly because, at that time, who really believed Real Madrid could win?
For example, the bonus for winning La Liga was one million euros, another million for reaching the Champions League final, and two million for winning the Champions League.
And that was after taxes!
This was primarily because, at that time, no one thought Real Madrid could win.
"Actually, Real Madrid didn't lose out. We profited," Butragueno laughed.
From Real Madrid's perspective, that was true.
The total prize money for winning the Champions League was over 30 million euros, plus the broadcast revenue share, which brought in at least 50 to 60 million euros. And that wasn't counting the influence and potential commercial value from winning the Champions League and the double crown.
These are all business considerations. From the team's perspective, the value of the young players developed under Gao Shen's tenure had skyrocketed. For example, De La Red performed so well that Real Madrid could easily sell him for 20 million euros.
There were also players like Arbeloa, Felipe, and Negredo, all worth around 15 million euros.
Gao Shen earned a lot, but Real Madrid earned even more.
If anyone really lost out, it would be Martin.
"Seriously, Emilio, based on my observations, neither Martin nor Calderon are trustworthy. Real Madrid has a lot of problems right now, but also a lot of opportunities. If the team can maintain stability and find the right coach to rebuild a solid tactical system, I believe this team has great potential."
Using the remaining players as a foundation, and properly introducing high-level stars, Real Madrid's overall combat effectiveness could greatly improve.
But the concern was that the Real Madrid president would mess things up, wasting such a promising situation.
"You're the team's technical director. I can tell you now, trust in these young players. In the next ten years, they can become the backbone of Real Madrid and of Spain!"
That was the last bit of advice Gao Shen offered.
There were many things he couldn't control, and didn't want to.
Once you're out of power, you need to accept that others will be in control. Who knows what the future holds?
...
After saying goodbye to Butragueno, Gao Shen walked over to the coaching bench.
The coaching staff already knew about his resignation.
It was impossible to hide such a major event; everyone noticed the unusual atmosphere in the interview area.
"Jose, thank you for your support in the past. Starting tomorrow, you may have the chance to act as Real Madrid's head coach." Gao Shen smiled as he shook hands with Maqueda, embracing his assistant.
Maqueda had finally made it.
Although they had some disagreements early on, they had managed to work well together.
As they were about to part ways, Gao Shen wanted to ensure they did so on good terms.
After shaking hands with the other members of the coaching staff, Gao Shen came to Buenaventura.
"I'm sorry, Lorenzo. You're a very capable coach, but unfortunately, we won't be working together anymore."
Buenaventura stepped forward and embraced Gao Shen tightly.
From the day Buenaventura came to Real Madrid, Gao Shen had given him unwavering trust, allowing him to showcase his strengths.
In fact, the Real Madrid coaching staff had long suspected that Gao Shen might leave.
Especially that night when Martin had yelled outside the locker room door, threatening to fire Gao Shen. Everyone in the locker room had seen Gao Shen standing there, fists clenched, teeth gritted in anger.
From that moment on, they knew this would be the outcome.
It was inevitable.
"I'm very grateful for your trust in me, and I sincerely hope we'll have the opportunity to work together again in the future," Buenaventura said, embracing Gao Shen once more.
He had a family to support, and the opportunity to coach at Real Madrid had been a dream come true, with great pay, benefits, and recognition. Moreover, his contract was with Real Madrid, not directly tied to Gao Shen, so he wouldn't be leaving with him.
On the other hand, Lucas had immediately announced that he wanted to quit when he heard Gao Shen had resigned.
The kid was always so loyal.
Gao Shen lightly patted Lucas on the shoulder, smiling. "Don't be impulsive. Stay at Real Madrid for now, keep learning, and once you've established yourself, I'll find you when I've got something good lined up."
"Remember, you'll be a famous coach, and I'll be your analyst." Lucas still clung to that dream.
Gao Shen hugged his good friend, saying nothing more, feeling bittersweet.
...
The players who had been celebrating on the field also began to gather around.
They had all heard the news.
"I'm sorry, everyone. This was supposed to be a joyous day for us, celebrating the championship, and I've ruined the mood." Gao Shen began by apologizing, but this only made the players even more sorrowful.
In the past, they had been able to focus on playing because Gao Shen shielded them from the storms outside, something even Raul had mentioned multiple times in the locker room.
The most typical example was the locker room incident. When Martin had wanted to storm into the locker room to berate the players, Gao Shen had blocked him at the door.
All the players had heard Martin shouting at Gao Shen with the harshest words and foul language, even threatening to fire him on the spot, and everyone had seen Gao Shen gritting his teeth in anger.
But in the end, he had endured it!
Because, he and everyone in the locker room wanted to win the championship!
Not only did he endure, but he also continued to work alongside Martin, knowing full well he was being used as a pawn in the election.
Now, he didn't need to endure anymore.
"Don't say that, Gao. On behalf of all the Real Madrid players, thank you!" Raul said, stepping forward to give Gao Shen a strong hug.
"Yeah, Gao." Zidane also came over and embraced Gao Shen. "To be able to win these two championships before retiring, I'm satisfied, with no regrets."
Gao Shen smiled and hugged Zidane, feeling the urge to warn him to be careful of a certain player named Materazzi in the upcoming World Cup. However, after a moment's thought, he decided against it—believing that a flawed hero, like a Venus with a broken arm, is even more perfect.
Beckham, Ronaldo, Ramos, and other players also stepped forward, embracing Gao Shen and expressing their gratitude for his dedication and contributions to the team during this period. Almost everyone was filled with reluctance.
Whether due to personal feelings or professional growth, no one wanted Gao Shen to leave at this time. They were uncertain about who the next Real Madrid coach would be and whether that person would continue to trust them. Not every coach is willing to take risks on young players in their twenties, even if it means allowing them to make mistakes along the way.
Gao Shen offered each player some advice and suggestions, focusing mainly on their career development and technical skills. He refrained from discussing other matters, even when it came to De La Red's heart condition.
During his three-plus months coaching Real Madrid, Gao Shen had consistently urged De La Reid to monitor his heart condition. Although De La Reid complied, he was somewhat puzzled by Gao Shen's insistence.
Gao Shen chose not to say too much, avoiding any unnecessary chatter. He was also concerned that if his caution was revealed, it might lead to scrutiny or even medical tests that could lead to serious consequences, which he wanted to avoid.
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