The post-match celebration following a Champions League victory tends to follow a familiar script.
As always, the players ran joyfully around the pitch, celebrating wildly. Eventually, they made their way to the touchline, where they lifted head coach Gao Shen into the air.
The only slightly novel element came during media interviews, when many players openly congratulated Gao Shen on his upcoming marriage.
Everyone knew the wedding was on the horizon.
The award ceremony that followed also went according to tradition.
Manchester City lined up to applaud Barcelona as they stepped onto the stage to receive their runners-up medals. Then, as the last to go up, Manchester City followed, with captain Kompany lifting the Champions League trophy high above his head to the cheers of the entire stadium.
What most people didn't see was that after the ceremony, as the City players took off running with the trophy, Gao Shen remained behind. He chatted with UEFA President Michel Platini, as well as British royals Prince William and Princess Kate, Prime Minister David Cameron, Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero, and other political and football dignitaries who had attended the final.
Prince William and Princess Kate had only been married in April this year. Naturally, Gao Shen hadn't been invited, but both royals expressed that they had been following Manchester City's progress under Gao Shen's leadership, and even praised him personally, thanking him for his contribution to English football.
Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero, a well-known Barcelona fan, still offered high praise for Gao Shen's accomplishment in defeating Barça that night. He even expressed hope that Gao Shen might one day return to Spain to manage again.
He promised to offer full support in that case.
In fact, many fans misunderstand the dynamics of professional football.
Some believe that Barcelona would rather see Real Madrid burn to the ground. But this is a very short-sighted view.
Gao Shen had heard Florentino Pérez say more than once that he hoped Barcelona would continue to succeed.
That may sound odd to some. Aren't they bitter rivals?
But that's emotional thinking.
As the president of Real Madrid, Florentino might want to beat Barcelona. But as a club executive, he hoped Barça would remain strong.
From a business and league perspective, Real Madrid only benefits when Barcelona keeps pace or even improves, or when other teams like Atlético Madrid rise to challenge. That kind of competitive environment makes La Liga more marketable and valuable.
If the rest of La Liga—including Barcelona—underperforms, then Real Madrid's dominance becomes meaningless.
Even the prized El Clásico would lose its appeal.
From that perspective, Prime Minister Zapatero's hope for Gao Shen's return to Spain was likely genuine.
Real Madrid, in its current state, wasn't strong enough to pose a real threat to Barcelona.
They had been thoroughly dismantled this season.
Only when Real Madrid rises and fights Barça toe-to-toe can La Liga thrive and its commercial value grow. That prosperity, in turn, fuels the entire league's development.
One flower alone does not make spring. But when all flowers bloom, the garden flourishes.
Gao Shen kept a low profile and responded politely, "There will definitely be a chance."
…
Next came media interviews.
The Manchester City players became the center of attention in the stadium, with Gao Shen standing out even more.
With three Champions League titles under his belt, he had become the most high-profile figure in world football.
For a 30-year-old, that honor was astonishing.
Gao Shen handled the interviews calmly and professionally.
He had become adept at dealing with the media. With his knowledge and composure, even veteran reporters often found themselves tongue-tied in front of him.
While Manchester City celebrated, Barcelona quietly left the pitch.
Later, Gao Shen led the squad back to the locker room.
There, Mansour and members of the Abu Dhabi royal family visited to personally congratulate the team.
Not only that, he publicly announced that he would fulfill his promise to the players, bonuses would be paid out the next morning.
The locker room erupted in wild cheers.
Winning the Champions League and getting a hefty bonus? That was the peak of any footballer's career.
In contrast, Gao Shen appeared much calmer.
After greeting the players, Mansour took Mubarak and Gao Shen out of the dressing room for a private conversation.
…
"I heard you're not planning to bring in any new players this summer?" Mansour asked with concern.
With the season officially over after the Champions League final, all preparations for next season could begin.
Back in February, Gao Shen had already told Mubarak not to plan for any new signings.
That was when things weren't even as good as they were now.
"Yes. I think the current squad is strong enough. If no one leaves, I don't want to bring in new players and risk disrupting the locker room. Besides, there's really no need for more signings," Gao Shen replied.
Mansour shook his head. "Money isn't the issue. Even after winning the Champions League, we need to keep pushing. We can defend the title, win another treble, maybe even go for a quadruple next season…"
Gao Shen understood Mansour's ambition. That was to be expected of any club owner.
City did have the strength and financial power to pursue such goals, but Mansour was still underestimating the complexities.
"Now that we've won the Champions League, the most important thing is to keep a low profile. The Premier League and UEFA will definitely ramp up their investigations into our financials. Our priority should be getting the books back in line with the red lines set by UEFA and the Premier League."
"Also, in terms of the squad, our setup is ideal. The average age is in its prime, and the depth is strong. Arguably, we have the best squad in Europe. Bringing in more star players now would be unnecessary."
If there were actual weaknesses in the team, Gao Shen would certainly reinforce. But the reality was, there weren't any.
Every position had two strong competitors. Even players like Ireland, once key figures, could hardly get minutes now.
Yaya Touré was eager to play, but Gao Shen just couldn't fit him in.
Bringing in more stars now would only complicate the rotation system.
And what happens when players aren't getting minutes and start clashing with the coach?
A senior squad can only register 25 players, and even with youth players, the ideal number for a team competing on all fronts is around 28 to 30.
Some media outlets had calculated that City only had about 25 players logging significant minutes all season.
As a result, players like Ireland, Adam Lallana, and Trippier barely featured in first-team action and spent most of the season with the reserves. That was already becoming an issue.
Adding more signings now would be inappropriate.
"I agree with Gao," Mubarak added. "Our wage bill is already high. And after a Champions League win, we'll probably need to renegotiate contracts. That's another factor to consider."
Wage control is a critical issue for every club.
Even a club as wealthy as Manchester City would struggle if it lost control.
And what if UEFA really did ban them from the Champions League?
At times like this, discretion was the better part of valor.
Mansour was young, powerful, but not deaf to expert advice. With both Gao Shen and Mubarak in agreement, he realized his own ideas were coming from an outsider's perspective.
"Alright. I'll leave it to you. I trust you completely," Mansour said.
Gao Shen and Mubarak exchanged smiles.
"Oh, by the way, Gao," Mansour added with a grin, "I heard your team didn't make it back to the Premier League this season?"
Gao Shen smiled helplessly. "Not even close."
"That's a pity. If you're interested, take a look at our team or the youth squad. If there's someone you want but we can't use, name your price. He's yours," Mansour said generously.
Clearly, he was overjoyed with the Champions League and treble win.
Manchester City had already let go of some surplus players on free transfers or cut-rate deals. So if they could help Gao Shen out, why not?
"You take care of this," Mansour told Mubarak.
Mubarak nodded quickly, then said, "We've got a goalkeeper on loan in Belgium. What do you think? I remember you liked him before."
Courtois?
Gao Shen was surprised. He had already planned to buy another keeper and was waiting for Lucas to act post-Champions League. Now Courtois was being handed to him on a silver platter?
"There might be a problem. His market value is around 2.5 million euros. That's beyond our budget," Gao Shen said with a smile.
Mubarak glanced at Mansour, thought for a moment, and said, "We didn't pay much for him. Just give us a number. If not, we'll do installments."
Holy hell. This was practically a gift.
"We already have Neuer," Mubarak said to Mansour. "He's one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Gao recommended him. His value has probably tripled. Courtois won't get much playing time."
"And we've got Lallana and Ireland—players who barely play all season. If you want them, take them. Just think of it as teammates helping each other out. After all, we share a common enemy."
At that last part, Mubarak couldn't help but laugh.
Leeds United's arch-rival was Manchester United. Manchester City's was also United.
As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
For a club like City, they could afford this generosity.
But for Leeds United, even a young talent like Courtois, shining in the Belgian league or players like Lallana and Ireland would be first-team material, possibly even key players.
Frankly, Gao Shen couldn't refuse.
He also understood perfectly well. Mansour and Mubarak wanted to win him over, to keep him at Manchester City.
(To be continued.)
***
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