Chapter 2 Shit and Champions

w Kate Gracie and the people in Valencia are very efficient. ()

The next day, Chang Sheng received a call asking him to go to Valencia to have an interview with the club.

Although Chang Sheng still didn't understand why Valencia would find him, he readily accepted the invitation.

Since they couldn't get tickets for the nearest flight to Valencia, the two decided to just drive.

Along the a-3 highway, more than 350 kilometers away, his agent Kate Gracie drove to Valencia, which is located east of Madrid and on the Mediterranean coast.

When they drove into the border of the Valencia Autonomous Region, Chang Sheng saw a traffic sign with an arrow pointing in the direction they came from, and "Spain" written in English behind the arrow.

Chang Sheng couldn't help smiling.

After staying in Spain for a long time, you will be able to know the current situation of this country. The independent consciousness of the autonomous regions is very strong. Perhaps only the Castilians in the Madrid area will regard themselves as Spaniards. Other places are Basques. People, Catalans, Andalusians...

The same appears to be true of the Valencia Community.

Valencia is next to Catalonia and must have been influenced by the independent thinking of its neighbors to the north.

When you enter the province of Valencia and approach the city of Valencia, you can see large areas of green on both sides of the road. Those low and round green vegetation are all orange trees. As the largest orange producer in Europe, Valencia is a veritable orange city.

Kate Gracie, who was driving, saw Chang Sheng staring at the lush green places outside the car window in a daze, so she took part-time job as a tour guide: "Those are all orange trees. If we come during the orange harvest season, Valencia can be seen It is called the 'City of Gold', and when you look around, everything you see is golden yellow."

Chang Sheng nodded: "I can imagine the magnificence."

When he was in China, he went to Sichuan in the spring. After the train crossed the Qinling Mountains, the hills and mountains of Sichuan appeared in front of his eyes, and the hillsides were full of rapeseed flowers. The large fields of rapeseed flowers made Chang Sheng's eyes shine, and the sight was golden, which was quite spectacular.

Chang Sheng thought that the orange trees had a good harvest, and the scenery was probably similar to the rapeseed field.

When a piece of orange-red spired Gothic buildings appeared at the end of the road. Kate Gracie, who was driving, said, "We're here.

"

Yes, Valencia has arrived, a city full of ancient buildings more than 700 years old, including Baroque reliefs, Gothic arches and Romanesque gates. It is the destination of their trip, Valencia Autonomous Region, Valencia City, the capital of Valencia Province.

※ ※ ※

Kate Gracie drove the car directly to the Mestalla Stadium, the home stadium of Valencia Football Club.

The Mestalla Stadium, which can accommodate 55,000 people, is much more magnificent than the Alfonso Perez Stadium, although it actually looks quite simple... because they have Except for the roof, the other three stands have no roof. Once it rains, the fans in the stands will be drenched.

However, although the city of Valencia is close to the Mediterranean Sea, it is dry and rainless. The Tulia River here has dried up, leaving only the riverbed, which is now planted with various trees. A planetarium, a movie theater - the City of Arts and Sciences of Valencia, and a football stadium were built on the river bed, all of which would be flooded if it rained too much here.

Chang Sheng just glanced at the Mestalla Stadium and walked into the stadium with his agent Kate Gracie.

In the special reception room, they met Jaime Otti Garcia, the new chairman of Valencia Club. And the club's new manager Garcia Pitaci.

"This is not a formal meeting, it's just a private meeting." As soon as they met, Otti explained the nature of the meeting.

Letting them meet at the club does not mean that Valencia must choose Changsheng. Everyone still needs to get to know each other first.

Chang Sheng nodded to show that he didn't mind, no problem.

Then Otti laughed: "Although I have watched your game many times. But you are still younger than what I saw in front of the TV. Your performance in Getafe last season is It's obvious to all, Mr. Chang. I'm just curious, how did you do it?"

Chang Sheng thought in his heart that most of the time it was an interview.

Just like looking for a job, if you pass the interview, it's ok, but if you fail the interview, then go back where you came from. A kinder club will reimburse you for your round-trip transportation and accommodation expenses, but if you are not kind...you will be in arrears. It’s not like there is such a thing. When Berbatov couldn’t get along at Manchester United, Florence was interested in him, so he took a plane and dared to go to Florence to have an interview with him. In the end, he couldn’t get it right, so he flew back by himself. . After a while, he broke the news to the media, saying that the Fiorentina club owed him the round-trip air ticket...

What are you talking about.

Faced with the seemingly random question from the other party, Chang Sheng also seemed very relaxed. He is now a person with confidence and capital, and there is no need to be so nervous and unconfident like a fresh graduate.

"High-level training, courage and confidence. Of course, there is also a love for football." Chang Sheng replied neither humble nor humble.

In fact, this question is not important at all, as long as Chang Sheng doesn't answer too outrageously.

Ottie is quite satisfied with Chang Sheng's answer. He nodded and stopped asking him about Getafe.

Chang Sheng's achievements are there. No matter how he did it, he just did it.

"I would like to ask Mr. Chang, what do you think of... Valencia's results this season?"

Chang Sheng cheered up when he heard this question.

He knew that the topic was coming.

So he thought about it, and replied, "Shit."

When Kate Gracie, who was drinking water, heard these words, she spouted all the water in her mouth before she could swallow it, and even choked herself. Covering his mouth and coughing desperately, his face flushed red.

Pitage and Otti looked at Chang Sheng in amazement, dumbfounded.

No one expected Chang Sheng to give such an answer.

"Sorry, I'm a bit vulgar. But this is my truth, and the truth is often not very pleasant. I think Mr. Chairman, what you want to hear must be the truth, not the pleasant words?" Chang Sheng said.

Ottie froze. Then he shook his head with a smile and said, "You really are as individual as the rumors say, Mr. Chang."

Chang Sheng chuckled: "I'm too proud of my prize, I don't dare to take it."

"So why do you think Valencia's results are shit?" Otti continued.

"Two years in a row to reach the final of the Champions League. It looks like a lot of glory, but I think the former coach Cooper has exhausted the team's full potential and enthusiasm in this competition. Two consecutive finals, but there is no way. Winning the championship is a big blow to the morale of the team." Chang Sheng began to analyze to Otti. In fact, these analyzes of his are all summed up by fans on the Internet in later generations. He just adjusted it a little and said it in a way that people in the game like Zhong Otti can easily accept.

"This can be seen from the team's league rankings this season. Valencia lost to Barcelona in the last round and lost their qualification for the Champions League. As a huge investment every year, they keep buying stars, hoping to be able to play on all fronts. For a club that has made breakthroughs all over the world, this season has been shit."

Hearing Chang Sheng's mouthful of "shit", Pitage was a little dissatisfied, and he asked: "Mr. Chang thinks the runner-up in the Champions Cup and the fifth place in the league are shit. So can you do better?"

Chang Sheng smiled slightly at the upset Pitage: "Champion."

Pitage didn't respond: "What?"

Chang Sheng said: "I said, if I were to coach the team, I would lead the team to the league championship."

Kate Gracie turned her head to look at Chang Sheng, he learned his lesson this time, he didn't drink any water. It turns out he was right. Otherwise, he must have spit out another mouthful of water.

Ottie was dumbfounded for the second time, while Pitage was a little annoyed, thinking that Chang Sheng was amusing him, teasing him. So he said in a bad tone: "This joke is not funny, Mr. Chang."

Chang Sheng shrugged: "Why should I joke with you, Mr. Garcia Pitage?"

"Of course I think you are joking. Mr. Chang. Do you know how many years it has been since Valencia won the league championship? The last time we won the league championship was in the 1970-71 season." Pitage now I feel that Chang Sheng, as an applicant, has no self-consciousness at all. First he insulted Valencia's results, saying it was "shit", and now he uttered wild words, saying that leading the team can win the league championship... This is really a big joke!

Can such a frivolous person really be our head coach in Valencia?

"Yes, I know, you guys haven't won a league title in 30 years. But does that have anything to do with what I'm talking about? No one has been able to do this in the past 30 years, but it doesn't mean I can't. At the time I When Getafe debuted, many people doubted me, thinking that I could not lead the team to avoid relegation. What happened? They didn’t believe that I could lead the team to upgrade. What happened? They didn’t believe that I could still lead the team I won the second division championship, what about the result? In the end, they didn’t believe that I could beat Mallorca in Aragones to win the Copa del Rey, what was the result?” Chang Sheng stared at Pitage, and continued Ask back.

He seemed so confident that even Kate Gracie didn't know why he was so confident.

Of course Chang Sheng is confident. Because he knew that Benitez coached Valencia, that is, he won the league championship in the following season. He knew his tactics and the reasons for his success. Most importantly, he also had systematic help. Relying on the assistance of the system, he was able to make Getafe replace Benitez's Tenerife into the first division, and also replaced Sevilla to win the league championship, and defeated Mallorca to win the King's Cup champion.

In a team like Getafe, he can do all these things, why doesn't he believe in the stronger Valencia?

Chang Sheng is very confident.

A successful season in the past gave him endless confidence.

Pittaqi was left speechless by Chang Sheng's continuous rhetorical questions.

Yes, the achievements of this Chinese are there for everyone to see. Very convincing indeed.

"But the First Division is not the Second Division, Mr. Chang." It was his boss, Mr. Chairman Otti, who rescued him.

After Ottie finished asking, he looked at Chang Sheng with interest, expecting his answer.

"So if you want me to be the coach of Valencia, I need transfer rights. I bought players at Getafe and their performance. I think you should also know. If you don't give me transfer rights, then Sorry, there's nothing I can do."

Chang Sheng spoke out his biggest request. This is his bottom line. If a club does not give him the right to transfer, then his coaching performance will definitely be discounted, because he is a time traveler. The biggest golden finger of the traveler is to predict the future, he can buy some players who are not yet famous but will become popular in the future, and they can improve the strength of the team.

If there is no transfer right. Like a typical Spanish coach, who is only responsible for training and leading the team to direct the game, Chang Sheng would rather not be the head coach.

To him, it doesn't make any sense.

Ottie and Pitage looked at each other.

They knew about Chang Sheng and some of the things Chang Sheng did in Getafe. The most famous thing is that he stole the transfer rights from Getafe general manager Moscodo, so Getafe last season All transfers were finalized by him.

I have to say that this Chinese man's vision is indeed very accurate.

None of the players he bought from around the world last season performed well.

Before Senna came to Getafe, no one knew who he was. But he is Getafe's main midfielder, the core of offensive and defensive transition.

Charisteas was just a substitute in Aris before coming to Getafe, and now he is the top scorer in the Spanish Football League, scoring 29 goals in a season.

Mista is a dispensable fringe figure in Tenerife, and he is the team's second scorer in Getafe. Or the Golden Boot of the Copa del Rey.

Luis Garcia did not perform well in Barcelona, ​​Valladolid and Toledo, and his future was bleak, but he became the core of the offense in Getafe.

Yaya Toure, a kid brought back by Changsheng from the African continent, actually replaced Harvey Jimenez in the second half of the league and successfully became the team's main midfielder. He performed very well on the defensive end, and his physical fitness is enviable.

Balzaretti, the child he borrowed from Turin, Italy, is only 19 years old, and he can't even play in Turin, but under him, it is second only to Luis Garcia. Second assist.

These six people were all brought by himself from other teams, and everyone has seen their performance in Getafe.

Therefore, it is not incomprehensible for Chang Sheng to ask for the transfer of power.

But after all, this is not in line with Spanish football tradition.

If you want to ask Chang Sheng to coach, will you give it?

Seeing that the other party was silent, Chang Sheng was not in a hurry, took a sip from the coffee cup, and then waited for the other party to ask.

Otti thought for a long time, and then said: "I'm afraid I will disappoint you, Mr. Chang. Valencia did not break into the Champions League next season. I don't plan to invest too much money in the transfer market, because we are not qualified for the Champions League." , there will not be much income, and naturally the investment will not be large.”

What he means is: We don't have much money to invest in the transfer market, so even if you have the right to transfer, I'm afraid it's useless.

Chang Sheng looked very calm, with an expression of "I knew it a long time ago", he nodded: "It's okay, you can sell some players, so you can make money."

He raised his own transfer funds by selling players at Getafe, so now he seems to have a lot of experience in saying this.

In fact, he has known for a long time that Valencia will shrink its money this season. On the one hand, it has invested heavily in the past few seasons, but failed to win the championship. Doubt, on the other hand, as Otti said, if the team did not enter the Champions League this season, then the team will naturally not increase investment in the transfer market.

Pitage was surprised by Chang Sheng's words again.

Valencia's lineup last season can be said to be very strong. If you continue to use this lineup, even if you may not be able to win the league championship, there should be no problem qualifying for the Champions League next season, right?

In the end, Chang Sheng was about to betray someone with just one mouthful...

This is too bold, right?

After listening to Chang Sheng's words this time, Otti thought for a long time.

Seeing that the other party might not be able to make up his mind for a while, Chang Sheng took the initiative to leave.

Ottie got up and sent them out: "I will give you an answer as soon as possible, Mr. Chang."

Chang Sheng smiled at him: "Then I'll wait for your call, Mr. Chairman."

Chang Sheng is not in a hurry to become the coach of Valencia, because Valencia was originally an unexpected invitation.

If you can get this job offer, that's great. He does have the confidence to lead Valencia to the championship.

But it doesn't matter if the negotiation fails, because with his achievements in Getafe, there will be many opportunities waiting for him.

So the group left, and Chang Sheng and his manager Kate Gracie walked out.

"Shall we find a hotel?" Kate Gracie asked.

Chang Sheng shook his head: "Let's go to Valencia, do you know anything worth visiting here?"

"Aha, then you are asking the right person. I know Valencia very well! In the United States, Valencia is also very popular. Some people even claim that Valencia is the city you have to go to. Because here There's the America's Cup..."

While introducing Chang Sheng, Kate Gracie walked towards the car, opened the door, and gestured to Chang Sheng to get in the car.

"Welcome to the City of Courage and Strength!" (Welcome to your support, which is my biggest motivation.) m