When Gao Shen woke up in the morning, he was overwhelmed by the flood of news.
At some point, a Real Madrid fan group on Twitter launched a campaign with the hashtag: "Gao, save Real Madrid, go home!" It quickly became a trending search on Twitter and instantly turned into the hottest topic on the global internet.
With tens of millions of discussions, the hashtag quickly became a global sensation.
At first, it was just a spontaneous initiative from Real Madrid fan organizations. But soon after, many Spanish media outlets including AS, Marca, and El País, as well as Real Madrid legends and stars such as Raúl, Guti, Ramos, and Casillas, along with renowned Spanish media figures like De La Morena and Alfredo, all joined in.
This drew worldwide attention to the hashtag.
Real Madrid fans were calling for Gao Shen to return!
Alfredo, editor-in-chief of AS, posted several tweets, one of which said that if appointing Gao Shen was the best decision Florentino had made as Real Madrid president, then letting him leave was the worst. He even suggested it could jeopardize Florentino's position as club president.
Cadena SER's star host De La Morena revealed on his program that opposition members on Real Madrid's board had begun to use the "Gao Shen card" in hopes of winning over more fans and shaking Florentino's hold on power.
Marca journalist Campo revealed that if Real Madrid failed to qualify for next season's Champions League, the board would launch impeachment proceedings against Florentino, demanding his resignation and pushing for early presidential elections.
Campo also reported that Real Madrid currently has 1,993 member representatives, most of whom are Florentino supporters, but a portion of them are dissatisfied with how he has run the club in recent years.
For example, Florentino previously revised Real Madrid's presidential election rules, with two critical changes: first, any candidate must have been a Real Madrid member for over 20 years; second, the candidate must pledge personal assets equivalent to 12% of the club's annual revenue as collateral. Based on Real Madrid's current revenue, this would amount to at least €90 million.
Back in 2013, Martínez Bravo considered running against Florentino, but due to insufficient personal wealth, he was disqualified. As a result, Florentino ran unopposed and was re-elected.
At that time, under Florentino's leadership, Real Madrid was dominating Europe. Everyone at the club was proud and confident, so no one paid much attention to the rules. But now, more and more fans have started to question Florentino's governance.
His age is one factor, but more importantly, the team's poor performances are unacceptable.
Martínez Bravo publicly tweeted, "Since Real Madrid is a club of its members, every member should have equal rights. Florentino Pérez's use of financial thresholds to block others from running only turns this team into his personal kingdom, with increasingly opaque governance."
"Even worse, he has become a stubborn dictator who refuses to listen to any dissent."
Martínez Bravo called for a reform of the club's election system and for implementing checks and balances on the president and the board.
He also promised that he would find an opportunity to meet Gao Shen in the UK and try to persuade him to return to Real Madrid.
"But I have a feeling that Florentino doesn't want to see that happen."
Former Real Madrid president Calderón also argued that the president's power must be restrained. "As long as 10% of Real Madrid's members agree to impeach the president, the proposal should take effect. That would end the current climate of fear and silence among board members."
However, whether it's Martínez Bravo or Calderón, to run for president, they must first amend the club's election regulations. And to do that, they need Florentino's approval.
But Florentino does face a real threat.
That threat is Enrique Riquelme, a wealthy businessman from Alicante in southeastern Spain.
The 32-year-old Spanish tycoon runs a renewable energy company called bsp; Energy, which primarily operates in Latin America and has a market value of €300 million.
For Riquelme, the deposit required to run for president is not an issue.
What's more, despite being only 32 years old and coming from southeastern Spain, he has been a Real Madrid member for over 20 years. His parents registered him when he was a child.
In an interview with El Confidencial, Riquelme said that Real Madrid's performance this season has been deeply disappointing. The club has already gone through three coaches, and the team's form has not improved.
"Gao Shen left because he was disillusioned with the situation at Real Madrid, and he was proven right."
"Although Florentino keeps telling us that we are still number one in UEFA's club rankings and that we're the best club of the 21st century, I believe everyone knows it's time for change."
"Either choose a new path, professionalize the management, and become a truly global club, or continue to decline."
Riquelme insisted that Real Madrid must change.
...
On Twitter, the hashtag became the number one trending search overnight, instantly igniting the global internet. It made headlines across major media outlets, especially in Europe, where nearly every authoritative publication covered it in detail.
Many newspapers ranked Gao Shen's social media engagement higher than that of heads of state, showing just how much attention it had received.
TV stations from around the world also covered it.
Spanish national television even broadcast live from the Santiago Bernabéu, where Real Madrid fans had been protesting for several days in a row.
Many fans wore Real Madrid jerseys and gathered around the Bernabéu, singing improvised chants:
"Gao Shen, we want you back!"
"Save Real Madrid, we need you!"
"Florentino, take your people and leave!"
"I want profundity, not Florentino!"
From national TV to major newspapers, the coverage continued nonstop.
When Gao Shen woke up, he found that all the major British newspapers, whether it was the reputable Times and Guardian, or The Telegraph, The Sun, Daily Mail, The Independent... they were all reporting on this story.
Part of the reason was that there were no matches the previous day, and the media had no hot topics. But more importantly, this news had exploded overnight.
Especially since it involved two major global traffic drivers—Gao Shen and Real Madrid.
What surprised Gao Shen even more was that by noon, he received videos from Fernando Lucas and Borrell.
Judging by the scenes, they were taken at the entrance of Leeds United's AXA Center and outside the Amazon Stadium.
Many Real Madrid fans had gathered, holding up signs and calling for Gao Shen to return to the club.
"I spoke to them. They're organized by Real Madrid fans. They didn't know your address, so they came straight to Leeds United's facilities to show their support."
"I think local British fans and media will also start getting involved. They might even show up at your home."
The media, always eager for spectacle, would not hesitate to hype this up. Some even hoped Real Madrid fans would block Gao Shen's house.
"Is Real Madrid's situation really that bad?" Gao Shen asked.
He had checked the league standings and found it hard to believe. The team was still sixth, and despite two coaching changes, there had been no significant improvement.
It was even possible, as Piqué had mocked, that they'd end up merely fighting for a top-four spot.
"The gap is too big. It feels like a complete collapse," Fernando Lucas analyzed.
Gao Shen said nothing more.
After finishing his conversation with Lucas, Gao Shen contacted Zidane and Carlo, who were both in Madrid.
He learned the latest developments from his two former assistants.
The situation was indeed dire.
On one hand, the widening performance gap had given the opposition the opportunity to rise. More critically, many who were previously silent had now been stirred into anger.
"You know, a lot of stories have come to light recently. Things like your disagreement with Florentino in 2017, the real reason behind Valdano's departure... all of it is being discussed."
"When the team was performing well, everything was smooth. But now that the team is struggling, the opposition on the board is gaining momentum. This wave cannot be stopped," Zidane said with concern.
Last year, Real Madrid's revenue reached €750 million.
What does that mean?
Enrique Riquelme's company, which is considered quite successful, is worth only €300 million—less than half of Real Madrid's revenue.
More importantly, everyone knows that the true value of being Real Madrid's president isn't just the money.
It's the resources, the influence, the personal connections, the power, and the massive boost to personal prestige. All of that is more valuable than money.
Previously, with Real Madrid performing at a high level, no one dared to challenge Florentino. There was no hope, no competition.
But now, everything had changed. As the team faltered, Florentino's standing in the eyes of fans had been shaken.
This season, the club had gone through three coaches and still hadn't found stability. Even top managers were staying away from the job, which made Real Madrid fans even more furious.
A growing number of Real Madrid supporters were beginning to realize they had misunderstood Gao Shen.
If it weren't for his tireless work, last season's double would have been impossible. Now, the moment he left, Real Madrid collapsed. It was just like when Manchester United lost Ferguson.
Is Real Madrid heading down the same path as Manchester United?
Could this century-old football giant really fall now?
Just as this storm was sweeping across Europe and beyond, Real Madrid, the club at the center of the chaos, suffered yet another blow—losing 1-2 away to relegation-threatened Valladolid.
Solari failed to deliver a win in his first match in charge. The determination of the underdog exposed Real Madrid's panic, resulting in another humiliating defeat.
This also meant Real Madrid remained sixth in La Liga, with little hope of climbing higher, and even less of challenging for the title.
(To be continued.)