After the FIFA Football Congress, Gao Shen held many private discussions with FIFA President Infantino, UEFA President Ceferin, and others, where he also shared some of his ideas.
Of course, he brought up the more sensitive topics in a tentative way.
For instance, he asked Ceferin, what if a company takes over the first teams of multiple Champions League clubs at the same time? Or, even more extreme, what if both teams in a Champions League final are backed by the same company? What would UEFA's stance be?
It was a groundbreaking question.
Ceferin was stunned at first and instinctively responded that such a situation was impossible.
But after Gao Shen's patient explanation, Ceferin began to understand and started analyzing the underlying logic and the potential risks.
From UEFA's point of view, the broader development of the football industry is the priority.
If outsourcing a first team to a professional company could improve the fan experience and enhance the technical and tactical level of the game, then it would undoubtedly be a positive step.
In fact, many scientific innovations require massive investment, something most clubs cannot afford. This includes the artificial intelligence technology Gao Shen and Leeds United are promoting.
As Gao Shen explained, if a company manages the first teams of several top clubs, it would be in a strong position to carry out such research and innovation. This would also enhance the company's market competitiveness.
Moreover, considering the size of the European football market, if one such company emerges, more will likely follow. When competition arises, concerns lessen.
The real issue lies in what Gao Shen mentioned: what happens if two clubs from the same service provider meet in the Champions League final?
Historically, UEFA's approach has been that anything not explicitly banned is allowed.
This situation hasn't occurred yet, but could it become a breeding ground for match-fixing or corruption?
Gao Shen believed that was unlikely, or at least highly difficult.
"As I said during the conference, the introduction of VAR has already significantly curbed match-fixing and corruption by increasing their cost."
Ceferin understood this, and it was easy to grasp.
"Similarly, in the era of big data, it's very easy to detect any suspicion of match-fixing. Once match data is released, all irregularities become obvious."
Gao Shen further explained the logic behind this. It was no different than a company serving two competing clients in the same industry.
Many global industries operate under these conditions—law firms, consulting firms, media companies, and more.
This is where confidentiality agreements come into play.
So, the key question becomes how UEFA views this from a governance perspective.
From a business standpoint, it's standard practice. But if approached with the traditional, rigid, and paternalistic mindset of old football governance, it becomes sensitive.
Some might even choose to ban it outright just to avoid controversy.
"What do you think?" Ceferin asked in return.
After some thought, Gao Shen answered, "I think it's a trend."
"How so?"
"Think about it. Why have agencies made so much money over the years? Is it just because of transfer commissions? Because they act as middlemen inflating player fees?"
Before Ceferin could answer, Gao Shen shook his head. "No. It's because, once the capital came in, they didn't understand football or how to operate player transfers. They needed agents. That was the real demand."
"To large financial groups, the commissions brokers earn are insignificant. What they care about is achieving results, meeting expectations, and realizing strategic goals."
Ceferin understood what Gao Shen meant.
The same logic applied to first teams.
The sporting management of many clubs is a mess. Even Manchester United, a club good at making money, has failed repeatedly in assembling a coherent first team. If given the choice, a club like that would likely prefer to pay a substantial annual fee to a professional third party to manage the team, rather than risk wasting their investments.
In Europe, most club owners today don't actually understand football. With the influx of capital, this has become the norm. Football knowledge is now the exception.
Besides, if Gao Shen was right, this industry had huge potential and a massive market, but it wouldn't be easy to enter. Especially not in the high-profit environment of the top five leagues.
"If, as you said, it's a legitimate company operating legally and professionally, then there shouldn't be any major issues," Ceferin replied.
Their main concern would be if both teams conspired to fix the match. But if a third-party intermediary acted on their own, that would be easier to investigate. Once the company's reputation was damaged, it would be over for them.
Anyone serious about staying in this industry long term would never take that risk.
Nobody benefits from damaging the entire market.
Infantino had a similar view.
The former UEFA president was even more open-minded and asked Gao Shen whether the model could be extended to national teams, given how chaotic many football associations were.
Others might not know the full extent, but FIFA certainly did.
However, Gao Shen said he had no plans for national teams, and even if he did, it would only be with Western European federations.
…
Gao Shen's speech at the FIFA Football Congress quickly spread throughout the European football world.
FIFA published the full text of his address and his Q&A responses. They were translated into multiple languages and widely circulated in professional circles.
Over the years, Gao Shen's stature in European and world football had soared.
Now, anything he said was practically treated as gospel by many.
After all, he had become synonymous with victory and was admired by countless people.
Some young coaches even admitted they got into football because they looked up to Gao Shen, a testament to his influence.
Although Gao Shen was far away in Madrid, everyone at Real Madrid had been closely following his every move.
News of his speech reached them almost immediately.
Not long after his talk concluded, Florentino and others had already obtained the full video.
Through various channels, they also heard about his private conversations with Ceferin, Infantino, and other high-ranking figures.
This wasn't particularly surprising.
The entry barrier for this kind of business was extremely high. At present, no one but Gao Shen and his team could realistically pull it off.
Not even the teams behind Guardiola or Klopp could.
So, industry-wide attention did not pose any threat to Gao Shen.
However, Florentino had to take it seriously.
After getting the full briefing, Florentino stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in his office, looking out at the street. The Real Madrid fans who had been protesting were gone, and strangely, he missed that chaos.
Now, he only felt a sense of helplessness.
Gao Shen had advanced too far, too quickly.
As Real Madrid's president, Florentino always considered himself a visionary, but this time, he truly felt like Gao Shen had blindsided him with a dimension-breaking move. It made him feel outdated.
Just as he was deep in thought, there was a knock on the door.
Jose Sanchez entered.
"President, after some investigation, we've basically confirmed that Gao Shen's earlier meetings with Nasser and Rummenigge were to discuss this plan," he reported.
Gao Shen wanted a partner, but the first clubs he approached were not Real Madrid. That made Jose Sanchez feel somewhat bitter.
"Any final decisions?"
"They're both interested, but cautious."
"That's expected, especially Rummenigge. The Germans were among the earliest to embrace big data, but they're also the most psychologically resistant to change. Rummenigge himself was a professional footballer," Florentino said with a faint smile.
Times change, and no one can resist it.
Some embrace it. Some don't. Others hesitate. That's just how it is.
"I heard Leeds United has been undergoing internal reform since last year," Jose Sanchez added.
"Last year?"
"Yes. The exact timing isn't clear, but it was led by Gao Shen's wife, Su Qing. The Big Data Center, Methodology Department, and the Research and Innovation Department were all spun off and acquired by Gao Shen's company at a nominal price."
"Also, they've been investing in AI research for at least three years. At first, they collaborated with Chinese firms and set up a research center near Cambridge University. Later, Leeds United partnered with the University of Leeds to establish an AI research center. The software recently developed jointly by the University of Leeds and British Rail was one of their outcomes."
"In the past two years, the University of Leeds has been working with Edinburgh, Oxford, and Cambridge on AI and healthcare projects. Leeds United was quietly the driving force behind it all."
No one would have known about any of this if recent events hadn't drawn attention.
Who would ever think a football club was dabbling in AI and healthcare?
Isn't that just asking for trouble?
Not only were fans clueless, even the media had no idea. Everything had been kept under wraps.
And all of this pointed to one thing.
What Gao Shen was doing now wasn't a sudden brainstorm. It had been in the works for a long time.
"From the start, I thought Leeds United was a strange and unique team. Now I'm sure of it. It's freakin' weird!" Jose Sanchez couldn't help but curse under his breath with a bitter smile.
Who's ever seen a football team like this?
It was completely unorthodox, totally subversive.
If a tech or internet company did these things, no one would bat an eye. But a football club?
Had they made that much money from transfers in recent years?
Florentino turned around silently, his eyes narrowed slightly as he continued to stare out the window.
Though not tall and a little overweight, he exuded the steadiness of a mountain.
"Get ready. I'm going to set up a meeting with Gao Shen. You'll come with me to England in a few days."
(To be continued.)
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