Before Gao Shen traveled through time, he once saw this question: Are Europe and the United States a human society?
At that time, he didn't know much about it and always felt that it should be similar. After all, we are all human beings, but without practice, we have no right to speak.
Now, after having been in European football for so many years, he can say with absolute certainty, yes!
Distance creates beauty, but often it is lack of familiarity and understanding that causes deviation.
Even in the Vanity Fair European football world, it is still a place full of human kindness and sophistication.
Just like Verona, the newly promoted team in Serie B this season.
Back then, when Gao Shen was coaching Napoli in Serie B, Verona lost the relegation play-offs in Serie B and was relegated to Group A of Serie C.
This stay lasted four years.
In the Serie C Group A last season, after twelve rounds, Verona ranked 13th among the 18 teams, only two points more than the bottom deputy squad leader Pegnese. The situation can be said to be quite
Danger.
Verona's management was also in turmoil, so they quickly hired Andrea Mandolini to put out the fire.
Mandolini is a professional player and has played for teams such as Ravenna, Turin, Atalanta, Ascoli, Inter Milan and Udinese, among which he played for Inter Milan for seven years.
After retiring, he transformed into a head coach. He first served as an assistant coach in Ravenna for four years, and then coached Vicenza, Atalanta, Bologna, Siena, Sassuolo and other teams, but basically the coaching time was
Not long either.
After coaching Verona this time, he used his personal connections during the winter break to loan out six or seven young players from Serie A teams such as Inter Milan, Roma, Atalanta and Reggina.
players.
Among them is Emman Napoli, captain of the Inter Milan U19 youth team.
With the help of this wave of reinforcements during the winter break, Verona immediately rushed from being almost at the bottom to fifth in the league, narrowly entered the promotion play-offs of Group A, defeated its opponents, and successfully fought back to the top.
Serie B.
After tasting the sweetness, the first thing Verona did after being promoted to Serie B was to find the Giallorossi Roma and rent out the new generation Italian forward Marco D'Alessandro.
Young rookies who have emerged from Italy's national teams of all ages.
Not only that, Mandolini also hand-picked Atalanta's Croatian high center forward Bijelanovic. The transfer fee is expected to be as high as 700,000 euros. This will be Verona's biggest signing this summer.
Let me ask, without the network of human connections, could Verona have gone from being a third-level quasi-relegated team half a year ago to being in Serie B now?
…
Gao Shen did not contact Verona directly, but found Italian coach Ventura.
Yes, the same Ventura who was "beaten" by senior officials and was dismissed from get out of class, resulting in Verona being relegated. In the future, Lippi will call Ventura the best coach in Italy.
In the past, when Gao Shen was coaching Naples, he met him in the Italian Football Association. He owed Gao Shen a favor, and now Gao Shen called him and asked him to argue with Verona.
So, within two days, Ventura called Gao Shen.
Things are done.
Jorginho, a midfielder with dual Italian and Brazilian citizenship, moved from Verona to Leeds United for a high price of 100,000 euros.
This 19-year-old midfielder is doing really poorly in Italy.
When he was still receiving youth training in Brazil, he was no longer favored by the Brazilian team, but was taken by an Italian football agent to a youth training camp specifically for cultivating talents for the Italian team. There were 50 people in total to train.
After two or three years, he was sent to Italy and signed with Verona.
At that time, Verona was still in Serie B.
Last season, Jorginho was loaned to San Bonifacio in the fourth tier. He played 31 times, scored one goal and had no assists. This is definitely a failure for a midfielder.
.
Jorginho plays more as an attacking midfielder and midfielder, but the playing style of the low-level league makes it difficult for the thin Jorginho to adapt. Coupled with the tactics of his teammates and teams around him, the Brazilian teenager's performance
Very average.
This is also the reason why his net worth is only 80,000 euros.
Verona was also wondering how to use this young Brazilian player. After all, the advantages and disadvantages were obvious, and he felt very incompatible with the Italian football style.
Therefore, Leeds United offered 100,000 euros, and Ventura came forward. Verona, who was eager to buy Bijelanovic, agreed.
…
Every morning, when he wakes up from bed, opens his eyes and turns his head, Jamie Vardy can see the blue and white striped jersey hanging on the wall.
That's Sheffield Wednesday's home shirt.
"There are still three levels." Vardy lay back on the bed, looked at the ceiling, and muttered to himself.
Halifax were promoted to the sixth tier, while Sheffield Wednesday were still in the third tier.
He came out of Sheffield Wednesday's youth training, but when he was sixteen, because he was thin and short and had no outstanding football talent, Sheffield Wednesday refused to give him a professional contract and let him leave freely.
At that time, he thought: Stop playing football!
But the irony is that not long after he was terminated, his height gradually grew by 20 centimeters.
After returning to school, he also studied physical education. After graduation, he found a job in a factory that specialized in manufacturing splints for patients with foot drop. His job was to move the splint raw materials to the shelves of the assembly line. Every day
Lifting it up and down hundreds of times, the job took a toll on his health.
So, he started playing football again.
Coming from a formal professional youth training, he quickly made a name for himself on the field. The nearby Stockbridge Park Steel Team found him and offered him a part-time contract, training twice a week, and a weekly salary of thirty pounds.
The superburger he often eats costs four pounds a piece, but it's better than nothing.
While playing for the Stockbridge Park Steelers, he stood up for a hearing-impaired friend, got into a fight with a gangster in a bar, and was sentenced to a curfew and put in electronic shackles.
Therefore, fans of the Stockbridge Park Steelers still remember that he only played for sixty minutes in each game, and was substituted when the time was up and walked away quickly.
Because, he must go home before six o'clock in the evening.
Last year, due to his outstanding performance with the Stockbridge Park Steelers, he was spotted by seventh-tier Halifax.
This club is a bit far away, but the salary is relatively high.
So Vardy built a car for himself.
There are still two training sessions a week, on Tuesday and Thursday nights, the training time is from 7 to 11 o'clock.
After Vardy gets off work at 4:30 every afternoon, he drives directly to the training ground to report. The time is just right. After training, he goes home and goes to bed at the same time. He plays games every Saturday.
Such days are very fulfilling.
Last season, he scored 26 goals in 33 games in the seventh level, which was extremely efficient.
Finally, Halifax made it to the sixth tier.
Vardy is one step closer to his origins.
But eight years have passed.
His dream is to climb up his career step by step when he is still old enough to play football.
Although, it looks really hard!
…
Get up, brush your teeth, wash your face, have breakfast...
This process happens almost every day.
The league is suspended, but he still has to go to work.
Although Halifax is a sixth-tier league team, that salary is simply not enough to support Vardy himself.
The thought of starting that boring assembly line life again made Vardy feel uncomfortable.
While he was having breakfast, his cell phone suddenly rang.
Caller ID: David Bosomworth.
"Hey, David, I don't have time to talk to you. I have to rush to work. Is there a warm-up match? How much is the appearance fee? Let's settle the accounts from the previous few times. I'm so broke recently.
Selling myself, man."
As soon as the call was connected, Vardy made a series of complaints.
Delay in wages and salary arrears is the norm in lower leagues.
But this time something wasn't quite right with David Bosomworth on the other end of the phone.
"Jamie, you have to calm down and listen to me."
"Do you have no money again? I don't have any money either..."
"No, no, no, Jamie, I want to say, I'm sorry, without your consent, but I think this is a good opportunity."
"What do you mean?"
"A team wants to buy you."
"You agreed?"
"Um."
"I knew you were unreliable. Which team are you from?"
"Liz."
"Damn it, it's too far. You don't know that I have to go to work every day. If I go there after work, it's too late." Vardy complained on the phone, "Don't I have to find another job?
"
"Wait, how much did you sell me for?"
"One hundred thousand pounds."
"How much?" Vardy directly raised his voice.
"One hundred thousand pounds, brother, a very good price. We are short of money now."
"No, is there such a team in Leeds? Bradford City? That's not right. These teams are all poor guys, not much better than us. David, you must pay attention.
Don’t be fooled.”
Having been involved in low-level leagues all year round, Vardy is very familiar with the teams in the surrounding area.
But he obviously missed the biggest team.
This wasn't his mistake, it was just that he didn't think about it at all.
Sheffield Wednesday in the third level is already a lifelong pursuit for him, let alone Leeds United in the second level?
And the news also said that Leeds United was acquired by the world's top coach Gao Shen.
Would he take a fancy to a little fish like him who hangs out in the seventh-level league?
"You can't cheat, Jamie, it's not Bradford City, I said yes, it's Leeds' team, Leeds United!"
Vardy was obviously frozen, "You...you said...who?"
"Leeds United! Leeds United in the English Championship, Jamie, Leeds United is interested in you!"
A wave of hot blood surged up in an instant, and Vardy felt that his head was buzzing all of a sudden.
"No...this is impossible."
"One hundred thousand pounds, I initialed the agreement, and the other party gave me the money."
Vardy was stunned, unable to say anything, and even forgot about the most important thing about going to work.
"Jamie, you are going to play in the Championship soon. All of us believe that you will become an excellent professional player. Keep up the good work. Don't forget about brother when you are developed. Also, I will give your contact information to Leeds.
If you have a chance to meet Gao Shen in the future, remember to ask for an autograph for me. I am his fan, you know?"
But at this moment, Vardy obviously couldn't hear any sound.
