Wei Laisong has gotten too cocky.
They got cocky as soon as they started to achieve some success.
Don't you have any idea what level your team is at?
However, Xing Baohua listened attentively to Wei Laisong's explanation that followed.
Now that they've been promoted to the top division, the rice team needs exposure. Coincidentally, the rice team also has international recognition, so they invited a world-class powerhouse to visit the country and play a relaxing friendly match.
It wasn't for the competition, but for publicity.
Xing Baohua figured that in a typical friendly match, the other side wouldn't be too rude and would beat you by a large margin. They would just score one or two goals, or throw the game by one goal.
Finally, the journey ended amicably.
Inviting a famous club isn't feasible with Wei Laisong's status! It has to be Zhao Shanhai, who's practically a godfather figure in the noodle country.
I don't know how I managed to get by.
Although Xing Baohua agreed to the friendly match, he still had some experience with the foreign players and coaches.
Hiring a foreign goalkeeper is crucial; a good goalkeeper is worth half a team. Professional football hasn't fully implemented this system yet, not to mention many things are still being explored, and even the number of foreign players that can be registered is still undecided.
Only three foreign players can play at a time, but I can register five, six, seven, or eight as substitutes.
Goalkeepers were banned in domestic leagues. I forget which year it was, but it seems that Sasha, the goalkeeper of Shandong Taishan, was unfairly blamed.
Only conceding 13 goals in a season, how are other teams supposed to compete? As a result, many clubs saw the advantage of having good goalkeepers and decided to bring them in, which immediately gave the Football Association a bad sign.
The goalkeeper position is not easily changed. If your club uses foreign goalkeepers, domestic goalkeepers will not have the opportunity to play and gain experience.
Isn't this creating a talent gap? Even national team-level goalkeepers can only sit on the bench at their clubs; in national team matches, they'll just become liability players!
So, when the domestic league banned foreign goalkeepers, Taishan Sasha was forced to retire. The old guy was getting old.
If they were young, the Taishan team could fetch a good price.
Another one is the head coach. Xing Baohua thought for a long time before he remembered a bald, fat man from Samba.
The reason I thought of him is twofold: firstly, he coached the Brazilian national team and won the World Cup; secondly, he coached in China, leading the Nandu team to three consecutive championships.
As for where he is teaching now, I'll have to ask around.
There's no rush. Grandpa Shi's skills aren't great, but he can still hold on.
I talked to Wei Laisong about the goalkeeper and coach issues, and then asked how many domestic players they had poached.
Wei Laisong said, "The players we thought were good didn't want to come, while the ones we didn't think were good were willing to come. One of them was Peng Weiguo, a key player from the Nandu team's youth team, who plays as an attacking midfielder and winger. We had already agreed on his salary, but he didn't want to come."
"Didn't you ask why?"
"I asked around, and the Southern Metropolis team promoted him to the first team and promised him a starting position. There's also Fan Yi from a Shanghai team. He plays defensive midfield. We sent someone to him twice, but he's too homesick to come."
"Those who can come, please speak."
Wei Laisong said, "It is currently confirmed that there is a striker named Gao Feng in the Capital Youth Team. He is fast and good at poaching, and can play with Batistuta in a two-striker formation."
"Your efforts to poach talent are still insufficient. Find a way to bring Peng Weiguo over, but leave the Fan guy for now. The second tier needs to be properly nurtured. Have people go to various sports schools and youth teams to select promising talents, and I'll send them abroad for training."
"Okay. With your words, I know what to do."
After Wei Laisong left, Xing Baohua called Zhao Shanhai and said, "Wei Laisong should go see him in the next couple of days and cooperate with his work."
What are you here for?
"We'll poach some players and invite one or two clubs to participate in the invitational tournament."
"Send them to compete domestically?"
"I came here for tourism and just wanted to have some fun."
Zhao Shanhai said, "I understand."
They might be willing to go as long as it's not an official competition. It's a way to make money and also get some travel time.
As for Xing Baohua's brief mention of Paryuka...
Zhao Shanhai understood; it must be a player, and he knew exactly what to do.
As for Xing Baohua's suggestion to find a coach from Brazil, that's like looking for a needle in a haystack. Fortunately, Xing Baohua can provide some information, as he has won awards for his work.
Whether it's a cup champion or a league champion, these coaches are easy to find.
Wei Laisong, along with several senior team officials, went to Noodle Country. Upon his arrival, Zhao Shanhai prepared information on the players and coaches for him.
I was quite surprised when I saw that the player had dark circles under his eyes.
"Don't worry about it, he just drank too much tonight and fell on the ground," Zhao Shanhai, a foreigner, explained to Wei Laisong.
They sent him home to rest first, and then told him they would go back to China with him in a few days. Only then did he limp away.
"Can he even compete like that?" Wei Leisong said, pointing at Pagliuca's back.
"It'll be fine in a few days. It was from falling while drinking. It's nothing serious."
Wei Laisong continued, "Has he settled things with his club?"
"Don't worry, our boss doesn't leave any trouble behind. His transfer fee is $1.1 million?"
"So young, yet so expensive?"
"There's a little surprise here. The national team coach is interested in promoting him to the national team, even if he's just a substitute. His value will be different."
"Okay! Which team did you invite for the invitational tournament?" Wei Laisong continued to ask.
"Noodle Country is easy to deal with. Whichever team you're interested in, we'll try our best to arrange it. Besides Noodle Country, the teams that have responded are Ajax and Borussia Dortmund. One is asking for $600,000 for a four-day trip. The other is asking for $500,000 for a five-day trip. You'll cover all the food and lodging, with five-star accommodations, luxury buses, and round-trip airfare."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
