Xabi Alonso knocked on the door of Gao Shen's office.
The door was open. Standing at the door, Xabi Alonso saw Gao Shen focused on watching a video on his tablet. He looked up when he heard the knock, smiled, and waved at him, inviting him in and asking him to close the door.
After turning off the tablet, Gao Shen poured a glass of water for Xabi Alonso.
"Boss, are you looking for me?" Xabi Alonso asked, sitting down.
Gao Shen nodded. "I have something to talk to you about."
Xabi Alonso vaguely guessed what was going on.
Gao Shen had already spoken with Modric and Toni Kroos, and Xabi Alonso figured it was his turn. The main topic should still be about the upcoming home game against Dortmund and the Champions League group stage.
Right now, Real Madrid's situation is precarious, with a lot of noise from the media. Some tabloids even reported that Gao Shen would be fired if Real Madrid were eliminated from the group stage.
Real Madrid's management quickly held a press conference to clarify matters, reiterating their support for Gao Shen and expressing confidence that the team would progress smoothly.
But it's difficult.
Dortmund is really strong.
What Xabi Alonso didn't expect was that Gao Shen didn't want to talk about the match, but instead began discussing his contract renewal.
"Your contract is up in 2014, and it's actually the shortest among the entire team," Gao Shen said.
It was already 2012, and 2013 was fast approaching. In other words, Xabi Alonso's contract situation was becoming quite urgent. If it wasn't renewed soon, he could find a team on his own.
But the issue with the Spanish midfielder was that he was already 31 years old.
With this contract, he would almost be 33 when it expired.
In fact, Real Madrid's management had been debating whether to renew Xabi Alonso's contract.
In hindsight, it would seem obvious to renew it quickly.
But from the perspective of Real Madrid's technical staff and management, this was also a dilemma.
How many players' performances have dropped significantly after contract renewals? By the time they reach a certain age, their performances are heavily reduced. What should be done?
Many fans criticized Wenger for renewing players' contracts every year after they turned 30, but he actually had his reasons.
Of course, Gao Shen believed that Xabi Alonso was not one of those players.
As a time traveler, he clearly knew how long Xabi Alonso's condition could last.
"I've already officially sent a fax to the technical department, asking them to quickly reach an agreement with you and your agent on the contract renewal. I don't want this matter to drag on any longer."
Gao Shen's statement surprised Xabi Alonso a little, but it was also within the realm of what he expected.
What really surprised him was the next sentence.
"As for the annual salary, my initial suggestion is 6 million euros after tax."
Xabi Alonso was obviously stunned. "Six million euros... after tax?"
"Yes, do you think that's too little?" Gao Shen asked with a smile.
"No, no, no, I just feel a little...," Xabi Alonso was genuinely moved.
From the moment he entered the room until now, Gao Shen had been carefully observing the changes in Xabi Alonso's expression.
The Basque man was usually calm, collected, and hard to surprise. But he was clearly taken aback by the renewal terms Gao Shen was offering.
His current annual salary was 3.8 million euros after tax, putting him in the middle of the Real Madrid salary list.
At 31 years old, the jump to 6 million euros after tax was a massive boost for him.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say that Gao Shen was treating him like his right-hand man!
Why else would he fight so hard for such a generous contract renewal?
"Don't get too excited. This is just a proposal I've made to the office. They also have their own review process. We'll discuss it further. But I think there will be some changes in the details, though it will remain generally the same," Gao Shen explained.
Now, Gao Shen had such authority.
Xabi Alonso was genuinely excited and moved.
"For this contract renewal, I personally suggest a 2+1 model," Gao Shen continued. "That means a two-year extension. If your playing time remains similar, we can extend it for another year. So, the longest we can go is 2017. By then, you'll be almost 36 years old."
For Xabi Alonso, this would be almost like a lifetime contract.
"Boss, I didn't expect this," Xabi Alonso said, genuinely surprised.
"Just get used to it. I will never mistreat players who contribute to the team, especially outstanding core players like you. I will keep you in Real Madrid no matter what," Gao Shen said firmly.
Having heard all of this, what could Xabi Alonso possibly say?
He was moved, and then pledged his absolute and unconditional support for Gao Shen.
"You've done a great job, Xabi. Really," Gao Shen confirmed with a smile.
After a pause, he slightly shifted his tone. "But I believe you're a smart person, so I'll be frank with you."
"Your age is a factor, but your experience is an invaluable asset to us. So, I hope you can help guide the younger players in the team. I can guarantee that in my plan, you, like them, occupy a vital position. You are one of the most important players."
If it weren't for the contract, Xabi Alonso might have had some concerns. But with such a heavy contract offer, if he still questioned Gao Shen's words, he would no longer be Xabi Alonso.
Who would take the fourth-highest salary on the team and still doubt the coach's intentions?
"I understand, boss. Don't worry, I'll never let you down," Xabi Alonso promised solemnly.
"The match against Dortmund is very, very important to us. It is crucial. We need to be in our best form and win by at least two goals at home."
Xabi Alonso understood that Gao Shen had made up his mind, and immediately agreed.
…
After discussing tactics and strategies for the Dortmund match, as well as his role in transforming the team's midfield, Gao Shen let Xabi Alonso go.
But it still gave him a headache.
When working in a large company, the most exhausting part is often not the specific tasks, but the internal communication.
They call this "corporate disease."
The same applies to Real Madrid.
It doesn't matter if the head coach knows tactics, can train, or sign players. The most important thing is communication and being able to manage the stars in the locker room.
For example, people often criticize Bosque's coaching ability.
He won two Champions League titles, yet after leaving Real Madrid, not a single top club came knocking for him. He struggled in Turkey and eventually joined the Spanish national team. Isn't that outrageous?
Many would argue that Bosque did well with Spain, winning the World Cup and the European Cup...
But if you ask people in the football community, those two titles are important, but not necessarily ground-breaking.
Would Mourinho coach the Portuguese national team, or Guardiola coach Spain?
To be blunt, the national teams are sometimes like retirement homes. Coaches only consider these roles when they can't make it in the professional league anymore.
But one thing that has to be admitted is that Bosque was a perfect fit for Real Madrid. He remains one of the most beloved head coaches in the club's history.
Sometimes, people can be very strange.
Gao Shen spoke with Toni Kroos, Xabi Alonso, and Modric one after the other. His main goal was to break down the barriers in midfield so they could work freely together.
Of course, the issue of contract renewals was also important.
Gao Shen called Valdano earlier and didn't worry about Ronaldo's renewal. That was already being discussed between Ronaldo's team and Real Madrid.
Gao Shen focused on four players: Marcelo, Xabi Alonso, Benzema, and Di Maria.
He asked for these renewals to be completed as soon as possible.
Among them, Xabi Alonso's was the most urgent. His contract was expiring in 2014. Ideally, the renewal should be finalized this season, but for the 31-year-old Spanish midfielder, the renewal process would be more relaxed.
Marcelo and Benzema's contracts expire in 2015. Benzema's annual salary is 5 million euros after tax. There's no rush to renew, but it's something to consider.
Marcelo must be renewed.
The Brazilian left-back's current annual salary is 2.3 million euros after tax, which is the lowest in the squad. Now that he is injured, Gao Shen feels this is the perfect time to offer him an extension so that Marcelo can focus on playing football with peace of mind in the future.
Di Maria is also in a tough spot. His salary is 3.5 million euros after tax, but his contract expires in 2018, which is too far away.
Gao Shen's idea was to keep the contract term unchanged, but assure Di Maria that if he continues his great performances, his contract would be renewed next summer, and his salary would be increased.
Did you see it?
Florentino and the Real Madrid management have been incredibly smart and thorough in handling the contract renewal matters.
Take Higuain, for example. His annual salary after tax is only 3.8 million euros. Are you kidding me?
Pepe earns 3.5 million euros, while Albiol and Arbeloa are both on 2 million euros after tax.
This is the salary structure that sets the benchmark for European football.
But the current situation is clear—there will be a surge in salaries soon.
Ronaldo's contract renewal negotiations have been ongoing for some time. His annual salary has been raised twice at Barcelona. With Real Madrid's performance not ideal, they have suppressed it, but now they can't hold back any longer.
The salaries in top leagues like the Premier League, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1 are also rising.
Real Madrid can't suppress this wave.
Gao Shen's handling of the matter was fully supported by Valdano and Florentino because Xabi Alonso's renewal is indeed urgent. It expires in 2014. If it isn't renewed now, when will it be?
Do they need to wait until he's a free agent?
But Gao Shen also had a vague feeling that Real Madrid would soon face a wave of contract renewals in the next one or two years. As the head coach, he could certainly continue to do good things, but Kaka would likely leave the team.
The reason is simple: it frees up 9 million euros in annual salary after tax.
Given Kaka's current situation, it is basically impossible for him to get a contract renewal. Jose Sanchez also said before that his commercial value has dropped significantly, and with an annual salary of 9 million euros after tax, if he were to renew his contract under the new tax rate, Real Madrid would be under tremendous financial pressure.
Ronaldo was able to renew because the Portuguese star still has both competitive and commercial value, but Kaka…
There is nothing Gao Shen can do about it.
After all, running a top football club is not like running a charity. You cannot be emotional.
(To be continued.)