"If you came here today to ask about the guilt, then I'm sorry, I'm not in the mood. ”

In the office of the Chinatown training base in Daxing District, Beijing, Gao Han met Deputy Director Cai, who had come here.

Visiting during sensitive periods is always unavoidable.

Deputy Director Cai was also embarrassed, because this matter was indeed not handled by him and the people of the Football Association.

Gao Han first heard about the invitational tournament a few months ago, but at that time he did not know the specific event arrangement, but vaguely knew that it was during the winter training, and he put forward two requirements at that time, first, it must be a strong team, and it is best to have stronger offensive ability, which is conducive to the national team to run in defensive counterattack tactics.

As for the second point, it must not affect the club's pre-season preparation.

These two requirements, the Football Association also told the investor at the time, the latter patted his chest to promise, but as a result, the opponent was not strong, and the schedule seriously affected the club's pre-season preparation.

After learning the real situation, Gao Han repeatedly reported the situation to the Football Association, and also called Deputy Director Cai many times, but later Deputy Director Cai himself had a headache when he saw Gao Han's call, and refused to answer several times.

Obviously, all parties are adopting the trick of procrastination, that is, to delay the time as much as possible, and wait until the event is like an arrow on the string, forcing all parties to comply, and then they can do what they want, and the big deal is that the second team will go to the second team.

But what no one expected was that Gao Han pierced this layer of window paper at this time.

Therefore, at this moment, hearing Gao Han's unkind tone, Deputy Director Cai was embarrassed, helpless and ashamed.

"Brother, I came here today, and I definitely don't have any intention of asking for guilt. Deputy Director Cai sighed helplessly, "I won't tell you, I've just been scolded several times, and there are some things that I am caught in the middle, and it's not easy to do." ”

Gao Han looked at Deputy Director Cai, who was sighing and crying in front of him, and shook his head, very helpless.

If he didn't know much about the situation when he took over the national team, now he certainly knows better than anyone else.

No matter who sits in the position of the leader of the Football Association, it is difficult.

"I know you have a grudge in your heart, thinking that we are joking with your life's honor and disgrace, but we really can't help it, this time the investor went straight to the top, plus the support of FIFA and AFC, we can't even if we want to oppose it. ”

"You're wrong, Lao Cai. Gao Han raised his head at this time, "From the moment I agreed to take over the national team coach, I didn't take the so-called personal honor and disgrace seriously, I know in my heart that losing is sooner or later, it is inevitable, and the top 12 matches can be played so far, which is far beyond my expectations." ”

Gao Han's words were also frank, and they were his sincere words.

"Even if we qualify for the next qualifiers and enter the World Cup, how far can we play at our level?" Gao Han shook his head and smiled, "Don't be kidding, if I can really qualify from the qualifiers, I only have one goal for the World Cup, to score a goal, to score a point, and to achieve this goal, which is already very good." ”

Deputy Director Cai also understands the situation of the national team, and of course believes what Gao Han said.

Don't look at the top 12 matches of the Chinese team, but how many catties can these Asian teams throw into the World Cup?

Gao Han's goal is the most realistic.

"I'm angry because I'm very skeptical that such an unprofessional decision could be passed in the Football Association, and that no one within the Football Association would dare to raise objections?"

But as soon as Gao Han said this, he was a little speechless.

When the opinion comes from within the Football Association, it may be possible to have an effective discussion, but if it comes from above, or even from above, can it still be discussed? Who would dare to raise objections?

Suddenly, he felt a sense of powerlessness.

He felt that no matter how much he did, he couldn't change all this, he was unwilling, but he was helpless.

But at this time, he suddenly remembered that not long ago, the team ended the first round round with five consecutive wins, and when he returned to Beijing, he received a call from the chief, in which he fully affirmed Gao Han's contribution to the national team, but at the same time hoped that he could do more, and for the first time proposed the special position of general adviser of the football reform team.

This reform team was established more than a year ago, and the leadership level is very high, but the general counsel is a position tailored for Gao Han, not in the system, but can take care of everything and ask anything.

Gao Han didn't understand the chief's intentions at that time, and he didn't agree on the spot, because he himself was very resistant to it.

Looking back now, I can't help but understand a lot and think deeply.

"Lao Cai, even if this matter is over, but I hope that all this kind of things in the future can inform me in advance, football does need investment, and investment is welcome, but as a leading institution, we should do a good job of top-level design and grasp the proportion, only in this way, when the capital comes in, it can be a matter of course, otherwise, the flood will be flooded, and it will be a mess." ”

Gao Han's words were also serious.

Deputy Director Cai seemed to have known some news for a long time, and after listening to it, not only did he not feel that Gao Han was too big, but he kept nodding.

"I also know, but you should understand that there is a lack of this kind of talent within our Football Association, and we have only been playing professional football for many years? ”

That's a big truth.

Not to mention the Chinese Football Association, which country's football association in the world can play with capital?

The Europa League is good enough, right?

Even UEFA itself often makes a foreign appearance in front of capital, but you must know that they have a system that has undergone decades of development and improvement.

It can be said that this is a contradiction that is prevalent all over the world.

"You're right, so we have to standardize and guide, since the existing personnel within the Football Association can't play, then replace people, introduce world-class talents from Europe into the Football Association, help us formulate and improve the system, and guide capital. ”

After a pause, Gao Han said: "We have to pay attention to youth training, but there is no experience in this area, and there is no problem, we will go to Germany, France, Spain and other countries to learn from experience, learn from people's advanced experience, welcome people to give us advice, and even hire high-level experts to conduct a long-term investigation to help us tailor the youth training development plan." ”

Deputy Director Cai was dumbfounded, "This ...... Is that okay?"

"Why not?" Gao Han asked rhetorically, "As the saying goes, the sea is inclusive, inclusive, since ancient times, we have a tradition in this regard, since the Tang Dynasty can be, then why not now?"

Deputy Director Cai was speechless, but he felt that it was difficult, very difficult, but he also found it very attractive.

"You have a point, but it's a bit simple, if nothing else, even within the Football Association, it's not monolithic, everyone has their own interests, including me. ”

Gao Han was not surprised, because he knew.

The most direct example, why did Deputy Director Cai launch Gao Han until the last moment, when he had been cornered, and only after the chief came forward?

In the final analysis, it is also his own self-interest calculation.

It's normal, from the Football Association to the club, internally.

The key is how to create a synergy through an effective system.

"Let's talk about the recent past, we lost badly in the U16 Asian Cup, but Iraq won the championship, and the result is good, there are many people who have started to pay attention to youth training, so recently some people have begun to propose to introduce a clause on the number of young players in the league, and it has been agreed by many people. ”

"Isn't this?" Gao Han was angry on the spot, "League-oriented, league-oriented, how many years have this been shouting?"

"What do you mean by league-oriented?"

"The league is a stage, commercial operation, bringing in stars, attracting more fans to watch, selling broadcast rights, selling tickets, selling sponsorships...... The higher the level of the league, the more money it makes, the more fans it attracts, and the wealth that continues to be created is reinvested in the football industry, thus forming a virtuous circle. ”

"You know, cultivating young players has never been the obligation of the top league, it is the academy, it is the youth league, it is the echelon league should be done, this is the commercial operation of the top league itself is two different business models, how can it be confused?"

"Take La Liga, which I am most familiar with, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, the three traditional giants, invest heavily in the transfer market every year, introducing top superstars such as Messi, Suarez, Neymar, Gareth Bale, Aguero, Sanchez, etc., so that La Liga superstars are gathered, which can be called the first league in the world. ”

"But behind the first league, La Liga will give a part of its income to the Football Association every year, and then the Football Association will invest in all aspects of youth training, youth league and community football, plus the club's own echelon league, which can cultivate an endless supply of talent for the top league. ”

"A country's top league should never be the main battlefield for cultivating young players, youth leagues and echelon leagues are, and the most important task of the league is to play more exciting events, attract more fans, and make more money. ”

"It is still a period of rapid economic development, all walks of life are developing rapidly, the recovery momentum of the Chinese Super League in recent years is also very obvious, the exposure rate is high, and the attention is also high, which allows investors to benefit from it, so there is still a very big attraction, and now the reform is still too late, but if you wait until when, the Chinese Super League has become a pool of stagnant water, and it is too late to change. ”

Gao Han's frank remarks made Deputy Director Cai also fall into deep thought.

He will take over this burden at a critical juncture, which proves the responsibility in his heart, and also makes Gao Han believe that he can be in the same boat with Chinese football, but the situation he is facing now is very complicated, and even far beyond Gao Han's original expectations.

It is only now that Gao Han has begun to truly realize that as many people once said, Chinese football has never been just a problem in the industry, but a microcosm of the whole society.

But it has never been Gao Han's style to retreat with difficulty, and since he has walked in, then he must do it to the end.

Now that he has taken over the position of coach of the Chinese national team, he will not give up lightly, let alone back down.

Knowing that there are tigers in the mountains, he prefers to go to the tiger mountains, which is the style of Gao Han.

As the saying goes, there must be a road before the car reaches the mountain, and the boat is naturally straight to the bridge.

Even if there is really no road at that time, even if Gao Han walks slowly alone, he will have to walk out of a road.

He has always firmly believed that it is impossible for China to fail in football.

However, for the time being, his most important task is the World Cup qualifiers in March.

Play well in South Korea and Iran, bring the team back to the World Cup, and use this enthusiasm to burn this fire longer and longer!

(End of chapter)