Chapter 8: Pre-Season Meetings
The news of Garcia's retirement did not surprise Hu Xuefei, but the team chairman Mr. Chen Yansheng summoned Hu Xuefei, which was unexpected by Hu Xuefei.
When Hu Xuefei appeared in the office of the team president, almost all the club's executives were in this office.
Vice President Carlos Ponte, Managing Director Roger, Football Director Perlarnau, Communications Director Augustine, Finance Director Lisa Howl, Chief Scout Rufit, and Hu Xuefei's Bole Alex are all in this office.
Hu Xuefei looked around, very puzzled, what does Chen Yansheng mean by calling all the executives of the club?
Hu Xuefei gave Alishi a look, but Alishi shook his head silently, pretending not to see Hu Xuefei's eyes.
Chen Yansheng saw that Hu Xuefei came to his office on time, and after signaling Hu Xuefei to sit down, he slowly spoke: "This time I summoned everyone to my office, mainly to discuss this season, the team's goals and expectations. ”
Regarding the team's goals and expectations, the first thing that comes to everyone's mind is the team's head coach Hu Xuefei.
And Hu Xuefei is now in a state of gossip, he didn't expect the chairman of the team to convene everyone over for a meeting, he thought the club had some big revelations.
"When it comes to team goals and expectations, I think the head coach of the team, Hu, you have the most say." After speaking, Chen Yansheng turned his head to look at Hu Xuefei who was sitting beside him.
Regarding the team's goals and expectations, Hu Xuefei has already set his goals from the first moment he became the head coach of Spain.
The last time Espanyol appeared in European competition was back in 2007, when the Europa League was the Spaniard's highlight, leading to the Europa League final, where they drew 2-2 in regulation time and lost to Sevilla on penalties. It was the proudest moment for RCD Espanyol and its fans in the past eleven years.
But eleven years have passed, the Spaniards are still the Spaniards, but the team's results have plummeted, and they have been mixed in the middle of La Liga all the year round, not up or down, not high or low, no danger of relegation, no competition for European competition, eleven years of time, Espanyol fans have become accustomed to this kind of life.
However, Hu Xuefei don't get used to it, don't want this kind of dull life like a pool of stagnant water, he came to the Espanyol club for exactly 11 years, when he entered the club, he thought it was the clarion call for the club's rise, but he didn't expect that it was the peak of the past 11 years......... Well, no, it's the top of football.
"In the past few days, I have also read the evaluation of our team by the outside media, and I think that our team is still the strength of the top 10 in the league, if you follow the reference of last season, it is indeed true!"
Hu Xuefei's words made several directors bow their heads slightly embarrassed, the results of the team last season, whether it is the team's senior management and coaches, or the players, have unshirkable responsibilities.
"But, that was last season, can my Spaniard be in the middle of the pack? No, my Iglesias, my Dadel, my Rika will all be justified for me.
It's been 11 years since we've touched European soil, and we don't even have any hope of playing in Europe, but this time, my Spaniard, my team, I'm going to get us back to European competition. ”
Talking about his goals and ideals, Hu Xuefei stood up unconsciously.
When Hu Xuefei's speech was finished, everyone present was shocked by Hu Xuefei's passionate speech, and they were all speechless, just staring at Hu Xuefei.
Hu Xuefei's words made Chen Yansheng look at him twice, and then smiled lightly: "Ambition, but, are you sure you can do it?" "Young people who talk big and talk empty words, Chen Yansheng has seen too much, and Hu Xuefei's speech just now is very in line with the appearance of a young man who talks a lot in his mind.
"I'm just a one-year contract, big talk, empty talk is the same, after a year, if I don't meet the requirements in your mind, I will be dismissed, in this case, then I might as well move forward to a higher goal, what if it is really achieved?" Hearing Chen Yansheng's suspicions, Hu Xuefei naturally knew that he had doubts in his heart, but he was not nervous, but leaned on the back of the chair more easily, and his posture was very relaxed.
Chen Yansheng forgot that the young head coach in front of him only had a one-year contract, which was a probationary contract for his team's youth training director, Mr. Alex.
Chen Yansheng smiled lightly, but he laughed at himself in his heart for being too materialistic and superficial.
"That's what you said, back in Europe this season."
"Well, my military order."
"Okay, that's the league goal, but what about your cup goal, this season our team is only playing in the Spanish Copa del Rey, so what are you going to do?"
Hu Xuefei didn't expect that Chen Yansheng knew a lot about the team's schedule, it seemed that he was a businessman chairman who had done his homework, not on a whim.
"I had a report from my assistant coach on my team, and he mixed it with the scouting report and combined it with his own understanding that our team was only capable of dealing with one front, so I decided to give up on the Copa del Rey."
"We accept the decision to give up the Copa del Rey, but at least we need to get to a passing line, because we can't accept a sloppy finish in the Copa del Rey if you can't play your league goal."
This time, Chairman Chen Yansheng did not continue to speak, although he knew the strength of the team, but it was last season, Hu Xuefei's transfer operation in the past few days made Chen Yansheng a little vague about the strength of the team, so he turned his head and motioned to Garcia Ponte, the vice chairman of the club on the other side, to speak.
"The fifth round of the Copa del Rey, that's our bottom line, can't go below the fifth round, no matter what." Vice Chairman Ponte gave a death order, which was also to prevent Hu Xuefei from abandoning the dignity of the club in the cup for the sake of the league and giving up directly.
Hu Xuefei thought about it, in the fifth round of the Copa del Rey, he usually won't meet a La Liga team, and even if he does, basically the strength belongs to the first-class team of Espanyol, and it doesn't hurt to accept it.
Hu Xuefei nodded and accepted the order given by the club to die in the cup.
Chen Yansheng saw that the team's goals for this season had been established, and nodded, "Since the team's goals and expectations have been established, let's follow this goal." Now that we've got that out of the way, let's talk about the next question. ”
Hu Xuefei said softly, is there really a big revelation?
"Hu, I heard that you are interested in letting Wu Lei join our club?" Chen Yansheng's problem continued to be directed at Hu Xuefei.
"Huh? That's right, Wu Lei, I think it's a big addition to the strength of our team's lineup, so I want Rufitte to investigate. Hu Xuefei has not yet reacted to what the chairman means.
"That's the case, I'm also Chinese, so I know the level of our national football players, I have read Rufite's scouting report in the past few days, and Peralnau, Ponte and others have also read it, and they all think that with Wu Lei's strength, it is not up to the team's requirements." Chen Yansheng said what he meant without slowness.
"Huh? Why didn't I receive Wu Lei's scouting report? After Hu Xuefei realized that he had not received the first-hand scouting report, he instantly stared at Rufit, his eyes were very sharp.
"That's right, scouting reports are usually entered into the database first, but you don't like to use computers, so Rufitt plans to print them out for you, which delays time." Football director Perlarnau hurriedly explained to Rufit.
"Who said I don't use a computer, didn't I tell you early on that I would use a computer? Just notify me by SMS, why do you need paper. Hu Xuefei said angrily, this is obvious, it is Rufit's dereliction of duty, and he did not notify himself as the coach of the team as soon as possible.
"This is his dereliction of duty, and he must be given a warning and punishment." Hu Xuefei's tone was stern, leaving no room for discussion between his words.
Rufit was depressed to death, this in itself was Peralnau's decision, why did he take the blame again.
Hu Xuefei's tough tone also made Peralnau helpless, and in desperation, he had to agree first.
"Okay, let's end this matter first, in fact, Wu Lei's matter, our financial director Miss Lisa thinks it's a good deal, this is a 100% or even 200%, 300% return business."
Chen Yansheng interrupted the contradiction between Hu Xuefei and Rufit, but continued to say his second meaning.
"Huh? Business? What business? "Hu Xuefei doesn't understand what his chairman means.
In previous years, Chinese player Zhang Chengdong only appeared in Rayo Vallecano for a few games, but it brought Vallecano high financial rewards and media exposure.
Therefore, if our club introduces Wu Lei this time, it will be very considerable for the development of the Chinese market and the economic return rate of the club. Miss Lisa, the club's chief financial officer, explained Hu Xuefei's confusion.
Hu Xuefei: "Uh-............" Lao Hu naturally understood what the club meant, but he didn't think so.
"First of all, I am famous first, Wu Lei's ability I have examined during the few months of the ban, the strength of the club starter, may not be as good as the starting Piatti or Iglesias, but he is a player who can fully cope with the level of La Liga, so I will be interested in signing him.
Second, Wu Lei is now a striker in Chinese football, it can be said that he is worthy of the name of the first person, in Shanghai SIPG Club, he is the undisputed starter, is the thigh, so whether we have enough transfer funds to sign him is a problem.
So, when we are here thinking about the world of a lot of money ahead, please look at the reality clearly, shall we? ”
Hu Xuefei's words are like a slap in the face, the Spaniards have always believed that with the fanaticism of Chinese fans and the attraction of La Liga's top league clubs, it must be a simple thing to transfer a Chinese player, but the words of the team's head coach are simply a basin of cold water.
Miss Lisa also didn't take this into account, thinking that she was just a simple Chinese player, and she didn't expect Wu Lei's status in Chinese football to be so high.
For a moment, the atmosphere was a little awkward.
"I will go back to read Wu Lei's scouting report, as for Wu Lei, I reserve my opinion, I always think that he can join our team with strength, not other factors, secondly, the team has no striker substitutes, so I will mention the youth team players, but I think Wu Lei's playing characteristics are very suitable for my tactical requirements, I hope the team will ask for the price, to contact."
After clearly expressing his own views, Hu Xuefei no longer paid attention to their views, and directly deserted and took a nap. In the end, the club's senior management still decided, according to Hu Xuefei's suggestion, first contact the price, and then make the second step, after Hu Xuefei reminded her, Miss Lisa thought that Wu Lei's economic potential was unlimited, and Pelarnau heard Hu Xuefei say that Wu Lei was very suitable for his tactical appeals, so they were embarrassed to intervene again, so they could only give up, and in the end, that's it.
The meeting was over, and Hu Xuefei had no intention of staying in the office anymore, so he went back to his office directly to read Wu Lei's scouting report.