The Godfather of Football

Every time he walks into the Dragon Stadium, Jose Mourinho has a very special feeling.

As the head coach of Porto, he has won the love of the fans and the support and trust of the board of directors, but every time he walks into the Dragon Stadium, he has a very inexplicable feeling, a little afraid, a little hateful, a little envious, very complicated.

He believes that he will never forget that night of March 28, 2001, it was at the Dragon Stadium, he sat in the stands, full of hesitation and uneasiness waiting for the appearance of a powerful figure who could cause a big earthquake in Portuguese football.

At that time, he stepped down from the position of head coach of Benfica, very miserable, he no longer had the high spirits when he left Barcelona, ​​because he found that coaching a team, especially a Portuguese giant team, was not an easy thing, but very difficult, and he completely lost confidence.

But on that night, it was at the Dragon Stadium, he noticed a person, Ajax's head coach Ye Qiu!

At that time, Ye Qiu also encountered a crisis of trust, but it was obvious that many Dutch fans supported him, and the live broadcast of the TV was frequently given to him, so that he often appeared on the big screen of the stadium. He had just led Ajax to slaughter the opponent 9:0, claiming to play the most beautiful offensive football, and led Ajax to keep pace in the Eredivisie, the Dutch Cup and the UEFA Cup.

Although many people rumored that he would be fired by Ajax at that time, more people believed that he would not leave because he was good enough.

That year, Mourinho was 38 years old and Ye Qiu was 24 years old, but the former looked at this so-called genius magician who was loved by the Dutch fans in the stands and respected by the Dutch internationals in the stadium with a very envious and even jealous look.

After the game, he finally met the person he wanted to see.

Porto's chairman, Nuno Pinto da Costa, a very important figure in Portuguese football.

Mourinho knew him because he had worked as Robson's translator in Porto for several years. This time he deliberately waited for him here because he knew that Porto was also changing coaches.

No one knows how much influence Nuno Pinto da Costa has in Portuguese football, because those who know will not say it, but one thing can be seen, Jorge Mendes, a little-known figure a few years ago, has achieved the level of being able to compete with Portugal's top agent Vega in a blink of an eye.

Those who know the inside story know that Vega, the agent who once had many Portuguese famous players such as Figo and Rui Costa, was not liked by da Costa, so Mendes replaced him, and through da Costa's relationship, Mendes got the agency rights of Brazilian football agent crocodile Figel in Portugal and Spain.

This is a person who can shake the Portuguese football world with a stomp of his foot.

However, during that meeting, Da Costa was obviously not prepared to give the young man a chance, but he did not dampen Mourinho's confidence and fighting spirit. "One day, you will definitely become the head coach of Porto, but you will not be the next one for the time being. You can choose one of the two clubs, Alvika and Leiria!"

"Don't be disappointed, Jose, as long as you work hard there, the day of coaching Porto will definitely come!"

So, just like that, Mourinho took charge of Leiria and performed well there, and then heard Da Costa's call, came to Porto, and led the team to win the treble last season, which made him very proud.

You know, the year Ye Qiu led Ajax to win the UEFA Cup, he missed in the league, but Mourinho did it, the treble, he felt that he surpassed Ye Qiu that year, and he could do better than Ye Qiu.

But at this time, Ye Qiu led Ajax to win the treble, the Champions League, the Eredivisie and the Dutch Cup. This made Mourinho's treble not taken seriously at all. The whole of Europe was praising and singing the miracle created by Ye Qiu, but Mourinho's peak year in his life was not taken seriously by anyone.

Da Costa said to him very simply, "Like that Chinese, keep your ambition!"

Perhaps because of the past, every time he walked into the Dragon Stadium, he would feel a kind of pressure and an uncomfortable feeling, and in his heart, he also knew very well that sooner or later, he must escape from here and escape from Da Costa's shadow.

But now, his wings are not strong enough, he still needs to wait and be patient!

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Jorge Mendes was waiting for him downstairs in the office, and when he saw Mourinho, he immediately waved to him.

Mourinho didn't like the agent who replaced his old friend Vega at first, but after taking charge of Porto, Vega couldn't help him, so he was forced to choose Mendes. Fortunately, the Portuguese was very capable, and slowly, Mourinho couldn't do without him, but forgot about the gradually declining Vega.

"What does the old man want to see me for?" Mourinho was a little reluctant to see Da Costa.

Not only him, I believe Jorge Mendes is the same. The rise of this Portuguese agent upstart is also inseparable from Da Costa's support and help. No one wants to always contact such a person, especially when this person is still very strong.

Mendes shook his head helplessly, "He wants to know about the team's situation."

"Is there a problem?" Mourinho frowned, and while he was talking, the two of them walked upstairs.

Mendes shook his head and sighed, "No problem. Postiga went to Tottenham Hotspur for 7.5 million euros. The old man plans to keep the money, so I want to hear your opinion."

"How can this be done?" Mourinho did not dare to speak loudly, but he was very determined. "We agreed to let Postiga go and bring in McCarthy from Celta Vigo, but he forgot?"

Benny McCarthy, Ajax developed South Africa and was an outstanding product after forming Ajax in Cape Town. After playing for Ajax for two years, he switched to Celta Vigo in La Liga for 6 million euros in 1999, but in However, his performance in La Liga was poor. When Mourinho just took over Porto, he came on loan from Celta Vigo and scored 12 goals in 11 games. He was one of Mourinho's biggest contributors to saving the team. He is also a center that Mourinho admires very much.

In the previous agreement, Mourinho agreed to sell Postiga in exchange for the introduction of Benny McCarthy, who was not reused in Celta Vigo and was cheaper. Unexpectedly, Da Costa now But want to regret it?

"You know, the new Dragon Stadium is about to be completed. The team's capital turnover is not very flexible, so the old man wants to ask your opinion. You know, he has agreed to bring in Bosin from Boavista. It’s tiled.”

Mourinho listened and did not speak for a long time. Of course Mendes knew that the rift between this young coach who had finally regained his confidence and whose personality was getting more and more arrogant and Da Costa was getting bigger and bigger, and He is shrewd and knows that this is not a bad thing, at least for him.

Walking into da Costa's office, what you can feel is a kind of stubbornness unique to the elderly. The furnishings are all simple, but they reveal a stiffness. As long as he likes it, everything must be displayed, even if the style is completely different. , even if it looks a bit crowded, he doesn't care. Who dares to say it doesn't look good?

"José, Jorge, here you go, sit down!" Da Costa raised his head from behind the desk.

Mendes put on a smile, secretly gave Mourinho a gentle push, walked up to Da Costa, and the two sat down together. Only then did he realize that the person in front of Da Costa was There was a piece of A4 fax paper, which made Mourinho instinctively feel something bad because he had an ominous premonition.

Seeing Mourinho looking at the fax paper, da Costa smiled and handed it to him, "Chelsea, the upstart from the Premier League, that young Chinese has a big appetite and wants to devour it all at once. Leave two of me alone!"

As soon as these words were said, Mourinho and Mendes' hearts skipped a beat, and their two big heads immediately came together to read the fax paper.

It has to be said that Chelsea's offer is good, with 20 million euros for Deco and Carvalho.

"No, absolutely not!" Mourinho shook his head vigorously. At this time, he felt that if he didn't stop it, the Porto he had finally built would fall apart.

At this moment, he had forgotten that he wanted to fight for McCarthy and Bosingwa. He just remembered that Deco and Carvalho must not give them. If they did, Porto would be finished, completely finished.

It was also at this moment that he really had the urge to pick up a knife and stab Ye Qiu directly to death.

"Don't be anxious, Jose, speak slowly and discuss slowly!" Da Costa reassured the head coach with a smile.

Unexpectedly, Mourinho shook his head vigorously, "No, Mr. Chairman, I know very well their importance to the team, and they absolutely cannot be sold. My team cannot do without these two core players!"

When he said this, Da Costa's face suddenly froze, especially when Mourinho said "my team", it sounded harsh and uncomfortable to him. When did Porto become Mourinho's ball? Team?

Mendes was good at observing what was happening, and he soon secretly pulled Mourinho's pants. The latter immediately realized that he had made a mistake. In front of the extremely possessive Da Costa, he said that Porto was his ball. Team, isn’t that a violation?

"Mr. Head Coach, I hope you understand that the team is currently raising funds everywhere to build a new stadium. We still have a shortfall in funds for the new stadium. Let's sell these two players and I will introduce McCarthy!" Dakos Ta said solemnly.

Mourinho was also a little angry and wanted to refute, but at this moment, Mendes took the lead and said, "Mr. President, it's hard to find good central defenders now. And I paid attention, Real Madrid, Barcelona, ​​AC Milan , Manchester United, Arsenal and other teams are all short of good central defenders. In a year or two, the group of veterans from Juventus will also retire. There will be a huge shortage of central defenders and they will be a hot commodity!"

As soon as Mendes said these words, da Costa immediately thought about it carefully and thought about the lineup of the current European giants. He had to admit that there are indeed very few good central defenders. I heard that Ajax Everyone has given Lucio a price of 30 million euros, so you can imagine how tight the central defender is.

Of course, teams like them have to pay attention to finding rare goods, study the market, and have enough foresight. They should consider which players are likely to depreciate if they are bad in their hands, and which players have great potential for appreciation. These are all things they should consider. Otherwise, how can we maximize our profits?

Over the past year, Porto has also introduced a lot of central defenders. Da Costa had already had the foresight in this regard before. Now that Mendes reminded him, he became more sober and packaged these two players for 20 million. , is indeed low, especially at the central defender position, and should be mentioned again.

Whether you buy it or not is up to you, but after I announced the price, the player's value will naturally rise. If someone is interested in the player in the future, they will be embarrassed to ask for a lower price than this.

"Let's do this. I'll pay Chelsea back. Carvalho's worth is 25 million. As for Deco..." Deco is the core midfielder of Porto today and his performance is also very good, but he has no outstanding achievements or honors. , but the strength is very good.

"It can't be lower than Cava!" Mendes added.

Da Costa laughed after hearing this. As soon as he changed hands, the value of these two players doubled. Mendes was eye-catching enough and reacted quickly enough. "Then I'll leave this matter to you. Remember, Carvalho’s prices are relatively tight, but as for Deco, it’s up to you!”

"Understood!" Mendes nodded in agreement.

Da Costa looked at Mourinho, who looked hesitant, and asked Mendes, "How are the transfer negotiations between Benny McCarthy and Bosingwa going?"

"That's almost it. Bosingwa has agreed to join. As for Benny McCarthy, as long as you agree, the deal can be concluded at any time!"

Da Costa listened and nodded: "Then take the money from Chelsea to buy it!"

In this way, the matter is finalized. At least one of the two people Chelsea is interested in must be sold.

Walking out of da Costa's office, Mourinho still looked very depressed and had an urge to bite.

"Who makes us have no status and no influence?" Mendes smiled bitterly and shook his head, "Look at Ye Qiu, at a young age, he went to the Premier League and got a financial backer, 300 million euros, my Oh my God, you can buy whoever you want, and do whatever you want, without having to suffer from such nonsense!”

Mourinho gritted his teeth and clenched his fists and said: "Sooner or later, I will take revenge for today!"

Mendes didn't know whether Mourinho was talking about Da Costa's grudge or Ye Qiu's poaching grudge, but he didn't care and smiled, "That will have to wait until you become famous. Now, choose one of the two. , you say it!”

Mourinho looked at Mendes, and suddenly felt a sense of weakness. He really wanted him to choose, "Deco!"

"Are you sure?" Deco is Porto's core player, so he sold it like this?

Mourinho nodded, "I can save the midfield, but the defense can't do it without Carvalho."

Mendes nodded, "Then I'll try my best. If Carvalho's price goes up a little more, if Chelsea really wants someone, I'm sorry, but I can't help you." After saying that, Mendes patted Mu in a show of shame. Rinho's shoulder, turned and walked away.

After Mourinho sent Mendes away, he glanced fiercely at Da Costa's office and left.

…………

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"What did you say?"

Not long after, Ye Qiu received news from Porto in London.

"35 million euros?" He wanted to laugh when he heard the news. "Are they Porto crazy about money?"

A Carvalho sells for 35 million?

Even if you tell me, you don't know whether Ye Qiu is stupid or the other party is stupid!

Whoever uses this money to buy Carvalho is a fool!

Carvalho's performance in the UEFA Cup and Portuguese League last season was quite satisfactory. Even after he joined Chelsea, his performance in the first two years was not satisfactory. It was only after he gradually matured and accumulated experience that he showed his true potential. Strength, as for Carvalho's current worth of 35 million euros, Ye Qiu doesn't have this problem.

"They have no intention of negotiating on the issue of Carvalho!" Eliza, as the operator entrusted by Ye Qiu, shook her head and smiled bitterly, "And now the news is everywhere, praising Carvalho like a flower. The price is the same as the flowers.”

This is also a common practice among European clubs. Player transfers are mostly handled through agents, such as making some contacts or negotiating with the other club. In this matter, Eliza does not need to personally come forward. It's all up to the people in the company to take responsibility.

You know, Eliza's company now has a very good reputation in Europe. Many clubs know about them and think that they are different from those agents who sell players, run transfers and then abandon it. They are more humane and more professional. Professional ethics, the most important thing is not short-term commission income, and can often achieve a four-way balance between players, agents and the two clubs.

This is undoubtedly a strange thing in the brokerage field, but business is also rising steadily.

Ye Qiu thought for a while, "What about Deco?"

"Deco's price is actually easier to negotiate. They made an offer of 20 million euros, but I rejected it. Afterwards, we continued to negotiate and the price was deadlocked at around 15 million, but I had a hunch that we could get it for around 12 million." !”

Ye Qiu suddenly felt that the world was crazy. Deco was worth 12 million, but Carvalho was worth 35 million. What was going on?

"It is reported that the European giants are preparing to strengthen their back line, so central defenders are in short supply. There are only a few good central defenders. Lucio and Kivu are the ones that the giants are most concerned about. The other one is Woodgate. Porto obviously wants to keep Carvalho."

Ye Qiu thought for a while, "Let's talk about Deco first, and I'll think about it. If it doesn't work, I don't want Carvalho!"

It's not that he can't afford it, but Ye Qiu feels cowardly. He knows that it is not worth the price, but he still takes the initiative to get slaughtered by others. This breath Ye Qiu can't swallow.

Besides, Carvalho is good, but it doesn't mean that Ye Qiu can't do without him. Using 35 million euros to introduce such a currently unknown central defender, Ye Qiu can imagine that he will definitely be drowned by the fans' saliva, just like when Real Madrid introduced Pepe with 30 million euros.

And please note that at that time, Porto sold Pepe after selling many high-priced stars in a row. Now Porto has no big background at all. Even the main center forward Postiga who just transferred to Tottenham Hotspur was only sold for 7.5 million euros. If Ye Qiu introduced Carvalho for 35 million, Ye Qiu himself would think it was crazy!

Thinking of this, Ye Qiu couldn't help but move the introduction of the central defender away from Carvalho and put it on another person.