Chapter 5

At 13:50 on June 11, 2004, the press conference hall of Chelsea Football Club was already packed with people. In the space of over a hundred square meters, all the well-known and unknown media staff gathered together, loudly discussing something.

Everyone knew that Chelsea Football Club would announce the new head coach at the press conference, as the previous head coach, Claudio Ranieri, had been dismissed a week earlier.

But who exactly would be the new head coach? Given the current situation, no one knew. The journalists couldn't help but marvel at the astonishing level of confidentiality maintained by Chelsea Football Club.

"Hey, mate, do you think the new head coach will be Mourinho?" a journalist in a plaid shirt asked.

"I don't think so. There have been a lot of rumors about Real Madrid and Mourinho recently, but there's been no movement from Chelsea," a blue-eyed journalist replied.

"Real Madrid? Didn't they say that Camacho would become the head coach of Madrid? Florentino really appreciates him!" an older, more experienced journalist chimed in from behind.

"Camacho?" The blue-eyed journalist sneered, "I don't believe Perez would choose Camacho. His coaching record is nothing to be proud of!"

"Still, I think it will be Mourinho."

"No, I think it will be Guus Hiddink. I believe only a tough coach like Hiddink can achieve success at Chelsea."

Just as they were arguing, the club's press officer walked in, and everyone knew the main event was about to start, so they quickly quieted down.

Sure enough, after a few polite words from the press officer, the club's owner, Roman Abramovich, and CEO, Peter Kenyon, walked out from the back, followed by a young Asian man with black sunglasses.

The journalists in the audience were momentarily stunned when they saw the people who appeared, and then they began to whisper among themselves.

"Who is that young man? He looks a bit green and nervous."

"Is he the new sports minister appointed by Abramovich?"

"I don't think so. He's so young, he must be Abramovich's illegitimate son, or maybe Mr. Kenyon's son!"

The blue-eyed journalist, as if he had discovered a new continent, widened his eyes and said, "Guys, this person must be the new head coach of the club. Don't forget the theme of this press conference."

"Idiot!"

"Moron!"

...

The blue-eyed journalist's words were met with a barrage of insults, clearly indicating that they preferred the other explanations.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming here on time. On behalf of Chelsea Football Club, I extend my deepest respect to you all," the club's CEO, Peter Kenyon, with his shiny bald head, looked spirited and confident. "Today, I am honored to introduce the club's new head coach, Mr. Li Wanxian from London!"

"Mr. Wanxian is the unanimous choice of the club's board of directors. Although he is young, he has a deep understanding of football theory and leadership skills. We believe that he will lead the club to victory after victory in the coming year..."

As Kenyon continued speaking, the journalists below were in an uproar. All the cameras were focused on the young man with sunglasses sitting next to Abramovich. He was the new head coach, Joe Wanxian?

"God!" The journalist from The Times groaned in pain, unable to believe what he had heard.

The journalist from The Guardian incredulously twisted his ears and asked, "Is it April Fool's Day today?"

"Is he Japanese or Chinese? How could they choose an Asian person!" The journalist from The Sun clearly had strong regional biases.

"God, please tell me this is a dream..."

The press conference hall was like a scene from a shooting, instantly boiling with unrest...

Joe Wanxian had already anticipated the journalists' surprise. He listened quietly to Kenyon's speech, his face calm, neither happy nor sad, and his eyes fixed straight ahead.

After the three-minute photo session, it was time for the club's owner, Roman Abramovich, and Joe Wanxian to display the Chelsea No. 100 jersey with "wanxian100" printed on it.

After the jersey display, the press conference entered its important phase: questions from the journalists.

A beautiful female journalist spoke first. She was sweet and charming, but her words were cold, "Respected coach, may I ask... who are you?"

Joe Wanxian, speaking in a perfect London accent, replied calmly, "Can I ask who you are first?"

"I am Julia, a journalist from the Daily Mail." The beautiful journalist's voice remained cold.

Joe Wanxian smirked, "Oh, I see. You are very beautiful, but I have no intention of dating you, so I'm sorry, I don't want to introduce myself further."

"Ha ha..." The press conference hall was silent for a second, then burst into enthusiastic applause. No one expected this yellow-skinned man to be so witty.

The beautiful journalist's face turned pale with anger, and she was speechless.

Joe Wanxian felt quite pleased with himself, thinking, "This is London. If it were in China, I would definitely contact the Chinese Football Association and get your lousy newspaper shut down!"

Peter Kenyon kept signaling Joe Wanxian to be careful with his words, to maintain the club's image, and to build a good relationship with the media. However, Joe Wanxian paid no attention to these signals.

"Mr. Wanxian, which teams have you coached before?"

Joe Wanxian smiled and shook his head calmly.

The press conference hall erupted in boos, and the faces of Abramovich and Kenyon turned dark and ugly.

The journalist from The Times, who was close to Chelsea, was clearly confused about the club's decision, "Mr. Wanxian, where do you get the confidence to coach Chelsea?"

Joe Wanxian replied calmly, "Football is a comprehensive art! Just like the profound I Ching in China, can it be summarized through practice? No, it requires thought! Just like Einstein's theory of relativity, can it appear in the real world? No, it is the result of thought. We know Jesus exists, but has anyone seen God? This is also the result of thought.

Thought is always more important than practice! Thought is the only standard for success! So, although I have no coaching experience, my strong thinking ability will bring unprecedented honor to the club, new vitality to the team, and a new and beautiful football art to the football world!"

After Joe Wanxian finished speaking, the journalists below were stunned. This new head coach was quite impressive, combining Eastern philosophy, scientific theory, and religious faith in his speech, making it almost impossible to refute.

Even Peter Kenyon couldn't help but clap softly when he heard this.

"Mr. Wanxian, from your tone, it seems you advocate an attacking style of football?"

Joe Wanxian smiled faintly, "Not just attacking football, I advocate a style of football that is all about overwhelming the opponent!"

Hearing this, Abramovich shook his head with a smile. He had heard Joe Wanxian say this on the training ground before.

"Looking at your age, you seem to be in your early twenties. Do you have the confidence to manage the dressing room?"

Joe Wanxian replied calmly, "I believe I will gain the support of the players. Of course, if there are troublemakers in the dressing room, I won't hesitate to remove them, but I hope such things don't happen."

"Will you make significant changes to the team, such as the captain...?"

Joe Wanxian nodded, "I think John Terry is very capable of taking on more responsibility. Although he is young, he is very mature! Of course, Frank Lampard is also the soul of the club."

This was already very clear. Joe Wanxian planned to appoint John Terry as the team captain and Frank Lampard as the vice-captain. Both were English, and the journalists were pleased with this decision.

"Respected Mr. Wanxian, can you tell us what new faces you will bring to the team after taking over Chelsea? It's said that the club's transfer budget for this summer is £100 million. Is that true?"

Joe Wanxian waved his hand, "Regarding specific transfer matters, it's not convenient to disclose them now. However, I can assure you that in the next two months, you will see many new faces!"

"Can you tell us which position you most want to improve?"

Joe Wanxian smiled, "I most want to improve the coaching staff. To be honest, I am currently looking for a capable assistant..."

Throughout the series of questions, Joe Wanxian's answers were always impeccable. Although his words were not as arrogant as Mourinho's, they were neither humble nor arrogant, and he did not say anything to deliberately flatter the media.

After half an hour, the press conference ended, and Joe Wanxian could finally return to his apartment to rest.

However, the club's staff brought him a document that immediately lifted his spirits.

This was the list of players leaving Chelsea this summer, including star players like Marcel Desailly, Celestine Babayaro, and Danijel Stanic.

Among them, Marcel Desailly, Emmanuel Petit, Celestine Babayaro, Marc Overmars, Melchiot, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Ambroise, and Sullivan became free agents after their contracts expired, while Danijel Stanic and Frank de Boer retired due to their age.

Before even seeing the team, losing so many players made Joe Wanxian feel a bit empty. But then he thought of something. It was the 11th today, and the European Championship would start tomorrow. If he didn't act quickly to sign some important players, their value would certainly rise after the tournament.

Even if the players were reluctant to discuss contracts during the tournament, it would be good to leave a positive impression of Chelsea in their minds. At this moment, the name of a superstar suddenly came to Joe Wanxian's mind.