Chapter 7

The match between France and England is a famous comeback in world football. Even in 2034, thirty years later, it is still listed among the top ten miraculous comebacks. Qiao Wanxian's foresight is not fake.

After losing to France, the England team will face two weaker teams in the group stage—Switzerland and Croatia. There is no doubt that England will win these matches easily. However, Wayne Rooney will score two goals in the match against Switzerland, making the 19-year-old an instant sensation and the hottest young player in the world, which makes Qiao Wanxian frown.

In his mind, Chelsea's first summer transfer target is already locked on Wayne Rooney!

Although Rooney is still young, youth has its advantages! In 2034, Mourinho and Boas have won countless honors, but in the eyes of some fans, they still cannot match the heights of Ferguson and Wenger, or even Guardiola, who is on par with them. The reason is that they are not good at nurturing young players.

For example, when Real Madrid's coach Valdano promoted the young Raul to the first team, it became a legendary story. It was not only a legend of Raul's career at the Bernabeu but also a legend of Valdano's keen eye for talent.

Qiao Wanxian knows he doesn't have that keen eye, but fortunately, he has a special ability—foresight!

Rooney's future... hah, an absolute superstar!

Qiao Wanxian once considered poaching Messi from Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United, but given Barcelona's high regard for Messi and Messi's long-standing affection for the club, he would never betray them. As for Ronaldo, as Manchester United's star of hope and a key player in Ferguson's plans, it would be impossible to pry him away.

However, Rooney is still at Everton. If the football world develops normally, Rooney will join Manchester United for a record £30 million this summer after his impressive performance at the European Championship. Clearly, Qiao Wanxian plans to intercept this transfer!

Today is June 13th, and on June 17th, England will play against Switzerland, where Rooney will shine and his value will skyrocket. So, Qiao Wanxian has decided to secure Rooney within four days!

Qiao Wanxian called Kenyon, planning to return to London to discuss the details of Rooney's transfer, but he received a very troubling piece of news: Boas was unwilling to come to Stamford Bridge as an assistant coach.

Boas is crucial to Qiao Wanxian, so he decided to meet Vitoria Boas in person!

Porto is a port city on the Atlantic coast in northern Portugal, the second largest city in Portugal and a famous football city.

In a corner of a cafe, two young men and a bald middle-aged man are sitting.

The two young men are both green and inexperienced but full of sunshine and confidence. One is 21-year-old Qiao Wanxian, and the other is 26-year-old Boas. The middle-aged man, of course, is Chelsea's CEO, Peter Kenyon.

Qiao Wanxian and Boas looked at each other for a long time, both marveling at each other's youth.

"I've heard that Chelsea's coach is young, but I didn't expect him to be so young! He looks even younger than me!" Boas, though calm on the surface, was inwardly shocked.

Qiao Wanxian was equally surprised: "I've heard that Boas is a refined young coach, and Robson noticed him at 17. I'm reborn, are you also reborn?"

After the shock, Boas said with a gentle smile, "Respected Wanxian, I've already talked with Kenyon. I'm very grateful for your enthusiasm and trust, but I am still a part of Mourinho's team, and we have a good relationship."

Qiao Wanxian laughed lightly and shook his head, "Let's put that aside for now, Vitoria, your English is very fluent."

Boas smiled, "My grandmother is a proper Englishwoman."

Qiao Wanxian nodded, "Yes, I heard that your grandfather was a Portuguese nobleman, and he married a British noblewoman. Is that right?"

Boas was shocked, "You... how do you know?"

Qiao Wanxian said mysteriously, "Vitoria, you are the helper I am looking for, so I naturally did some serious research."

Boas sighed, most of the media reports about Qiao Wanxian were negative, but today, he found that this young man was meticulous and not as bad as the media portrayed.

Qiao Wanxian continued, "Vitoria, I heard that you became Robson's assistant at 17, but... you never had professional football experience, right? Have you... um?"

Qiao Wanxian didn't say it outright, but Boas understood. Without professional football experience, even Mourinho, who was once a third-rate player, and he, a mere theorist, often faced ridicule from professional players and staff.

An outsider directing an insider is the biggest joke in any field.

This has always been a sore spot for Boas, and Qiao Wanxian's blunt words made his face turn dark and sullen.

Seeing Boas' displeasure, almost ready to storm out, Qiao Wanxian patted his arm and said calmly, "Vitoria, I want to tell you something. I'm only 21 years old and have never played football! So I understand your situation very well."

Boas looked at Qiao Wanxian in shock, amazed by his composure.

In this world, there is always sympathy for the weak, and when two weak people meet, they feel a sense of mutual respect. Boas felt this way about Qiao Wanxian.

Boas, understanding, patted Qiao Wanxian's arm in comfort.

Qiao Wanxian felt much better, knowing he had opened Boas' heart. Without hesitation, he got straight to the point, "Mr. Vitoria, I have a question for you."

"Go ahead."

Qiao Wanxian put on a serious face, "You are 26 years old. Are you willing to work with a 21-year-old young man?"

Boas opened his eyes wide, hesitating, no longer as resolute as before.

Qiao Wanxian continued, "We can announce to the world that football has no age limit. Who says young coaches can't succeed? Football has no boundaries, and football... doesn't care about age!"

Boas was visibly moved, clearly deeply touched by Qiao Wanxian's words. Even Kenyon, who had been silent, opened his eyes wide, as if he was seeing this young coach in a new light.

Qiao Wanxian stared intently at Boas' brown eyes and shouted, "Two young men working together, let's create a football legend together, are you willing?"

Boas didn't speak, his face flushed with excitement. Every word from Qiao Wanxian struck a deep chord in his heart, stimulating his most sensitive football nerves.

Qiao Wanxian took a deep breath and asked, word by word, "Are... you... willing?"

Boas straightened up, feeling a surge of strength he had never felt before, his blood boiling. He bit his lip and grabbed Qiao Wanxian's hand, shouting from the heart, "Yes, let's do it together!"

Kenyon and Boas talked for three hours, but couldn't change his mind. However, Qiao Wanxian, with just a few words, easily convinced this stubborn young man, making him sigh, "I'm getting old, young people still have a common language..."

Kenyon was very happy and smiled, "Congratulations, Mr. Vitoria, welcome to the great Chelsea Football Club!"

Boas, meeting a like-minded person like Qiao Wanxian, was also very happy and smiled, "Mr. Kenyon, I still have a contract with Mourinho's team, and there will be a breach of contract fee."

Kenyon said generously, "Don't worry about that. Chelsea will send a lawyer to handle it. Additionally, we are willing to offer you a one-year contract with a weekly salary of £10,000. Do you agree?"

Boas laughed, "Of course, it's perfect!"

In fact, he had heard that Qiao Wanxian's weekly salary at Chelsea was only £20,000, so an assistant coach getting half the head coach's salary was already an exception.

Boas was still on vacation, but Qiao Wanxian completely abandoned his holiday. The European Championship was in full swing, and he needed to act quickly.

Back in London, after a brief discussion with the club's football executives, they agreed that Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer to Manchester United last year was £12.5 million. Given Rooney's current low profile and his average performance in the first European Championship match, his value was estimated at £15 million, which would satisfy Everton.

As an English club, they were very supportive of introducing English talent, especially a star like Rooney, who was already a national team regular at 19, making it a very good deal.

Thus, on the evening of June 13th, Chelsea sent the first transfer fee of £15 million to Everton, showing great sincerity!

In 2004, £15 million was a significant amount, especially for a small club like Everton, which was equivalent to a sky-high price. The transfer request immediately caught the attention of Everton's chairman, Kenwright, and Rooney's agent, Strideford, who booked flights to Liverpool that night to discuss the huge sum from Chelsea.

Rooney's agent, Strideford, was greedy, especially since he had signed a tyrannical contract with the young Rooney, taking 20% of his income. So, upon hearing about Rooney's transfer, he began to pressure Everton.