Chapter 2

An hour later, after concluding his discussion with Zhuang Mingge, Antonio was delighted as he headed to the sports department. With just over a month before the transfer market opened, he needed to immediately draft a list of players who could potentially play for Fiorentina.

In Zhuang Mingge's plan, the club could be divided into several main sections:

1. The Sports Department, responsible for handling the club's daily affairs and player evaluations. The current head of the Sports Department is Antonio.

2. The Marketing Department, responsible for market development in Fiorentina. The head of this department is currently vacant.

3. The Research Center, similar to the famous "Milan Lab," responsible for adjusting players' physical and mental states, rehabilitating and treating injured players, and establishing a comprehensive and up-to-date player database. However, since there is still a long time before the start of the next season, the head of this department can remain vacant for now.

4. The Transfer Department, responsible for the majority of transfer negotiations. The head of this department is a negotiation expert Zhuang Mingge brought from his family, named Hercule Poirot, who shares the same name as the detective in Agatha Christie's works.

Other departments include Public Relations, Finance, Support, and the Secretariat, which are essential for maintaining the club's normal operations. Zhuang Mingge did not make significant changes to these departments, as stability is crucial for a club, and there have been no major issues with Fiorentina's finances and management in the future.

Zhuang Mingge's next task was to find a reliable head for the Marketing Department.

In the future, the two teams most praised for their commercial development are Real Madrid and Manchester United. Real Madrid's influence worldwide has significantly increased due to Florentino's "Galácticos" strategy, to the point where it is said that "only top stars join Real Madrid."

As for Manchester United's commercial success, some attribute it to the "heartthrob" David Beckham, but Zhuang Mingge always believed that the then-CEO, Peter Kenyon, was the greatest contributor. After Kenyon and Beckham left, Manchester United's commercial appeal began to decline, while Chelsea, with Kenyon, became recognized as a top club in just three years. Manchester City, despite spending heavily, was still seen as a pseudo-strong team when Zhuang Mingge arrived. Kenyon's commercial acumen played a significant role in this.

At this point, Kenyon had not yet been recruited by Manchester United and was still serving as the General Manager of Umbro. Zhuang Mingge immediately began contacting Kenyon.

Three days later, Kenyon quietly arrived in Florence.

In his office, Zhuang Mingge met Kenyon.

Kenyon, who now looked to be in his early 30s with thick hair, was a far cry from the balding figure he would become in the future.

"Hello, Kenyon! Your achievements at Umbro have been impressive and widely recognized," Zhuang Mingge said, having recently conducted a detailed investigation into Kenyon's background. According to the data, during Kenyon's nine years as General Manager of Umbro, the company's annual turnover increased from $60 million to $500 million.

"Mr. Corleone! You didn't go through all this trouble just to praise me, did you?" Kenyon smiled.

"I want you to serve as the General Manager and Head of the Marketing Department for Fiorentina, responsible for the club's market development and diplomatic affairs."

Kenyon laughed. "Mr. Corleone, I don't think leaving my current position at Umbro to become the General Manager of a Serie B team in Italy is a good choice."

"Umbro has no future. Nike and Adidas have far surpassed you, and the company's internal family management has severely stifled innovation. The old men and playboys on your board are only accelerating the company's destruction."

"Although Fiorentina was relegated from Serie A this year, the Corleone family will not tolerate the team staying in Serie B for two consecutive seasons. This is an opportunity for the team to rejuvenate. AC Milan's first team is aging, and Inter and Juventus have not recovered from the departures of the 'Three Horsemen' and Platini. If Fiorentina can rise during this period, it will be beneficial for both you and us."

"Mr. Corleone, I'm not particularly skilled in football, and joining you would only be a waste of resources."

"I believe that the future development of football clubs will require commercial talent like you. A team cannot rely solely on the owner's wealth; being self-sufficient is key to long-term success. Otherwise, it will end up like Napoli, which incurred massive debts to support Maradona." Zhuang Mingge waved his hand dramatically. "I want to build a football empire centered around Fiorentina, and I need commercial talent like you."

"Football empire? Ha, Mr. Corleone, no, perhaps I should call you boss now. I admire your vision, and I am willing to work for Fiorentina. I want to see this football empire come to life."

After reaching an agreement with Kenyon, Zhuang Mingge promised to pay the breach of contract fee for Kenyon's position at Umbro. Kenyon agreed to start his new role at Fiorentina on June 9th, three days later.

In the following days, Zhuang Mingge discussed with other club executives. With his firm stance, they all agreed to his restructuring plan and decided to hold a full executive meeting on June 15th.

The executives tasked with the restructuring worked tirelessly and finally submitted a document detailing the "restructuring" to Zhuang Mingge two days before the meeting.

On the day of the meeting, all the club officials who were invited to this significant event gathered.

Seeing the serious and expectant eyes of everyone focused on him, Zhuang Mingge realized they were waiting for his opening remarks. He cleared his throat and said earnestly:

"Fellow members of Fiorentina, today we are holding a very important meeting, a great opportunity for Fiorentina to regroup... I believe everyone here is well aware of the biggest challenge Fiorentina has faced in recent years. I am very pleased that everyone has stood by the club in difficult times. As the new chairman of Fiorentina and a loyal fan, I want to express my gratitude to all of you...

Although the club still faces many unresolved issues, I believe that with your support and our collective efforts, any obstacles on Fiorentina's path will not be a problem for the great Fiorentina!"

Zhuang Mingge's opening speech successfully energized the attendees. Feeling a bit emotional, he did not forget the next part of the agenda and continued:

"Next, let me introduce the restructuring plan for Fiorentina."

"The restructured club management will consist of seven administrative departments and one independent department. The seven administrative departments are Finance, Sports, Marketing, Public Relations, Youth Training, Support, and the Secretariat. The independent department is the soon-to-be-established Fiorentina Research Center..."

"Additionally, the restructured Fiorentina will have three General Managers, each with different responsibilities."

"The first is Mr. Giancarlo Antonio, who will serve as General Manager and Head of the Sports Department, responsible for the team's daily management and player evaluations worldwide. The second General Manager is Mr. Hercule Poirot, who will also serve as the Head of the Transfer Department, responsible for the club's negotiation and administrative management. As for the third General Manager..."

At this point, Zhuang Mingge paused for dramatic effect, making the hearts of the Fiorentina officials race. They had not heard about the appointment of three General Managers, and they knew that while Antonio's appointment was well-deserved and widely respected, Poirot, as the new owner's confidant, might also secure a position. However, the third General Manager position was still up for grabs.

"The third General Manager is Mr. Kenyon, who will also serve as the Head of the Marketing Department, responsible for the club's commercial operations and diplomatic affairs."

As Zhuang Mingge revealed the final General Manager, the attendees turned their attention to the young British man who had recently joined from Umbro. No one objected to Zhuang Mingge's decision.

Zhuang Mingge knew that although Kenyon had experience in market development at Umbro, his short tenure and lack of experience in such a large-scale department might pose challenges. Therefore, he gave Kenyon the title of General Manager to help establish his authority.

After introducing the main structure of the new organization, Zhuang Mingge continued to introduce the heads of each department and their primary responsibilities...

As Zhuang Mingge finished his introduction and the new officials expressed their support, the initially tense atmosphere in the meeting room gradually dissipated, and the room filled with enthusiastic applause. In his concluding remarks, Zhuang Mingge said:

"Today, our club has taken the first step in reform. We will prove through our actions that we can not only build a great team but also operate a profitable club. Although there are many uncertainties in competitive sports and many unforeseen challenges, with a strong economic foundation and the ability to be self-sufficient, we can manage our club like a brand. More challenges and difficulties will be overcome, and Fiorentina will truly become a lasting success!"