Chapter 59

The 46 rounds of the English League Two were all completed, and only four teams were left to compete for the promotion to the Premier League through the playoffs. On the evening after the league ended, Audrich gathered all the players at the team's training hotel.

In the tactical meeting room, which was usually serious, Audrich and his coaching staff were dressed in suits, chatting and laughing with ease.

The players who arrived one after another were dressed in various styles. After all, it was summer, and most of them wore casual clothes, while only older players like Southgate and Nedved dressed more formally.

Except for Van Nistelrooy and Luca Toni, who had few appearances last season, most of the other players had integrated into the life of Millwall FC and genuinely considered themselves part of the club.

When all the players were seated in the meeting room, Audrich pressed his hands down, and the room immediately became quiet. The players smiled and looked at Audrich. After a season, even they found it hard to believe how enjoyable their time at Millwall had been.

Playing football, winning is the source of happiness, and personal improvement also means career advancement. With their current income levels, while not comparable to superstar players, they were still 20% higher than the average top-tier league players.

"Originally, I planned to give a season summary at today's meeting, but now it seems unnecessary. We won the championship, and that is the reward for our efforts over the past season, isn't it?"

After Audrich spoke, applause and cheers echoed from the audience.

"You must be eager to go on vacation, hehe, I am too, so I'll keep it short. First, based on your performances last season, I and the other coaches have written recommendation letters to the national football associations of your respective countries, recommending you for the national teams. Of course, many of you are still young, and being selected for the youth national teams is also an honor."

At this point, many young players' eyes lit up with joy. They never expected Audrich to go to such lengths.

Clubs and national teams have always had conflicts, but they are not enemies. The more international players a club has, the more famous it becomes. However, national teams do not pay the players, yet they bring the risk of injuries and fatigue.

By doing this, Audrich was essentially courting the players. Next season, his team would step onto the bigger stage of the Premier League. Instead of waiting for the players to be noticed by national associations, he took the initiative to recommend them, leaving a good impression and strengthening relationships. It was a win-win situation.

In this regard, he was not insincere. In many of the recommendation letters, he wrote in great detail, including the players' characteristics, their roles in different tactical positions, match performance data, and video highlights. As for whether the national associations would take his recommendations seriously, Audrich did not care. He did his best, and that was enough.

Audrich then smiled and said, "Next season, I believe we can challenge for the championship, but that's still far away. You can leave now and enjoy a pleasant holiday with your families. Oh, by the way, Larsson, if you don't mind, the League Two Player of the Year award will be collected on your behalf by the club. Of course, if you want to stay in London for a few more days, you can keep me company."

Larsson shook his head with a smile. The award was given by the English Professional Footballers' Association, and Millwall was ineligible for other major awards in England.

The players stood up one by one, and before leaving the meeting room, some waved to Audrich, some made jokes, and some gave him a warm hug.

After the players left, Audrich turned to Jensen and asked, "When are you leaving?"

This summer, Audrich still had to continue his talent scouting. To strengthen the coaching staff at all levels and implement his tactical philosophy, he needed new coaches, especially those with an attacking mindset.

Jensen was going to the Netherlands on a mission to recruit new coaches for Millwall.

"Day after tomorrow. The club's summer training starts on July 18th, and I guarantee that the new coaches will report in the first week of July."

"Alright, have a pleasant holiday!"

Audrich shook hands with his coaching staff and then walked to his office alone.

Most of the other staff in the hotel were on vacation, and the empty corridor echoed with his footsteps. Audrich walked while thinking.

The importance of coaches cannot be overstated, especially in England, where the football system is heavily influenced by a "test-oriented" education model. It is difficult for England to produce world-shocking talents, and even if they do, most players become mediocre after entering the first team.

A significant factor is the training methods and coaching philosophy in England. Even after the Premier League dominated European football for a decade, fans rarely saw English players with distinct characteristics. Outstanding players were few, and most English football prodigies, when they reached their peak, were often praised as "all-round" but lacked top-tier technical skills. Instead, their stories often ended in disappointment.

Audrich did not like English coaches; he preferred Dutch coaches who could guide players to showcase their talents. It takes ten years to grow a tree and a hundred years to nurture a person. Football coaches are the ones who lay the foundation for a team's tradition and genes, which is far more important than finding talent in the transfer market. Otherwise, even if Audrich could buy football geniuses, they might end up as mediocre players, which would be a great regret and pain.

Pushing open the door to his office, Audrich walked in.

Two people were sitting opposite his desk: the club's CEO, Adam, and the head of the medical department, Thompson.

Both stood up, and Audrich waved his hand, indicating, "We're all familiar, no need to be formal. I called you two here today because there's something I need your cooperation on."

Audrich walked around to the back of his desk and sat down, getting straight to the point. "Dr. Thompson, sports medicine only emerged in the UK in the early 1990s, and there are few experts in this field. Currently, the club has only five doctors with professional licenses, and I think that's not enough, far from enough."

Dr. Thompson, in his thirties, had a distinguished appearance and spoke with the grace of a scholar. He adjusted his glasses and said, "Sir, I'd like to know the basis of your opinion. Last season, the club's players did not suffer major injuries, and those who did were treated well, often recovering better than expected."

Audrich nodded and, after a moment's thought, said, "Dr. Thompson, I am not a medical professional, but I have spent some time studying this field. If I make any mistakes, please correct me."

Dr. Thompson nodded. He respected the young owner across from him. His position in the club was much higher than that of his peers. In other large clubs, sports medicine professionals were often marginalized and had to take on many additional tasks, such as carrying players' luggage and setting up equipment. Essentially, it was a lack of trust in the new science by traditional clubs, especially by many old-school coaches who did not understand the professional medical explanations. Audrich, however, respected Dr. Thompson's professional opinions, and Dr. Thompson had a very pleasant time at Millwall last season.

Audrich slowly said, "Doctors can already determine an athlete's sport based on their injuries— if someone's spine cannot bend, they might be a snooker player, due to the long-term posture of holding a cue and leaning forward. Wrestlers often have swollen ears like mushrooms after long-term training and competition; lumbar disc herniation is a common injury for beach volleyball players; retinal damage has long troubled diving athletes; Marfan syndrome affects swimmers; stress fractures affect long-distance runners; 'yellow heart disease' affects shooting athletes; dissociative disorders affect sumo wrestlers; cervical spondylosis affects gymnasts; and tennis elbow affects tennis players. If someone has almost all of these symptoms, they are likely a football player. Right?"

Dr. Thompson's eyes widened slightly, and after a moment of silence, he nodded.

Football players have a high probability of injury, and the types of injuries are hard to predict. In a sense, football has advanced medical science, making more people aware of the locations of the meniscus, metatarsals, soleus muscles, and cruciate ligaments in the human body. They have also learned about a series of professional terms, such as toe fractures, groin strains, thigh tears, abdominal muscle spasms, calf muscle strains, knee ligament injuries, hip injuries, and right (left) side spinal muscle strains, which even the "Encyclopedia Britannica" cannot fully cover.

Audrich asked calmly, "With so many frightening injury names, my question is simple: Can our medical department handle all these injuries? Can my players receive the best medical treatment?"

Dr. Thompson's face darkened, and he shook his head weakly.

Modern medicine is becoming increasingly specialized, and being an expert in one area is already a significant achievement. Football players can suffer injuries to almost every bone and muscle in their bodies, including nerves and ligaments that are not visible to the naked eye. Expecting five doctors to handle all these issues is unrealistic.

Audrich spread his hands and said calmly, "See, that's what I mean. We must expand the medical department to avoid future misdiagnoses and incorrect treatments, ensuring the health of my players. Therefore, I plan to hire 15 more sports medicine doctors."

"Boss, the budget!"

Adam immediately objected, thinking Audrich was planning to build a hospital for the club, which seemed exaggerated.

Audrich turned to Adam and said softly, "Adam, do you know how much a star player will be worth in the future?"

Adam shook his head.

"I'll tell you, £10 million is just the average transfer fee for a regular player in England. For a true star, the transfer fee can range from £25 million to £50 million. So, I'm not discussing the importance of the medical department with you. From a business perspective, if a player is ruined by an injury, we will lose millions of pounds. If multiple players are injured, the loss will be astronomical! Keep your doubts about the players' value to yourself. We'll see how it goes; time will give us the answer."

PS: Thank you to "Nanxi Gonggong" for the tip!

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