Chapter 60

After the formal matters were concluded, Dr. Thompson got up and left, but Adam remained seated.

"Adam, if you want to continue the previous topic, I'm not prepared to discuss it. We should save money where we can, but there are times when we cannot afford to cut a single penny."

Audrich's stance on the construction of the medical department would not be swayed by money, nor would he take a step back.

However, Adam shook his head and said, "No, boss, the contractor Roder has been coming to our door every day since the day before yesterday, urging us to fulfill the new stadium contract. He claims that if we delay any further, he will sue us for breach of contract."

Audrich suddenly understood. He leaned back in his chair, pondered for a moment, then took a document from the drawer and handed it to Adam, saying, "This is a design book I commissioned Andrew to find a few months ago. I plan to use the land for the new stadium to build a youth training base. After it's completed, it will be named the Leo Youth Academy."

Adam took the plan and flipped through it. It contained an aerial view, and all the buildings and facilities were labeled, except for the training grounds.

He murmured, "Leo, Leo. A lion youth training base? It fits the tradition of Millwall."

After closing the plan, he looked up at Audrich and shook his head, "Boss, the original plan was to build a stadium on that land, with a total project cost of nearly 20 million pounds, including the land. Now you say you want to build a youth training base instead. The contractors will definitely disagree. Building a training base is clearly less profitable than building a stadium, and they will see it as a way to avoid responsibility."

Audrich was familiar with the new stadium plan. Apart from the land, which belongs to Millwall FC, no other project funds have been paid. The contract has been signed, but the project has been delayed.

Now it seems that the contractors are getting anxious. If the project is delayed further, their profits will decrease, and they might even incur losses as costs rise over time.

Audrich took another document from the drawer and handed it to Adam, saying, "This is a design for the new stadium, not yet finalized, but the overall scale won't change. Tell the contractors to help us build the youth training base first. Millwall will definitely build the new stadium in the future, and it will be a larger project than originally planned. We can sign a contract with them now, and when we have the funds, we will continue to work with them. This way, they will make a substantial profit."

Adam took the document and opened it, only to be surprised again. The grand design showed a modern stadium with a capacity of 65,000 people.

Adam thought about the club's account balance of less than 20 million pounds. To build such a large stadium, it would likely cost at least 100 million pounds, and the future cost increases are unpredictable.

As the boss, Audrich didn't need to hold a shareholders' meeting or negotiate with the board. Adam, as an employee, just needed to follow orders.

Taking the two plans, Adam left, reminding Audrich that, given Millwall's influence in East London, even a stadium with a capacity of over 60,000 people might only have a 50% occupancy rate.

Audrich wasn't planning to build the new stadium immediately, just preparing for the future.

After finalizing the construction of the club's coaching staff and medical system, Audrich stayed in London. He planned to attend the end-of-season dinner hosted by the English Football Coaches Association, as he was going to receive an award.

On the next weekend, Audrich wasn't particularly interested in the League One playoffs, but he followed the news. Middlesbrough and Bolton advanced to the playoff final, while the Premier League's final match was a thrilling affair.

Under Kenny Dalglish's leadership, Blackburn played an away match at Anfield. Despite leading by one goal, Blackburn was overturned by Liverpool in the final moments. Liverpool didn't deliberately let Blackburn win, and Blackburn anxiously awaited the result of Manchester United's match. If United won, the championship trophy would slip away.

Manchester United's final match was in East London against a carefree West Ham United. Ferguson's team couldn't change the 1-1 score in 90 minutes, watching as the Premier League title went to Blackburn, while West Ham United celebrated, blocking United's title, though not as excited as if they had won it themselves.

The Premier League season ended with Blackburn historically winning the title. Dalglish, the legendary manager, retired, and Blackburn's owner Jack Walker famously said, "This championship has put Blackburn on the map in Britain."

Blackburn's Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton, the "SAS" forward line, performed flawlessly this season. Shearer scored 34 goals to win the Golden Boot, and Sutton's 15 goals proved his worth.

Manchester United, on the other hand, lost the league title due to a lack of firepower in a crucial match. After the match, Manchester media lamented that if they had Cantona or better forwards, a small team like West Ham United wouldn't have stopped the Red Devils from winning the title in the final seconds.

In the FA Cup final, Manchester United lost to Everton, and after dominating the Premier League for two consecutive years, the Red Devils ended the season with no trophies.

The Premier League season was over, and the European competitions also concluded.

Arsenal, who changed managers mid-season, struggled in the league but advanced in Europe. However, they lost to Zaragoza in extra time in the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup, finishing as runners-up.

Italian teams continued their strong performance, with Parma winning the UEFA Cup and AC Milan reaching the UEFA Champions League final but losing to the young Ajax team!

When Ajax ascended to the throne of European football, the world hailed the arrival of the Ajax dynasty.

Look at the team's lineup:

25-year-old Van der Sar.

22-year-old Reiziger.

25-year-old De Boer brothers.

19-year-old Seedorf.

22-year-old Davis.

22-year-old Dennis Bergkamp.

24-year-old Litmanen.

...

People speculated how long such a team would dominate European football, especially with the reliable value of Dutch players in the transfer market and Ajax's continuous production of talent. The Ajax dynasty seemed inevitable.

Rome wasn't built in a day, but it could be destroyed in a day.

Ajax never imagined that just a year later, their dynasty would crumble. The Bosman ruling ended the closed era of the European transfer market, and a new era of player mobility was about to begin.

At the English Football Coaches Association dinner, Audrich appeared in a stylish suit. Before the awards began, he received more interviews than any other League One coach.

Among them, Richard from the Daily Mail relentlessly pursued him, trying to get information about his summer transfer targets, while Tom from the Sun asked many off-topic questions, such as a paparazzi spotting him on a date with a young and attractive girl, and when the club's new stadium plan would be restarted.

One question surprised Audrich.

"Mr. Hall, last season Millwall's excellent performance earned you a nickname: 'Coach Killer.' What do you think about that?"

"Coach Killer? What does that mean?"

"According to statistics, last season you faced 28 different managers, and after facing you, four of them were sacked: the managers of Derby County, Watford, Arsenal, and Swindon."

Audrich laughed.

Derby County had a poor start, suffering a heavy defeat at the Den, leading to the manager's dismissal.

Watford missed out on the promotion playoffs after facing Millwall at the end of the season, and the manager was sacked.

Arsenal's dismissal of George Graham had nothing to do with their performance against Millwall, but rather the black money scandal, which led to a one-year ban from coaching.

Swindon's manager was sacked due to the team's relegation and a scandal involving a fight on the pitch in the final match.

Audrich found the "Coach Killer" nickname both amusing and perplexing.

After downplaying it as a coincidence, Audrich entered the dinner hall.

He wasn't the focus, but he became one when an old man approached him.

Ferguson, with a stern face, came over. Audrich felt a bit helpless. It was Dalglish who took your championship, not Millwall. You should blame Manchester United for not performing well enough, losing the title when a win would have secured it. What's there to complain about?

But Ferguson's stern face was directed at Audrich.

"Look at them, all sucking up."

Ferguson glanced at Dalglish, who was surrounded by people, and Kevin Keegan, who also had Liverpool roots.

Audrich touched his nose, trying to suppress a laugh.

If you had the championship trophy, you wouldn't lack for flatterers.

Ferguson pulled Audrich aside and got straight to the point, "Larsson, name your price, Audrich. I always consider you a friend."

"How much can Manchester United offer?"

Audrich didn't outright refuse.

Ferguson's eyes lit up. The Red Devils would undergo a major overhaul this summer, and transfer fees weren't a big issue. He was planning to sell Mark Hughes, Paul Ince, and Kanchelskis.

"Five million pounds. You earn about four million pounds a year, and you should be satisfied, considering Larsson hasn't been tested in the Premier League."

Audrich waved his hand, "I'm not talking about the transfer fee, but the weekly wage. How much can Manchester United offer Larsson?"

Ferguson was taken aback, thinking for a few seconds before narrowing his eyes, "Ten thousand pounds a week."

Audrich shrugged, "Then you'll have to convince Larsson to take a pay cut."

"Hmm? How much does he earn at Millwall?"

"Top salary in the team, fifteen thousand pounds a week."

Ferguson's eyes widened in disbelief, "You're crazy!"

Who earns the most at Manchester United?

Cantona, with a weekly wage of twenty thousand pounds.

Next is Schmeichel, at eighteen thousand, followed by thirteen thousand for the next tier, like Beckham, Scholes, and Giggs, who earn less than four thousand pounds. Roy Keane and Andy Cole, who were bought for a high price, earn ten thousand pounds a week.

It's not that Manchester United can't afford to pay Larsson fifteen thousand pounds or more, but the team's status and wages are closely linked. If Larsson earns fifteen thousand pounds a week at Manchester United, it would disrupt the wage balance, and many players would demand raises.

Ferguson realized that Audrich, while not outright refusing, had effectively closed the door on the transfer.

He was unsure who was more cunning, this handsome young man or himself.

"Audrich, can you tell me Millwall's wage budget for next season?"

Audrich smiled, "I'll tell you the exact number. Next season, the team's wage expenditure will be between ten million and fifteen million pounds."

Ferguson's eyes widened. Such a level of expenditure would rival even the top Premier League teams.

"How many players in your team earn more than ten thousand pounds a week?"

"Not many, but most of the starting lineup earns around ten thousand pounds a week."

"Millwall is so rich! Does your club earn ten million pounds a season?"

"I don't know. Last season, the net income was less than ten million pounds, and this season it will be more. Sigh, we'll definitely lose money this season, but it's fine; I don't care."

Ferguson backed off. He wasn't just interested in Larsson; he wanted to sign several players, but their high wages made it embarrassing for a club like Manchester United to ask them to take a pay cut.

However, he was somewhat dismissive of Audrich's approach, thinking the club would eventually collapse if it continued this way.

Page AD starts

Page AD ends