Chapter 63

In the lonely summer of 1995, the bureaucratic atmosphere of the Football Association was thick, and even the Italian Football Association was restless. After receiving Audrich's letter of recommendation, they not only sneered at it but also leaked it to the media, exposing the letter from Millwall intact as a topic of amusement for all of Italy.

Audrich finished reading the news published in the "Rome Sports Daily," which included no shortage of Italian football commentators belittling and mocking the obscure English club.

In fact, the young teams of national teams have always selected players domestically, which is understandable. After all, the scope of coaches' observations is not as broad as the entire Europe or the world. Players who stand out in domestic youth leagues are naturally selected for the national youth teams.

Audrich was also mockingly called a "frog in a well" by the Italians, who believed he had never seen Italian football and thought that having a few Italian players in his hands made him think they were exceptionally talented. Recommending these players to the national team was considered extremely ridiculous.

After finishing the report, Audrich put down the newspaper and said with an unchanged expression, "Mr. De Rossi, I'm sure you haven't watched Millwall's matches, and few people in Italy have. You think I'm arrogant and that I'm making a fuss over football talent. I don't care. The Italian league is the best in the world today, and I don't deny that. However, it doesn't mean that Europe will still be dominated by Italy in ten years. Please forgive my honesty: my team not only has the backbone of the future Italian national team but also future European and world champions. I think we can't reach an agreement today, but my sincerity remains unchanged. The door of Millwall is always open to Daniele De Rossi. Finally, I just want to say one thing: if Daniele stays in Rome, he can become a loyal star, but if he comes to Millwall, I believe that on the day he retires, the trophies will be countless, because I am working towards this goal. Goodbye."

After speaking, Audrich and Andrew got up and left. The elder De Rossi's expression suddenly became serious, and he looked at his son thoughtfully.

Walking out of the cafe, Andrew scratched his head and said, "How did the talk go? It feels like it fell apart."

He didn't understand Italian and was completely confused throughout the process.

Audrich casually said, "It's not that it fell apart, because there was no room for negotiation from the beginning. Don't worry, De Rossi is only 13 years old. I firmly believe that before he turns 18, Millwall will have something more attractive than Rome."

"Going to Brescia now?"

"Yep."

Before heading to Brescia, Millwall had already submitted a transfer offer of 1 million pounds to the opposing club: to acquire 16-year-old Andrea Pirlo from Brescia.

At this time, Pirlo had only appeared once for Brescia at the end of the previous season and had not attracted the attention of the major Italian clubs.

The 1 million pound transfer offer was eventually finalized at 1.5 million pounds. Audrich planned to personally negotiate Pirlo's personal terms.

There was an important factor: Pirlo was a second-generation rich kid, and it would be difficult to impress him with just the amount of money on the contract.

Even though Audrich's team already had many versatile midfielders, he still lacked a key piece in his tactical system: a master-level playmaker!

Nedved, despite his excellent organizational skills, also had the ability to break through quickly. In terms of overall strategic vision, Audrich needed a midfielder to act as a commander, so that his midfield attack system would have both the penetration to break through defenses and the sharpness to break defensive chains, allowing for versatile offensive strategies.

In Brescia, Audrich met Pirlo. The 16-year-old rich kid looked somewhat bewildered. He had just signed with the team last year and was suddenly being sold. Born into wealth, he probably found it hard to understand the importance of 1.5 million pounds to a small club.

Pirlo, from a wealthy family, was clearly used to grand occasions. Facing Audrich and Andrew alone, he showed no signs of nervousness, remaining calm and natural without any pretense.

"Andrea, can I call you that? Yes, good. Have you heard of Millwall?"

Pirlo honestly shook his head and then added, "I've seen some news about Millwall in the newspapers these past few days. I know it's a club in London, and it doesn't seem to be in the Premier League."

"No, we won the First Division last season. In two months, Millwall will be in the Premier League. Andrea, I first want you to understand what kind of club is interested in you and hopes to bring you on board."

Audrich did not belittle Pirlo because of the age difference. In the football world, there is no age difference; strength is everything, whether for players or coaches.

Pirlo perked up and nodded, signaling Audrich to continue.

He had no idea what Pirlo was thinking, but he had to show 100% sincerity.

"This is the list of players in my team, including their profiles and performance data from last season. I took over Millwall last season and serve as both the owner and the head coach. So, first, Millwall will be a stable club for a long time. The team will not be negatively affected by management turmoil or coaching changes. This is the foundation for the long-term development of a club. Second, Millwall is an ambitious club. We will not be content with just surviving in the Premier League. I want to build the team into the best in England, and after conquering England, we will move on to Europe! And we will dominate the entire European stage for a long time! If I have to quantify this grand goal, I can explain it as: surpassing the five consecutive titles of Real Madrid and the four titles in seven years of Liverpool. I want Millwall to become the undisputed king of European football as quickly as possible. Yes, Millwall has no history, no legacy, and the past hundred years have been blank, dull, and even painful to recall. But for me, that's good news. This way, I can create an era that belongs entirely to me, without having to compare with others. Andrea, I hope you become a part of Millwall and leave your glorious mark in this history."

Inspiring people was something Audrich did effortlessly. Pirlo, who was used to the dogmatic Italian football world, was clearly unfamiliar with such passionate rhetoric, but he was clearly deeply impacted.

He was stunned for a moment. When he lowered his head to flip through the documents in his hand, he had a strong impression of the determined Audrich. At the very least, Millwall was indeed young.

He paid special attention to the Italian players in the team. Besides Luca Toni, Gattuso, Matri, and Zambrotta had played over ten, even over twenty times, and the coaches' evaluations and comments for each match were concise and detailed.

Pirlo was not averse to playing abroad. In fact, he was somewhat rebellious. Even though he was a second-generation rich kid, his family had always opposed him making a living from football.

"Andrea, let's talk about you. What expectations do you have for your future position and role on the football field?"

Seeing Pirlo silent, Audrich took the initiative to start a conversation.

Pirlo frowned slightly and said, "To be honest, the coaches at Brescia say I have the potential to become the next Baggio."

Audrich smiled and nodded. In fact, Baggio's characteristics could be divided into two parts. Before 1995, Baggio was fast, sharp in dribbling, and had a fluid style. After 1995, as he aged, his speed slowed, but his strategic vision became stronger, and his football intelligence was reflected in his organizational ability.

Audrich took out his tactical notebook from his briefcase and circled the attacking midfielder position on a simple football field diagram, saying, "This is the position you play in the club, right?"

Pirlo nodded.

"Have you encountered any problems?"

Pirlo hesitated for a moment and said softly, "The coaches say I can become Baggio, but I can't do what he does, like dribbling through defenses effortlessly. The closer I get to the penalty area, the more confused I feel, and I spend more energy trying to get past the defenders."

Audrich nodded and said, "That's right, Andrea. You can never become the second Baggio, never. Your personal characteristics are the biggest obstacle to replicating Baggio, and this is something that cannot be changed no matter how hard you try."

Pirlo's eyes dimmed. He was aware of his limitations. He couldn't even match Baggio's speed, let alone his dribbling skills.

"But, you can become the one and only Pirlo! You are not the second Baggio; you are Andrea Pirlo! If you stay at Brescia, you will only slowly improve in the attacking midfielder position. But I will give you a bigger stage to maximize your strengths and let you do what you are best at on the field. I will never force you to do what you can't do."

Audrich's eyes were sincere, and he could guarantee this with his character.

Just like many of the players in his team, they quickly became convinced of him because Audrich never forced them to do what they couldn't do.

He would never make Stam think about passing the ball from the back line, nor would he ask Makelele to take on more offensive responsibilities besides defending. Schneider didn't have the ability to cut in and score from distance like Pires, and Audrich never criticized him or asked him to improve in that area, or force him to struggle in physical confrontations in the penalty area.

The players' talents and characteristics were there, and it was the coach's responsibility to integrate players with different characteristics into a cohesive whole. It was enough for players to do their best within their capabilities. If a coach forced players to do things beyond their capabilities, it wasn't the players' fault but the coach's lack of vision and ability.