Chapter 7

There are quite a few young coaches at Ajax who are on temporary contracts, especially in the youth teams, where they are countless. Therefore, poaching them is not difficult.

Most of these young coaches were once selected by Ajax but fell behind during their training and development. Not being able to become professional players does not mean their tactical acumen and football knowledge are subpar. On the contrary, in a place like Ajax, which is steeped in football culture, even the grass seems to be imbued with football wisdom.

Jensen contacted many of his peers, who lived close to each other in Amsterdam. A few years ago, when Audrey came here to study, he had developed friendships with many of them, though none as close as his roommate Jensen.

Persuaded by Jensen, many of them were tempted. Besides the significant improvement in待遇, what attracted them even more was the opportunity to work with the first team of a club.

Although Ajax is a Dutch powerhouse, working with the youth teams is far less glamorous than working with the first team, and many are in a precarious position due to the intense competition.

Audrey was in a hurry, so he met these people hastily in the evening, made promises, and flew back to London the next day.

Millwall was in an uproar, with fans waiting outside the club for an explanation.

The head coach had resigned, and the club had issued a statement.

The team seemed to be entering an unprecedented period of turmoil.

However, because the club was taken over by the well-known Hall family, there were no incidents of fan unrest.

Accompanied by Adam, Audrey toured the club's facilities.

The club was in a state of disrepair, with inadequate facilities, similar to football clubs from decades ago.

The players' training grounds were rudimentary, and it seemed that after training and playing matches, the players' daily lives were left unchecked, which was a common phenomenon in English football. Even national team members indulged in excessive drinking, showing no concern for their athletic longevity.

The Den could still be used, though it was small. Audrey couldn't overhaul everything at once.

However, he shook his head in disappointment and said to Adam, "Renovate the training grounds within a month and a half. Also, look for a modern hotel near the training camp."

"Hmm? A hotel?"

"Yes, it should have a gym, meeting rooms, a pool, sauna, massage facilities, and a restaurant. Starting next season, the team's daily training will take place either at the training grounds or in the hotel."

"In that case, the expenses..."

"Until the new training facility is built, we will likely use such a hotel for a long time. If renting is not cost-effective, then we should buy it, either in the club's name or the Hall family's name, with the funds coming from the club's account."

London's real estate is extremely expensive, and East London is relatively cheaper, which is why it is a mix of various elements.

However, a hotel in this era would not be too expensive, and it could be acquired for less than a million pounds. If not for the urgency, Audrey would have preferred to build a hotel himself, but if he had the time, he would have built a new training facility.

Adam took out a notebook and wrote down Audrey's instructions. Finally, Audrey turned to him and said, "Where is the transfer negotiation team?"

Adam immediately replied, "They are all out. According to your requirements, after the players were listed, many clubs have shown interest, and some have even made offers."

Audrey nodded and said solemnly, "Wait for them to finish their work and then have them come to me. The coming period will be busy. Additionally, the club needs several new departments. The first is a medical department; find an expert in sports medicine. The second is a nutrition department; the club will control the players' diet during their time here, and I need experts in scientific nutrition. Traditional foods like fries, pudding, and fish and chips are not allowed on the menu."

Adam noted down these requirements and then asked, "What about the coaching staff and scouts?"

"Don't worry about that; I will handle it."

In the following days, Audrey met with every staff member at the club, quickly stabilizing the chaotic situation from within. The transfer department's work also came to a temporary halt.

More than ten players from Millwall's original first team were sold, bringing in only 1.8 million pounds. This was partly due to the club's proactive sales and the generally low player valuations at the time.

Three years ago, Ian Wright, Crystal Palace's top scorer, transferred to Arsenal for 2.5 million pounds, and the renowned Teddy Sheringham's transfer fee was only 2 million pounds three years ago.

As the 1994 World Cup in the United States was about to begin, Audrey and Andrew were screening players within the club.

Audrey was about to start looking for new players in the transfer market.

Andrew looked at Audrey with trepidation and said anxiously, "Audrey, now the first team has only a few players left. The outside world is very pessimistic about Millwall. Adam bought a hotel and is renovating it. Do you know what the newspapers are saying about you? They say you are being ridiculous, selling all the players and then buying a hotel. Are you planning to turn Millwall into a resort?"

Audrey glanced at the list on the table without lifting his head, dismissing Andrew's words, and said calmly, "Will anyone come if I bring in players?"

Andrew shook his head honestly and said, "Millwall has no history, and it's a second-tier team. With the current turmoil, who would want to jump into this fire?"

"What if I offer a weekly salary of 1,000 pounds?"

"That's quite a lot."

"3,000 pounds."

"Of the players on this list, fewer than five deserve such a salary."

"No, I will offer these players a minimum of 3,000 pounds per week, and the highest can be up to 8,000 pounds!"

"You're crazy! That's a top-tier Premier League salary!"

Andrew looked at the calm Audrey in disbelief, even suspecting that his brother was indeed being ridiculous as the outside world claimed!

Audrey looked up and said frankly, "I borrowed 30 million pounds from my brother. 10 million pounds is for transfer funds, and the other 20 million pounds is to guarantee the club's salaries for the next two years. If there are no good results by the third year, but the club's income in the first two years is enough to cover the third year's salaries, and if I can't get Millwall to the Premier League in three years, I will give up my childhood dream and become a wastrel."

Andrew was speechless with shock and finally sighed, "Alright, if you plan to lure these players with high salaries, I think no one will refuse. Who would turn down a salary that could last ten or twenty years?"

Audrey was well aware that Millwall had no history or background and was even notorious for football hooligans, which was not conducive to attracting players.

However, in this transitional period of football, the outside world had not yet realized the value of star players, and even the players themselves were unaware of how much they could earn. This was Audrey's opportunity to lure them with high salaries.

A weekly salary of 3,000 pounds to 8,000 pounds—what does that mean? For a player earning 3,000 pounds per week, the club would only need to pay less than 200,000 pounds in annual salary expenses, and that is pre-tax, which is not the club's concern.

Even for a player earning 8,000 pounds per week, the annual club expenditure would not exceed 500,000 pounds.

But in 1994, this was an astronomical salary.

Before the Bosman ruling, what was the weekly salary of a top English star like Gary Lineker?

5,000 pounds.

Even after the Bosman ruling, when David Beckham was selected for the England national team, what was his and Roy Keane's weekly salary at Manchester United?

No more than 4,000 pounds.

If even star players earned only a few thousand pounds per week, how low would the weekly salaries of ordinary players, especially those who were not yet famous, be?

Most of the players Audrey planned to bring in might earn less than 100 pounds per week!

In other words, when these players face the contract, the question they will consider is very simple: how much money they can earn!

As Andrew said, playing for Millwall for a year could earn them the equivalent of ten or twenty years of salary!

Although this description might be somewhat exaggerated, especially compared to the golden era of football finance in the future, at this moment, Audrey indeed intended to play the role of a pseudo-tycoon waving pounds around.

Perhaps some people will now look down on and mock Audrey's behavior, but as the era of commercial football is about to take off, especially with the Premier League leading the charge, the English teams will be the first to taste the sweet fruits. Audrey naturally would not adhere to the traditional English frugality in this "stingy" era.