Chapter 2344: The Talks Collapsed!

In a certain sense, Zhao Fusheng was not unfamiliar with people who liked to speak in bureaucratic jargon.

In his previous life, he had dealt with many government officials, and in this life, having reached his current position, he had also met many officials.

Bureaucratic jargon was a common mannerism among many officials.

But it had to be said that some leaders, even when using bureaucratic jargon, still got their work done.

What they wanted was political achievements, so they were very enthusiastic about anything that could bring benefits to their achievements.

Earlier, when Zhao Fusheng went to build Hope Schools in Xichuan, some local leaders there also liked to use bureaucratic jargon, but as soon as they heard that Future Group would sponsor school construction and help with poverty alleviation, their attitudes immediately changed.

From start to finish, they were eager to help.

Sometimes, they even gave the green light outright.

Because they knew very well that if Future Group's projects went well, they, as local leaders, would also share in the glory.

But this time, facing this Director Chen from the Football Association, Zhao Fusheng found that he seemed to have underestimated the stupidity of a certain institution.

No!

To be precise, he had underestimated the brainlessness of certain people.

"Of course, this cooperation is not free. Your club needs to pay us an annual training fee of two million euros."

That Director Chen seemed not to notice Zhao Fusheng's expression, continuing on his own: "Overall, this is out of consideration that we are all Chinese, after all, we also need to help overseas Chinese."

Damn it!

Zhao Fusheng was completely stunned!

So in the Football Association's view, Roma Club's behavior required their help?

And a training fee!

Training fee my ass!

Zhao Fusheng's face darkened. He glanced at Director Chen and said flatly, "Is this the result of your discussions?"

"Yes."

Director Chen looked at Zhao Fusheng with some confusion, a baffled expression on his face: "Mr. Zhao, although I don't know exactly what position you hold in the club, I hope you understand that the Chinese Football Association, out of a responsible attitude towards the players and the team, has allowed your Roma..."

Before he could finish, Zhao Fusheng directly interrupted him.

"Get out!"

What?

The people from the Football Association were all stunned.

"You, what did you say?"

Director Chen stared at Zhao Fusheng in shock.

The translator, Lin Sen, was also extremely surprised.

"I said, get the hell out!"

Zhao Fusheng said bluntly: "I will have the specific details of this cooperation published online and invite domestic and international media to report on it. Roma Club has never and will never bow to people like you! Training fee? Do you have any idea what level the Chinese men's football team is at?"

"How dare you speak like that!"

Director Chen said, shocked: "You are insulting Chinese football!"

"Ha, don't make me laugh."

Zhao Fusheng gave no face at all, directly saying: "With the level of the Chinese men's football team, how can I insult it? Tell me, from the league to the national team, how am I supposed to save face for you?"

Director Chen and the others' faces turned pale and then purple.

As Zhao Fusheng said, they really had nothing to refute.

The level of Chinese football was right there; Zhao Fusheng's words, though harsh, were the truth.

"Mr. Zhao, you need to watch your words!"

At this moment, Lin Sen stepped forward and said to Zhao Fusheng with righteous indignation: "We represent the Chinese Football Association, and you are a representative of Roma Club. I can regard this as a sign of disrespect to China!"

"First, I am a Chinese citizen. I love my country deeply, so I pay a lot of taxes every year—more than you can imagine. Second, Roma Club is a toy I bought for my father. He likes football and is willing to cooperate with the Chinese Football Association to help young domestic players grow. I support that. But with your Football Association's attitude, why should I cooperate with you? This is clearly something beneficial for the growth of young players, yet you actually want to make money from it, and a training fee? Have you no shame?"

Zhao Fusheng looked at Lin Sen and said word by word.

As he spoke, Lin Sen's originally raised head gradually lowered.

Even Director Chen and that director looked at Zhao Fusheng in surprise.

They had only heard before that the owner of Roma Club was of Chinese descent.

According to their understanding, that should be a Chinese person with a foreign passport.

But they never expected that he was actually a Chinese national.

And it seemed he was even a football fan!

This was awkward!

In China, there is a group of people most qualified to curse the Football Association and the players: the fans.

Chinese fans are truly a lovely group of people. They support Chinese football with utmost loyalty and passion, even though those useless people above have brought them pain time and again.

Things like the 'Korea-phobia' and the 'Black Three Minutes'—when the players and the Football Association became accustomed to them, the fans kept cheering them on.

"So what if he's a fan?"

At that moment, Director Chen looked at Zhao Fusheng coldly and said: "As a Chinese, how can you be so ignorant of the bigger picture! The Football Association charges a training fee for the sake of domestic football development. What do you know..."

Zhao Fusheng sneered.

He was already too tired to bother with these people.

Under the national system, the various associations had done too many shady things.

Take Yao Ming as an example. When he played in the NBA, he initially had to hand over 50% of his income to the Basketball Association each year, due to a previous regulation. But this changed for Yao because it alarmed the basketball league in the US, and the players' union issued a statement condemning the Chinese Basketball Association's behavior as outright robbery. Later, after intense negotiations between Yao's team and the association, he received special treatment, reducing the percentage from 50% to 5%.

Compared to Yao, the flying man Liu Xiang was much more helpless. He was a track and field star cultivated under the national system. From sports school to the provincial team, and then to the national team, all his expenses were covered by the Athletics Association. After he became famous, it was understandable that he should repay the association's investment. But the repayment was somewhat excessive. According to media reports, he had to hand over 50% of his annual income from competitions and endorsements to the Athletics Association.

Unlike the Basketball Association, which had room for negotiation, this was mandatory. Although it was helpless, he had to silently endure. In fact, he was very uncomfortable with it. Otherwise, he wouldn't have made remarks about the fickleness of the world in interviews after retirement. But there was no choice; in the world of sports, one often has to swallow their grievances.

Apart from them, another sports superstar, Li Na, although her income couldn't compare with those two—since they became famous early, and she was a late bloomer—she had previously played for the national tennis team with decent results, but her income was not very high.

After the Beijing Olympics, Li Na and other leading figures in Chinese women's tennis broke away from the national tennis team to pursue professional careers, taking on their own profits and losses.

This 'going solo' meant that Li Na truly became a professional tennis player. She could choose her own team and coach, but of course, risks came with it. However, judging from the results, Li Na's choice was absolutely correct.

As a professional player, she was no longer under the control of the Tennis Association, so she had to hand over 8% to 12% of her tournament prize money to the government each year, instead of the 65% when she was on the national team.

To be honest, Zhao Fusheng had always detested this practice.

In his view, it was sucking the blood of athletes!

If the money were all used to help other athletes living in poverty, that would be one thing. But the whereabouts of this money were completely unknown.

Most retired athletes in China face very difficult circumstances.

Except for a few well-known athletes who have a comfortable retirement, the vast majority of ordinary athletes face numerous hardships once they retire.

Some, due to lack of education or long-term training that isolated them from society, have no survival skills at all.

Some can't even afford medical treatment when they fall ill.

Under such circumstances, these associations like the Football Association and Basketball Association still boast about bringing glory to the country and doing countless things.

Indeed, under their exploitation, athletes have won gold medals, achieved results, and earned honors for the country.

But.

What did the athletes get?

Honor can't be eaten; in the end, they have to face reality.

Thinking of this, Zhao Fusheng's anger flared up.

His gaze towards Director Chen and the others became increasingly hostile.

China does have football talents.

Back in the day, there were players who could become starters in European clubs.

But it was precisely because of certain practices by these idiots—constantly invoking national honor or demanding training fees—that foreign clubs kept their distance from Chinese players.

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Fusheng said to Paolo, "Mr. Paolo, please see them out."

"Okay."

Although Zhao Fusheng and the others had been communicating in Chinese, Paolo could tell from their expressions, tones, and body language that the exchange had been very unpleasant.

As the general manager of Roma, he naturally stood on Zhao Fusheng's side.

After all, this man was the son of his boss.

"You!"

Seeing Paolo make a gesture for them to leave, Director Chen's face changed instantly.

"Let's go. I think we are not suitable for cooperation."

Zhao Fusheng said to them flatly.

Only after their figures disappeared from his sight did Zhao Fusheng snort coldly.

To be honest, if not for his father's sake, he wouldn't even have wanted to talk to these people.

He really didn't know where they got the confidence to speak to him like that.

……

……

After seeing off those people, Paolo quickly returned to Zhao Fusheng.

"Sir, is it okay to just let them leave like that?"

Paolo asked Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng nodded and smiled: "It's fine, don't worry about them."

"But they are said to be officials from your home country. Could this bring negative consequences for you and Chairman Zhao?"

As a professional manager, Paolo naturally had his considerations and proactively shared his thoughts with Zhao Fusheng.

This was a necessary professional quality for a professional manager.

In a sense, if he didn't speak up and Zhao Fusheng later remembered this matter, it would be his responsibility.

Paolo didn't want his employer to think that he, as a professional manager, was incompetent.

A professional manager can accept failure but absolutely cannot accept being unrecognized by the employer.

That would mean the professional manager fundamentally failed to meet his professional ethics.

Hearing Paolo's words, Zhao Fusheng smiled: "Mr. Paolo, do you know what the people from the Football Association are in the hearts of Chinese fans?"

"What?"

Paolo was a bit curious; he really didn't know this.

Zhao Fusheng shrugged: "Their status and reputation are like the status and reputation of the government in Western society."

Paolo was instantly speechless.

He immediately understood Zhao Fusheng's meaning.

In Western society, the government is basically there to be criticized.

It seemed the Chinese Football Association was the same.

"And Chairman Zhao?"

Paolo hesitated and asked Zhao Fusheng.

After all, this matter was pushed forward by Zhao's father. Now that it had turned out like this, he had to give the old man an explanation.

Paolo wasn't stupid. Although Zhao Fusheng had rejected the cooperation, in the end, they were father and son. He must not end up caught in the middle.

With this in mind, he looked at Zhao Fusheng inquiringly.

Zhao Fusheng laughed heartily and waved his hand: "You don't need to worry about this. I'll talk to him myself."

Although his father would definitely be angry about this, Zhao Fusheng thought it was no big deal.

For one thing, with Director Chen's attitude, if his father were here, he would probably have thrown a punch by now!

Of this, Zhao Fusheng had no doubt.

After all, although his father was older, he had been a soldier in his youth and had a very strong character.

Paolo quickly nodded upon hearing this.

With Zhao Fusheng, the chairman's son, taking the blame, he, as the general manager, could rest easy.

He wasn't Moggi of Juventus, who had managed the club for decades, deeply entrenched, essentially half the owner of the club.

He was just a professional manager, in other words, a hired hand brought in by the Zhao father and son to help manage Roma Club.

In terms of club management and operations, he could make decisions.

But if he failed to understand his position, it would be more than just a few scoldings.

He might even be packing his bags and leaving.

A position worth several million euros a year—who would be willing to give that up?