Chapter 663: Seven Deadly Sins
"Now my family is threatened and harassed. These attacks make me very worried. Will continuing as a leader bring harm to my family?"
Inside the gym at Real Madrid's Valdebebas training base, Ramos read aloud the resignation letter issued by Barcelona's president Rosell. Major events like this naturally attracted the attention of the onlookers.
"Rosell sure can talk big. We've been dominating in the league and Champions League. After winning a few Copa del Rey titles, he dares to claim huge success during his tenure?" remarked the Spanish defender, pursing his lips.
Casillas chimed in, "It's not entirely fair to say that. I think Barcelona has been very strong these past few years. If not for Wang's explosive performance, they could have snatched several league titles."
Thinking about how their rivals consistently finished as runners-up despite a hundred-point season, and how the Chinese superstar single-handedly challenged Barcelona's entire frontline, the others nodded in agreement. "Indeed, he's just too explosive, almost abnormal!"
Wang Feng rolled his eyes impatiently. "Is this how you guys describe your teammates?" With that, he ignored them and continued with his workout.
Other players engaged in lively discussions about this major event. "Some media outlets say Wang's killer instincts are shining once again. Whether it's opposing coaches or managers, no one can escape his clutches, haha."
"Some say the recent revelation of the Neymar transfer saga has become a fatal issue. The Brazilian's transfer fee wasn't as low as it appeared, with Barcelona spending over a hundred million euros."
"No wonder he chose the Catalan club over us for just a few million euros. Turns out it wasn't just a few million, but tens of millions! Have we been fooled all this time?"
No one could clearly explain the specifics of the situation, but from the details revealed, it seemed that Neymar, his agent, and third-party holders all profited handsomely, while the only one suffering losses was the Barcelona club. Therefore, this became a significant argument for many to criticize Rosell.
As the saying goes, when the wall collapses, everyone pushes. The day after Rosell stepped down, many media outlets listed his crimes, with "Vanguardia" pointing out as many as seven.
Firstly, disrespecting club legends by not accepting Cruyff as Barcelona's honorary president. The latter returned the medals awarded by the previous administration and rarely spoke up for Barcelona afterward.
Secondly, suspicious Brazilian commercial activities, involving not only transfer dealings but also illicit ticket sales at Camp Nou.
The details of the contract with Qatar were not disclosed to club members, causing widespread dissatisfaction.
Poor managerial appointments, as during his tenure, there were consecutive changes from Guardiola to Vilanova, Roura, and now Martino, yet none managed to reverse the team's decline in the league and Champions League.
The Neymar transfer saga was another reason for Rosell's downfall, as club member Cases demanded detailed disclosure of all transfer details but was refused. He then filed a lawsuit against Rosell, alleging that he failed to inform the members.
Barcelona also failed to renew contracts with key players, including departed Valdés and current players like Xavi who want to leave.
Finally, deceiving Abidal, promising to renew his contract once he recovered from illness, only to follow through with a commercial decision not to renew, tarnishing the club's reputation for dishonesty.
Like Laporta when he stepped down, Rosell left with an infamous reputation, even worse than Laporta's because the latter had at least brought league titles to Barcelona.
So, he basically had no chance of returning to the limelight. Fortunately, his successor remained within their faction. It was his assistant Bartomeu, and they hadn't lost control of the club.
Until 2016, everything was uncertain, but they would do their utmost to prevent Laporta from making a comeback. The power struggle within Barcelona was about to unfold, version 3.0.
Different results often lead to completely different fates. Like Barcelona, Real Madrid's internal situation is complex, far from being a unified front. However, Florentino, relying on the team's performance, has leaped from an imminent departure to the most prestigious manager, a position that no one can shake.
In addition, his almost absurdly ambitious expansion and renovation plan was smoothly passed at the club's general meeting. Construction around the Bernabeu was underway, and the renovation of the training base had just been completed, with new construction already beginning.
Now, Valdebebas is the largest and most luxurious football training base in the world, without exception. All hardware facilities are complete, and the service facilities are no less than a five-star hotel, with plenty of recreational facilities.
After returning from San Sebastián to Madrid, everyone officially began to experience the wonders of the new training base. The first thing that amazed everyone was the dormitory building.
Each player was assigned a single room, with a living room featuring huge French windows and a spacious balcony. From the window, they could see the brand-new training grounds.
The stairwells and corridors were adorned with numerous photos and introductions to the club's history and achievements, including current players like Wang Feng. "We're happy to update this honor information every year," Bartolomeu said with a smile.
In terms of food and dining, there was no negligence. The newly built club canteen resembled a top-notch restaurant, not only beautiful in environment but also allowing players to select their dishes according to their preferences, with a wide variety to choose from.
These meals were developed through consultations between experienced chefs and nutritionists, balancing taste with the players' health.
Training grounds, indoor swimming pools, gyms, and physiotherapy rooms were all readily available. Of course, what interested everyone the most was the gaming space spanning thousands of square meters.
Ramos immediately set his sights on the racing simulation game. "Oh my God, I can finally drive fast cars!" The Spaniard couldn't resist touching the realistic steering wheel and decided to have a game right away.
Different types of gaming consoles and LCD TVs lined up, with enough room for a dozen people to play at once, along with facilities like table football, billiards, and a small cinema.
"What a dreamy place. I could stay here and train every day," Varane commented, which was precisely the club's intention. They hoped to create a place where players didn't want to leave, balancing life and training to improve efficiency.
On February 16th, in the 24th round of La Liga, the Galacticos challenged Getafe away.
This team was also from the Madrid region, so strictly speaking, it was considered a Madrid derby. The players didn't have to travel far to play away matches; they just needed to depart from Valdebebas to the Alfonso Pérez Coliseum on match day.
The game was played on a slippery field in heavy rain. The home team scored first in the 15th minute. Gavilán broke into the right side of the penalty area and passed back after a wall-like combination. Corengal then made a cross, and Sarabia's powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area found the bottom corner.
It wasn't until the 34th minute that Real Madrid equalized. Di Maria sent a cross from the wing, and Wang Feng's header at the near post aimed for the far corner. Getafe goalkeeper Moyá couldn't reach it, and the ball slipped past his fingertips into the net.
Just before halftime, the Chinese superstar orchestrated a quick counterattack after winning the ball in midfield. He passed to Bale, who quickly dribbled to the byline and crossed, and Di Maria, following up, shot fiercely into the near post, putting the Galacticos ahead!
In the second half, Marcelo took advantage of an opportunity to assist Modric for another goal, and the final score settled at 3-1.
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