Volume 1: When Heroes Come and Go, People Pay Attention. Chapter 6 "Invisible Godfather" Mendes (Second Update, Please Vote for Me)

Chapter 6 "Invisible Godfather" Mendes (Second update, please vote for me)

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is a beautiful city. Perhaps the most famous landmark building in this seaside city in southeastern Brazil is the giant statue of Jesus Christ on Mount Jesus. "" Novel handwritten by netizens

In the summer of 2014, the whole of Brazil was immersed in the football fever of hosting the World Cup locally. Promotional paintings and posters for the Brazilian World Cup can be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys of Rio de Janeiro. No matter men, women, old or young, everyone is crazy about football.

Brazilian girls wearing bikinis on the street enthusiastically blow kisses to the camera, showing off their charm.

On the beautiful tourist resort Copacabana Beach, Niang sat on a beach chair, wearing a casual short-sleeved shirt and shorts, a pair of beach sandals, sunglasses, and an ice-cold juice drink in his hand .

Judging from his appearance, he looked no different from the other tourists on the beach.

But he wasn't here for a vacation.

The 2014 World Cup was held in Brazil. Thirty-two teams that fought their way out of the siege gathered in this football country. They were followed by a huge number of fans, news media, and it is easy for people to ignore it. In fact, it is everywhere. agents and scouts.

Fans are fascinated by the exciting football matches and reporters are busy covering all aspects of the World Cup. The broker is here to do business.

For them, the World Cup is a natural big market. They put their players in the World Cup market to sell, and the managers, head coaches, and scouts of each club are like picky buyers. Carefully select and compare, finally choose the player you like, and then discuss the offer with the agent privately. After both parties have made a private decision for life, they can then go to the club for a showdown. By then the raw rice had become cooked rice, and the club had no choice but to agree.

In the same World Cup, some people watch the fun, some watch the door, and some watch things that have nothing to do with football.

Niang was such a buyer, and the person he met on Copacabana Beach was a seller, a famous seller.

It is impossible for any club manager, team coach, or even club president in the top European leagues not to have heard the name of Jorge Mendes.

He is the most successful agent in European football and the invisible godfather of European football. He controls the resources of more than one hundred players, with a total value of more than 500 million euros. The famous Cristiano Ronaldo is his most proud player, and Mourinho, the most successful head coach in football, also has a close personal relationship with him and is willing to use him as his agent to negotiate with the club.

Such an agent's abilities have long gone beyond the scope of ordinary agents. He holds the phone numbers of almost all major European club presidents or head coaches. If he wants, he can call Real Madrid President Florentino's private phone number.

Niang knew the energy of the man before him. If you offend him, your team may not be able to sign any valuable players all summer.

Many fans claim that they know a lot about world football, but if they don't understand how an agent works, then they will never know how the football world actually works. The power of an agent can seem very small, but it can also be infinite.

But he still chose to express his thoughts to him in his own way, straightforwardly and without beating around the bush.

Mendes laughed after hearing Liverpool manager Niang's request. At first he just smiled, then laughed out loud, and by the end he even burst into tears.

This was disrespectful to Niang, but Niang didn't object. He just quietly sipped the juice drink in the goblet.

Mendes wiped away the tears from laughter, with a deep smile on his face. He said to Niang: "I'm sorry, Mr. Lu. But I really can't help it... I think you should know that for the royal family What an important player Pepe is for Madrid."

Niang nodded: "Yes, he is very outstanding and excellent, that's why we at Liverpool need him."

"I don't think Real Madrid will let him go. I know Jose well." Mendes shrugged. "Pepe is his confidant. This transfer deal is absolutely impossible, so there is no point in you looking for me, Mr. Lu."

Niang put down the juice in his hand and turned to look at Mendes.

“I always thought that ‘nothing is impossible’ was the creed in the agent circle,” he said.

Mendes laughed loudly.

"Before Figo moved from Barcelona to Real Madrid, many people thought it was a fantasy, right? It's incredible that Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo switched to Real Madrid in the same summer, right?" said Niang. "Isn't it too early to say 'impossible' before something happens?"

Mendes thought for a while and then said: "I admit what you said makes sense. But as for Pepe specifically, I don't think he will choose to leave. If your team needs an excellent central defender, I have There are many to choose from and they are all top notch, no worse than Pepe. There is no need to stare at Pepe all the time..."

Niang shook his head: "Of course your players are top-notch, I have no doubt about that. But I just like Pepe. I believe in my own vision and judgment. He is the most suitable central defender for our Liverpool."

Mendes was silent, looking at the stubborn Liverpool manager. Only then did he realize that the man in front of him was really young... He could be in his thirties at most, and before forty, he could be the general manager of a wealthy club. Does he have real talent or knowledge, or is it because of his relationship with Liverpool? Do you have a close personal relationship with your boss?

After thinking for a while, he spoke again: "I have a very good relationship with Mr. Perez, the chairman of Real Madrid. I cannot betray him and discuss this business with you."

"This will not damage your popularity among Real Madrid's senior management, Mr. Mendes. Because this is the player's personal wish. When a player insists on leaving, God can't stop him, can he?" Niang looked at Mendez said.

Mendes laughed again: "You mean Pepe himself will want to leave Real Madrid? Haha! Sorry... this joke is funny. I think I need to reiterate it, Mr. Lu. Pepe is very happy now in Real Madrid , he doesn’t want to leave this glorious and great team..."

A thought suddenly flashed through his mind, and a voice asked him: "Really don't want to leave?"

He was stunned, his expression changed slightly, and then quickly returned to normal.

He found that the young man opposite was smiling at him.

He stood up: "Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Lu. But I'm sorry, I can't help you complete this transfer transaction. I am an agent, but I don't accept all business."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Niang sat on the beach chair and didn't get up to see him off. He just looked at Mendes's leaving back and took a sip of juice.

After Mendes could no longer be seen in the crowd, Niang took out his cell phone and dialed a number.

"Hey Andre, can you do me a favor?"

※※※

Mendes left in a hurry, but a rhetorical question still flashed through his mind.

"Do you really don't want to leave?"

"Pepe really doesn't want to leave?"

This reminded him of an "old thing."

In the season that just ended, Real Madrid, as the defending champion, was eliminated in the eighth round and stopped in the quarterfinals.

After that game, Pepe was the culprit of the team's final loss and was scolded by the media in Madrid and even Spain.

There were even rumors that Pepe was unhappy at Real Madrid.

The media not only criticized Pepe's poor performance in this game, but also began to dig through old scores and find a lot of information to prove that Pepe is a player who cannot control his temper, often suffers from brain twitches and short-circuit, and has brutal actions. Such a player naturally does not fit in with Real Madrid's club image. In fact, every time Pepe gets angry, it is Real Madrid's brand image that is hurt. People will think that all the responsibility for indulging Pepe is Real Madrid's.

This wave of criticism lasted for more than half a month before it gradually subsided. However, Pepe's reputation as a villain and a stupid person is more appropriate for his personal image... In the past, when Pepe was mentioned, everyone would say that he He is a rude person, a manly person, and some people gave Pepe the nickname "Warrior Monk". Now, in addition to this notoriety, Pepe is also burdened with the reputation of declining form and a cancer in the team. It seems that if this cancer is not cleaned up, Real Madrid will never get back on its feet...

In the end, Mourinho stood up to complain about his players, angrily criticized the media for causing trouble, and said that losing was not Pepe's problem, and the whole team should bear the consequences together.

He also had another falling out with the media for Pepe. Apart from speaking for Pepe this time, he did not attend any press conference until the end of the season.

It can be seen that Mourinho really likes Pepe and thinks highly of him.

However, there was one thing that made Mourinho very dissatisfied. Although he never expressed it publicly, he complained to Mendes privately.

He believes that Real Madrid did not play its due active role in the incident where Pepe was besieged by the media and stood up to protect its players. Instead, he asked himself, a head coach with a bad reputation, to step in and block the players' bullets. The result is that neither Pepe nor his own reputation is much better...

However, Mendes has heard complaints like this many times since Mourinho moved to Real Madrid. Mourinho complained that Real Madrid did not protect him and deliberately let him go out to attract firepower and hatred from the enemy; Mourinho complained that Real Madrid did not support his players...

Mendes didn't take it too seriously.

But after talking to Niang, the young manager of Liverpool, something was opened in his heart.

Is it really the player himself who doesn't want to leave?

For Real Madrid, Pepe is really important and indispensable...

……?