After beating Barcelona 5-0 at home, Real Madrid had a short break before heading away to face Sevilla in the middle of the week.
This was the 30th round of La Liga.
Gao Shen rotated the squad once again, and except for Ronaldo and Ramos, almost everyone else was changed.
In the 14th minute, Ronaldo opened the scoring for Real Madrid with a free kick. But shortly after, former Real Madrid player Reyes made a brilliant pass from the right, and striker Bacca poked the ball into the net to equalize.
Just before halftime, Illarramendi played a through ball, and Ronaldo finished from the left side of the six-yard box to score his second goal, restoring Madrid's lead.
Afterwards, Real Madrid kept pressing but couldn't find another way past Sevilla's defense. The home side also struggled to create chances against such a strong opponent.
In the end, Real Madrid defeated Sevilla 2-1 away, with Ronaldo scoring both goals.
…
The match was played at night, and after it ended, the team returned to Madrid immediately.
The next morning, during recovery training, Florentino arrived at Valdebebas with José Sánchez, Butragueño, Valdano, and other senior executives.
The main purpose of the president's visit was to inspect the office building project Real Madrid was preparing to begin.
At present, the club still operated out of the Santiago Bernabéu, but everyone knew that stadiums had become incredibly valuable assets. For a venue as large as the Bernabéu, the commercial potential was extraordinary.
For that reason, Real Madrid had long planned to construct an office building at Valdebebas.
In recent years, construction at Valdebebas had been ongoing. After the first team moved in, stadiums for the youth team and basketball section were built, followed by the Di Stéfano Stadium. In 2012, work began on the first-team dormitory building, with Gao Shen also attending the groundbreaking ceremony. It wasn't completed until last summer.
This dormitory was built entirely to five-star hotel standards, with top-class facilities.
Now, Real Madrid was preparing to build an office building.
This had been planned for some time, since once the offices were moved to Valdebebas, the renovation of the Bernabéu could officially begin.
Everything had to be done step by step.
For a top club like Real Madrid, the number of issues involved was simply too many and too complex.
Just imagine, if the office building wasn't finished before the Bernabéu renovation started, where would the two to three hundred club employees work?
Renting an external office would not only mean paying high rent, but also renovation costs, approvals from the board of directors, and endless bureaucratic procedures.
For this new headquarters, Real Madrid had hired a famous Spanish design firm to handle the project, with plans adapted to Valdebebas' terrain. The investment would be similar to that of the first-team dormitory.
It was worth noting that the dormitory alone had cost 17 million euros, making it extremely luxurious.
…
When Florentino and his group arrived at Valdebebas, it was natural that they would meet the players.
Especially the two captains, the star players, and the rest of the squad who had been outstanding this season.
The team's performances had been excellent, and Florentino's position as president was more secure than ever.
In high spirits, he kept joking with the players and then announced the latest bonus plan approved by the board: a massive treble bonus.
This would be an unprecedented treble in Spanish football history.
In the past, Barcelona had promised similar treble rewards several times, usually around 40 million euros.
Importantly, this was an additional reward outside of the players' regular contracts, which already included salary, match bonuses, and appearance fees. The 40 million would be shared among all first-team players.
How it would be divided would depend on negotiations between the coach and the squad.
Usually, it wasn't split equally, since players' contributions varied. Those who played more and contributed more would get a bigger share. Players were generally grouped into tiers based on playing time, with each tier receiving different bonuses.
Regardless, a 40 million euro reward was still a huge motivation for the squad.
Even players in the lower tiers could receive close to one million euros.
Of course, this would only happen if they won the treble. If they only managed a double, then according to the club's reward system set before the season, the amount would be much lower.
Hearing this, the players erupted in cheers.
The league title was almost secured, the Copa del Rey final awaited, and the last hurdle was the Champions League.
In addition to the players, the coaching staff and other staff members would also receive extra bonuses, as was customary.
For example, if Gao Shen led the team to the treble, on top of his salary and contract bonuses, he would receive an additional 5 million euros.
Do not underestimate that figure. It was higher than the annual salary of Martino or Simeone.
If his salary and other bonuses were included, Gao Shen's total income from Real Madrid would reach astronomical levels.
But even with this, Real Madrid had other concerns.
Florentino's big trip to Valdebebas was also about something else: Gao Shen's contract renewal.
His original deal was three years, ending in 2015, which meant there was still more than a year left.
But clearly, the club was already anxious.
Florentino even joked that he couldn't sleep if Gao Shen's contract wasn't extended.
"I still remember that year in Cheshire, when you told me you could bring ten years of glory to Real Madrid."
Thinking about it now, Florentino still considered it the wisest decision of his presidency. Gao Shen had brought immense glory to Real Madrid.
Last season, they won both the Champions League and Copa del Rey. This season, they had won almost everything so far.
Now, with the team pushing towards an unprecedented treble, how could he not be excited?
Not only Florentino, but also the entire board of directors and the fans were urging for a renewal.
Many directors had even called him personally, asking him to secure Gao Shen's extension immediately.
"I'm telling you, Gao, if I don't get a satisfactory answer this time, I might get impeached at tomorrow's board meeting," Florentino said with a smile.
Everyone laughed.
Of course, it was an exaggeration, but it showed how important Gao Shen was at this moment.
"Is this emotional blackmail?" Gao Shen joked back.
"If it gets you to sign, then I admit it," Florentino replied without hesitation.
He had come determined to secure the deal, though specific contract terms weren't finalized yet. Many details still depended on Gao Shen's preferences.
For example, salary.
Given how eager the club was, it would make no sense not to increase it.
Previously, Gao Shen earned 20 million euros net per year, twice Ronaldo's salary. But after Ronaldo's renewal, he now earned 17 million, almost on par with Gao Shen.
So this time, Real Madrid's offer was 30 million euros net, a 50% increase, still the highest salary in world football.
In addition, there were generous bonuses and no changes to image rights.
According to their agreement, Gao Shen retained his image rights but authorized Real Madrid to operate them, with both sides splitting the profits 50-50.
Even after club costs, Gao Shen still took home about half.
With Real Madrid's strong commercial team, his brand value had exploded in the past year, generating more than 50 million euros annually in commercial income, not including deals from China and Asia.
Gao Shen now had a dedicated business team led by Su Qing.
He didn't object to the salary and agreed quickly.
As for the contract length, Real Madrid wanted a five-year deal, but Gao Shen preferred three years, from 2015 to 2018.
"2017 will be a turning point," Gao Shen explained.
Given the age of the squad, there would likely be a steep decline around that time. A rebuild would be necessary, which could cause problems.
Modern football rarely saw managers like Ferguson or Wenger anymore, because club management, fans, and media could quickly grow tired.
Win a title in your first year, and they will celebrate you. Win again the second year, and the excitement remains. But by the third, fourth, or fifth year, success becomes routine.
And once you stop winning, they might turn against you.
Gao Shen didn't want to hear boos at the Bernabéu, but he knew it was inevitable if results dipped.
If the squad aged and performances suffered, what could a coach really do?
He preferred to step away while on top, though he wouldn't say it openly.
That was why he suggested a three-year extension, until 2018. Even if problems arose in 2017, he would still have an exit.
Until then, he could guarantee that Real Madrid would remain favorites for every competition. He even had the ambition to win them all.
"Alright, I'll listen to you," Florentino agreed quickly.
In truth, even with a contract, if Gao Shen wanted to leave, the club couldn't stop him.
This renewal was simply to put things in order legally, and Real Madrid had no reason to refuse.
(To be continued.)