"What?" The head coach of Zenit St. Petersburg, Edward Carter, looked at the fax in his hand. "Inter Milan wants to buy Arshavin?"
He was very surprised.
Then, Edward Carter shook his head. "Why would we sell the core of the team? We don't lack money."
His assistant, Cornelius Porter, also laughed. Edward Carter was right; Zenit St. Petersburg didn't lack money.
In 2005, Gazprom bought Zenit St. Petersburg. After the company took control of the team, it immediately injected more than 100 million dollars into the team to buy players and build a new stadium.
Although Zenit St. Petersburg made it into the top 8 of the Europa League in the 20052006 season, the team still chose to change the head coach in the summer. The famous Dutch coach Dick Advocaat and his assistant Cornelius Porter took over Vladimir Petrzela's position.
Although Zenit St. Petersburg only got fourth place in the Russian Super League last season, and Edward Carter's position wasn't stable, Zenit St. Petersburg's performance this season was great, and they were the leading team in the Russian Super League.
In the Europa League, Zenit St. Petersburg also made it through the group stage and made it into the top 32.
"Then how do we reply to the Italians?" Cornelius Porter asked.
"Reject them!" Edward Carter said.
Edward Carter was very ambitious now; he wanted to lead Zenit St. Petersburg to a new era. Arshavin was the core of the team and the captain. How could he let Arshavin leave at this time?
"But, why don't we talk to Arshavin first?" Cornelius Porter asked.
"No need to say anymore. Reject Inter Milan's offer. No, we'll reject all offers for Arshavin! "Advocaat shook his head resolutely and made the final decision.
*****
"Fuck!" Li Ang cursed. He just received a response from Zenit St. Petersburg. They rejected Inter Milan's offer for their captain Arshavin.
"What happened?" Banderas asked.
"Zenit St. Petersburg rejected us!" Li Ang said unhappily. "Edward Carter said that Arshavin is not for sale!"
"Of course." Banderas thought about it and said, "Arshavin is the captain of Zenit St. Petersburg, and he is the core of that team. If I were Edward Carter, I would also refuse to let him go."
Li Ang nodded and agreed. He was mad because he thought that Zenit St. Petersburg was waiting for the best offer. Now, it seemed like it wasn't about money; Zenit St. Petersburg didn't want to lose their captain at this time.
Li Ang suddenly remembered that Zenit St. Petersburg was acquired by Gazprom two years ago. Gazprom was a super energy giant, and it was even more powerful than the three oil companies in Huaxia. It was one of the top five hundred energy companies in the world. With such a boss, Zenit didn't lack money.
Li Ang anxiously paced back and forth in the office. "Is there no other way?"
Arshavin was the target player Li Ang chose after careful consideration. It wasn't just about finding a substitute for Mata or Arshavin. Arshavin was also very strong, and he was fully capable of competing for a main position. When Mata or Arshavin weren't in their best condition, Arshavin could take over at any time. Also, his technical characteristics were different from the little Spanish guy; he could enrich Inter Milan's attacking patterns. In addition, Arshavin was already 26 years old, and he was more mature and steady.
Therefore, although Zenit St. Petersburg rejected Inter Milan's offer for Arshavin, Li Ang still didn't want to give up.
*****
"What else can we do? Russian teams rarely have players who leave. They like their motherland in ice and snow! " Banderas said with a smile. From his tone, it could be seen that the Spanish assistant manager still didn't think much of Russian football.
In fact, Russian football and mainstream European leagues didn't have much interaction.
In fact, there were very few Russian players in the five major leagues, and there were no Russian players in the powerhouses.
Russians were more estranged from people in other European countries, and there were many differences in living habits. Most Russian players were unwilling to go abroad.
Since last year, Manchester United had been flirting with CSKA Moscow's goalkeeper, Akinfeev, during these two transfer windows. Although Akinfeev also wanted to enter the Premier League to prove himself and was eager to join a powerhouse like Manchester United, communication was a hurdle that Akinfeev could not overcome. He said to the media more than once, "I will seriously consider Manchester United's interest in me, but I really hate learning English. If learning English is necessary, then I'd rather play for CSKA Moscow for the rest of my life."
Wasn't this nonsense? If you joined Manchester United, how could you communicate without learning English?
*****
In addition to the factors of living habits, there was also the reason of money. Russian players rarely played abroad, and they were also spoiled by the domestic league. This reminded Li Ang of the Chinese Super League later.
A weekly salary of 20000 euros was rare for young players in the five major European leagues. However, it was possible in Russia, and it was the starting price for almost all the outstanding young players in Russia. Although the outstanding young players defined by the Russians were looked down upon by the European powerhouses, the Russians themselves treated them as treasures. Most of the clubs in Russia were very rich, so the club owners were naturally willing to invest money in the young players.
Not only were the salaries high, but the tax rate in Russia was low. Russia implemented the principle of tax unification, and the 13% personal income tax made the people almost embarrassed to evade taxes. Compared to France (45% for more than 150,000 euros) and Ukraine (52.9%), the players in Russia, where the tax rate was low, had much more disposable income. Therefore, they didn't pursue it and chose to stay in Russia to play.
"Don't be fooled by Arshavin's statement in the media that he is willing to play abroad. Maybe he is just saying it. It is more comfortable to stay in Russia and makes more money," Banderas joked.
"We are Inter Milan, Li Ang's Inter Milan! I don't believe that Arshavin will not be tempted by my invitation. Zenit St. Petersburg must not have communicated with the player! " Li Ang suddenly stopped pacing and said confidently, "Help me contact Arshavin's agent immediately. I need to talk to him and understand the Russian's thoughts!"
During this winter break, Li Ang did not intend to make any big moves for Inter Milan. The introduction of Arshavin was the most important signing, and he also wanted to get it done as soon as possible so that he could focus on the game.
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