Ever since Twain rudely rejected Heiderscheid's offer that day, there had been no news about Ribéry's new contract. Twain suppressed the anger in his heart and his eagerness to rush back to Nottingham to deal with the mess, and completed his commentary work on BBC-5. With anger in his heart, his words became even more venomous. As a result, the poor German was fiercely ridiculed by Tang En in the commentator's box due to his terrible performance in the finals.
During this period of time, there were more and more news about Real Madrid's pursuit of Ribéry in the media. Just like their pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid was very good at using all available factors to pave the way for their transfer activities, and public opinion was a very important means.
Tang En saw Heiderscheid again, but it was in the newspapers and television news.
Wearing sunglasses, he appeared in the bright sunshine of Madrid, Spain. Surrounded by reporters, he mysteriously said that he was just in Spain for a holiday.
Only a fool would believe that he was really here for a vacation.
Sure enough, a few days later, he took the initiative to accept an interview with Marca and talked about Real Madrid's pursuit of Ribéry.
"… Yes, I know that Real Madrid is interested in Franck. To be honest, Franck and I both want to stay at Nottingham Forest. After all, he made his name in that team. But there is no player in the world who would not be tempted by Real Madrid's invitation … Do you know what I mean? That's exactly what I meant. Real Madrid is the best club in the 20th century. It is the dream of many professional players to play in such a team … "
The meaning of his words could not be clearer. He admitted that he had been in contact with Real Madrid and also expressed that Ribéry wanted to join Real Madrid.
Seeing this news, Tang En could no longer sit still. Before flying back to England from Austria, he could not wait to call Ribéry at the airport.
"Frank, I think we should talk alone."
Franck Ribery is on holiday to soothe his "broken heart" in the European Cup. His France team had to return home in the group stage. The UEFA Champions League Player of the Year and Ballon d 'Or national team's journey of glory ended prematurely, which was a blow to him.
"But, boss … I'm on vacation right now …" Ribry's voice was shaky. Yes, "flickering". It was like a signal light swaying in the wind and rain, sometimes bright and sometimes dark, and it was hard to distinguish it clearly.
"I can look for you. Don't worry, I won't ask you for plane tickets. Haha! " Tang En tried his best to make his voice sound no different from usual. He even deliberately cracked a joke. "Where are you on holiday?"
After a moment of silence, Ribéry's voice came again, "Mallorca."
The name stunned Tang En for a moment. He was not someone who loved to travel and knew all the tourist attractions in the world by heart. However, he also knew which country this name represented. In China, Mallorca was also translated as "Mallorca". It was also the name of a La Liga team.
So Ribéry is in Spain?
At this time, in this setting, in this place … Twain could not help but think of other aspects.
"Then I'll go find you." Twain made his decision. Some things could not be explained clearly without talking face to face. Talking face to face would also help Twain understand Ribéry's true thoughts. If he wanted to convince someone, it would be more effective to talk face to face than over the phone.
This time, Ribéry was silent for a long time. Then, he said, "Boss, you've been busy for more than a month. You should take a rest …"
Tang En smiled. "I'm not busy. Scolding people on TV is not considered busy. Besides, Mallorca is a tourist destination. I can go to your place to relax. "
This time, Ribéry no longer had any reason to refuse.
"Well, boss, if you want to come, I'll pick you up at the airport."
※ ※ ※
When the UEFA European Championship came to an end, Tang En did not return directly to England with Motson and the others. Instead, he booked a direct flight from Austria to Mallorca, Spain. Then, he bought a few flashy short-sleeved shirts, as well as shorts and a straw hat at the local store. After putting on the outfit, he really looked like a tourist going sightseeing.
When he appeared at the airport dressed like this, the British reporters who had planned to follow the BBC back were very surprised.
"Isn't the team going to report again, Mr. Tang? Where are you going? "
"I'm going on a trip to relax!" Tang En said with a smile.
"May I ask where you're going?"
"Spain!" Tang En winked at the reporter who asked the question.
※ ※ ※
"Franck!" Heiderscheid's voice sounded a little flustered and exasperated over the phone. "How can you agree to meet with Tang En?"
"Bruno, you're making things difficult for me. He insists on coming. What can I do? "Ribéry was also in a bad mood. Recently, he had been badly battered by the transfer. He said he was here for a vacation, but in fact, he frowned every day. No matter how beautiful the scenery and people were, he turned a blind eye to them. How could he be in the mood? This was actually Bruno's idea. He wanted him to hide here and not see Tang En. He wanted him to deal with everything and just wait for the results.
"Simply refuse him!"
"Impossible!" Both men's voices grew louder. "I know the boss's character very well. The more you refuse, the more he wants to come. He must do what he sets his mind on. "
"Then let's shed all pretense of cordiality …"
"Haven't you figured out the situation, Bruno? I'm his player. Me and him shed all pretense of cordiality? Don't you know how he treats people who fall out with him? "
"The one who hasn't figured out the situation is you, Franck. If you're a little tougher, you'll be the man wearing the white jersey next season. Do you still care how he treats traitors? "
The last word agitated Ribéry. He froze for a moment with the phone in his hand. "Bruno, I believe you. You deal with Real Madrid. But the boss, I think I have to meet him no matter what. I have no reason to refuse him, and I don't want to fall out with him. After all, who gave me the chance to become the Franck Ribéry I am now when I was at my lowest point? "
Ribéry said resolutely and hung up the phone.
Heiderscheid looked at the phone in his hand and scolded angrily, "Idiot! If I meet him, all my efforts will be in vain! Who do you think Tony Twain is, Franck? "
※ ※ ※
Under the bright sunshine of the Iberian Peninsula, Ribéry smiled and took the small suitcase from Twain's hands.
"Spain is a great place. It's much better than the damn weather in England." Twain looked up at the clear blue sky. He wore sunglasses and was not afraid of the bright sun burning his eyes. "You really know how to pick a place, Franck."
The remark seemed to be unintentional on the part of the speaker, but the listener took it to heart. In fact, the speaker had the intention and hoped that the listener would take it to heart.
Sure enough, Ribéry just smiled and did not continue the topic.
Seeing his beloved player, Twain's previously restless heart finally settled a little. He knew that if Ribéry insisted on not seeing him, then the matter would be dangerous. As long as Ribéry was willing to meet him, it meant that there was still room for negotiation.
In a taxi to the hotel where they were staying, Twain and Ribéry sat side by side in the back. The radio in the car was playing a Spanish pop song, but neither of them spoke first.
The atmosphere was really uncomfortable.
It was Twain who spoke first. After all, he was here to solve the problem, not to really tour Mallorca with Ribéry.
"Should I comfort you first, Franck?"
"Hmm?"
"In this UEFA European Championship, France …" In the last match between France and Italy in the group stage, Twain was a guest commentator. At that time, he berated the French team badly and only let two people off. One was Benzema, and the other was Ribéry.
Ribéry's performance was obvious to all. Almost everyone had given up. Only he was still running, constantly running, breaking through, passing, shooting … fighting for a chance to score. During his four years at Nottingham Forest, Tang En's style had long been engraved in his bones. He would never give up until the end of a match and would never admit defeat in the face of adversity. The "Nottingham Forest style" had also become his style.
Unfortunately, no matter how good a person was, he was only one person. Football was a team sport. His efforts in contrast to the cowardice and incompetence of the other ten people appeared even more glaring and heart-wrenching. In the end, Ribéry did not bring victory to the national team. The popular team to win the championship, France, once again returned home from the group stage.
The game ended, and the Italians were celebrating. They had narrowly escaped death and obtained the right to advance out of the group stage. The French, on the other hand, were dejected. But who noticed the anger in Ribéry's eyes?
Hearing Twain mention the matter, Ribéry smiled. "Hey, the game is over. I don't want to think about it anymore. How can there be such a good thing in the world? I've won the championship all by myself. This season … I'm already very satisfied. As a professional player, I've won all the club honors that I can. "
Twain glanced at Ribéry, who was staring ahead.
After that, the two did not speak again until the taxi arrived at its destination.
※ ※ ※
In the room, Twain watched as the waiter left and closed the door. He could finally say what he had been holding back in his heart.
"Franck, you don't really think I'm here on vacation, do you?"
Ribéry smiled. "From the way you're dressed, it looks like it."
"I just don't want the following conversation to be too serious. I know what you're doing here, and I also know what your agent is doing." Twain's expression still unknowingly became serious. "I want to hear what you think."
"What I think? I … "After a moment of silence, as though he had made up his mind, Ribéry then continued," Boss, do you want to hear the truth or a lie? "
"Who wants to hear a lie? Speak the truth. "Twain waved his hand.
"To be honest, I've always felt that my treatment is a little low."
"Just bring up the raise. The club is not unreasonable."
"But, Boss … Hey, I'll speak the truth. I think with the club's current financial situation, it might not be able to meet my requirements. "
Twain did not speak. Ribéry did not continue after saying that. The two just looked at each other.
"Alright, let's put this mess aside and take me to eat. I'm hungry." Twain rubbed his stomach and smiled at Ribéry. "Your treat."
Ribéry also smiled. "No problem."
※ ※ ※
Twain did not really intend to spend his vacation in a scenic tourist destination. How could he have the time to be extravagant here? The next day, he decided to fly back to England. There were a lot of things waiting for him.
"It's really a short vacation." Ribry said as he looked at the suitcase on the bed. Actually, there was not much to pack. There were only a few sets of clothes in the small suitcase. Other than that, there was nothing else, not even travel souvenirs. In the room, Ribry looked at the suitcase on the bed.
Twain stood on the balcony outside the door, looking out at the blue sea and blue sky.
"The sky is really blue here. Compared to England, Spain is really full of attraction."
"If you like it, Boss can buy a villa here and come every summer." Ribéry pretended not to hear the meaning behind Twain's words.
"It won't work if you really want to stay here for a long time, Franck." Twain came back to his senses and smiled. "When the wind blows and it rains, the calm sea is not fun anymore. Beautiful things must be short. I still want to advise you to stay in Nottingham. "
"I didn't say I'm leaving, Boss."
"But in the eyes of the outside media, you're already infinitely close to Real Madrid, aren't you?" On this day, Twain paid attention to the Spanish newspapers he bought locally. Although he did not understand Spanish, he still recognized Ribéry's photo and name. After Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer quickly developed in the direction of a "farce," the emergence of Franck Ribéry had reinvigorated the Real Madrid fans and the Spaniards.
"As long as the club can meet my salary requirements, I'll renew my contract with the club immediately."
Twain smiled. These words were more like an empty promise. "Can you tell me how much is appropriate?"
This time, Ribéry hesitated and then kicked the ball to his agent. "You have to talk to Bruno about this, Boss. He's in charge. "
Hearing this, Twain nodded vigorously.
"You should know that your agent has already contacted me, right? Then you must already know the result, right? "
Ribéry nodded silently.
"One hundred and fifty thousand." Twain sighed. "I thought that was just an excuse and cover that Heiderscheid used to make your transfer successful, to force us to accept the reality that you had to transfer. But now it seems to be true. "He shrugged. "You should know the club's current financial situation. We really can't come up with such a high renewal price. In order to build that … new stadium, I have to live with my wallet, pick up bargains in the transfer market, and negotiate with the other party several times for a single euro. I really, really hope you can understand the club's situation. "
He spoke very sincerely. You could not doubt that he had any ulterior motives for saying so. Ribéry continued to be silent.
"I don't want to say it, but I want you to think about it. A team like Real Madrid is not a place you want to go. Only Nottingham Forest is your home. Do you hate your teammates, hate us coaches, hate the fans? "
"No, Boss. I don't hate anyone. " Ribéry shook his head. "I think the four seasons at Nottingham Forest were the four happiest seasons I've had since I became a professional player. Until now, sometimes I still can't believe that Franck Ribéry, who was on the verge of losing his job in Boulogne, would one day pick up the Champions League trophy, and twice in a row. "
"Then why must you leave?"
"Boss, I didn't say I must leave. But I hope that the reward I receive can be proportional to what I've given. "
"We gave you a new contract, but your agent threw it into the trash without even looking at it. Then he pointed at my nose and told me: 'The club is not sincere!'" Tang En raised his voice. "I admit that it's impossible for the club to take out a 150,000 weekly salary to renew your contract. But can you consider the club's difficulties and make some concessions? Your agent insisted on 150,000. There's no such negotiation in the world. I even thought he was deliberately threatening me. "
Ribéry hurriedly waved his hands. "Boss, please believe me. Between Real Madrid and Nottingham Forest, I'll definitely choose the latter. Of course, as long as the conditions are right. "
Tang En glanced at him. "You're speaking the truth. Actually, there are some things I've always wanted to say to you, but I don't know if it's appropriate to say it. The Nottingham Forest fans like you very much, and so do your teammates. You're very, very popular within the team. We just won the Champions League two seasons in a row, and last season, we won the Premier League. No matter how you look at it, the team and you are on the rise. Together, we still have many, many championships to win. You can now sacrifice a little bit of your financial interests in exchange for even more benefits. I really don't understand what's the use of transferring to Real Madrid or insisting on a 150,000 weekly salary. There's only a difference of 30,000 between 120,000 and 150,000. In fact, you don't lack 30,000 at all. What's the use of getting more weekly salary? Without honor, you'll soon be forgotten. In this world, unless you can keep winning championships and victories, it's useless to sit on the bench with a 200,000 weekly salary. Do you know what I mean, Franck? Many times, honor is far more important than money. "
Ribéry was silent.
Tang En raised his wrist to look at his watch. "I have to go. There's still a lot of things waiting for me in Nottingham. You can continue your vacation here. "
"No, Boss. Actually, I can follow. "
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