Football: I am only 16 years old, and you want me to retire and make a comeback?

Chapter 911 China's Asian Cup Group Stage Draw; 4 Million Falls from the Sky

The Sun's front-page headline: "Establishing a youth training group in China? TY's ambitions are emerging; can it single-handedly change the predicament of Chinese football?"
"Although TY owns a large company like PPP Bond, even if it sacrifices the entire 70 billion yuan market value of PPP Bond, TY may not be able to leverage 10% of the entire Chinese football industry."

"History has proven that the path of money-driven football is not viable in China."

The commentators at The Sun were also very patient; judging from the content they published in the newspaper, these guys had specifically researched the history of Chinese football before making their comments.

The money-driven football boom that began more than a decade ago gave Chinese football a period of apparent strength.

But China seems to be caught in a strange vortex: 10 years ago, when the Chinese Super League was strong, the national team was not strong; now, when the national team is strong, the Chinese Super League is extremely weak.

The football ecosystem is so chaotic that even these top experts at The Sun are confused.

It is well known that the more chaotic a situation is, the more difficult it is to handle, which is why The Sun does not have a high opinion of Tang Yip.

Moreover, since it is impossible to directly separate the league and the Football Association, Tang Ye's first plan is to build a youth training group.

The starting point is good, but youth training groups... frankly speaking, they are meant to lose money. Even if they can actually be established in China, it will take at least 8 to 10 years for the so-called "Chinese Football Youth Training Group" to become profitable. During this period, the company will lose money, and it may lose more and more money.

After the news of the establishment of the Youth Training Group was released, Pop Bond's stock price immediately began to fall, because shareholders were worried that Tang Ye would use Pop Bond's profits to fill the gap of the Youth Training Group, while the Youth Training Group, a money-devouring beast, had been unable to provide returns to Pop Bond, its parent company.

Most media outlets were not optimistic about Tang Ye's move, and these opponents even studied it carefully and provided Tang Ye with a series of solutions.

Of course, not everyone is against it. Several commentators from Sky Sports believe that although Tang Ye's operation carries great risks, if it can be done, the effect will be extraordinary.

The biggest problem with the forced opening of money-driven football is how much Tang Ye and his sponsors are willing to spend.

The only good news is that Tang Ye's thought process is just different from that of ordinary people.

This guy is really willing to spend money!

……

Boll: Separating the Chinese football league and the Chinese Football Association and establishing the Chinese Football League Alliance (CSL Alliance Co, Ltd.) for listing could "completely ignite" the vitality of Chinese football. In addition, the Chinese Football League Alliance would hold 100% of the shares of the Chinese national team, maintaining a balance between the league and the national team through the market. This should be the "fastest" and "most efficient" way to solve the problem at present, but it is extremely difficult to implement in practice.

The Telegraph – PPB Bond CEO Paul has been reported by some shareholders and may be prosecuted for misconduct.

"Although he is the company's CEO, Boll has been committed to the Chinese football industry, which is unrelated to the company, since the World Cup, without any regard for the company's stock price fluctuations. This is an irresponsible act towards the company."

The Times' front-page headline—PPBond's establishment of a youth training group in China is groundbreaking, but this practice of investing in and selling youth players as commodities may spark public controversy, and PPBond needs to be prepared to face lawsuits.

Sports Weekly cover story – A super airdrop is coming! British toy company Bubble Bond plans to invest no less than 4 billion RMB in China's football industry over the next three years.

“PPBD will receive a new round of financing after listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. In addition, the company plans to issue corporate bonds worth HK$25 billion after listing, which will enable the company’s direct investment in China to reach more than RMB6 billion within three years.”

"After news broke that the company was making a large investment in China's football industry, Pop Bond's stock price plummeted by 15.8%, with shareholders worried that the company's investment in China would not yield any real returns."

The stock price plunged by more than 15%, meaning the company's market value would drop by 15%, which has caused concern among many Chinese fans.

GGBond, you're stunned by France and want to help China, that's fine, but don't burn yourself out!

However, upon closer examination, the decline in stock price is not a major problem for Bubble Bond, because Tang Ye's performance in the league and the Champions League is too consistent. The company has a superstar with nearly 10 billion fans worldwide as a safety net, and the company's stock price can surge many times every season.

In addition, Pop Bond's main business is blind boxes, which have incredibly high net profits. Otherwise, the company wouldn't have dared to say in its announcement that it would invest 40 billion RMB.

Fans were incredibly nervous watching Tang Ye's series of moves, with many even going to Boll's comment section to urge the "master of rhythm" to be careful and not bankrupt Tom. Unfortunately, they received no response from Boll.

Xinhua News Agency: The draw for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup will be held in Chengdu on April 2. The host team, China, will be automatically seeded into Group A.

Domestic sources say the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) wanted Tang Ye to attend the draw ceremony as China's representative, but the player declined.

"The direct reason why Tang Ye rejected the AFC's invitation may not be the busy schedule, as Manchester United does not have any important matches around April 2nd. The media suspects that the actions of Pop Bond in establishing a Chinese football youth training group in Hong Kong have led to a very strained relationship between Tang Ye and the Chinese Football Association."

"Bubble Bond did not notify the Chinese Football Association before partnering with ICBC, and the company's actions may have angered the Football Association."

[Is this news real or fake? Isn't Tang Qiuwang a secretary in some department of the Football Association? Why did he turn against me?]

I feel the Football Association doesn't need to do this. Wouldn't everyone be happy if they reopened money-driven football? The Football Association would make a lot of money too.

[Damn, if I were the Football Association, I definitely wouldn't agree. Tang Ye just wants to throw money at youth training. If he actually pulls it off, the Football Association will face public pressure, and then we'll be forced to concede control of the league. This is a case of acting first and asking questions later.]

[Public opinion pressure? Okay, I get it. I almost forgot Boll is Dutch. Do all Dutch people like Ten Hag and enjoy playing with public opinion?]

[This Paul is really damn smart, but what if Tang Ye's investment fails? Wouldn't that be disastrous? When exactly will PPBD be listed in Hong Kong? I really want to buy shares.]

Bubble Bond is far too arrogant.

This company is truly amazing. They have such a strange name, but they always manage to do something big.

That said, Tang Ye's timing for this move was perfect; even if it was wrong, he still managed to get support from the fans.

I don't care whether your Football Association is right or wrong, you're definitely wrong.

I don't care what Bubble Bond is doing. I, Tang Qiuwang, am such a good person. He must have his reasons for doing this.

Okay, after a round of maneuvering, the Football Association suffered a complete defeat and was unable to do anything.

……

April 1st is a day of rest for Manchester United players.

The players really need a good rest so they can prepare for the important matches coming up this month.

According to Ten Hag's plan, April is the most important month for Manchester United this season, because they need to end the suspense of the league season early.

It's worth noting that Manchester City is no pushover this season, almost constantly chasing Manchester United, so achieving Ten Hag's goal will be quite challenging.

Of course, if this plan to win the title early can be realized as scheduled, then Manchester United's probability of achieving a sextuple this season will be unprecedented.

Manchester United is a great team, and Manchester United players are all great players. They were born to make history!

"Tom!"

"Has the draw for the Asian Cup been released yet?"

Dembele appeared out of nowhere and stood next to Tang Ye.

"Huh? It hasn't started yet."

Tang Ye was studying the AC Milan match replay when he saw Dembele approaching. He looked up and said, "You're not going to participate in the Asian Cup again, what are you getting so worked up about?"

"Haha, no, I saw your dad come to the base. There must be something going on. I think it can only be about the Asian Cup."

"It's obviously not the Asian Cup."

Tang Ye put his hand on Dembele's shoulder and then walked out of the locker room.

"dad."

Tang Ye bumped fists with Tang Zhengxiong, who had been waiting outside.

Tang Zhengxiong rarely comes to Manchester United's training ground; he only came this time because Tang Ye called him over the phone.

"Are you really not going to the Asian Cup draw? Wouldn't it be bad to fall out with the Football Association?" "How have I fallen out with the Football Association? I still hold a position in the Football Association."

"Haha, that's what everyone's saying online."

Seeing that Tang Ye's relationship with the Football Association wasn't as "terrible" as he had imagined, Tang Zhengxiong breathed a sigh of relief: "Okay, so why did you call me here? Hey, although housing prices have been falling recently, your income is still very high now, so there's no need to worry about your family."

Tang Ye asked Tang Zhengxiong about the decline in Foshan housing prices on the phone. As a father, Tang Zhengxiong thought that Tang Ye was worried about the family's income.

However, Tang Zhengxiong's guess was actually wrong.

"Forehead……"

Touching his nose, Tang Ye looked somewhat embarrassed: "What I mean is, how much cash could we get if we sold that office building directly?"

"?"

Tang Zhengxiong's expression froze instantly: "No? What are you going to do?"

"No, cough cough."

Tang Zhengxiong adjusted his tone: "It's true that house prices have dropped, but rents haven't decreased much. There's still a 70% occupancy rate, which is about 2000 million a year. After taxes, it's still about 1200 million. You want me to just sell it?"

“I don’t know either. My agent knows that I own a decent house, and he wants me to sell it and buy PPBD stock with it. You’ve seen it recently, right? PPBD’s stock price has plummeted, and he’s advising me to buy now.”

"Oh……"

Tang Zhengxiong took a deep breath: "So it turns out it was inside information. I told you long ago, selling dolls makes money."

"No, did you say that before?"

"Haha, it's not important, it's not important."

Tang Zhengxiong waved his hand: "But I don't think it's necessary. What if something unexpected happens to the stock price? Wouldn't it be better to keep some real estate as a safety net?"

"So what I mean is, sell one building and keep one."

"This……"

Tang Zhengxiong took a deep breath: "Sell it and then buy that bubble stock? Damn, you really want to help Chinese football?"

"Okay, I believe in you!"

Tang Zhengxiong put his hand on Tang Ye's shoulder: "If your son is in trouble, you must support him!"

"but……"

"Could you sell a little less? I'd be happy to sell just a few floors..."

"If it's a multi-story building, it'll cost tens of millions. Tens of millions is useless."

Tang Ye shrugged: "You must have seen the news, right? This thing really burns through money."

"..."

Tang Zhengxiong gritted his teeth: "I, I... let's not rush to make a decision, okay? I'll go back in a couple of days and do some research to see what the price is now."

"The main problem is that house prices have been dropping recently, and I'd be heartbroken to sell now!"

"If we lose money, we lose money!"

Tang Ye nudged Tang Zhengxiong: "Just make a sacrifice. If it really succeeds, we'll get you a statue."

"???real or fake?"

Tang Zhengxiong suddenly became excited: "You mean those black ones, and you pose for a photo? Where are they placed, in front of the youth training group?"

"Sure, you're the sponsor."

"Oh."

Tang Zhengxiong nodded: "Selling half a building is definitely not a problem, but I still need to look into more. Selling the whole building would cost almost 1 million in taxes alone..."

"I'm ready to win the World Cup. Go for it, son."

"Haha, keep it up!"

Tang Ye and Tang Zhengxiong bumped fists.

Tang Zhengxiong walked away, but stopped halfway there.

"what happened?"

Tang Ye immediately noticed his father's actions and took the initiative to ask him.

"Um……"

"Do you really think you can succeed? You're just trying to move something so big all by yourself?"

"..."

Tang Ye thumped his chest: "Believe me, I'm a college student. An intellectual."

"Haha."

"come on!!"

……

Dongqiudi pinned post: The draw results for the Asian Cup group stage in June are out, and China got a very favorable draw in Group A.

Attached are the draw results for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in China.

Group A: China (host), Uzbekistan, Syria, Vietnam.

Group B: Iran, UAE...

Group C: Australia, Malaysia...

Group D: Japan, Thailand...

Group E: South Korea, Indonesia...

Group F: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Hong Kong, Palestine.

On Dongqiudi (a Chinese sports betting platform), it's hotly debated: "Home gone?" Tang Ye's father has listed a Grade A office building in Nanhai District, Foshan, for sale, asking for 4.2 million yuan.

"If the direct sale fails, Tang Ye's father may sell the office building property rights to Pop Bond Company at a price lower than the market price; experts suggest that Pop Bond Company exchange the office building for a football training base of equal value, or directly use the office building as the company's headquarters in China and rent out the extra floors to other companies in Foshan."

赛事预告：4月13日凌晨3点欧冠1/4决赛曼联客场对战AC米兰，世界杯失利后莱奥能否复仇唐业？
……

(End of this chapter)