Team Spirit

Chapter 257 A Huge Sponsorship, Green Gun is Guaranteed to Win

Lu Kai has completed most of the path to becoming a master.

The champion coefficient has reached more than twice the required level.

[Top ten in the Ballon d'Or or FIFA World Player of the Year rankings] were also exceeded.

[Selected for the Ballon d'Or or FIFA World Player of the Year shortlist three times], Lu Kai has been selected a total of six times.

[Achieving the Premier League Golden Boot] Completed.

[Become the league (Premier League) assist leader] Completed.

[Completed five hat tricks (including an assist hat trick) in a single season] Completed.

[Completed a back-to-back hat trick] Done.

[Number of player tasks completed: 10] Not completed - currently 7 completed.

[At least 95 weather attribute values] Not yet completed - currently only [Dribbling] and [Set Pieces] are at 95.

However, Lu Kai has as many as fourteen attribute values ​​above 90, so he will soon meet the requirements.

"Huh? This is..."

Lu Kai realized that he had missed checking some of the rewards.

[Torn M35 Helmet: Player Item. Equipment used by Germany during World War II; being damaged signifies defeat. Your team's morale is increased by two levels when playing in stadiums within Germany.]

!!!

This is practically an eighteen-fold enhanced version of "Dream Theater Paradise, Water Curtain Cave Heaven"!

Because the [Water Curtain Cave] can boost Green Gun's morale at Manchester United's home ground, while the current [Broken Helmet] can provide a boost to all German stadiums.

Lu Kai was thinking that if Green Gunners gathered all the upgrades from all the Premier League stadiums, then they would essentially have no away games in the Premier League.

But I didn't expect them to conquer Germany first. Now, German teams will have a hard time facing Green Gunners in European competitions, especially witnessing Green Gunners playing with steroids at home. Tsk tsk tsk...

The World Cup is definitely a great thing.

I wonder if the European Championship will see similar strong performances in the future. It's a pity that the host countries of major world tournaments in the next few years are not football powerhouses.

2008 UEFA European Championship in Austria and Switzerland.

The 2010 South Africa World Cup.

2012 UEFA European Championship in Poland and Ukraine.

Ding Ding Ding!
"Lu, everyone's here." Jiang Mengyun dialed Lu Kai's office number.

Lu Kai then went to the river view viewing platform at the coffee shop.

Along the way, I greeted and even took photos with many tourists in the cafes.

Fortunately, Ashley Young shed his job as a laborer today and invited many friends to come and spend money, which diverted the tourists' attention; otherwise, Lu Kai would have had to use the staff entrance.

Today's meeting mainly focused on the team's sponsorship issues.

Jiang Mengyun opened the PPT: "Our current expiring sponsorships include chest sponsorship, jersey sponsorship, and armband sponsorship. In addition, the stadium naming rights will trigger a mutual opt-out period next year, during which both parties can decide whether to opt out of the contract."

"As for other revenue streams such as stadium advertising billboards, we have already secured sponsorships."

The main focus is on solving a few major issues.

Lu Kai: "What did they say about the jersey sponsorship?"

Jiang Mengyun: "Adidas offered a moderate contract of eight million euros over five years."

"There's a suspicion of price-cutting, after all, we've been charging this price for the past three years."

"Their argument is that we don't qualify for the Champions League and it's unlikely we'll return in the short term. They even claim that if we can't maintain our Europa League qualification, we'll actually receive even less."

"Nike is more sincere, offering a €10 million eight-year contract, which is twice the amount of Adidas's."

Lu Kai nodded.

None of them are good.

Whether Adidas calls them stingy or arrogant, their intention is to drive down prices.

Nike's move seems impressive, but it's been eight years.

Once you sign the contract, you'll regret it after three years at most, and the more you wait, the more you'll regret it—it's a huge loss.

Manchester United partnered with Nike from 2002 to 2015, earning a total of 450 million euros in sponsorship fees, averaging 36.4 million euros per year.

The initial amount was lower, but it was still around 20 million euros.

This is certainly due to Manchester United's enormous commercial value, ranking among the top two in global jersey sales.

However, Dartford has a unique competitive advantage in the European market and is backed by the entire Asian market, making it a company with huge business potential.

“They won’t give us the price and term we want.” Lu Kai shook his head. “Then let’s go with Plan C: negotiate a short-term renewal with Umbro. We’re willing to earn less this year.”

Umbro is not only the current kit sponsor for the Green Gunners, but also the kit sponsor for the England national team, making them two of their trump cards.

Umbro will still consider Green Gun's request.

Jiang Mengyun: "We had been in contact before, and Umbro had prepared a long-term contract, which was more sincere than Adidas's."

"But after taking our opinions into consideration, they agreed to extend the contract for another year for eight million euros, and then see how things go next year."

Lu Kai nodded: "Then that's settled."

An €8 million annual shirt sponsorship still ranks among the top five in the Premier League, and is far ahead of the teams behind it.

The main predicament Green Gunners are facing now is that this season they only have the Europa League and not the Champions League, and next season they may not even have the Europa League, which is when their valuation is at its lowest.

Therefore, it's unlikely that a good price will be negotiated this year.

"Um, Lu, I actually have some news here." Ten Hach, who had returned to the Green Gun coaching staff, hesitated before speaking.

Lu Kai nodded, indicating that he was free to speak his mind.

Ten Hag: "A large betting agency contacted me, hoping to connect with our club. They can offer a satisfactory price."

Zidane immediately frowned.

Spinach organization?

Although Green Gunners' previous chest sponsor was a betting company, and the price was indeed good, setting a record for the highest chest sponsorship in the Premier League at the time.

With bonuses and other incentives, the total earnings over two years could reach as high as 20 million euros.

But this thing is still gray after all.

The mainstream view in Europe remains negative, believing that betting tarnishes football.

"Which one?" Lu Kai asked.

After all, gambling organizations are different; some are quite legitimate, while others are very unscrupulous.

The latter should not be touched.

Ten Hach: "Bwin, the Chinese translation is 必赢 (bì yíng)."

Lu Kai's eyes lit up: "Okay, go contact them and see their quote."

Lu Kai let Teng Hah operate it without any psychological barriers.

Ten Hach immediately made a phone call.

Obviously, if this deal goes through, he can get a substantial commission from Winning.

It might be a six-figure sum.

Jiang Mengyun then reported on the armband advertising situation, with the highest bid coming from a domestic liquor company – Guizhou Maotai.

They offered a three-year contract worth three million euros per year.

This is considered quite high for this time period.

Half the number of teams in the Premier League don't even have shirt sponsorships worth that much.

"This year is crucial for Maotai's sales to surpass Wuliangye's, and they are willing to invest money." Lu Kai nodded in agreement. Both are high-end, high-quality brands, and they can mutually enhance each other's value, so it's worth a try.

After things were settled here, Ten Hah also finished his phone call.

He excitedly approached and held up one finger. Zidane was somewhat surprised: "Ten million euros?"

After all, Green Gun's chest sponsorship was only 7.5 million euros last year, and a mere 10 million euros the year before, during his miracle year.

These Dogecoin betting companies are really rich.

However, Ten Hag shook his head: "Twenty million euros a year!"

Without hesitation, Lu Kai said, "Tell them that I will personally attend the signing ceremony."

20 million euros, which is slightly more expensive than the shirt sponsorship Manchester United just signed with AIG this summer.

It has regained its title as the "most expensive chest in the Premier League".

This will inevitably cause a sensation.

After the meeting, Zidane was still a little dazed: "Why were they so willing to make such a bid?"

Guardiola seemed to know something. Pointing to Ashley Young posing for photos with fans outside, he said, "Although the BBC and Young have never admitted it, everyone knows that the BBC got a lot of inside information about the Green Gun through Young."

"And Yang always has plenty of money for a while after big news breaks."

"These past few days, haven't we heard that our goal for the new season is to win the Premier League title? Haven't you always wondered how we, with a squad like ours, dare to set such a goal?"

"Is your thinking clearer now?"

Zidane, a seasoned veteran, immediately understood the unspoken meaning: "You mean Lu deliberately had Ashley Young release the news?"

"The current buzz is exactly what he wanted to see, because it's like giving Green Gun free publicity in all the newspapers."

"So that's why the betting companies came knocking on our door?"

Guardiola: "Betfair, the previous shirt sponsor for Green Gunners, is definitely a beneficiary of this partnership. Their reputation has been greatly enhanced, making them one of the largest betting agencies in Europe."

"Who wouldn't be eager to make money?"

“I believe that other betting agencies had contacted the club long before the sponsorship expired. But Bwin is extremely strong, and when they do make a move, it's a game-changer.”

"No one can refuse this price."

"Specifically, Bwin performed a successful operation. But from a macro perspective, Bwin's operation was orchestrated by Lu. Even without Bwin, there would have been Awin, Cwin..."

"And didn't you notice? A few days ago, our official website updated the slogan for this season. It's a translation of a Chinese phrase, the original being... 'Love Jia A Sprouts'!"

Zidane frowned: "What gibberish did you just send?"

Guardiola: "No pain, no gain!"

Zidane: "Hiss... This is totally tailor-made for Bwin! You mean... Lu even prepared a publicity plan after signing the contract?"

Guardiola shrugged: "I also think it's outrageous, but you'll know once you've been there long enough that there are a lot of outrageous things like this at Green Gunners."

"For example, you've seen the team's training schedule for the new season, right?"

"I think that also has a deeper meaning."

The two middle-aged men got more and more into their conversation and decided to go out for dinner together so they could have a long talk.

As they held their candles, news of the green gun's chest advertisement once again rocked all of Europe.

Sky Sports: "Red can't beat green? Dartford's €20 million shirt sponsorship surpasses Manchester United, aiming to win the Premier League title again!"

BBC: "Another betting organization? Dartford's new shirt sponsorship sponsorship identity sparks controversy!"

Mundo Deportivo: "Celtic is shameless. The Calciopoli scandal is barely over, and Dartford is already blatantly colluding with betting organizations?"

According to Diario Sport: "Instead of looking for Green Gunner, Bwin should cooperate with Barcelona, ​​as the latter offers much better quality!"

The news has generated tremendous buzz, sparking discussions in various countries, and gradually, more voices have also emerged from Dartford.

Bild: "Alfred said the collaboration was largely driven by the meaning of the other party's name, Bwin, which means 'must win' or 'certain to win' in Chinese, and they desperately need that kind of strength this season!"

Gazzetta dello Sport: "A team with a clear conscience is naturally unafraid of rumors! Dartford, like Inter Milan, is a breath of fresh air in the murky world of football!"

Domestically, the company downplayed its identity as a betting agency.

However, he was still seized upon and attacked by some haters.

Hazi: "It's really unnecessary. Green Gun's behavior is very unseemly."

A netizen commented, "5 million euros, and you're telling me it's unnecessary? How many drinks did you have?"

Haters: "It's all dirty money, it's tainted football."

5V said: "Has football ever been clean? You can fool others, but don't fool yourself, brother!"

Hei Zi: "Anyway, the big European clubs won't cooperate with this kind of organization; only Chinese people are obsessed with money..."

This sound took up quite a bit of space.

However, at the signing ceremony, Bwin's CEO soon stated that the cooperation with Green Gun was just an experiment, and they had a bigger plan.

"We have already made contact with some of the most successful clubs, such as Real Madrid and AC Milan, and have had several discussions about cooperation."

"Datford will serve as a blueprint for our cooperation. If successful, next year we will move forward with cooperation with two giants, Real Madrid and AC Milan, and have our logo displayed on their chests!"

A stone stirred up a thousand waves.

The haters instantly exploded.

Because what they said wasn't just a one-sided intention, but rather that negotiations and discussions had already taken place.

This means that the two major clubs at least approve of this cooperation; it's just a matter of price.

Europeans, how could you bow down to money?!
During the ceremony, Lu Kai explained the meaning of Dartford's promotional slogan for this season, "No pain, no gain," demonstrating the team's determination to achieve results.

Biwin used the promotional slogan and advertisement provided by Lu Kai – Lu Kai holding the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year trophies and smiling slightly at the camera.

Voiceover: "Even after becoming number one in the world, he still persisted in dreaming, so what are you waiting for—come and win, make your dreams come true!"

It means that even though I, Lu, am so amazing, I still want to lead a bunch of trashy little cabbages to win the Premier League title, doing something almost impossible.

So, you ordinary European workers, why don't you hurry up and place your bets and win a villa by the sea!

Isn't that inspiring?
……

The shirt sponsorship has propelled Green Gunners into the Premier League title race this year, despite their chances of winning being less than one percent, placing them behind a host of teams including Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Bolton, Everton, and Tottenham.

Chelsea and Manchester United together have a 70% chance of winning the title.

On August 1st, Green Gun finished their last warm-up match and won the "Window Cup," which will not be counted in the official honors.

As is customary, Donald Trump personally presented the award to Green Gun.

But this time, he felt far less excited than the first time.

During the photo session, Tang Nadou told Lu Kai, "I hope that next time I will hand you the World Cup trophy, so that it can truly reflect our success."

Lu Kai said, "But I'm worried that you'll hide the real trophy in your office and give me a fake one."

Donald's eyes lit up: "Perfect suggestion!"

Lu Kai: "Be more ambitious, Natto. You should have bigger aspirations."

Donald: "For example?"

Lu Kai: "The Nobel Peace Prize!"

At that moment, Donald was lost in thought.

As a business tycoon, he had conquered countless mountains, but at this moment, a holy light appeared in his world.

His life gained meaning from that moment on.

After regaining her senses, Tang Nadou's eyes lit up: "Lu, you really are my mentor in life! You have given me hope!"

Lu Kai patted Natto on the shoulder, offering a moment of silence in advance.

After all, the most despairing thing is when hope is shattered.

And so, amidst Nadal's laughter and cheers, a great season began!

The big screen also played an animated short film to hype up the new season for the Green Gunners: Minions, white people, and black people dressed in Umbro jerseys drank Moutai and ran together, shouting, "Green Gunners will win!"

(End of this chapter)