Chapter 170: Premier League Champions Again! Barça, Remember That 4–0 in Monaco?
"Yesss!!!"
The moment the final whistle blew, in the small town of Stourbridge on the western outskirts of Birmingham, a little boy with a tile-cut hairstyle just like Ronaldo's from 2002 jumped up, cheering with excitement.
At this very moment, he—like countless children around the world—was celebrating Beisworth Chinese FC's victory.
Next to him was a four-year-old boy in the arms of their Black mother.
But hearing his older brother's cheer, even the little one began kicking and waving excitedly.
"Beisworth Chinese FC won!"
The older boy turned to his white father and hugged him tightly, face glowing with joy.
"They really won! They're in the Champions League Final again—two years in a row! This is amazing!"
His father also watched intently, thoroughly enjoying the game, though not nearly as worked up as his son.
Instead, he glanced wryly at his wife.
The mother shook her head with a sigh.
"This is all your fault—kicking the ball with him all the time.
Now all he wants is football. Watching football, playing football… He's completely ignored his schoolwork!"
"It's fine. He's really talented—I believe he can become a professional player!"
"Professional player?" she laughed softly.
"Do you know how hard that is?"
Then, she looked at her husband.
"You've played for over ten years, and you're still stuck in the amateur leagues. You've scored loads of goals, and yet you couldn't make it to the pros.
What makes you think he can?"
"Better to focus on studying, go to university, and find a decent job. That would make the tuition we're paying worthwhile."
Their son attended a private Catholic school in Edgbaston, in Birmingham's southwest suburbs.
The annual tuition was £20,000–30,000— a massive financial burden for their family.
The father, a police officer, played in amateur football leagues on weekends to earn match fees, which helped support the household.
Over the years, he had made a name for himself as a prolific scorer in the amateur circuit.
Various clubs invited him to "transfer"—in reality, to show up and play for cash.
The mother, meanwhile, worked as an HR professional in a company.
It was an unconventional household.
The husband was only 33, while the wife was already 39.
But she ran the house—no question about it.
So when she spoke, the father said nothing more.
But the boy with the Ronaldo haircut wasn't ready to back down.
"Mom! My teacher said I'm the best footballer she's ever seen in her class!"
He clung to her arm and looked up at her earnestly.
"Mom, I really believe I can become a pro. Please, just let me try!"
As he said that, he pointed to the television—
which was showing Beisworth Chinese FC's players celebrating wildly.
"I want to join Beisworth Chinese FC!
You heard it—they're the best football team in England right now!"
"Don't be silly," his mother said, trying to calm him down.
She thought it was just a childish impulse.
"Do you know how few players they accept into their academy each year? And how many kids apply?"
Of course, the boy had no idea.
But he vaguely understood what she was getting at—
it was nearly impossible to get in.
"I've had teammates at Leamington who took their kids to try out for Beisworth's youth team,"
the father said offhandedly.
"See, Mom? Even Dad's friends are doing it. Can we please try too?"
The boy pleaded.
"There's a residency requirement, isn't there?" the mother replied.
"True, but there are exceptions," the father said.
"Look at us—under six years old, not registered with any other academy yet.
If he's selected, there are plenty of ways to work around it."
"And worst case, we could move closer."
"Are you kidding me?"
The mother's tone sharpened.
"London's nearly 200 kilometers away. If we move, how are you going to get to work?"
The father chuckled.
"It's not that bad. From Leamington, it's just over 100 kilometers."
Leamington was a small town south of Coventry, about 120 km from London.
The father had "transferred" there in 2008 from his hometown team in Stourbridge.
"Denise, I really think we should give it a try," he said earnestly.
His wife wasn't unreasonable.
She fell silent.
"I heard from my teammates—Beisworth's academy is the best in the Premier League, maybe even all of Europe.
They have dorms, world-class facilities, everything top-tier."
"Plus, they take academics seriously.
They partner with great schools in West London, and the club hires top teachers to help kids with their studies."
"Their Key Stage 2 SAT scores?
They have a 100% pass rate for English and Maths at Level 5—
some kids even reach Level 6."
"That high?" Denise was stunned.
This was a football club?
Even the elite private school her son attended didn't have 100% pass rates at Level 5—
they were lucky to reach Level 4.
The difference between Level 4 and Level 5 was huge—
especially for applying to top state or private secondary schools.
"That's what makes their program elite.
If a kid falls behind academically, they're pulled from football training.
That way, even if football doesn't work out, they're still set for school.
It's responsible—it shows they care."
Denise was moved.
She had only paid so much in tuition to ensure her kids would have a future through education.
If what her husband said was true,
Beisworth's academy was better than the private school they were paying for—
and free.
They could save £20,000–£30,000 a year.
"But Mark, do you really think we have a chance?"
Mark nodded firmly.
"We have to try.
If we fail this year, try again next year.
He's only six—he has at least three more tries."
He added:
"He takes after you—he's got natural athletic talent.
Don't let his skinny frame fool you—he's fast, nimble, and he's got a real feel for the game.
With some focused training, I think he's got a real shot."
Denise was a decisive woman.
When her husband said that, she nodded.
"Alright. We'll give it a shot.
If he gets in, we'll figure everything else out.
If not, it's all just talk."
Then she pulled her son close and looked him in the eye.
"Jude, are you sure you want to go to London and play football?"
The boy stiffened at her serious tone.
He thought she was going to say no,
and almost backed down.
But then he saw his father, smiling, nodding encouragingly.
And he gathered his courage.
"Yes! I want to play for the best club in England!"
"Good. Then you'll have to train hard. I'll help you register, and when the time comes, your dad and I will take you to the trials!"
The tile-haired boy immediately leapt into the air with excitement.
He nearly bolted straight out of the house to the yard to start practicing.
Both Mark and Denise looked at him helplessly.
It was already late!
...
Overnight, the global media erupted with headlines:
Beisworth Chinese FC had reached the Champions League final for the second year in a row.
Having already secured the Premier League title in advance,
and now reaching both the FA Cup Final and the Champions League Final,
the world was stunned.
Could this really be it?
Could the treble be on the horizon?
The Times wrote after the match that Beisworth Chinese FC's 3–1 aggregate win over Manchester United was thoroughly convincing.
"Whether it was the 1–1 draw at Old Trafford in the first leg, or the 2–0 win at Wembley in the second—Beisworth Chinese FC demonstrated overwhelming dominance."
According to the article, Yang Cheng clearly learned from last season's 'failure.'
The biggest difference?
Their Premier League campaign.
With Džeko hitting full maturity, and Gareth Bale, Di María, and Walcott all rising,
Beisworth Chinese FC racked up points at an astonishing rate.
Not only did they perform well against strong opponents,
they rarely dropped points against lower-ranked teams.
This allowed them to build a commanding league lead early on.
That advantage meant that in the second half of the season,
Beisworth Chinese FC could manage their squad with ease.
"Despite competing on three fronts, Beisworth Chinese FC was barely affected.
When needed, they could even sacrifice the league temporarily."
The Times also highlighted the development of their substitutes.
Young talents like Aaron Ramsey and Eden Hazard had stepped up.
"Backup striker Lewandowski has scored 15 league goals, currently third in the Premier League scoring chart.
A huge improvement from last season."
"And what about Britain's twin stars—Gareth Bale and Walcott?"
"Each has 12 league goals this season—both surpassing their previous bests."
"Even Di María, who was heavily criticized in the first half of the season, has scored 8 Premier League goals so far."
"This team's success is a full-squad explosion."
Beisworth Chinese FC had undoubtedly become the Premier League's most competitive team.
But the standout player of the season was without a doubt Džeko.
At this stage, no one in the Premier League had more than 20 goals—not even Cristiano Ronaldo.
Džeko had already racked up 26 league goals, making him the most threatening forward in England.
Across Europe's top four leagues, only Eto'o in La Liga had more—with 27.
Players like Forlán, David Villa, Ibrahimović all trailed behind.
Džeko, thanks to his consistent brilliance over the past two seasons, had entered the ranks of elite strikers.
More importantly, he had the most assists among all top scorers and was widely seen as the most technically complete striker in world football.
Many media outlets now hailed him as the most complete No. 9 on the planet.
Especially after his display in the 2–0 win over United,
The Times praised Džeko as flawless—despite not scoring.
"Against United's ironclad defense, Džeko's movement created constant disruption."
"On the first goal, Yaya Touré's space came from Džeko's run, which dragged Ferdinand and Vidić away."
"The second goal? Džeko's wide positioning and hold-up play created space for Walcott and Maicon."
In short, Džeko was now the undisputed superstar of Beisworth Chinese FC.
And—he's a year younger than Ronaldo.
"If Cristiano Ronaldo is worth €100 million,
then what's Džeko worth?"
...
The day after Beisworth Chinese FC knocked out United,
Barcelona beat Arsenal 5–2 on aggregate.
In the first leg, Wenger's team had drawn 2–2 at home.
But at the Camp Nou, Guardiola's side won 3–1, ending Arsenal's run.
It's worth noting—Barça were also running away with La Liga,
and had reached the Copa del Rey Final.
That meant they too were chasing the treble.
If Guardiola's side won both remaining trophies,
they would become the first Spanish club to ever win the treble.
This sent Catalan fans and media into a frenzy.
Some Barça mouthpieces had already declared—
"This is Guardiola's Dream Team III."
Now, Beisworth Chinese FC stood as the last obstacle on Barça's road to glory.
As expected, the Catalan press launched full-scale discrediting campaigns.
Betting odds were posted across Europe:
William Hill gave Beisworth 2.0, Barça 1.73.BetWin was closer: Barça 1.8, Beisworth 1.9.
Clearly, Barça were seen as favorites.
But the gap was slim.
And yet, in Catalonia, the narrative was clear:
Barça were the dominant force, Beisworth Chinese FC the underdog.
It wasn't wrong—just… conveniently skewed.
The British media responded quickly:
"Beisworth Chinese FC will defend their crown in Rome."
"They'll become the first team to defend a Champions League title since the format change."
The Daily Telegraph even listed a series of reasons why Beisworth could beat Barça—
including their head-to-head advantage over Guardiola's side in European play.
"Barça, did you forget about that 4–0 in Monaco?"
Wenger, who had just been eliminated, praised Barça highly.
He admitted defeat graciously.
But when asked about the final,
he wasn't so sure Barça would win.
"Beisworth Chinese FC will have to figure out how to stop Messi."
"We failed to contain him at the Camp Nou, and that's why we lost.
If they can lock him down, they'll win."
Wenger believed Beisworth's defense was stronger than Arsenal's.
So he backed Yang Cheng.
"He's just two trophies away—FA Cup and Champions League—from greatness."
It felt like Wenger was hoping Yang Cheng would avenge him.
But globally, the sentiment still favored Barcelona.
Even as the reigning champions, Beisworth Chinese FC were considered the underdogs.
On one hand, it was the infamous "defending champion's curse." On the other, Beisworth Chinese FC still lagged slightly behind Barça in fanbase size and global brand power.
That's why, the moment the Champions League Final matchup was confirmed, Barcelona were instantly labeled the favorites to win it all.
…
After the Champions League semifinal concluded, it was back to Premier League action—Matchday 36.
Beisworth Chinese FC hosted Aston Villa at home.
Following his missed chances in the Champions League second leg, Džeko came out fired up.
In just the 6th minute, he won a penalty after drawing a foul in the box from Luke Young.
The Bosnian striker calmly slotted it home—1–0.
The rest of the half saw Villa defending desperately to keep the deficit at one.
But just a minute into the second half, Luke Young misplayed a pass under pressure from Di María, and Džeko pounced.
From just outside the area, he lashed a shot into the net—2–0.
In the 59th minute, Beisworth won a corner.
Rakitić swung it into the near post.
Pepe's header was saved by Brad Friedel, but the rebound caused chaos in the box.
**Džeko, with a flash of brilliance, flicked it in with a backheel—**like a dragon's tail whip.
Hat trick.
The Bosnian striker sprinted into the corner, arms wide, as 80,000 Wembley fans roared his name.
Beisworth Chinese FC beat Aston Villa 3–0, thanks to Džeko's hat trick.
Elsewhere, Liverpool beat West Brom 3–0 on the road, led by a brace from Steven Gerrard.
But the biggest attention-grabber was the Manchester Derby at Old Trafford.
Fresh off their UCL clash with Beisworth, United looked fierce from kickoff, pressing hard.
But in the 6th minute, Robinho and Kaká combined brilliantly on the left.
Kaká sidestepped Carrick and smashed a left-footed shot into the net—1–0 City.
In the 29th minute, Kaká surged through midfield and slipped a pass through.
Robinho beat young Rafael, rounded him, and scored—2–0.
Despite waves of attacks, United couldn't find a breakthrough.
It wasn't until the 88th minute that Cristiano Ronaldo scored a stunning 25-yard free-kick—2–1.
City held on to beat United 2–1 at Old Trafford, with Kaká recording a goal and an assist.
A moderate but impactful upset.
Ferguson exploded with rage post-match.
Losing the derby was a brutal blow—especially for the standings.
After 36 rounds:
Beisworth Chinese FC had long since clinched the title.United: 80 pointsArsenal: 78Liverpool & City: 77Chelsea: 74
With only two matches left, the race for the top four remained wide open.
Worse yet for United and Arsenal—Matchday 37 would see the two face off at Old Trafford.
A must-win clash. A true showdown.
Global fans were glued to the fixture.
…
Old Trafford, Manchester
Matchday 37: Manchester United vs. Arsenal
In the 13th minute, Arsenal played a slick passing sequence.
Gourcuff and Fabregas combined, before the Spaniard switched to the right wing.
Arshavin beat Evra, drove into the box, and whipped a low cross across goal.
Van Persie arrived late, slid in ahead of Ferdinand, and scored.
Wenger leapt off the bench, fists clenched, shouting in triumph—
like he wanted to gloat right in Ferguson's face.
United responded quickly.
Five minutes later, Carrick found Rooney with a diagonal ball, but the header went just wide.
Both sides pushed, but couldn't find another goal.
Ronaldo had three direct free kicks—none of them hit the target.
In the end, Van Persie's goal sealed it: Arsenal won 1–0 at Old Trafford.
Two home losses in a row for United. Unthinkable.
If the City loss could be blamed on Champions League fatigue,
this one exposed real cracks.
Especially regarding Tevez,
who had been in red-hot form, but mysteriously left out of the squad—again.
Nobody could understand why.
With the loss, Arsenal leapfrogged United to claim second place with 81 points.
Wenger's long-awaited investments had finally paid off.
From midfield to attack, Arsenal were firing.
Even Gourcuff, once seen as underwhelming, had shined late in the season,
forming a solid dual-core with Fabregas.
Meanwhile, Beisworth Chinese FC trailed early against Newcastle—
same old issue: pushing too high, too early.
In the 15th minute, Nolan launched a long ball behind the line,
and Obafemi Martins, the Nigerian sprinter, beat the offside trap and scored.
But in the 41st minute, Džeko tapped in from close range to equalize.
After the break, in the 60th minute, Newcastle center-back Bassong fouled Džeko and was sent off.
Kompany headed home the ensuing free-kick—2–1 Beisworth.
They held on to complete the comeback.
City beat Spurs 2–1 away,
Liverpool beat West Brom 2–0,
Chelsea beat Blackburn 2–0.
After 37 rounds:
Beisworth still top and champions.Arsenal: 81 ptsUnited, Liverpool, City: 80 ptsChelsea: 77 pts
That meant heading into the final matchday,
no one from 2nd to 6th had secured their spot.
Not only was 4th place still undecided,
but so were 2nd through 6th.
And in the relegation battle,
Sunderland, Hull, and Newcastle were still fighting for survival.
In this unprecedentedly fierce Premier League season, the competition has been intense at both the top and bottom of the table. Every team has had to invest significantly just to retain their Premier League status or to secure a spot among the frontrunners.
As a result, all eyes turned to the final matchday—Round 38 of the Premier League!
...
Wembley Stadium, London.
In the 38th round of the Premier League, Bayswater Chinese hosted Everton at home.
Since clinching the league title early, Yang Cheng and his coaching staff had shifted their focus entirely to the two upcoming finals: the FA Cup and the Champions League.
The FA Cup final was scheduled for the weekend following the end of the league, and the Champions League final was to take place the following Wednesday—only a three-day gap between the two. This was exactly the same as last season, except they would face different opponents.
Yang Cheng and his team had learned from last season's experience and improved the team's preparation plan.
For Bayswater Chinese, the match against Everton was simply a part of their preparations.
In this match, Yang Cheng opted for a lineup that was half first-team players and half young talents.
As for Everton, they had nothing left to play for this season. Their game plan was based entirely on defense, even appearing overly passive at times.
However, just before halftime, Hazard broke down the left wing and delivered a cross. Džeko, arriving from the center, took the ball, rounded the rushing goalkeeper, and slotted it into the net.
1–0!
After the sides switched ends, not much changed. Bayswater Chinese continued to play with composure.
Then, in the 78th minute, Džeko received a pass from Hazard with his back to goal in the center, turned, shook off the defender, and smashed a powerful left-footed shot past the Everton keeper.
2–0!
With Džeko's brace, Bayswater Chinese secured a victory over Everton.
...
As the final whistle blew, thunderous applause erupted throughout Wembley Stadium.
Although this wasn't exactly a heavyweight clash, today's match was followed by a Premier League trophy presentation, attracting 90,000 fans who filled Wembley to capacity.
As the whistle sounded, the players of Bayswater Chinese rushed onto the field in celebration. The young players were visibly ecstatic and excited.
Many of them had experienced the team's title win two years ago, but back then, few of them were starters. For them, this season's title was their first Premier League championship as regular starters.
Yang Cheng, on the other hand, remained calm.
For him, the real celebration had long since passed. In fact, he had effectively secured the title back in February.
Yang Cheng went on to embrace his assistant team, coaching staff, and other staff members one by one. Then he headed over to the visitors' bench to shake hands with David Moyes.
Although, in his previous life, Moyes' career plummeted after taking over from Ferguson at Manchester United and never recovered, Yang Cheng recognized Moyes' genuine coaching ability.
In terms of coaching alone, Ferguson hadn't misjudged Moyes.
Unfortunately, managing a club like Manchester United—a footballing giant—requires far more than just coaching skills. In fact, bluntly speaking, coaching ability might be the least important factor.
"Congratulations, Yang!" Moyes offered his heartfelt congratulations.
There was no animosity between Everton and Bayswater Chinese, so Moyes had no ill feelings toward Yang Cheng. In fact, in many aspects, Moyes had kept up with modern football trends—such as how he utilized Arteta.
Among British coaches, those who know how to use a midfield playmaker effectively are rare. Moyes was one of them, and so was Harry Redknapp from Tottenham.
That's why Yang Cheng chatted with Moyes for a bit longer.
When he returned to his own technical area, the waiting Bayswater Chinese players immediately pounced on him like wolves, hoisting him up and tossing him into the air.
This had already become a customary ritual with every title win.
After the players' celebration ended, Xia Qing, Adam Crozier, Omar Berrada, and other senior executives came down from the stands to the home dugout to offer their congratulations to Yang Cheng and the players.
In the past season, Bayswater Chinese had not only achieved excellent results on the pitch but also performed exceptionally well in terms of operations.
Their average home attendance reached 85,000.
This season, Bayswater Chinese played 25 home matches across the Premier League and Champions League. With an average ticket price of £45, their ticket revenue alone reached a staggering £95 million.
And that was just from ticket sales.
So far this season, all 166 luxury suites at Wembley were sold out. This marked the first time in Bayswater Chinese's history—and in Wembley's history—that every single VIP suite had been sold.
Yes, you read that right.
Even the England national team has never managed to sell out all 166 suites.
But Bayswater Chinese did it!
Though the detailed figures weren't in yet, those 166 suites were expected to generate over £20 million in revenue for the club.
In other words, even without factoring in retail and merchandise sales, Bayswater Chinese's matchday income would exceed £120 million.
Whether measured in euros or pounds, this set a new record in the club's history.
Thanks to this sharp rise in matchday revenue, current estimates projected Bayswater Chinese's total revenue for the season to surpass £250 million—possibly catching up to Manchester United's.
Whether they could actually overtake United remained to be seen.
However, in terms of revenue, Real Madrid and Barcelona in La Liga were still far ahead.
One key factor that allowed Bayswater Chinese to close the gap and possibly overtake Manchester United was the substantial increase in matchday income generated by Wembley Stadium.
In this area, Manchester United was limited by the hardware constraints of Old Trafford and could no longer compete.
For starters, Wembley has 16,000 more seats than Old Trafford, and ticket prices in London are consistently the highest in the UK.
Add to that the revenue from 166 VIP suites, and it becomes clear why Manchester United's matchday income has now fallen behind that of Bayswater Chinese.
This is the immense advantage of a large stadium.
According to Adam Crozier's estimates, there's still significant untapped potential in Bayswater Chinese's matchday income.
If they can maintain a 90,000 average attendance—i.e., a sold-out stadium every game—matchday income could rise even further.
Retail revenue also has great growth potential.
This season, Bayswater Chinese's average retail income per match was only £800,000—below the level of several elite clubs.
This was mainly due to some hardware limitations at Wembley.
For example, during the 15-minute halftime break, the commercial spaces could only serve a limited number of fans.
If the service capacity isn't improved, then revenue during this peak consumption period hits a ceiling.
That's why, even though Old Trafford only holds 74,000 and has far fewer suites than Wembley, Manchester United can still reach £100 million in matchday income.
With tight control over the wage structure and record-high revenues, Yang Cheng believed that at least £100 million could be extracted this season to invest in the construction of the new stadium.
But it wasn't without cost.
Though construction had only begun a year ago, Bayswater Chinese had already poured nearly £200 million into the project.
All the money invested came from years of Yang Cheng saving every penny—cutting back on expenses, selling players, making tough calls.
And even with another £100 million added this season, it was nowhere near enough to satisfy the money-devouring monster that was the new stadium project.
Fortunately, as the subprime mortgage crisis spread and the eurozone debt crisis began to surface—combined with the plummeting pound and a series of rate cuts by the Bank of England, government policies started rolling out.
Adam Crozier was now actively negotiating with the UK government and the London City Council, pushing for support.
Once policy agreements came through, the next step would be securing bank loans.
As far as Yang Cheng was concerned, the bigger the loan, the better.
Interest rates were so low anyway, and more loans would ease the club's financial burden significantly.
But Xia Qing also warned that banks wouldn't throw money around blindly.
Her early estimate was a maximum of £400 million, which meant the rest would have to come from the club.
Which wasn't surprising.
Even Arsenal, with all their financial strength, had only managed to secure just over £200 million in stadium loans.
Even if Yang Cheng pawned everything, he'd be lucky to hit that £400 million ceiling.
Still, that would be low-interest bank loans—use them first.
If funding ran dry, they could still turn to the government again—or, if necessary, raise capital by other means, albeit at higher cost.
But one thing was certain:
Beisworth Chinese FC would never again be in the same financial despair as they were back in 2003.
…
"How did the talks go?" Yang Cheng asked as Xia Qing and the others returned.
Today, they'd hosted some very important guests—
a business delegation from Italy led by Francesco Trapani, CEO of the Bulgari Group.
Over a dozen people had come to London specifically to evaluate Beisworth's new stadium project.
This was thanks to Adam Crozier's brilliance.
When he caught wind that Bulgari was planning to open a luxury hotel in London,
he immediately pulled strings to connect with the brand.
After months of back-and-forth, they were finally seeing some real progress.
"They're no longer skeptical of our strength," Crozier smiled.
"As for the site selection, they'll go back, have internal discussions, and likely do another round of evaluations."
Still, this was a positive sign.
This was a massive project.
Currently, Bulgari only had two hotels worldwide.
The location for the third was bound to draw attention.
Naturally, Bulgari would move with caution.
"Did the Mayor of London attend?" Yang Cheng asked.
At this point, he didn't care about decorum anymore—
he was milking every Olympic tie-in he could.
No money?
Then back us publicly!
Crozier had even invited Mayor Ken Livingstone to attend the meeting with Bulgari.
"He left after the match.
Said all the right things, offered attractive policies—
clearly trying his best."
Yang Cheng understood.
These people had their own rules of the game.
"As long as he showed up, that's enough. Keep the conversation going."
He gave Crozier and the team full credit for their efforts.
If they could bring in a Bulgari Hotel, it would instantly increase the value of the new stadium site.
"Oh, and Adam—my father will be leading a delegation to London soon. Be ready to receive them."
Yang Cheng and Xia Qing had known about this for some time.
She had already made some early preparations.
This upcoming delegation included executives from Yang Real Estate,
as well as the heads of the largest high-end department store chain in China and
a global luxury hotel group based in Hong Kong.
There were also top executives from China's leading outbound tourism companies.
Yang Cheng had to admit—
his old man had serious connections.
He said he wanted to open a department store and hotel in London—
and he meant it.
Yang Cheng didn't have those resources.
But his father found the right partners.
And once they heard Bulgari was scouting the site,
his father's team became even more eager.
Everyone knows—where there's a Bulgari Hotel, there's a Bulgari boutique on the ground floor.
It's the definition of top-tier luxury traffic.
If they could open right next door to Bulgari,
they'd save millions in marketing.
Even though it was family, Yang Cheng made his stance clear:
business is business.
Everyone would be treated equally—no favoritism.
What they owed, they'd pay in full.
…
As Yang Cheng and Xia Qing were speaking,
FA chairman David Triesman approached with CEO Ian Watmore and other officials.
At Xia Qing's reminder, Yang Cheng looked up and immediately stepped forward to greet them.
David Triesman had taken over as FA chairman in December 2007, replacing Geoff Thompson.
Before this, he had served in various UK government positions—former Secretary-General of the Labour Party, and more recently Minister of Education and Skills.
After Thompson stepped down to become UEFA vice president,
Watmore replaced Brian Barwick as FA CEO—at Triesman's urging.
Barwick had done a decent job on the commercial side,
but Triesman forced him out, criticizing his lack of political savvy.
Translation?
He backed the wrong people.
To replace him, Triesman brought in his old deputy from the Ministry of Education—Ian Watmore,
whose main credential was 24 years of IT industry experience.
Triesman claimed this tech background would bring innovation to the FA.
But British media had already exposed that Watmore's political history was even murkier than Barwick's,
and he might not even align with Triesman's own views.
Still, for now, the two seemed to get along fine.
Yang Cheng, for his part, treated political operators like Triesman with polite wariness.
He navigated the interaction smoothly—charming without overstepping.
After all, keeping a good relationship with the FA was essential.
Thankfully, the conversation didn't last long.
Over by the podium, preparations for the trophy presentation were complete.
As the man of the hour, Yang Cheng politely excused himself—
and headed off to join his players.
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