Chapter 626: Mr. Ferran, Please Be Decisive

"..."

Tang Ye needed some time to think.

Because Escrivá's recent maneuver was simply too outrageous, and the most uncomfortable part was that Tang Ye himself had only just learned of it.

Covering the document and gently pushing it back to its original spot, Tang Ye sat in his chair, dazed, waiting for Escrivá to arrive.

"Hey, Tom."

Escrivá waved at Tang Ye: "You've seen the files on the computer, right? I feel we absolutely must win all our league matches this month, because in November we still have to play Chelsea and Juventus; the pressure will be too great by then."

Escrivá sat down in the chair opposite the desk, yielding the inner seat to Tang Ye: "You can take another look, and then..."

The Dortmund head coach suddenly fell silent, because his peripheral vision had caught the document on the desk.

After finishing their conversation, Matty hadn't put the document back into the drawer.

"This..."

Escrivá looked into Tang Ye's eyes, while the latter quietly gazed back at him; the two locked eyes.

Escrivá said nothing; from the expression alone, he knew Tang Ye had already read the contents inside.

"This, actually..."

"I'm not talking about that matter. Hmm, Mr. Ferran, I'm a bit at a loss for words right now."

Tang Ye was also somewhat flustered.

On one hand, he felt furious because Escrivá had chosen to hide this matter from him.

On the other hand, he felt deeply guilty, because he believed Ferran had done far too much for him.

"Actually, there was no need for you to do this; you're betting far too much."

Tang Ye shook his head: "No release clause buyout, plus one year's salary—altogether, you're looking at a loss of at least 15 million euros, right?"

"Hmm... probably more than that."

After thinking for a moment, Tang Ye added.

Escrivá remained silent; it seemed it truly was more than 15 million euros, after all, the release clause alone could be 10 million euros.

"Actually, Tom... you don't understand me; you don't know what I'm thinking."

Escrivá sighed, then looked into Tang Ye's eyes again: "Sometimes, I feel life requires taking a gamble just once."

"I've been a coach for over twenty years; do you know how many top-five league titles I've won?"

Escrivá raised his right hand, forming a circle with his fingers: "Zero."

"It is indeed very shameful, but we've known each other so long, I'm not afraid to say it. Hmm, after all, you're not some reporter."

"What I mean is, since I can't win a top-five league title, I need to take a gamble. Some things are won only by gambling. Tom, you're a professional player; you should understand what I'm saying. Professional players gamble continuously from youth training until retirement."

Escrivá spread his hands: "Because you never know what the score of the next match will be."

"..."

Tang Ye said nothing, simply staring at Escrivá.

The latter worried that Tang Ye might not be able to understand his words, but then he remembered this wasn't three years ago; Tang Ye was already twenty-one this year, so his previous worries no longer existed.

"In September, a chance to win a championship appeared before me—a Fan Fan Dejia title—with a stake of a 6.5 million euro annual salary; naturally, I had to give it a try."

Escrivá appeared somewhat helpless.

For a coach who had spent fifteen years in the top five leagues, whose team had always lingered in the mid-table, suddenly discovering he might have a chance to win a championship—such temptation was something no normal person could resist.

The salary was high, several million euros, but sometimes achieving something meaningful matters more than making money.

"..."

Tang Ye simply stared at Escrivá: "I can understand."

"You can't understand."

"Just pretend I can understand, okay? Otherwise, I won't know what to say next."

"... Fine."

"Mr. Ferran, since you intend to gamble, then you should be more decisive. You were very decisive when making the loan decision..."

"Because I saw an opportunity."

Escrivá interrupted Tang Ye.

"Exactly, you saw an opportunity, so you were decisive. But now that I've arrived, why are you still hesitating, just like you used to?"

"I've been at Dortmund for a month, actually more than a month. At the very start of the season, you announced in front of everyone that you would reconsider the primary penalty taker, yet until now, we still haven't received an answer."

Escrivá fell silent, feeling as though Tang Ye had caught him doing something wrong.

"Be decisive, Mr. Ferran. Settle it directly: confirm Erling as the primary penalty taker. Otherwise, as you've seen, he still hands the ball to me after winning a penalty; this will affect his penalty kicking."

Thump! Thump!

Tang Ye lightly tapped the desk: "You must say it in front of everyone. State clearly that Reus is the captain, Haaland is the primary penalty taker, then assign free kicks directly to me. Tell Pogba he needs to focus on defense, and tell Bellingham he needs to act as my wingman. Only then will we know what to do on the pitch."

"You care too much about our feelings; there's no need for that. You are the coach, Ferran; whatever you say goes."

Tang Ye said "Ferran," not "Mr. Ferran," because including "Mr." might have stripped his words of that pressing force.

Clear division of labor is something even a semi-professional team's head coach can achieve, yet you don't see it in a top-tier coach like Escrivá.

Ferran was too hesitant; his personality was a major reason Dortmund was currently suffering.

"You said you wanted to gamble, so can't you be more decisive? Seventy-five million. Ferran, Dortmund spent 75 million to bring me here, but you don't tell me what I should do; what am I supposed to do?"

"It's not that I'm being arrogant, but if your idea is for me to play as the core, then be decisive. Let Jude come up to support me. The club spent 75 million, so I will deliver at least 75 million worth of performance."

Bang!

Tang Ye slammed the desk: "I'm f***ing not here to scam money!"

"If Jude goes up, we'll only have one defensive midfielder, and Paul's defensive issues are significant."

"Since you're going to gamble, then just be decisive!"

"Whether it works or not, we'll know once we try it in a match; just see if the opposition can get past our halfway line."

Escrivá sat silently in his chair, while Tang Ye stood up: "You want to make me the core directly, yet fear I'll play poorly and get scolded; it was the same back at Yellow Submarine. But I don't think that's necessary, okay? Three years have passed; am I still the same as before, or do you think I'm terrible?"

Tang Ye spread his hands.

"Of course not, Tom; you are a phenomenon."

"Then tell them to pass every ball to me. I don't demand possession rights, I don't want the captaincy, but I'm not here to scam money either."

"Tell us clearly how to play, give me possession, and if we lose, the blame is mine."

Tang Ye gripped Escrivá's shoulder firmly: "If we fail to win the Fan Fan Dejia title this season, I will personally cover your release clause and annual salary for the club."

"Hey, no way."

"Saying that means you don't trust me."

"..."

Tang Ye pointed at Escrivá's nose, killing the conversation with a single sentence.

"Then it's settled."

"Apologies, Mr. Ferran."

Having left those words hanging, Tang Ye turned and walked away, leaving only Escrivá sitting dazed in his chair.

Repost: Little Haaland! In training photos released officially by Dortmund, Zhang Zhang Yuning is seen asking Haaland for advice.

【De Bruyne Bottom Cross Lv5: Replication (Transcendent State)】

Proficiency: 3452/3500

This afternoon, Escrivá held an impromptu meeting with the players during training, preventing Tang Ye from maxing out his proficiency in bottom crosses.

Only 50 points short of reaching Lv6, Tang Ye decisively chose to stay behind for extra practice.

Whether influenced by Tang Ye or Haaland, Zhang Zhang Yuning also opted to continue training, receiving Tang Ye's crosses inside the penalty area.

Zhang Zhang Yuning was very smart; since Haaland lacked heading ability, he knew that mastering his own heading was his top priority.

To secure substitute playing time in Dortmund's first team, Zhang Zhang Yuning absolutely needed superior heading ability compared to Haaland!

"Far post, far post!"

Slap!

【De Bruyne Bottom Cross Lv5: Replication (Transcendent State)】

Proficiency: 3500/3500

Delivering a bottom cross from the right-wing baseline, Zhang Zhang Yuning leaped into the air.

Boom!

A header smashed out, but unfortunately, it went over the bar.

"You need to observe early!"

Tang Ye shouted: "Don't worry about me; focus on the defenders! Find the open space; I find you, not you finding me!"

After correcting some of Zhang Zhang Yuning's errors in receiving headers, Tang Ye shifted his attention back to the system.