Legendary Road

A rare thick fog shrouded the city of Dortmund, and the morning light that should have arrived early disappeared. The gray haze filled the field of vision, making people walking on the street a little breathless.

Yan Jing, dressed in formal attire, entered the taxi and announced the destination, then buried his head and dozed off. Not long after, he looked at the time, and the hour hand of his watch had just crossed the number "9", and it was more than half a month before the start of the Dortmund staff meeting. Hour.

The taxi driver sitting in the front driver's seat saw Yan Jing look up from the rearview mirror. He found that the passenger seemed to be Dortmund's assistant coach. As a diehard fan, he immediately chatted with Yan Jing.

"Hey man, I know you - you were at the town hall meeting?"

Since serving as Dortmund's assistant coach, Yan Jing's exposure rate has become higher and higher. It is not the first time that he has been recognized on the road, and he is commonplace.

"Yes." Yan Jing nodded and glanced at a small Dortmund mascot doll on the front driver's seat, "Are you a Dortmund fan?"

"That's right, I've been a Dortmund fan since I was eight years old." The driver turned the steering wheel and turned to the right, "Recent news says that this meeting may be a turning point for Dortmund, and it may also lead Dortmund into an abyss of redemption... I Hopefully it's the former."

Before Yan Jing got out of the car, the driver handed him a business card, saying that he would be on call if something happened in the future.

Just two days ago, the German Football Association imposed a two-match ban on Van Marwijk who made uncivilized remarks during the game.Dortmund did not appeal because of its own chaos, which means that Yan Jing will replace Van Marwijk to coach the next two Bundesliga games.

Walking into the meeting hall of Dortmund, many employees have already arrived, and the dignified Nibaum who submitted his resignation a few days ago is particularly eye-catching among this group of people.

As a member of Dortmund's management, Nibaum, who has a doctorate in economics, has served Dortmund for more than 20 years, including 18 years as the chairman of Dortmund's board of directors.

He should have been a hero to everyone at Dortmund - during his leadership of Dortmund, Dortmund grew from a mid-range Bundesliga team to a Bundesliga giant that could compete with Bayern, winning three Bundesliga titles and beating Juventus. In 97, he won the Champions League and the Toyota Cup.

However, in the unprecedented financial crisis Dortmund is currently facing, Nibaum is most blamed for the instigator of the disaster.

Just as the team was about to start to develop rapidly, they made many fatal mistakes in the decision-making of the club's future development-hastily listed the team to raise funds, bought a large number of players at sky-high prices, and the team was frighteningly high salary structure.

As an economic expert, Nibaum made a lot of layman's mistakes, which directly caused Dortmund to be hit hard overnight. From the most luxurious legion in the Bundesliga, it suddenly became the most complete pauper, and he is still in debt. The total has reached more than 1.1 million euros, and it is on the verge of bankruptcy.

Yan Jing found a seat in the corner of the back row in a low-key way, when another important person in the club appeared.

Holm, the largest shareholder who holds 30% of Dortmund AG's shares, went straight to the front row, showing disdain for Nibaum and Meier next to him.

Yan Jing remembered what Holm said in an interview with the media about a month ago-"There are too many rapes inside Dortmund, which hurts the club. Now is the time to reveal it cruelly, and we can no longer be soft-hearted."

Holm's attitude was clear enough. As Nibaum's biggest opponent, he hoped that Nibaum would leave quickly.

1754 people filled the entire conference hall, and the staff meeting officially began. First, Dortmund's Finance Minister Wilchen made a speech.

Wilchen plugged the USB flash drive into the computer, opened a self-made PPT file about Dortmund's financial reports in recent years, and pointed out the financial loss situation straight to the point.

Yan Jing and many employees looked at the images released by the projector. The series of numbers combined with the charts were shocking. At the same time, together with the financial situation, there was an irreversible decline and the team's competition.

"In fact, we can see some clues from the financial reports of the past two years. Compared with Bayern Munich and other teams, our operating model is too backward, and the strength of commercial development is almost zero. We only rely on TV broadcasting fees and sponsorship fees. Maintaining... These have caused the entire club to be involved in a dangerous vortex. To be honest, our debt has reached 1.182 million euros, but the remaining deposits in the bank are now less than 100 million euros. It will be very difficult for everyone to pay wages.”

Wilchen gave a speech for a long time, talking about various issues, and he concluded at the end.

"Our sporting performance has also been dragged down by the well-known problems. The wheels have turned in the wrong direction, and the next few weeks and possibly months will be difficult, but we have to do everything right. Prepare to deal with catastrophic events that may occur at any time."

Immediately, Holm and various shareholders who held more shares also came to the stage to express their views, but in Yan Jing's view, this was more like a lively sexual meeting, and their sexual targets were Nibaum and Meyer - It's your fault that the club is so indebted, it's your fault that the team has a terrible record, whatever it is, you two are right to be damned.

Facing the boring official remarks of the shareholders on the stage, Yan Jing in the corner quietly took out the vibrating mobile phone in his pocket. He saw a new text message displayed on the screen, and the sender was Ge Ce.

— Boss, are you still in the meeting?The news said that you started at 10 o'clock, but now it's past two o'clock in the afternoon.

Yan Jing looked up and looked around, no one noticed him in the corner, and started to reply with one hand crackling.

——Well, it's not over yet, I don't think it will be over for a while.

——What did they say for so long?

——It’s nothing special, just like when the teacher at school holds a parent-teacher meeting or keeps you for lectures and tutoring. You obviously think there is something to say about it, but he can talk for so long.

— Boss, I understand!I'm starting to feel sorry for you :D

——…What does the smiling face behind it mean?Mario, you seem to be quite happy.

——Sorry boss, I slipped my hand and typed wrong just now, but I actually wanted to post :( Yes, really.

This kid definitely did it on purpose.

Yan Jing deliberately waited for a while before replying to Gete's text message.

—— Mario, I just texted Richard and told him to increase your training volume by 50.00% starting today.

——? ! ? !etc!Boss, stop!Tell me you were just joking!

— Well, as you wish.Mario, I was just joking :D

——…………… Byebye! [anger][anger]

Seeing the two angry expressions in Gotze's text message, Yan Jing would have laughed out loud if the atmosphere in the meeting hall hadn't been so serious.

At this time, the shareholders on the stage finally finished their speeches, Nibaum stood up, and it was his turn to speak.

"For these arguments, I decided to resign a few days ago, and this is the only thing I can do to calm the current situation."

After listening to the factual or groundless criticism for several hours, Niebaum's eyes were already red. He turned to face the Dortmund employees and spoke slowly.

"I would like to thank all my friends who have supported my work for more than 20 years... As a Prussian, even if I am no longer the chairman of Dortmund, there are some things I will never give up."

Although he made several wrong decisions, Nibaum's deep affection for Dortmund is beyond doubt.

"... those mistakes were my fault. I wish Dortmund a bright future, not only on the pitch but also off the pitch, successfully implementing the proposed financial solutions."

Sitting next to Nibaum, Meier was also in tears.

At this conference, countless members urged Meyer to resign. They believed that, in addition to Nibaum, Meyer should bear the greatest responsibility for the loss of 1.182 million euros.

The loudest anti-Meyer voice was the club's finance minister Welchen. After hearing his accusations, Meyer immediately countered: "If you can find a better one, I will resign immediately."

Then Meier's tears overflowed his eyes, and he choked up and said: "Although I didn't plan to resign in advance, and I still plan to continue working, but if everyone asks, I can give up."

Under the recommendation of Nibaum, the newly appointed chairman Raubal also did not want Mayer to leave. He tried his best to retain Mayer and made a proposal to Wilchen to "let German Defense Minister Hitruk take charge of the club's finances. Ministry" promise.

The finale was the highlight of today's meeting. After discussions with many shareholders and Raubal and others, they agreed that Hans Joachim Watzke, the managing director who is now the team's financial manager, is the most suitable to take over the ball. Team CEO.

Hearing Watzke's name, Yan Jing's eyelids trembled. He looked at Watzke who entered the arena with a calm face, and his hunger and sleepiness immediately disappeared from him.

Since Watzke took office that year, he and Dortmund's chief financial officer Thomas Tres and others have worked hard to help Dortmund resolve the financial crisis with a shrewd and rational entrepreneurial mind.

This lovely CEO who is kindly called "Father of Debt Repayment" by the fans, on the one hand, continues to invest in the club's infrastructure, improving and expanding the scouting system...

But didn't Watzke take office in February next year?Why did you announce your appointment today?

Yan Jing's mind was a little confused. He didn't even notice that Gotze had sent him several text messages, but just stared at Watzke, who was giving a speech on the team's future planning.

"...I have chosen to forego my salary through June 2005, 6, as my contribution to the restructuring plan. Myer and I have a friendly and trusting partnership that will be equally important in leadership in the future .”

Yan Jing turned his head and looked out the window. The dense fog in the morning had dissipated long ago, and the sun shone on the grass next to the building, showing a bright greenery.

Watzke is here three months early... Will this bring any positive changes for Dortmund?