From Arsenal to the Ball God

Ma’el and Van Persie immediately placed the trophy on the ground, took a step back, embraced the other players, and started jumping together, shoulder to shoulder, sharing this glorious moment.

They are the super champions among hundreds of teams in the English professional system this season!

Champions!!

”Arsenal! The Premier League champions...!! This team makes people reminiscent of the undefeated squad from the 03-04 season!

”But the fans who’ve followed this team all the way will agree on one thing: they are even better than that Arsenal! Even more outstanding!

”They forged this championship trophy with sweat and blood, courage and determination! And with incredible strength, they achieved the highest victories and points in the league!!

”As long as they win the last two matches, I think even their seniors will give them a thumbs up, praising them as the most dominant league champions in English football!

”Ma’el is very happy; he’s the key player of this team!

”I reckon after this championship trophy, his market value will rise again, won’t it? Will it reach close to 100 million Euros this time?

”Oh.....! We see fireworks shooting up from the stadium’s roof! This is the fireworks show prepared by the Emirates Stadium for the championship win!

”They were launched as scheduled, not waiting for the next match! It’s really beautiful...! The mood of the Arsenal fans must be wonderful too! This is a moment of worldwide celebration!

”Countless celebrities from various fields witnessed this moment with them! Countless fans who take Arsenal as a spiritual belief and Ma’el as their source of strength, are proud of them at this moment!

”May tonight’s sentiments help you bravely face the real life when you open the door tomorrow morning!

”This is the true charm of this sport, I love football, and I think you do too!

”The celebration is about to end here, but the joy of this moment will accompany many for a lifetime!”

...

In the VIP stands, Mendes was invited to a private box, while others rushed onto the field behind him to celebrate with Ma’el.

”Hello.”

He approached the door of a quiet box, knocked twice, and heard footsteps approaching inside.

Before long, he saw an elderly man with a vintage look and a small mustache walk out, exuding a strong old-money aura.

Stan Kroenke, the owner of the world’s largest sports empire, with teams in multiple sports, including the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rapids, and Los Angeles Rams.

Of course, also including Arsenal.

He owns more than 65% of the club’s shares, with Usmanov holding another 30%, and the remainder in the hands of minor shareholders.

”A wonderful match.”

Kroenke knew Mendes must recognize him, immediately lit a cigar and invited Mendes to sit beside him, laughing: ”An exciting championship, isn’t it?”

”Indeed.”

Mendes roughly understood why he was invited, calmly sat beside him, and lit a cigar as well, ”My player achieved significant honors and has more value, so of course I’m excited.”

”Let’s talk business.” Kroenke seemed to dislike beating around the bush and quickly steered the conversation to negotiations.

”The player talked with me, are you aiming to gain support from key figures in the club to facilitate the acquisition more smoothly?”

Mendes stated his purpose, intending to turn the tables, ”This is not difficult for both him and me, but I need to know what he will gain?”

”What does the player need?” Kroenke chuckled, regaining the upper hand with a rhetorical question, ”Countless cash? The status of a star player? Important honors?

”Haha..... I understand he wants it all, and I understand he has the strength and potential to have it all simultaneously.

”Since that’s the case, we ought to cooperate, and deepen the cooperation, even have the Kroenke Company cooperate with Mendes Company.”

Mendes’s expression shifted; he and Kroenke barely count as peers, but the scale of his company compared to Kroenke’s isn’t even close.

This was certainly a tempting offer for him, though he also understood that opportunities don’t fall from the sky, and it might just be Kroenke painting a pretty picture.

”Let me share my thoughts.”

Kroenke leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, ”I understand commercial sports very well, but not football..... originally, I intended to leave the team to Little Krenke to operate after the acquisition.

”But now it’s evident that Arsenal has a rare opportunity to become a superpower, and I want to seize it personally.”

Mendes looked at him, not questioning how he would manage it without understanding football, knowing that the other party would certainly explain.

Kroenke’s expression turned serious; after a puff of his cigar, he said, ”I have a good quality, which is that I never act recklessly, never overconfident, and am not stubbornly traditional in industries I don’t understand.

”Therefore, I will reference the ways professional and advanced individuals in the same industry operate clubs, such as Florentino.

”If the acquisition is completed, I will implement a substantial salary increase to bring Arsenal players’ pay to the top level of the Premier League.

”But I also have conditions, I will take over most of their image rights and manage them uniformly, striving to elevate Arsenal’s commercial value to a world-class level.”

Mendes’s eyes narrowed slightly; this was truly an ambitious vision, could Kroenke be aiming to make Arsenal a club like Real Madrid?