Chapter 497: Sky-high contract

Chapter 497: Sky-high contract

When the Chinese team returned home with the World Cup trophy, tens of thousands of fans gathered at the airport and along the streets to welcome the heroes' triumphant return, and the entire capital was boiling with excitement.

Authoritative media provided live coverage of the event. Wang Feng, holding the trophy, was the first to step out of the cabin, followed by the players, coaching staff, and accompanying personnel. Thunderous applause and cheers erupted the moment they appeared, and it didn't stop.

They then boarded double-decker buses prepared in advance for a citywide parade, circling the Fourth Ring Road and passing through the central axis road before reaching the National Museum. A large exhibition hall was set up here to display the highlights of both the previous and current World Cups, including commemorative match balls, nets, photos, and more, all collected with great effort.

Most importantly, a display case was set up in the center to showcase the World Cup trophy. Even though the original trophy would be returned to FIFA after four years, China would permanently keep a replica for everyone to visit and commemorate. This is our great glory!

The Fourth Ring Road is approximately 65 kilometers long, but as the buses traveled, enthusiastic crowds lined the roadsides everywhere they went, surprising even Wang Feng with the turnout.

After delivering the World Cup trophy to the museum, everyone headed to the State Guesthouse for a grand celebration banquet. Senior officials attended to congratulate the players and announced substantial bonuses.

After the festivities, everyone returned home contentedly. Wang Feng didn't stay in China for long. A few days later, he returned to Madrid with his family and officially signed a contract extension with the club.

The new contract is still for five years, but this time, it's a fixed after-tax salary of �30 million, with bonuses calculated separately, effective from the 2011-2012 season.

To be honest, even Wang Feng didn't expect such a lucrative contract. The top salary in his previous contract was only �24 million, and he couldn't reach that figure due to missing several King's Cups.

"You're definitely worth it," said Balmond, "Real Madrid has earned far more money from you, not to mention the numerous trophies you've brought."

Unexpectedly, he didn't go after Guardiola, a product of Laporta's era, for settlement but instead continued to increase the club's signings.

First, they spent �40 million to bring in Spanish striker Villa from Valencia, making this deal the record-breaking transfer in the summer transfer window.

Then, they targeted Liverpool's Mascherano. For this, Liverpool demanded ��20 million, but Barcelona only wanted to pay ��15 million.

Negotiations stalled, and Barcelona's management found Messi, hoping he could "help" his compatriot. As a result, when Liverpool was preparing for the new Premier League season, the Argentine midfielder refused to attend training sessions for various reasons, and eventually, the team compromised, allowing him to transfer as he wished.

With many options in the attacking line-up, including Messi, Pedro, Villa, Kak��, and others, the Catalan team decided to clear out some old players, starting with Henry.

The former Arsenal king left his old club in pursuit of the Champions League title but unexpectedly encountered the peak Wang Feng, only to accept the tragedy of never winning a title in his lifetime.

Disheartened, the Frenchman decided to join the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer, where everything revolves around "money."

Swedish forward Ibrahimovi? repeatedly applied to leave the club, as he was never happy about coming to La Liga in the first place.

So Barcelona sent him to AC Milan in the form of a loan with an option to buy, returning to familiar Serie A after a year, feeling like a fish back in water.

While the personnel changes at the top La Liga clubs were eye-catching, AC Milan in Serie A also made some headlines.

First, they accepted Ibrahimovi? from Barcelona and then brought back the once-unsuccessful Robinho, who had returned to Brazil's Santos from Manchester City.

From Ronaldo to Ronaldinho and now to Robinho, the Rossoneri seemed to have developed a tradition of reusing over-the-hill Brazilian stars.