this man is not calm

Chapter 382 The Beginning of a Year

The work was progressing in an orderly manner, and in the blink of an eye it was April 6th, Sunday, which was the opening day of the National Football League A.

Yesterday was Qingming Festival, which is normally a relatively depressing holiday. However, after completing the tomb-sweeping work, the rest of the holiday was quite comfortable.

This year's league opened nearly twenty days late. It was originally scheduled to start on the 16th of last month, but was postponed for some reason. In the past two years, the number of participating teams at all levels has increased, and the flow of players has become more frequent. It has taken one or two years to fully integrate and become proficient, so many unexpected problems have arisen.

The schedule was delayed again and again until it was finalized last week, and then it started in a hurry.

Next year is a big competition year. In the first half of this year, in addition to participating in the league, the A-group teams will also have to participate in the restarted FA Cup. Last year's champions will also have to participate in the AFC Champions League and the Asian Club Cup, with the World Cup qualifiers interspersed in between.

The intensity of the schedule made all the clubs gasp.

Domestic players have not yet adapted to the intensive schedule of playing two games a week, and the club has no experience.

An important factor causing this phenomenon is that the country is too large and the distances between the home stadiums of the various teams are too great.

In previous years, the teams in the top leagues were mostly concentrated in several economically developed cities in the east, with a rough balance between the north and the south.

This year is a little different. The southern teams have performed mediocrely in the past two years, the northern teams have the advantage, and the Midwestern forces are disrupting the situation, making the schedule extremely difficult.

In mid-March, people in the south have to wear short sleeves to spend the summer, but most places in the north are still covered with ice and snow, and the quality of the turf on the stadium is extremely poor. Not every home stadium has such good conditions. If floor heating is installed, the competitive conditions can be met in winter.

As usual in previous years, the league would only kick off when the capital area entered the season of lush grass and singing birds. Unfortunately, this year's winter was particularly long. After a late spring cold snap that lasted for half a month, we entered April unknowingly.

Many people have noticed the slight abnormalities in the climate. According to meteorological experts, changes in the Pacific warm current may lead to floods and droughts, and we need to take early precautions.

This is also related to the country's large area. From east to west, it spans eight time zones. From the polar volcanic islands in the North Sea to the tropical bays in the South Ocean, it is too difficult to take everything into account.

"Every year when the competition starts, everyone will complain that the teams playing in the plateau and the north should be relegated or go bankrupt. And there's no point in playing football in the steppes of Central Asia. It's not easy to make the trip there."

Lao Jin was wearing the No. 99 jersey and sitting on the podium, while Jin Shang, as usual, was wearing the No. 666 jersey and watching the opening ceremony below.

Not long after, Dai Yiqun came on stage to sing, livening up the atmosphere.

"We can't discriminate against regions that are backward in sports. Our captain and rising star are all from the northwest. The teams there are not good because they have no money, no scientific training, and can't cultivate excellent players..."

"Is this what I'm talking about?"

The camera scanned over, and as the club owner, Jin Shi forced a smile on his face. While clapping, he said to Jin Shi,

"There are not many teams with enough money, and no one wants to play away games, especially after a long flight, which is exhausting. Air tickets are not cheap, and taking a train is too late. I really envy those small countries that can take a bus, sing songs, and take a nap to get to the away game."

"Maybe others will envy us. Take a look..."

Pursing his lips, Jin Shang pointed to the packed stands at the back.

For leagues in those tiny countries, it's good enough to have 20,000 to 30,000 people in attendance. Look at today's opening ceremony, the stadium announced that there were 78,000 people in attendance, but at a glance, there were quite a few people standing in the aisles, and some people were standing on small benches against the wall at the back, so you can tell that a lot of individual tickets were sold.

From last year to this year, over four months, a lot of money was invested, all in one go, to expand the stadium's capacity to a total of 85,000 people. If the movable seats are removed, another 7,000 to 8,000 people can be added.

This is not allowed for ordinary stadiums, but it is different for the Football Park Stadium. This famous semi-cultural heritage public facility is not only a stadium, but also a semi-permanent fortification.

When it was being built, its fortress properties were taken into consideration. Its defensive capabilities are off the charts, and ordinary heavy artillery can hardly penetrate the city wall-like outer wall. The foundation is even more exaggerated, and the space below can be used as an air-raid shelter. Now it has been transformed into a functional hall such as an exhibition room or museum.

There is no need to consider the foundation. As long as the competent authority approves it, it can withstand any changes.

It has everything, including waterproof sunshade roof, large central screen, electronic billboards, semi-automatic irrigation and drainage, and geothermal system.

It is no exaggeration to say that among all the stadiums north of the Yellow River, this one is the best. Even the equally famous Koshien Stadium is inferior to it.

The opening ceremony had to be lively and exciting, and the Beijing Northern United Football Team itself brought in huge traffic, as evidenced by the packed stands and the deafening cheers. Not to mention the visiting team, even the home team players were a little dazed.

As for the more than 2,000 visiting fans who came from afar, they were so suppressed that they had no temper at all.

Looking not far away, after a series of activities such as speeches by the leaders of the competent departments and oaths taken by the representatives of the referee committee, the opening match officially began with a whistle from the referee.

"After so many years of running the league, the Football Association understands the market. Looking at the popular team, the modern stadium, the state-of-the-art live broadcast system and the unique online broadcast mechanism, other teams can't catch up."

Jin Shang raised his chin proudly and looked at the game situation on the sidelines.
"To be honest, the schedule was well thought out. Even though they were fourth last year, the club had no money and they were having conflicts before the start of the game, which almost affected their registration qualifications. This... is strong on the outside but weak on the inside. As the first opponent after returning to the top league, it couldn't be better."

You have to have confidence first before you can let go. The team that was still playing at the semi-professional level a few years ago suddenly appeared in the top league. It has not undergone a major change, and everyone is a little scared.

If we can win the opening game, we will have the illusion that "the top four teams are just like this."

It is always better to be confident than to be timid.

Jin Shi sighed and said:
"The warm-up matches before the game were really ugly, especially the charity match where we lost to a team from the A-Chou group. Last year we had a 'double kill' but this year we were no match for them."

Although it was a warm-up to integrate the lineup, the performance was too poor and the head coach Zhang Lin was under a lot of pressure.

There are also some noises from fans, who believe that the father and son of the Jin family are keen on doing business and making money, and are reluctant to spend money to introduce good players.

How could they not be reluctant to give? In addition to Jin Shang's generous donations to support education, Jin Shi donated money and materials every year, not less than 5 million in recent years. Last week's "Caring for Left-behind Children" charity match, tickets and sponsorships exceeded 7 million. The father and son paid 10 million to make up for it and donated it all to charity. This amount of money is enough to replace most of the starting lineup.

Firstly, Jin Shang is too lazy to spend money on big-dollar football, nor does he have the motivation to do so. Secondly, the team’s long-term development plan is not to improve its strength in a short period of time and just win one or two championships.

Ordinary mid-level teams really need the halo of a champion to embellish their image, but Beijing Northern United Football Club does not need it. In terms of glorious history, few in the world can compare with it.

A century-old club should have its own bearing and heritage. It should not be a new club that eats delicacies from land and sea for a few years and then resorts to coarse food when it loses interest.

Compared with "price gouging", Jin Shang believes more in the power of his "golden broom". As long as he develops step by step, some tiny advantages can be infinitely magnified and play a key role in this long league.

"In the first year, we should focus on maintaining our position in the league. There is no need to fight for a long time."

Jin Shi already knew Jin Shang's plan, and he thought it was the right approach.

For example, investing heavily in training bases, introducing advanced sports medicine, cutting-edge instruments, scientific monitoring, etc.

"This year's schedule is so tight, plus the national team's game tasks, the team's advantage will be greater as time goes on. When the competitor's injury wave is spreading, our own players can stay healthy and perform stably, which is excellent."

The father and son talked intermittently while watching the game and greeting people who came over to say hello from time to time. The result of the game also developed in the direction that Jin Shang expected.

At the end of the first half, captain Basang Tsering scored a long-range shot. At the beginning of the second half, Aijima took advantage of the opponent's unstable footing and scored a goal. Apart from that, neither side made any progress.

The overall feeling of the game was that it was intense but not exciting enough. The overall strength of the two teams is ranked at the bottom among the fourteen Jiazi Group teams. They will most likely have to work hard to avoid relegation, and the visiting team may be in greater trouble.

Their own team clearly lacks experience, and if it weren't for the brilliant performance of their star player, they probably wouldn't have won.

"The team's offensive capability is a little weak, lacking a top striker who can make the final decision. However, the team's defense is relatively stable. As long as they don't get too arrogant and stick to defensive counterattacks, they have a good chance of staying in the league. In this year's 'devil's schedule', they may be able to go further and rank around 8th or 9th at the end of the year."

Having strong strength and great stars does not mean that the team will achieve good results throughout the season, Jin Shang concluded after analyzing for a while.
"The competition on the field is only part of the match. The competition off the field is also very important. In the 26 rounds of the league, it depends on comprehensive strength. It is not enough to rely on passion and traditional experience. Apart from other things, our team's ability to resist injuries and recover is unique among the 14 teams, and it is an overwhelming advantage."

Nowadays, not many people realize the importance of scientific instruments, theoretical support and data monitoring. Blind training, blindly increasing the intensity, constant injuries, and even tragic events such as myolysis occur frequently.

Without this off-field support, how could Basang Tsering be able to maintain a good competitive form after he was over 37 years old and serve as the on-field captain of the team?
"You have said many times that you believe in science, stick to the right path, and downplay the negative impact of personal and unexpected factors."

The players walked around the field to express their gratitude, and the fans began to leave. Jin Shi went to talk to the head of the Football Association for a few words, and when he came back, he said to Jin Shang,
"I'm going to ask someone about the league's investment, and I'm also going to try to get the broadcasting fees."

"Well, I'll go check on the fans' representatives. I'll take Nan Xiaobiao and Lao Dai out for dinner. I just happen to have something to discuss."

Not long after, Jin Shang went to the place where the fan association was gathering and chatted with everyone. The scene was very lively and noisy, and he could not hear clearly. Anyway, they won the game and everyone was very happy. They held the banners and souvenirs and stayed for a long time.

Later, Xiao Jin went to the locker room door again, waiting to shake hands and say hello when everyone came out, and promised that the winning prize would be distributed later.

It was not until the post-match press conference ended that Jin Shang, Nan Dalong and Dai Yiqun arrived at Lu Yu Music Bar.

I haven't been to this place for a while. Business has been good, but it's not particularly popular. Many people from the music and entertainment circles come here to spend money. It is said that many stars have come out of here. Dai Yiqun and the Nan brothers often come here to treat guests, so I guess there are quite a few people who come here to make themselves familiar faces.

After arriving at the private room upstairs and ordering some red wine, Xiao Biao asked Jin Shang:

"Didn't you say you were going to bring your brother here?"

"It's the changing season, the little one is feeling a little uncomfortable, with an itchy nose and a dry throat. He's probably allergic to pollen and catkins."

"Children really need to be careful. It's not a good time to run around. Where's Xiao Li? Isn't he here either?"

"Her relatives from her hometown are coming."

"Oh, by the way, it's already this time."

Xiao Biao suddenly realized,

"I never thought you would get married. When we went to the suburbs for fun during the Mid-Autumn Festival, you were still very young. You were holding a longbow taller than you and playing archery. Everyone was watching and laughing so much. It was a scene... I never thought you would get married in the blink of an eye."

"It happened many years ago. Why bring it up again?"

Jin Shang chuckled and ignored Nan Dalong's teasing. He looked at the night outside the window.
"It's past nine o'clock, it's not too late, let's make it short."

In the past, the Northern United Football Team seldom held night games. The cold weather was one reason, and the stadium lights were never as bright as the sun during the day. There were shadows under the field, which affected the viewing experience. Now with the movable roof, things are different. After the renovation, there are no blind spots in the stands, and everyone is willing to come and support the game.

"You have also read the evaluation report on the music market in the next few years. The MP3 player in my hand will be distributed soon and will be fully launched at the end of the month. It must be well-known before the summer vacation and then stimulate a consumption boom. In this regard, Brother Dai will work harder. This year is special. The middle of the year may be very busy, but the beginning and end of the year will be average."

"That's easy to say."

Showing up more and strengthening publicity are closely related to one's own interests. As a spokesperson, it is not a bad thing to be more dedicated.
"I tried it and it feels pretty good. This kind of... MP3 will definitely be popular. It's perfect for young people. Even if pirated discs are sold by the pound, you still have to pay for them. Electronic music can be copied with just a flick of the finger. Not to mention genuine albums, pirated ones will be wiped out. No wonder you have to insist on increasing your efforts in releasing songs in the next few years. In a few years, physical records will be finished..."

"But music will always be there, it's just that the way it's monetized is different."

Jin Shang responded with certainty.

(End of this chapter)