Chapter 17: A Veteran In Good Mood

Henry didn't agree with Mendes's suggestion to wait longer to sign some sponsorship contracts after achieving results to gain more leverage.

As an ambitious man who wants to buy a team, his objective isn't to be like other coaches who can only earn at most about €3M per year through sponsorship.

He has his advantages: he is young and very handsome. As a British man, as long as he achieves some results, the media would blow him up to the skies, making him the best emerging young coach.

Most importantly, since he hasn't achieved any significant results yet, those sponsors would definitely want to offer him low-price deals with high clauses, such as winning Serie A or the Champions League.

This was exactly what he wanted. The guarantee of about €1M couldn't satisfy him, given his objective. He didn't hide this and told Mendes about his plans.

Mendes didn't expect Henry to be so ambitious. "Brother, if AS Roma can return to the Champions League this season, Henry would be considered very, very successful—let alone winning Serie A, or even more, winning the Champions League."

He could only sigh. "Geniuses are f*cking lunatics. They really dare to think about anything and can really achieve anything." Still, he discussed the pros and cons.

Henry listened patiently as Mendes laid out the pros and cons of his approach.

The super-agent emphasized that waiting to achieve results before signing major sponsorship deals would put Henry in a much stronger negotiating position. A coach with a proven track record would command significantly higher fees and obtain better terms, ensuring long-term stability.

He felt that although it was good to be ambitious, Henry shouldn't be anxious but must take things step by step. However, Henry shook his head. "Mendes, I understand your logic, but like I said earlier, I'm not looking at this like a coach who just wants a stable career."

"My goal isn't just a few million per year; it's ownership. The sooner I start accumulating wealth, the sooner I can reach that goal."

Mendes felt a little helpless. Genius or madman? "You're betting on yourself in a big way. If you fall short, these contracts could limit you. Some of these brands will try to lock you in with unfavorable conditions if you don't deliver immediately."

Henry chuckled. "That's exactly why I want those clauses. If they offer me a low base salary but big bonuses for achievements, I win either way."

"If I don't succeed, I still have some income, but if I do… they'll have no choice but to pay me big." His eyes gleamed with confidence. "And let's be real, if I bring Roma back to the Champions League and make waves, my name will be everywhere. The media would definitely love a young, handsome British coach succeeding abroad."

Mendes sighed, realizing Henry was dead set on this approach. "Fine, I'll start reaching out to brands willing to take the bet. But don't blame me if they try to exploit your ambition."

Henry smirked. "If they underestimate me, that's their mistake, not mine."

---

The discussion with Mendes went smoothly after all. Henry had his requirements, and he was very firm on them. He would never be like Mourinho at the beginning of his Chelsea tenure, making strange transactions and introducing many players under Mendes's influence.

He wanted to be able to bring in who he wanted, not be forced to introduce players he didn't need. If, later, his cooperation with Mendes didn't bear fruit, the big deal would be to create his own agency.

Anyway, Henry felt that this made sense since he could see the status of his players, including their attributes and potential. What if one day, it was no longer limited to his players only? He would definitely create an agency like none that had ever existed in football history.

With that, Henry returned to the training camp in a good mood. He could now wait for the coaching staff to arrive. As for whether they would satisfy him or not, he would see later. If they didn't, it wouldn't be too late to fire them.

When he walked into the training camp, he found it too quiet, but it wasn't strange. After days of grueling training, the players were completely exhausted.

He had given them the morning to rest and then scheduled a game for the night. Anyway, it was just a friendly match against an amateur team. Even without preparation, the Roma players, who had regained their peak condition, would win without a problem.

Still, even though he had complained about the management's poor choices before, he didn't think so for this game. It would allow the players to relax after the grueling training and before starting the tedious tactical sessions.

...

The floodlights flickered on, casting a white glow over the small stadium. Henry stood on the sidelines, arms crossed, watching his players take their positions. The friendly match was about to begin.

This was really just a small stadium, with only a few locals coming to support their family members. After all, it wasn't every day that they could play against the Serie A giant AS Roma.

On the pitch, Francesco Totti rolled his shoulders, adjusting his captain's armband. Even though this was a friendly match, he had to show some dignity, although, deep down, he didn't take the game seriously.

He couldn't help but glance toward Henry on the sidelines. "Really young," he thought. He had never been coached by someone so young; they were practically the same age.

Still, Henry had given Totti a good impression over the past few days. Although the coach hadn't explicitly stated his tactics for the team, he had more or less implied that Totti would be the core and a very important member of the team.

Although Henry had also shown almost the same level of importance to Bojan, Totti had come to his own conclusion.

Because his role on the field was crucial, it was necessary to find his substitute. He himself knew he was indeed old and couldn't play every game. Bojan could indeed be his substitute.

He really couldn't understand the young man's mindset. Bojan was clearly so talented, but he just wasn't confident. Totti felt that it was normal for any player to face competition and doubt at the beginning of their career. Hadn't it been the same for him?

Back then, AS Roma couldn't be compared to the team of today. It was full of competition, but he firmly believed that he wasn't worse than anyone and would definitely succeed there without needing to leave to gain so-called experience.

So, confidence was really important for a player. If the player wasn't even confident in his abilities and didn't feel he could overcome any hurdle, he would sooner or later encounter a wall he couldn't surpass.

Still, he liked the young man very much. Contrary to geniuses who were arrogant and overconfident, Bojan was humble and polite. With the right guidance, he might really succeed.

Anyway, although he didn't know what tactics Henry would use in the future, Totti was assigned the role of a false nine in this game, one of the roles he was most familiar with. It felt like a signal telling him the position he would play this season.

...

Sorry, guys, I encountered some troubles yesterday, but here's today's chapter. Finally, don't forget to vote!