Millwall's first Premier League London derby concluded with a resounding three-goal victory over the traditional powerhouse Arsenal, as David Dein and Wenger watched the entire match from the luxury box.
David Dein was struggling to suppress the anger boiling inside him, putting on a facade of calmness while he was actually close to exploding.
Each ti Millwall scored, Arthur would be ecstatic. After Larsson netted the third goal, this old rogue even opened a bottle of wine and poured a glass for David Dein, treating him not as a rival Arsenal supporter, but more like a Millwall fan.
David Dein forced a smile to politely refuse Arthur's goodwill, while Wenger, being on a business trip, naturally refrained from any drinking.
If the television caras caught Dein and Arthur raising their glasses together in the suite, this Arsenal vice-chairman would likely have to resign voluntarily when he got back to Highbury.
Dein had made up his mind to invite Wenger again when the J-League season ended at the end of the year. After all, Wenger couldn't leave Japan due to contractual obligations, and out of courtesy, he couldn't just walk away from Nagoya Grampus after coaching for less than a year.
What surprised Dein was that Arsenal's dismal defeat at the Den seed to awaken them. Since that match, Rioch's Arsenal had been performing increasingly better, truly demonstrating a determination to improve. This left Dein unable to convince the board to dismiss Rioch during the winter and to seek out Wenger instead.
After the match, the Millwall players, as per tradition, thanked the ho fans. Aldrich walked back to the players' tunnel and gave an interview in the mixed zone. He humbly stated that winning this derby would boost the confidence of the boys, without comnting on Arsenal's performance.
In the past, he always praised his opponents, showing great sportsmanship regardless of whether Millwall won or lost. However, if he were to praise Arsenal now, it would only label him as a hypocrite.
Fans across England knew that Arsenal was now on the downturn with no signs of revival.
Moreover, the dia should be focused on Bruce Rioch.
Losing to a promoted team with a three-goal margin, and—most importantly—seeing Arsenal's performance was disheartening, as it provided no hope for a revival.
None of this was Aldrich's concern, though; that evening, he took the Spice Girls to dine at the Ritz Hotel, a prestigious establishnt with nearly a hundred years of history in London.
Everyone at the table was having a lively conversation, especially Hallie, who was quite curious about Aldrich. She relentlessly bombarded him with questions, eager to get answers.
Having finished his al, Aldrich wiped his mouth with a napkin and shrugged, "No, you've got it all wrong, completely wrong. At least in the Premier League, coaches don't earn as much as players. There might be one or two exceptions, like Ferguson, but I doubt his salary exceeds Cantona's. As a head coach, I can save the club so expenses, that's true, but Millwall is actually operating at a loss. I'm carrying a debt of thirty-five million pounds, and every day contractors are pressuring us because we still have a new stadium contract to fulfill, and I expect the investnt in the new stadium to exceed sixty million pounds. So, don't be fooled by Millwall's current glory; in reality, I'm buried under over a hundred million pounds of debt."
The five Spice Girls were taken aback.
They couldn't imagine what a hundred million pounds actually ant.
Geri hesitated and asked, "I heard the Hall family has assets exceeding three hundred million pounds. Even if you are facing a debt collection, it shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Aldrich's handso face broke into a smile as he shook his head, saying, "Let's assu the rumors are true, but the Hall family wouldn't have ￡300 million in liquid cash. By the ti my debt issues reach a critical breaking point, if the Hall family were to step in to pay my debts, my assets would take a significant hit. Business competitors would know we are eager to sell, and an asset valued at ￡10 million could be forced down to ￡8 million when sold. But all of this won't co to pass, because I am who I am, and my brother is my brother; we are independent of one another."
"What are you going to do then? I an, since the club is your only asset, how do you plan to earn a hundred million pounds? Are you planning to go public? Other clubs are doing this and seem to be making a lot of money."
The 90s saw a frenzy of clubs going public, but by the early 2000s, the football bubble began to burst.
Aldrich shook his head again, saying, "No, the football bubble is too large. In reality, all publicly traded football clubs are worthless stocks—it's just a deceptive way to funnel fans' hard-earned money into the pockets of club shareholders. This system is even worse than the mber-based model employed by Spanish clubs, where mbers willingly pay dues to support the club purely for the love of football. Once a club goes public, the motives beco far less straightforward. Millwall will make money; we've already started to turn a profit this season, having signed several sponsorship deals, which is a great start."
The Spice Girls exchanged glances, initially thinking Aldrich was a wealthy young handso guy, but they realized he was burdened with debt.
lanie took Aldrich's hand and quietly said, "When I make money, I can invest in Millwall."
Aldrich laughed heartily, "But I won't accept it; Millwall is mine alone."
"You know what I an."
"I understand, and that's why I refuse."
"Oh co on, don't be all mushy, Aldrich. There are plenty of girls who like you. In fact, just now at the stadium, I saw many girls holding signs professing their love for you. What do you think about that?"
Geri asked with a mischievous smile.
Aldrich tilted his head and pondered for a few seconds before saying, "That's a serious topic. I want to be an excellent head coach, so my private life shouldn't be the focus, especially not having negative press. It could have very detrintal effects."
Geri bead and continued with mischief, "In this week's Sun newspaper, there's a model who professed her love for you. She said she admires you, and it would be a blessing to be friends with you. Oh, her na is Katie Price, stage na Jordan."
Aldrich raised an eyebrow slightly. The na Jordan echoed loudly, not only as the basketball legend in Arica, but in the future, there would also be a Jordan who beca famous in English football—Unfortunately, that pair was fake.
"Happiness? Certainly, if she becos my friend, she will be happy because I can bring her exposure and fa, which will help her career leap forward rapidly, maintaining a high profile with revealing outfits. Many n would be eager to see the flirtatious side of won connected to Aldrich, and hostile fans would unbuckle their belts, fantasizing about a night with an Aldrich-labeled woman, splattering their fluids on the nude images of page three girls in The Sun. But for , this is a disaster; my private life needs to be low-key, and I would only serve as a stepping stone for these won's careers. When I can't et their needs for public exposure, or when I silence their tabloid gossip, they will leave to seek the next man who can help them shine in their careers. You have to admit that football is the most watched sport in the UK and a fixed source of entertainnt for fans, so star players beco targets for page three girls. As a head coach, what would it be like if one day my players or the opposing team's players end up dating won I previously dated? It would be a disaster! I won't stoop to the vulgar level that saturates tabloid covers; it's shaful."
Aldrich's words were quite blunt, but he spoke the truth. With over forty years of experience, he took every decision seriously.
He wouldn't be attracted to won who gained attention by revealing their bodies; occasional glances were fine, but dating was out of the question! Because that could lead to negative impacts on his reputation, family na, and career.
Emma seed to find it hard to accept Aldrich's words. She said stiffly, "Aldrich, this is your bias."
"Oh, Emma, stop being so naive and mature a little. You're almost thirty. This is a world where n are thieves and won are prostitutes. There are ruthless n, and there are shaless won. Just because you don't see taking off your clothes to shoot nude photos as a career doesn't an others won't. Aldrich is right; if he weren't the club's head coach, if he weren't the owner, and if his last na weren't Hall, do you really think Jordan would openly profess his love?"
Geri, the oldest among the Spice Girls, was clearly more open-minded and casually comnted.
lanie watched with a smile as her sisters chatted with Aldrich, enjoying his sharp and cutting remarks as he didn't get flustered like a typical young boy.
As they were getting ready to leave, a stranger approached Aldrich. He was elegantly dressed, polite, wearing a wonderful smile. Even though he looked over fifty with a head full of white hair, he still appeared vibrant and youthful.
"Excuse for interrupting. Are you Mr. Hall?"
Aldrich noticed the three Spice Girls sitting across from him widening their eyes in disbelief as they looked at the newcor next to him.
Curious, Aldrich turned to observe the person and briefed him—you could tell he did not recognize him.
"Yes, I am Mr. Hall, but I'm Aldrich Hall, just not sure if you've mistaken for soone else."
Aldrich thought the person was likely looking for his oldest brother Barnett Hall or his second brother Andrew Hall.
The man smiled and extended his hand to introduce himself: "George Armani. It seems I didn't mistake the person; may I take a seat? I hope I'm not interrupting your dinner with these lovely ladies."
Aldrich was stunned for a second; he still didn't recognize the person, but based on the Spice Girls' expressions and the na, he guessed the man's identity.
The renowned Armani, the famous designer who defined the fashion industry during the '80s as the "Armani Era."
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