In the hotel café, Lourenço finally met the British-Chinese businessman who was said to rarely accept media interviews.
Ethan wore crisp, stylish sportswear and carried himself with an upright posture. His warm smile, bright and intelligent eyes, and the energetic decisiveness in every movement left a particularly strong impression.
"Hello, Mr. Lourenço!" Ethan greeted him, extending his hand first.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Yu. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to speak with me."
Ethan gestured for Lourenço to sit down, then smiled and shook his head.
"Oh, no, Mr. Lourenço. I'm on holiday, so I have plenty of time. As long as the football season is over, I'm usually quite free. I simply don't accept many interviews, which is probably why people assume I'm always busy."
Lourenço laughed. His first impression was that Ethan was extremely approachable.
"I heard you've been travelling between Belgium and the Netherlands because you intend to watch as many matches as possible. Is that right?" Lourenço asked, taking out a notebook and pen.
"Yes. I'm a little worried that football is becoming increasingly results-driven. A tournament as entertaining as this European Championship may be difficult to see again in the future. Even Italy have started playing attacking football this time. Don't you find that enjoyable?"
Lourenço paused, then laughed once he understood what Ethan meant.
Italy had indeed been unusually adventurous in their opening 2-1 victory over Turkey. They had not played conservatively at all. Instead, they had abandoned their usual deep defensive approach and exchanged attacks with Turkey throughout the match.
"So, as a club owner, do you also hope to see attacking football?"
"No, no, no. Quite the opposite. As someone responsible for New Manchester United, what I want most is victory. I can accept attacking football or pragmatic football. The game is always changing, but one thing never changes: everyone wants results."
Ethan smiled.
"And precisely because even I think that way, I worry that future European Championships may not be as exciting as this one."
Lourenço recalled Ethan's earlier remark and laughed again.
He realised that speaking with Ethan required a little thought. Ethan liked to hide the real joke inside his words, forcing the listener to notice it for themselves.
He seemed like someone who would be very easy to get along with.
"England lost last night. As an England supporter, how would you assess the match?"
"The better team won. I regret the result, but that's football."
"What about Beckham? Have you heard about the obscene gesture he made toward the England supporters after the match? Do you think his behaviour was appropriate?" Lourenço asked immediately.
"As one of David's close friends, I know his character very well. He has been through a great deal recently, and the team he loves had just lost. He is an intensely professional and ambitious person. Once a player reaches his level, no one needs to motivate him anymore. His ambition and self-respect will not allow him to accept failure. Whenever he steps onto the pitch, he is thinking only about winning."
"That is exactly why the defeat hurt him so much. But I believe what upset him even more was hearing England supporters insult him, his wife, and even his child."
Ethan's expression hardened.
"That is completely unforgivable. Those people do not deserve to call themselves England supporters. They are simply bad losers looking for someone to blame."
Lourenço hesitated, wondering whether he should record Ethan's words exactly.
Ethan immediately pointed toward his notebook.
"It's fine, Mr. Lourenço. Write down exactly what I said. Some people need to be reminded how ignorant it is to search for a scapegoat every time their team loses."
Seeing Ethan's serious expression, Lourenço knew he was not joking.
Ethan was clearly using the interview to support Beckham, which made Lourenço feel that he must be a very loyal friend.
"So you believe Beckham's reaction was understandable?"
Ethan nodded.
"Yes, although I must also say that he had clearly lost his temper. That is not how he normally behaves."
"What do you and Beckham usually talk about? Everyone knows you are good friends."
"We occasionally go out for a drink, but he is very disciplined. He rarely drinks, and even when he does, he drinks very little. His mind is always on training and matches."
Ethan leaned back slightly.
"I think he should be regarded as a model professional. People should pay more attention to what he does on the pitch instead of constantly discussing his hair, his appearance, or the way he carries himself."
"What about you? Many people find it strange that, with your current financial strength, you could easily buy a Premier League club, yet you chose to build New Manchester United from the bottom."
"I should clarify something," Ethan interrupted. "I only went to the United States to develop my businesses after founding New Manchester United. So I have always been a football supporter first. Everything else came later."
"How do you manage the club on a daily basis? Do you use the same methods as you would in a company?"
Ethan considered the question.
"There are major differences between managing a business and managing a football club, but the underlying principle is similar. People come first."
"The management of any organisation is about maintaining balance. I believe the same applies to a football club."
"Could you give me an example?"
Ethan thought for a moment.
"For instance, when we want to sign a player, we first consult the manager and confirm which position needs strengthening. Then the scouting department begins searching, gathering reports and footage."
"After that, the manager, the scouts, and several others, including me, discuss the available options. Once we choose a target, either I or my partner Andy Walsh handles the negotiations personally."
"So you don't give the manager complete control over transfers, as many English clubs do?"
"I think that's a misunderstanding. Very few clubs give their manager absolute control over transfers."
Ethan continued calmly.
"At Manchester United, even Sir Alex Ferguson did not possess unlimited transfer authority. He submitted his requests to Edwards, and the deal could only proceed after Edwards approved it. Of course, Edwards agreed in most cases."
Ethan had seen reports in the newspapers several times about Ferguson criticising Edwards, including occasions when transfer requests had been rejected.
Giving a manager maximum transfer authority had advantages and disadvantages. Keeping the manager away from transfers entirely also had advantages and disadvantages.
It was impossible to say which model was always better.
Ethan believed the most effective system was one built on balance.
"Although New Manchester United have existed for only two years, you seem to have developed a great deal of insight into running a club," Lourenço said with genuine admiration.
The man in front of him hardly seemed twenty-five. His understanding of football was remarkably mature, perhaps even more thorough than Lourenço's own.
"You may not know this, Mr. Yu, but I'm also a close friend of José Mourinho. I heard that your club has recently shown considerable interest in him."
"Really?" Ethan looked slightly surprised. He genuinely had not known. "We are interested in him because I see many qualities in him that a successful manager needs. He is hardworking, detail-oriented, and possesses a natural arrogance."
Ethan paused.
"However, I also think he places too much pressure on himself."
"Do you believe he could become New Manchester United's Ferguson?" Lourenço asked.
The question immediately told Ethan that Mourinho had discussed their earlier conversation with Lourenço.
That did not matter.
What mattered was discovering what Mourinho truly thought.
In fact, Ethan had deliberately used provocation during their previous meeting.
"It's possible, but I cannot guarantee it. There is only a fine line between arrogance and pride."
"For an arrogant person, pride is often only an exterior. Deep down, they remain humble enough to absorb other people's strengths, correct their own weaknesses, and continue improving."
"But a truly proud person will not do that."
Ethan shook his head.
"Even now, I still cannot tell whether Mr. Mourinho is arrogant or merely proud. I hope it is the former because my interest in him is completely sincere."
Ethan was clearly speaking from a personal perspective. Given New Manchester United's current position, the club itself did not yet have the status to judge Mourinho so boldly.
Even so, Lourenço did not find the words offensive.
On the contrary, they made perfect sense to him.
And he knew Mourinho well enough to understand that Mourinho was arrogant, not blindly proud.
Of course, he could not say that directly to Ethan. He would have to explain it gradually to Mourinho later.
"If José joins New Manchester United, how much authority would you give him?" Lourenço asked.
He was concerned that Ethan, as both a passionate supporter and a highly successful businessman, might interfere with the manager's work and damage Mourinho's working environment.
"Anyone familiar with New Manchester United knows that I never made Steve Bruce's job difficult. I did not interfere with his plans."
"Training, the academy, player discipline, rewards, punishments, all of it was left in his hands."
Ethan smiled.
"Mr. Mourinho would receive no less authority than Bruce. In fact, he would probably receive more."
Lourenço immediately understood Ethan's determination and sincerity.
Ethan's approach was simple. Once he chose someone, he trusted them.
This made Lourenço even more supportive of Mourinho joining New Manchester United. He could see that Ethan was not only ambitious, but also intelligent enough to understand how a football club should be managed.
Three days after the interview, Lourenço decided to act as a mediator.
He invited Ethan and Mourinho to dinner together. After they had eaten, he made an excuse and slipped away, leaving the two men alone.
By then, Mourinho had already learned everything from Lourenço and was no longer resistant to the idea of managing New Manchester United.
However, his proud nature prevented him from lowering his guard. From beginning to end, he never raised the subject himself.
Ethan, having confronted Mourinho harshly during their first meeting, now took a more conciliatory approach.
He extended the invitation once again and formally asked Mourinho to become New Manchester United's manager.
Mourinho accepted the opportunity to step back gracefully and nodded in agreement.
With that, the search for New Manchester United's new manager, which had troubled Ethan for so long, finally came to an end.
(To be continued.)