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Chapter 344: Schneider's Dilemma

After the World Cup, Klinsmann, perhaps feeling the competition with his former teammate Loew, announced his retirement and did not settle in the United States as the original history had planned, but immediately sought a position at Millwall.

While L?w's playing career wasn't remarkable, he had been Klinsmann's teammate and later became a recognized young coach in German football. Last season, he led Stuttgart to the European Cup Winners' Cup final, only to narrowly miss out on the trophy. Had he won, L?w might have been celebrated as one of the top young coaches.

As Aldrich pondered Klinsmann's application, he weighed the pros and cons.

The downside was clear: Klinsmann was a great player and would eventually become a well-known coach, but for now, he was a rookie in coaching. If Aldrich hired him, he would likely need to guide Klinsmann closely as he adapted to Millwall and his new role.

On the other hand, the advantages were plenty. First, Klinsmann's fame would attract more attention to the club.

Secondly, his extensive playing experience across various European leagues could offer insights that most other coaches wouldn't provide.

Lastly, Klinsmann had connections within German football. Despite his contentious relationships with certain powers in the national team, his network could bring additional benefits to Millwall beyond his coaching duties.

Considering all this, Aldrich concluded that the benefits outweighed the drawbacks. There might be candidates with better qualifications than Klinsmann right now, but once he found his footing, he could excel.

Aldrich instructed the HR department to withdraw the assistant coach posting and personally called Klinsmann. The call didn't catch Klinsmann off guard; he was on vacation in the U.S. and felt he deserved the opportunity at Millwall given his player background. Aldrich expressed his anticipation for their future collaboration over the phone.

Klinsmann began packing his bags for London, while Aldrich changed into sportswear and headed to the training ground to oversee the players' recovery training.

Having beaten Manchester United the day before, the players were in high spirits, and today's training was lively. Post-match sessions focused primarily on recovery, with easy drills that kept things light but purposeful.

As Aldrich observed from the sidelines, he noticed Schneider seemed preoccupied. He whistled and gestured for Schneider, who reluctantly jogged over.

"What's bothering you?"

After more than four years of working together, Aldrich could read his players' expressions like an open book.

Schneider hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Sort of."

"I can read your face; something's up. Can I assist you in any way? If that's not possible, you need to talk to someone who can help — keeping it bottled up won't help and might interfere with your life and work."

Schneider glanced back at his training partners and whispered, "Boss, can we talk somewhere quieter?"

Aldrich raised an eyebrow in surprise; could he actually be in a position to help?

He wasn't keen on playing the role of a "confidant." If Schneider just wanted an audience, Aldrich would be frustrated.

Problems should be solved; talking alone won't do the trick.

He led Schneider to a spot at least thirty meters away from the rest of the team.

After several moments of awkward silence, Schneider scratched his head.

"Just say it if I can help."

Aldrich's underlying message was clear: if he couldn't help, he didn't want to be someone's sounding board.

After gathering his thoughts, Schneider finally spoke, "Boss, I'm earning over a million pounds a year now, but I'm not sure what to do with all this money."

Aldrich's mouth dropped open in surprise. "You don't know what to do with money?"

Once his surprise faded, he cleared his throat and replied casually, "Bernd, that's easy. Let's sign a new contract where your weekly wage drops from twenty-five thousand to two hundred and fifty. Problem solved."

Schneider's jaw dropped in shock, and he quickly replied, "Boss, I'm not joking. I've discussed with my wife, and we're stuck. I've entrusted part of my income to Mr. Andrew for financial management, and he's done well, achieving high returns annually. We want to give him the rest of our money for investment, but he refuses, saying it's not safe. In the end, he asked me to check with you."

Aldrich crossed his arms and listened as Schneider explained his concerns.

Schneider's earnings mainly came from his football salary and bonuses, with some income from endorsements and commercial activities.

As his agent, Andrew had a responsibility to help manage Schneider's finances, but he couldn't take all of Schneider's savings. Andrew wouldn't dare, either, fearing the risks involved. His investment company was doing well now, but no one could guarantee they'd remain unaffected by future financial crises.

Schneider's worry stemmed from a prudent awareness of the uncertainties that lay ahead.

Football careers are fleeting. Even if he played until 40, that only gave him about 15 years left. What would happen after that?

Ordinary people often say that having five million or ten million is enough for a lifetime.

But life doesn't quite work that way.

When you're living a five-million lifestyle, you'll start to yearn for a ten-million lifestyle, then fifteen million.

Especially when a decrease in wealth forces you to lower your living standards; that can be a tough pill to swallow.

Hence, investing is essential to maintain and grow wealth, with the basic requirement being to avoid depreciation.

Aldrich stroked his forehead, realizing that Schneider's concerns weren't misguided.

It wouldn't be reasonable to tell him, "You have more than enough money; you won't be able to spend it all."

At Schneider's age, he had family responsibilities and more mature, long-term planning. Even if he could afford to live well now, he wanted to prepare better for the next generation.

In a sense, Schneider's caution was both wise and rare. Unlike many players who live for the moment, spending freely and worrying about tomorrow, Schneider wanted his wealth to grow, showing foresight about his future.

Aldrich felt fortunate; Schneider clearly was a good player.

He wanted to earn more but showed no signs of demanding it from the club.

This was much more admirable than those countless players who relentlessly pursued higher contracts.

With that thought in mind, Aldrich looked at Schneider and saw a glimmering aura about him, a reflection of his noble character.

"Give me two minutes to think it over."

After Aldrich spoke, Schneider stared at him curiously.

Most average players lack financial acumen. There are some exceptions, such as the stock market genius Hoeness, or the football king Pele, who lost everything but regained huge wealth; or Robbie Fowler, who became a successful investor after hanging up his boots. But these are football outliers. Most players usually rely on agents for financial management.

Aldrich planned to help Schneider ensure his financial security even after retirement.

After a moment of thought, he asked, "Bernd, do you like wine?"

Schneider's eyes lit up as he nodded.

"Then how about investing in wine? Buy some well-aged bottles and store them. When you retire, if you need cash, you can sell a few and should see returns of at least five times."

Aldrich casually suggested.

Schneider's eyes widened in disbelief. "500% return??"

Aldrich replied, "Some wines with high value could even appreciate tenfold or twentyfold."

Schneider scratched his head, puzzled. "Why is that?"

"Because the production of good wine is limited. A great vintage may be followed by a lesser one due to material shortages. Over time, fine wines from ten or twenty years ago are consumed, leaving fewer in circulation. Naturally, the price goes up."

Aldrich explained confidently.

While he wasn't particularly fond of red wine, ever since he had shared a glass with Ferguson, he had taken the initiative to learn at least the basic theoretical knowledge, not wanting to lose face.

With news of expensive wines often making headlines, he thought the idea would be a viable proposition for Schneider.

Investing in stocks might yield higher returns, but it also comes with anxiety.

Sure, he could suggest that Schneider invest in shares of Walmart or Time Warner, which would surely make him a billionaire in twenty years.

But in those twenty years, he'd likely never get a moment of peaceful sleep.

Who could guarantee there wouldn't be a market crash tomorrow?

Especially for an ordinary person who knows nothing about finance, larger investments only lead to increased worries.

The goal of investing should be to sleep soundly without constant concern over the future, not to derail sleep today because of anxieties about tomorrow...

After a moment of reflection, Schneider asked, "If the returns are so high, shouldn't everyone be doing it?"

Aldrich shook his head. "The average person lacks the patience and financial means. To see tangible returns, you'd need to store a bottle for at least five years. Who's willing to buy a case or more and wait? Also, storing fine wine requires precise conditions—constant temperature and humidity, which need proper management. It's not practical without a significant initial investment; the storage costs can add up quickly for small quantities."

Understanding the complexities, Schneider decided to talk to his wife about it later but suddenly stared at Aldrich intently.

"What is it? Still worried about something?"

"Uh, boss, you came up with a way to get rich in just two minutes? Are you even human?"

Aldrich playfully kicked him, but Schneider quickly dodged and returned to training with the others.