隨意翻譯，大家加減看，有錯請包涵。
Five years separates two stories involving the same characters; one prevalent
in this country, another not so well known. They are tales that go some way
towards explaining why Barcelona were so forceful in their attempt to sign
Philippe Coutinho but ultimately, why their attempt will prove not to be
quite forceful enough.
這個章節涉及兩個相隔五年的故事，一個在英國廣為流傳另一個則鮮為人知。
它們解釋了為什麼巴薩那麼努力想簽下酷弟但最終卻很可能功敗垂成。
It was in July 2012 when Pep Segura, then the technical manager at Liverpool’
s academy, ended his three-year association at the club after previously
being told by Liverpool’s owner, John W. Henry, he had earned a promotion.
時間回到2012年7月，當時是利物浦青年軍技術總監的Pep Segura (以下稱古拉)
接到來自利物浦老闆John Henry(以下稱姜亨利)通知他即將升官的消息。
Before Brendan Rodgers became Liverpool’s manager, Henry and Segura held a
three-hour meeting and it was concluded that Segura would become Liverpool’s
new sporting director, filling the administrative space left behind by Damien
Comolli’s sacking a few months earlier.
在Brendan Rodgers(以下稱房總)成為利物浦主教練前，姜亨利跟古拉在一場三小時的會
議中，做出大雄將接任Comolli(科莫利)被解雇後懸缺數月的利物浦體育總監的決定。
Rodgers, though, had other ideas, insisting his own appointment would not
involve another tier of management above him. For Segura – a decent man, and
someone respected inside Liverpool particularly for his contribution towards
the development of Raheem Sterling – there was reasonable embarrassment when
he arrived at Melwood for the start of pre-season training only to find out
then there would be no place for him in the new set-up.
但房總有別的看法，他不想要他上頭還有人能干涉他的決定。
而這對於古拉這個在栽培Sterling(以下稱逆子)有功的傢伙來說，在古拉發現季前訓練
的編制中沒有他的角色時，他當然會感到難堪。
Despite his efforts to contact Henry about his proposed fresh
responsibilities, the line of communication had gone stone cold since Rodgers
’s arrival. Though he expected that plans had changed, Segura was upset and
angry that he had found out this way and so, on that July morning, rather
than driving to the academy in Kirkby as he had been told to by Rodgers, he
resigned on the spot – though the announcement of his departure was made a
month later.
雖然古拉努力去跟姜亨利溝通，想重新確認他所被賦予的職責，但他們溝通效能從房總
到職以後已經降到冰點。雖然古拉知道是計畫改變了，但古拉當然是很賭爛與沮喪，
所以在某個七月的早上，他拒絕前往房總叫他去的青年軍上班，而是選擇辭職。
Those who knew Segura best from his time at Liverpool describe him as a
professional and so, his hurt was understandable considering he had been
treated without the necessary level of respect. Sources in Catalonia,
meanwhile, say Segura has a long memory. Now Barcelona’s general manager
having returned to the club where he built his coaching reputation, and as
the person overseeing player recruitment, it is told he has viewed the
signing of Coutinho as a personal mission.
熟悉古拉的人都說，沒有受到應得的尊重的古拉會如此受傷是正常的。
而加泰那邊的消息源則說，古拉的記性很好(或許該說是記仇)，他現在回到讓他成名的
巴塞隆納，又成為那裏的GM，並且肩負招募球員的責任，而他也將簽下酷弟視為個人的
重要任務。
While Coutinho is seen as a long-term successor for the fading Andr廥
Iniesta, the whiplash of his own departure from Liverpool still stings and it
is said he would like nothing better than to expose Fenway Sports Group’s
collective stance over Coutinho’s future as total mush.
而酷弟被視為接班Iniesta的最佳人選，而他要去巴薩的事件正好是可以說明粉味集團
對於酷弟的未來的立場根本是亂七八糟。
It was a small but significant detail when Fenway released a “definitive”
statement earlier this month, outlining that Coutinho would not be sold,
this was not a statement released by Liverpool FC but by its ownership group,
a statement, indeed, that was not signed off by any person in particular as
they often are when something important is announced
在粉味集團這個月初發出那封不會賣酷弟的聲明時有個微小但值得注意的細節。
這聲明不是由利物浦球團發出，而是由粉味集團的經營階層直接發出這個聲明，而且這封
重要的聲明也不同於很詭異，竟然沒有任何人在這份重要的聲明上做署名。
Hour-by-hour, day-to-day, week-to-week, Henry does not have much involvement
in the decision-making processes at the club and instead, key issues are
dealt with by J槀gen Klopp, Michael Edwards, Liverpool’s sporting director,
and Mike Gordon, Fenway’s president.
其實雖著時間推移，姜亨利已經不太在決策圈中了。
渣叔、以及體育總監愛德華還有粉味集團總裁戈登才是實質的決策者。
Henry only intervenes when he really needs to and this was one of his calls.
Before Coutinho had submitted his transfer request, Henry knew that his scan,
taken on Tuesday August 8, for mysterious back strain had returned without
obvious signs of injury. He knew as well that two days later a 3pm meeting
involving Edwards and Coutinho’s representatives had not gone well at all.
Any owner of a well-run football club should also be informed and be able to
imagine what might follow when a star player signs a new five year-contract –
as Coutinho did in January – but proceeds to only agree a short-term lease
on his home, especially when it has already been reported that Barcelona are
interested in him.
姜亨利只會在必要時介入利物浦的運作，而酷弟這件事情是其中之一。
在酷弟遞交轉會申請前，姜亨利知道酷弟的背傷檢查結果顯示其實沒甚麼傷。
他也知道兩天後跟愛德華還有酷弟經紀人那個會議不會有甚麼好事情。
而身為一個體質健康的足球俱樂部的經營者，他應該可以想見像酷弟這種球星他剛簽下了
五年合約，房子租約卻只是一張短期的租約而已，可以想見狀況不樂觀。
Those that have dealt with Henry regularly know how he is capable of brain
lapses, instances where he has appeared completely engrossed on a subject one
moment and unreachable the next. Particularly relating to Liverpool matters,
perhaps living on the other side of an ocean while running a business empire
where Anfield forms only a part of his thoughts contributes towards the way
he approaches things. Perhaps, indeed, this is why Segura found himself
isolated very quickly from what seemed a position of promise.
那些時常與姜亨利相處的人都知道，亨利很「擅長」失智，常常前一秒跟你說什麼下一秒
就說他忘了、反悔了。（其實就是假失智啦幹）
尤其在跟利物浦有關的事情上，或許是因為天高皇帝遠，利物浦對姜亨利來說太枝微末節
或許，這就是古拉當初在利物浦莫名其妙被從他被承諾的位置上踢走的原因。
Henry’s distance from Merseyside has not helped in the past because he has
not been around to cast judgements for himself. He has instead relied on the
opinions of his appointments, which have been bad ones too often – meaning
that he has only acted when it has been too late, contributing towards a
generally negative impression of his and Fenway’s intentions.
姜亨利跟莫西賽德的遙遠距離讓他無法就近決策。他因此依靠一些他指派的手下的意見。
這為他以及粉味集團在莫西賽德留下了不好的印象，因為這些代理人的決策常常很糟，而
姜亨利本人總是太慢才做出反應去挽救。
Having decided that Coutinho would stay, he could not afford to back down
particularly when the transfer market did not map out exactly the way
Liverpool or its febrile supporter base would have wanted in terms of
incomings. Fenway have been determined to change Liverpool’s reputation and
by not relenting to Coutinho’s wishes, for the time being at least, it sends
a message to their own players as well as rivals that this is not a selling
club.
酷弟會留下這個決定已經無法回頭了，尤其在轉會市場的收購並不如球迷所願的狀況下。
粉味已經決定在酷弟的事情上不做讓步，好挽救這幾年的壞形象。至少他要告訴利物浦
的球員與對手們，我們不再是個selling club。
Any other outcome would have been received as deception and from then on, it
is hard to see how any of the messages coming out of Liverpool would ever be
trusted again
另一種可能的結果則是欺騙，而這也代表著從這刻起，所有從利物浦(粉味集團)所發出
的訊息，都不會在被球迷所相信。
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總之就是，古拉跟姜亨利因為房總來以後的事情有過節，所以古拉很想將利物浦一軍。
但其實姜亨利有失智的狀況（出爾反爾），所以說不定當年只是他「發病」了而已，但這
也是為什麼這幾年粉味集團常常發聲明最後卻是講幹話，因為亨利根本搞不清楚狀況，隨
便亂回答，而且天高皇帝遠，他也沒花多少精力在留心利物浦的事情都丟給手下，所以也
建立了這幾年粉味集團的惡名。
現在就看C10事件怎麼處理，決定未來還有沒有辦法挽回形象。