When the match reached the 42nd minute, the score was still 0-0.
In midfield, Kalvin Phillips dispossessed Dele Alli and pretended to drive the ball forward, drawing the attention of Manchester United's midfield defense, before suddenly passing the ball back.
Kimmich made a forward run to receive it, then delivered a long pass that landed precisely on the left side of the penalty area.
At this point, Manchester United's entire defensive line was pushed very high and was also biased toward their left side. Right-back Dalot had shifted centrally, leaving much of their right flank completely exposed.
Then a black figure darted forward. He didn't appear particularly fast, but his positioning was impeccable.
Who was that?
Watching from the stands, Butragueño was instinctively surprised.
Real Madrid had been keeping a close eye on Leeds United's left winger, Mbappé, all season, so they were very familiar with the players on that side. But this young player was unfamiliar.
They had still been in the VIP box during the player announcements and hadn't heard the lineup.
But immediately, this unfamiliar player showed remarkable quality.
Calmness.
Kimmich's long pass reached the left flank of the attacking third. The Leeds United player quickly accelerated and controlled the ball deftly with the outside of his right foot, stopping it perfectly in front of him for the next move.
That first touch ignited the entire Amazon Stadium into thunderous cheers.
Dalot quickly tracked back, but the Leeds United player wasn't in a rush. He dribbled diagonally toward the left corner of the penalty area, broke into the box, and before the defenders could close in, he feinted toward the byline, tricking Dalot into scrambling to cover. Then, with a sudden stop, he flicked the ball with the outside of his right foot and cut inside.
After shaking off Dalot, and before Maguire could arrive, he leaned his body and unleashed a quick low shot with his right foot. The ball flew across the ground toward the right side of the goal.
De Gea dived to save but couldn't get to it. The ball bounced off the edge of the six-yard box.
De Gea lunged again, but still couldn't reach it.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLL!"
Cheers erupted from the announcers throughout the Amazon Stadium.
All the fans leapt from their seats, screaming at the top of their lungs.
The circular screen continuously displayed the goal replay, and combined with the booming sound system, it sent the stadium into complete frenzy.
This was the madness of Leeds United's Amazon Stadium.
The name of the scorer echoed throughout the stadium.
Rodrygo!
After scoring, the young Brazilian ran toward the sidelines to celebrate with the roaring Leeds United supporters.
The circular screen replayed the entire sequence of Kimmich's long pass and Rodrygo's goal again and again, while the commentator shouted that he was only 18 years and 2 months old.
That made the crowd erupt even louder.
A prodigy is always a major draw in professional football.
Although Leeds United had no shortage of young stars, their every appearance still drove the fans wild.
Rodrygo, especially, had just broken through Manchester United's defense to score.
...
"Too calm."
Butragueño had been a striker himself and understood very well that in that situation, every move and every action Rodrygo made was close to perfect.
That wasn't just a sign of solid fundamentals, but of tremendous composure.
"Is he really only 18?" Butragueño couldn't help but ask.
Borrell looked at Gao Shen and Lucas, then nodded with a smile. "He only joined Leeds United from Brazil in January. We applied under the exceptional talent clause. He became eligible to play in February."
"His speed wasn't explosive, but his technique was excellent. The way he handled the ball and linked up his movements was smooth. Honestly, that whole sequence was special. There was no dragging, no hesitation, just clean execution. That cut past Dalot especially," Butragueño commented.
His eye for detail was sharp.
After saying that, he looked at Gao Shen and Lucas, then glanced at Florentino. He seemed to want to say more but held back.
He understood perfectly well that Leeds United were already preparing for Mbappé's eventual departure.
Mbappé had been outstanding this season, scoring over 29 goals in the Premier League, almost one per match, and delivering 8 assists.
Last summer, after Leeds United sold Harry Kane and Sadio Mané, many doubted whether their attack would hold up.
But now, with Mbappé's rise, along with Vardy and Dembélé, the team's attacking firepower hadn't weakened.
Mbappé's departure had been expected, and Leeds United had clearly planned ahead.
Vinícius, who had been phenomenal this season, plus Grealish, and others like Rashford, Sancho, and Félix, who could also fill in on the left, all provided depth.
And tonight, Rodrygo was starting on the left.
The key point was that aside from Grealish, who was 23, the rest were all between 18 and 20 years old.
"How do you manage that?" Butragueño asked with sincere curiosity.
"Manage what?" Borrell was momentarily confused.
Butragueño pointed to the pitch. "These young players, so young, yet they consistently perform."
Gao Shen smiled and said, "Remember when I told you at Valdebebas that the issue with young players isn't ability? They just need to grow, gain experience. As long as the tactical system is stable and roles are clearly defined, they can break through in a single season."
"Honestly, it's not that great. Think about Messi and Ronaldo. At 20, they were already putting up Ballon d'Or-level performances. If we use them as the benchmark, these players still have a ways to go."
"Besides, with technological advances, better youth training, and more scientific methods, players will peak longer and start showing elite traits at younger ages."
These words hit differently for Florentino and the others.
Was Gao Shen talking about young players?
Not exactly. He was talking about high-level youth development, elite coaching, precise role assignment, and a mature tactical system.
All of this was being delivered by Gao Shen and his team.
To Florentino and his delegation, tonight's FA Cup quarter-final between Leeds United and Manchester United didn't feel like just a knockout match. It felt more like a demonstration lab, a showcase of Leeds United's talent development system.
This was a full-blown talent factory, unmatched in European football.
...
As if to confirm Florentino's impression, the second half only reinforced Leeds United's dominance.
After scoring the first goal, Manchester United had to push forward to find an equalizer, giving Leeds more chances to counter.
In the 57th minute, Leeds launched a quick counterattack after winning the ball in midfield.
Haaland dropped deep, received the ball with his back to Matic, shielded it, turned smoothly, and broke free from the Serbian midfielder. After dribbling forward a few steps, he played the ball to the right.
Sancho sprinted down the right wing to collect the pass and faced Luke Shaw, who had tracked back. He threw in a series of feints but couldn't get past Shaw and was forced to stop.
By that time, Haaland had already charged forward.
Sancho calmly passed the ball inward. Haaland suddenly accelerated, received the ball between Maguire and De Vrij, and charged into the box, causing the two center-backs to scramble to close him down.
Haaland stopped suddenly, tapped the ball to his left with his right foot, then swung his left foot for a shot.
A powerful strike.
The ball went straight into Manchester United's goal.
2-0!
"Erling Haaland!"
Even before the stadium announcer called out the scorer's name, the fans were already celebrating.
The 18-year-old Norwegian had already made several appearances this season and had consistently impressed.
He wasn't just tall and strong, but also quick and explosive.
Even more incredibly, he had come up through Leeds United's youth system and had grown under Borrell's guidance, which made his footwork far superior to what it had been in his previous development.
It was ridiculous.
How do you stop a player like that?
Just look at what happened to De Vrij and Maguire. They were both strong and tall, but not as fast as Haaland, and their footwork wasn't as sharp. In direct duels, they had no advantage.
Against physically weaker defenders? Forget it. He would bulldoze them with sheer force.
Majin Buu was still in his initial form. Give him time to evolve, and he would only become more terrifying.
But this was already enough to stun the Real Madrid delegation.
Leeds United's front three, all around 18 years old, had scored two goals against Manchester United.
And on defense, veterans like José Fonte were alongside 18-year-old Alphonso Davies and Achraf Hakimi.
Hakimi had been developed by Real Madrid and had done well, but since being picked up by Leeds United, he had completely transformed.
"Leeds United now reminds me of Ajax at the turn of the century," Florentino said.
Back then, he had just taken over as president of Real Madrid, and Ajax had a youthful squad of players in their early twenties who dazzled in Europe.
"Times have changed," Gao Shen replied with a smile.
Comparing Leeds United to early-2000s Ajax was a compliment to Gao Shen's team, but also a criticism of Ajax.
Because that Dutch club had declined for many years.
There were many reasons for Ajax's fall, depending on who you asked.
But one thing was certain.
"Clubs that can't keep up with the times will become the next Ajax," Gao Shen said meaningfully.
Florentino and the Real Madrid executives all fell into deep thought.
(To be continued.)