The New Contracts

The boardroom was full of football club personnel, including a number of faces the players weren't familiar with. The players, dressed in their finest suits, all muttered and whispered to each other, excited at the prospect of meeting their new club owner for the first time. Warincastle FC was already a world-class football club. After topping the leaderboard for the past few years, they had a reputation to uphold. But the meeting had already seemed out of the blue. The boardroom seemed different, out of the ordinary. Perhaps it was the number of people there. Whatever the reason, the players of Warincastle were confused and anxious, wondering what was happening.

The Shaudir prince finally entered the room. Followed by ten security guards and his three personal assistants, and a trail of people who seemed to be neither club personnel nor executives. The players tried to discreetly glance at the new arrivals. They were all dressed in expensive suits and had an air of importance about them.

As he walked past the boardroom table, he came to a halt. He looked to the players, "I expect you all to stand when I enter meetings," he said in a stern voice.

The eighteen young men quickly stood up; the boardroom chairs were difficult to manoeuvre across the plush boardroom carpet. They waited for the prince to speak, unsure of what was going to happen next. The tension in the room was palpable as the prince surveyed the players, his gaze lingering on each one of them.

Finally, he spoke, his voice cold and commanding. "You can remain standing; our guests can take the seats." The prince waved a hand and continued to his own seat.

"Your performance on the field recently has been unacceptable, and as a result, changes will be made. Effective immediately, your coach has been fired, and a new one will be appointed."

The players were shocked, gasps and hushed whispers darted between them. The Shaudir prince sat down, and his personal assistants quickly handed him a folder filled with papers. He began to shuffle through them, occasionally muttering something to his assistants in his native language.

"I apologise for the dramatic entrance, but as you may know, I, the Shaudir prince, bought Warincastle FC at the beginning of spring." He picked up a piece of paper from the table and looked at it intently. "Since then, we have implemented changes to club policies and to your contracts that you must be made aware of."

The players exchanged nervous glances, wondering what was going on and why they were all there. Finally, the prince looked up and addressed the room. "Rest assured, all changes have been made with the success of the club at the forefront. But with a marked difference to any other clubs in the UK. But before we get into that, let me introduce our esteemed guests, who will be joining us for the remainder of this meeting." The prince turned to his left and gestured to the man, and three women sat there. "Gentlemen, this is my brother, Prince Zain Qasimi, and his wives. They have graciously agreed to invest more money in our club and help take it to new heights. With their support, we will be able to make the changes necessary to stay ahead of the game and ensure the continued success of our club. We are excited to have them on board and look forward to working together to achieve our goals."

The players all nodded and murmured a greeting. But neither the man nor his wives turned to look in their direction.

The prince turned and gestured to the men seated to his right. "And these are experts in sports psychology and performance coaching, and they will be working with us closely to ensure that we are all working towards the same goal. Doctor Ruslan Aziz and Doctor Tahleed Jameel, along with their assistants." Four men turned and gave the team a curt nod.

"And of course you know the board." The prince waved a hand to the far end of the boardroom table, before continuing. "Thank you for your attention, and let's get started on discussing the new policies and contracts. Now, as I mentioned earlier, our club will have a marked difference to any other clubs in the UK. We have decided to focus on your performance. All of you are in great condition, and the team has proven themselves to be top-tier, but we can push you further; we want to be the best. Unbeaten. As you are aware, I am from Shaudir, a very different culture."

The players began to look at each other, not knowing what was coming next.

"This may seem irrelevant, but it has a direct correlation with our new policies. We believe that sexual activity can affect an athlete's performance, both physically and mentally. It is a proven fact that sexual activity can decrease testosterone levels in males, which can ultimately lead to decreased muscle mass and strength. Additionally, sexual activity can also cause fatigue and decrease overall energy levels."

The players began to whisper and talk to each other again, their voices full of indignation.

"Quite, please!" Chairman Kordan slammed his fat fist on the boardroom table and raised his voice, silencing the players. "I understand that this may be a difficult concept for some of you to grasp, but we are not here to debate cultural beliefs. We are here to perform at our best on the field. That means making sacrifices and prioritising our game. Now listen to what the prince has to say."

The players shifted uncomfortably, still not convinced.

"Thank you, Chairman Kordan." He turned to the players, his face stern, "I encourage you to do your own research, but our performance and physical experts know best. They have the data to back this up. By abstaining from sex, you can maintain high testosterone levels and increase your energy levels, ultimately improving your performance on the field. Therefore, we will be implementing a strict code of conduct that includes a ban on any sexual activity during the season. That means no sex, no masturbation, and nothing in between."

"That's ridiculous," Darren Grymes said rolling his eyes. "You expect us to go an entire season without any sexual release. We're not fucking monks, we're human beings with natural urges."