"This is remarkable," Don Carlos said, his voice carrying the steady authority of someone who had spent decades confronting institutional discrimination. "These terms are virtually identical to those presented in March. The salary figures are the same, the progression clauses remain unchanged, and the commercial obligations continue to require impossible participation in traditional media activities."
The observation was delivered with the clinical precision of a prosecutor presenting evidence, highlighting the institutional laziness that had led them to repackage the same discriminatory terms as a generous compromise.
Don Carlos opened his own briefcase and withdrew the contract documents from their previous meeting, laying them side by side with the "new" offer to demonstrate the minimal differences between the two proposals.
"The only substantive changes appear to be formatting modifications and the addition of a few clauses that actually make the terms more restrictive rather than more generous," the elderly man continued, his methodical analysis exposing the fundamental dishonesty of the institutional presentation.
"This is not a new offer or a compromise - it's the same discriminatory contract with cosmetic changes designed to create the appearance of movement where none exists."
The comparison was devastating in its accuracy, revealing the extent to which the institution had relied on the assumption that systematic pressure would eliminate the need for genuine negotiation or meaningful compromise.
Their strategy had been based on the belief that Mateo's position would deteriorate sufficiently to accept any terms, regardless of their adequacy or fairness.
Rosell's response revealed the depth of institutional delusion about the effectiveness of their systematic campaign and their fundamental misunderstanding of the psychological impact their behavior had actually achieved.
"The terms reflect our comprehensive assessment of the current situation and the realities that have emerged over the past several months," the president explained, his tone suggesting that these realities were external rather than the product of their own discriminatory behavior. "We believe they represent a fair resolution that acknowledges both sporting contributions and commercial limitations."
The statement was a masterclass in institutional doublespeak, presenting discriminatory treatment as objective assessment while ignoring the systematic campaign that had been designed to create the very "realities" being referenced.
The language was carefully crafted to suggest that Mateo's position had deteriorated naturally rather than through deliberate institutional manipulation.
Josep Segura then provided the same commercial analysis that had been presented two months earlier, his charts and projections virtually unchanged despite the obvious failure of their previous approach to achieve its intended objectives.
The commercial director's presentation demonstrated the institutional assumption that repeating failed arguments would somehow produce different results.
"Our marketing analysis continues to indicate significant challenges in promoting players who cannot participate in traditional media activities," Segura explained, his presentation recycling the same discriminatory reasoning that had been thoroughly debunked during their previous encounter.
"The commercial realities of modern football require players who can serve as complete brand ambassadors, and our contract terms must reflect these requirements."
The presentation was notable not for its content, which remained unchanged, but for the institutional confidence with which it was delivered. The assumption was that time and pressure had somehow validated arguments that had been rejected as discriminatory and inadequate during their previous meeting.
Mateo observed these proceedings with the analytical detachment of someone who had already transcended the psychological manipulation being attempted.
His internals reflected the strategic clarity that had emerged from months of systematic persecution, allowing him to see their behavior as confirmation of institutional moral bankruptcy rather than a source of personal distress.
They genuinely believe their campaign has worked, he thought, watching Rosell's confident demeanor and Segura's recycled presentation. They think that months of isolation and media manipulation have made me desperate enough to accept the same humiliating terms they offered before.
They've learned nothing and changed nothing - they've simply assumed that I would break under pressure.
The realization was both liberating and clarifying, confirming that his decision to seek opportunities elsewhere was not just strategically sound but morally necessary.
An institution that could repeat the same discriminatory playbook while believing it represented generous compromise was fundamentally incapable of the change that would be required for a productive relationship.
The System provided additional analysis of the institutional behavior and its implications for future interactions.
Pattern recognition confirms repetition of previously failed discriminatory strategies with minimal modification, the entity observed.
Institutional confidence suggests genuine belief that systematic pressure has altered negotiating dynamics in their favor. This represents fundamental misunderstanding of psychological impact achieved through discriminatory behavior.
Current institutional approach validates strategic assessment that departure represents optimal pathway for continued development. Recommend maintenance of analytical detachment while observing completion of predictable discriminatory sequence.
The analysis reinforced Mateo's own conclusions about the futility of attempting to work within an institutional framework that was fundamentally committed to discriminatory treatment disguised as business necessity.
Don Carlos's response to the institutional presentation was measured but devastating, drawing on decades of experience confronting discriminatory organizations and their predictable patterns of behavior.
"What we're witnessing here is a textbook example of institutional discrimination disguised as business analysis," the elderly man stated, his voice carrying the authority of someone who had seen these patterns repeated countless times throughout his advocacy career. "The same inadequate terms, the same discriminatory justifications, the same assumption that pressure and time will somehow transform unacceptable offers into reasonable proposals."
The observation was delivered with the clinical precision of an expert witness, highlighting the institutional patterns that discriminatory organizations often followed when attempting to justify morally indefensible positions.
Don Carlos's experience had taught him that such institutions rarely learned from their failures, instead choosing to repeat failed strategies while expecting different results.
"This approach reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of both the legal and moral issues involved in this situation," he continued, his methodical analysis exposing the institutional assumptions that had guided their strategy.
"Discrimination does not become acceptable through repetition, and inadequate offers do not become reasonable through the passage of time or the application of systematic pressure."
The response was both educational and condemnatory, providing a framework for understanding the institutional behavior while making clear that such behavior would not be tolerated or accepted regardless of the pressure applied.