Starting With Real Madrid

"This is trouble."

After hearing the news that Hiddink had replaced Scolari as Chelsea's head coach, Gao Shen's immediate reaction was a headache.

He stood up from his desk, walked to the window, and gazed at the sprawling golf course in the distance, deep in thought. His mind raced. The situation was complicated, and the headache felt real.

Zidane, Carlo, and Lucas sat around his office, all sharing the same heavy mood. None of them looked optimistic.

"Is Hiddink really that good?" Lucas asked, puzzled.

Carlo and Zidane didn't answer, but their expressions said enough. Like Gao Shen, they were clearly worried about Hiddink.

Chelsea's sudden change in management had put Napoli in an unexpectedly passive position.

According to Gao Shen's memories from his previous life, Scolari should have been sacked in early February, with assistant coach Wilkins stepping in for one or two games before Hiddink officially took charge.

Because of this, Gao Shen had been preparing to face Scolari's Chelsea in the Champions League knockout stage.

But memories could be unreliable. After all, this happened so many years ago, and there was no way for him to verify every detail now.

The issue was that Scolari and Hiddink were completely different types of managers.

Most people's strongest impression of Scolari was the 2002 World Cup, when Brazil won the championship. Watching the "3R" combination—Ronaldo, Rivaldo, and Ronaldinho—storm through opponents with unstoppable force gave the illusion that Scolari was an adventurous coach, even a tactical innovator.

But was that really true?

Before the World Cup, Scolari's Brazilian team was heavily criticized. If not for Ronaldo's sudden resurgence and the magic of the 3R combination, Scolari might have gone down as one of the worst coaches in Brazil's history.

Even with the 3R attack up front, Scolari insisted on using two defensive midfielders—Gilberto Silva and Kleberson—throughout the tournament.

So, rather than crediting the World Cup victory to Scolari's brilliance, it might be more accurate to say that the 3R combination carried him to success.

Of course, Scolari wasn't without merit. He was undeniably a world-class coach. But his coaching style leaned heavily toward conservatism.

In the Premier League, there was a common saying: Scolari's tactics were predictable, with no real surprises. And he wasn't known for his attacking systems—he was even less innovative than Mourinho in that regard.

But how did Chelsea start so well under Scolari?

Because he had meticulously prepared an offensive system before taking over. In the early stages, when opponents hadn't yet adapted, Chelsea's play looked impressive. Combined with an easy run of fixtures, they appeared dominant.

As the season progressed, however, opponents figured out Scolari's tactics. Once they adjusted their own strategies, Chelsea faltered. Scolari failed to evolve his approach, which was his greatest weakness.

This highlighted the key difference between coaching a national team and a club.

In national team management, time is limited. Players arrive on short notice, train briefly, and leave after matches. This forces coaches to simplify tactics—quick and direct solutions are prioritized over complex strategies. Stability is paramount, with small adjustments made for each opponent.

If opponents cracked the system, it usually didn't matter; by the time they did, the tournament was over.

But at the club level, things were different.

Club managers faced a long, grueling season. Opponents had more resources, scouting them daily over months. A strategy that worked today might fail tomorrow once opponents devised counters. If a manager didn't adapt, they would inevitably drop points.

Moreover, national team players competed for pride and honor. This minimized internal conflicts. In contrast, club football involved bonuses, appearance fees, and personal interests, making conflicts far more frequent and complex.

There was even a rumor in the football world that Scolari had taken the Chelsea job because the money was too good to refuse.

In Brazil, coaching salaries were low, and even as the national team manager, Scolari didn't earn much. His time with Portugal had been slightly better, but nothing compared to Chelsea's offer: an annual salary of £5 million. Reportedly, this exceeded his total earnings from his previous two decades of coaching.

On top of that, when he was sacked, Chelsea paid him another £7.5 million in compensation.

While this might sound like conspiracy theorizing, the financial motivation couldn't be ignored.

Abramovich's demand was clear: he wanted Scolari to transform Chelsea and make them play attractive football.

---

"Hiddink and Scolari are two completely different coaches. For one thing, he's Dutch," Gao Shen finally said, answering Lucas's question.

"Some people like to say Hiddink is just lucky. For example, when he coached Russia, Advocaat had already developed a talented generation at Zenit. Hiddink simply benefited from that foundation.

"But luck only takes you so far. If someone succeeds consistently, it's not just luck."

Zidane, Carlo, and Lucas all nodded in agreement.

"Hiddink's ability to use players is remarkable. His style is hard to define because he's extremely pragmatic. He'll do whatever it takes to win. He's not conservative; in fact, he's known for taking risks at critical moments and making them work."

Gao Shen paused, recalling one of Hiddink's most famous decisions:

In the 2008 European Championship, Russian star Arshavin was suspended for the first two group-stage matches due to a red card.

For a team like Russia, this was a massive gamble. With only three group matches, a player unavailable for two could be dead weight, especially with limited squad spots in international tournaments.

Yet Hiddink insisted on taking Arshavin, and when the star finally played, he became the standout performer of the tournament.

"That's Hiddink for you," Gao Shen continued. "You can predict what Scolari might do, but Hiddink? He's much harder to figure out. Now that he's replaced Scolari, we have no idea what tactics or style Chelsea will use."

"More importantly," Gao Shen added, "Hiddink is a master at motivating players. Chelsea's squad has world-class talent, but they've been underperforming. With Hiddink taking over, their morale will recover quickly."

Zidane, Carlo, and Lucas exchanged looks, each silently acknowledging the difficulty of the situation.

Hiddink's reputation spoke for itself. He had success with both national teams and clubs, leading Real Madrid to a title and PSV Eindhoven to the Champions League semi-finals. He wasn't an easy opponent.

Even Gao Shen knew that relying on past experiences from his previous life was pointless. This was a new situation. Chelsea now faced Napoli, and Hiddink's tactics would undoubtedly target Gao Shen's team directly.

But one thing wouldn't change: Chelsea's strengths and weaknesses were defined by their roster.

---

"Fernando," Gao Shen said, stopping in front of his assistants and addressing Lucas.

Lucas looked up, waiting for instructions.

"Chelsea still has one more Premier League game before the Champions League. Assign our people to scout it closely. I want every detail—what tactics they use, how they play, everything. And dig up as much as you can about what's happening inside and outside Chelsea during this period. I want every piece of information, down to how many times Hiddink visits the restroom each day."

Lucas couldn't help but smirk at the last part, though he quickly composed himself. The tension in the room was palpable.

"Understood. I'll handle it immediately."

"One more thing," Gao Shen added after a pause. "Essien has been recovering from his cruciate ligament injury for a while now. He should be close to returning. Keep a close eye on him. If he's back before we face Chelsea, we need to be prepared."

"Got it."

"And Drogba…" Gao Shen muttered, suddenly slapping his forehead in frustration.

The room went silent. Zidane, Carlo, and Lucas all understood his reaction.

Drogba was a nightmare for defenders. Arsenal's Senderos had been so tormented by him that he never recovered his confidence.

When Drogba was in form, he was unstoppable. Even if Napoli used two defenders to mark him, it might not be enough.

"I suspect Chelsea's defense is still fragile. They'll rely heavily on their midfield to cover those weaknesses, while their attack will center around Drogba."

The problem, Gao Shen thought grimly, was that Drogba alone could wreak havoc. Even with Bonucci and David Luiz in the backline, handling Drogba would be a monumental task.

The Ivorian striker was truly terrifying.

"I'll think it over. We need a strategy to neutralize Drogba. Hiddink won't make the same mistake as Scolari in underestimating him."

In the Champions League, every advantage mattered.