Starting With Real Madrid

Standing in front of the home team's dugout at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Gao Shen maintained a solemn expression.

The match was nearing its end.

Moments ago, the fourth official on the sidelines had raised the electronic board, signaling four minutes of stoppage time. Now, extra time was well underway.

The game had effectively been decided when Thiago Motta scored Napoli's fourth goal from a corner kick.

No one had expected the match to unfold with such a shocking outcome.

Before the game, Barcelona had been the overwhelming favorite.

But football is unpredictable, that's what makes it so fascinating.

Even Gao Shen himself hadn't anticipated such a result.

Before kickoff, he had envisioned a tight game, perhaps a 1-0 win, or at most, a 2-0 or 2-1 scoreline.

Those seemed like the most reasonable outcomes.

And if Napoli were to lose, he figured it would likely be by a single goal.

But instead, they had won by four!

"Tomorrow, do you think people will start suspecting that this match was fixed?" Gao Shen turned to his assistant.

Zidane and the others could only smile wryly, such speculation was certainly possible.

Some conspiracy theorists might even claim that Guardiola had deliberately thrown the match as a favor to Gao Shen, repaying him for recommending him as Barcelona's head coach a year ago.

But honestly, that kind of theory was complete nonsense.

As a professional coach, if Guardiola had actually done something like that, the first to hold him accountable would be Barcelona itself.

Still, the scoreline was that unbelievable.

At that moment, Lucas suddenly recalled something.

"When I was in college, I studied economics. I remember my professor once told us something interesting. He said that in modern global economics, oil is the lifeblood of industry, every sector depends on it."

"Now, suppose that, for some reason, the world's oil production suddenly drops by 10%. What do you think will happen to oil prices? And if production were to increase by 10%, how would prices react?"

Gao Shen, Zidane, and Carlo exchanged puzzled looks.

We're football coaches, not economists.

"If production drops, oil prices will obviously rise. If production increases, prices will fall, but…" Carlo trailed off, uncertain.

Lucas smirked, clearly pleased with the chance to show off his knowledge.

"If oil production decreases by 10%, the price of oil doesn't just rise by 10%, it skyrockets to a level where only 90% of people can still afford it. Likewise, if production increases by 10%, prices don't just drop by 10%, they plummet to an unbelievably low level."

Gao Shen thought for a moment and suddenly grasped the underlying logic.

"We live in a world of dynamic equilibrium, and the same applies to football. It's not as simple as 'do something right, score a goal; do something wrong, concede a goal.' That's elementary school arithmetic. The reality is, when you execute a tactic correctly, you can keep scoring until the opponent reacts and adjusts, bringing the game back into balance."

Zidane and Carlo both nodded in sudden realization.

Analyzing football through an economic lens, it was a novel perspective.

And when you thought about it, it made perfect sense.

Guardiola had made just one substitution the entire match, bringing on Sylvinho for Yaya Touré.

And yet, three of Napoli's four goals had come after that change.

Still, Guardiola refused to adjust further.

Gao Shen understood his character.

To put it nicely, Guardiola was a football purist. To put it bluntly, he was too stubborn, too obsessed with his own philosophy.

Gao Shen was convinced that when Barcelona conceded the second goal, Guardiola must have realized his tactical shift had failed.

And yet, he refused to change it. He refused to admit he was wrong.

He was unwilling to revert to the more balanced setup of the first half.

He would rather lose even suffer a crushing defeat than acknowledge his mistake.

Gao Shen, on the other hand, had no such pride.

For instance, in the second leg against Manchester United, as soon as he realized what was happening, he immediately adjusted his tactics.

Football purist?

Not a chance!

But for Guardiola, it wasn't just about winning, it was about winning the right way, the way he believed in.

Gao Shen had always felt that this mindset was a weakness, one that needed fixing.

Hopefully, tonight's defeat would be a wake-up call for Guardiola.

Pep, I really tried to help you!

…

The final whistle blew.

Referee Webb signaled the end of the match.

Instantly, the Napoli substitutes, staff, and team personnel, who had been eagerly waiting on the sidelines, stormed onto the pitch in celebration.

Everyone ran, embraced, cheered, and shouted in ecstasy!

In the stands, over 30,000 Napoli fans erupted in wild celebration, singing and dancing in jubilation.

4-0!

A result that no one had seen coming.

Napoli's players and staff basked in the glory of their historic triumph.

"Congratulations to Napoli!"

"And at the same time—congratulations to Gao Shen!"

"Ever since he chose Napoli in 2006, almost everyone doubted him. They believed that moving to Serie B after winning both the Champions League and La Liga was a step down—a sign of regression."

"But now, looking back, we have to admit, Gao Shen made an incredibly wise decision."

"At the time, staying at Real Madrid seemed like the best option. But with the club's presidential change and the chaos that followed, it's clear that what looked like the best choice wasn't necessarily the right one."

"He was also close to joining Juventus, but just look at Juventus now. The club's management is in turmoil, the three main executives are constantly clashing, sporting director Alessio Secco is at odds with nearly every head coach, and their transfer strategy is a mess. If Gao Shen had taken that job, the best-case scenario would've been leaving after one season, just like Deschamps."

"When Gao Shen chose Napoli, almost everyone questioned him. But now, in just three years, he has taken a newly promoted Serie B side to the very top of European football—Champions League winners."

"More importantly, when we look back at what Gao Shen said upon taking charge at Napoli, he was clear, he wanted to build a team that was entirely his own, one that reflected his coaching philosophy and style. And today's Napoli is the perfect embodiment of that vision."

"It's fair to say that this team is a direct showcase of Gao Shen's coaching philosophy and tactical brilliance."

"We can see his coaching ability in every aspect of this Napoli side. Whether it's possession-based play, high pressing, or carefully crafted tactical adjustments, Gao Shen executes it all with precision. And he's still improving."

"Even legendary managers like Ferguson, Wenger, and Lippi are full of praise for his tactical acumen."

"Tonight, Gao Shen led Napoli to the second Champions League title of his career, cementing his status among the world's elite managers. Among active head coaches, only Hitzfeld, Del Bosque, Ferguson, and Ancelotti have won two Champions League titles. Del Bosque and Hitzfeld are now managing national teams."

"In other words, Gao Shen is one of only three active club managers in world football today who have won the Champions League twice!"

"Even more remarkable, Ferguson won both his titles with Manchester United, and Ancelotti won both with AC Milan. But Gao Shen is the only one to have won his two Champions League titles with two different clubs—Real Madrid and Napoli."

"Leading two different teams to Champions League glory is an achievement only two other managers have accomplished in the competition's 50-year history. One was Austrian coach Ernst Happel, who won with Feyenoord in 1970 and Hamburg in 1983."

"The other was the legendary German coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, who led Dortmund to victory in 1997 before winning the Champions League again with Bayern Munich in 2001."

"And now, Gao Shen has become just the third manager in history to win the Champions League with two different clubs!"

"And what's even more unbelievable, he's only 28 years old!"

"From his time at Real Madrid until now, in just three years, Gao Shen has won two Champions League titles and three top-flight league championships. This incredible résumé has already cemented his name in football history."

"At the same time, we have every reason to believe that Gao Shen will continue to bring us more surprises and more breathtaking football in the future!"

…

As the Napoli players and staff stormed onto the pitch in celebration, Gao Shen stood calmly on the sidelines, watching it all with a smile.

He was savoring the moment.

For him, this was the most special, the most captivating feeling.

People find joy in different things, some love the process, some love the result. But for Gao Shen, the true satisfaction came in the aftermath of victory.

He cherished this moment, the energy in the stadium, the joy of the Napoli fans, the happiness of those who had supported him and believed in him.

That's why he hated losing.

Because he never wanted to disappoint the people who supported him.

As he soaked in the atmosphere, he let go of all his thoughts and simply relaxed.

"Do you know what I'm thinking right now?" Gao Shen asked with a smile, watching his players celebrate on the pitch.

Zidane stood beside him, shaking his head.

Even now, he still found Gao Shen's depth of thought unpredictable, always difficult to grasp.

"I'm thinking that I should take a long vacation, get some proper rest, completely unwind," Gao Shen said, his tone filled with anticipation.

Zidane nodded in agreement.

The life of a manager was incredibly demanding. Gao Shen hadn't taken a real break in at least three years.

"Where's a good place to go?" Zidane asked.

He, too, wanted to take a long vacation and spend time traveling with his family.

Gao Shen shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe I'll just stay at home, or maybe I'll go traveling—I have no plans yet."

Zidane couldn't help but laugh. That was exactly like Gao Shen.

For the past few years, his mind had been completely focused on football. How could he have found time to think about vacations?

Besides, they had won tonight but what if they had lost?

Would he even be in the mood to travel then?

"I actually have a plan," Zidane began. "I was just about to tell you—"

Before he could finish, Gao Shen patted him on the shoulder and shook his head.

"Let's talk about it later. Right now, we have something very important to do."

Huh?

Something important?

Was it time to receive the trophy?

***

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