Starting With Real Madrid

On the evening of April 30th, at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid.

In the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals, Real Madrid hosted Paris Saint-Germain at home.

In the 51st minute of the match, Paris Saint-Germain created a shooting opportunity outside the Real Madrid penalty area. The ball deflected off Pepe and went out of the baseline, resulting in a corner kick.

Real Madrid's players immediately dropped back into the penalty area, showing unity and high morale.

Paris Saint-Germain took the corner quickly, but Ramos rose to head the ball clear.

Outside the penalty area, Ronaldo reacted first. He sprinted out, touched the ball forward before anyone else, then burst into a full sprint to ignite Real Madrid's counterattack.

Ronaldo carried the ball, accelerating rapidly.

Ahead of him, Benzema pulled away from the defenders, cutting diagonally towards the right flank of the attacking third.

Di Maria drifted wide to the left, both creating space and giving Ronaldo options to push forward.

The Portuguese star crossed the halfway line at full speed.

PSG players like Matuidi and Chantôme chased hard, but by the time Ronaldo reached the 30-meter zone, he had multiple passing choices.

Di Maria was free on the left, and Benzema was clear on the right, having stretched the PSG defense.

Ronaldo slowed slightly, taking small steps to adjust, quickly glanced at the situation, and then released a precise pass to the right before suddenly accelerating again, sprinting straight toward the box.

When Benzema received Ronaldo's pass, he was already on the left side of the penalty area.

Benatia immediately closed him down.

But Benzema stopped suddenly, pushed the ball forward, and with his right foot quickly rolled it across into the center.

Benatia anticipated the cross and stretched to block, but the ball slipped right through his legs.

At that moment, Real Madrid's two attacking lines surged into the box.

Ronaldo darted in front of Thiago Silva, while Di Maria arrived just behind him, creating a double threat right in front of goal.

Ronaldo struck first, sweeping Benzema's cross into the net past Sirigu.

"Goooooooaaaal!"

"Cristiano Ronaldo! Ronaldo!"

"Real Madrid score!"

"In the 51st minute, Real Madrid break the deadlock!"

Ronaldo wheeled away in celebration, pumping his fists.

The Bernabéu erupted, with more than 76,000 Real Madrid fans leaping from their seats, roaring for Ronaldo's goal. On the pitch, his teammates rushed over and embraced him on the sidelines.

1-0!

The aggregate score stood at 3-0!

"This goal has killed the game!"

"Paris Saint-Germain started with very aggressive attacking football tonight."

"Ancelotti abandoned the 4-3-1-2 from the first leg for a 4-3-3, going for all-out attack at the Bernabéu."

"But Real Madrid's defensive counters have been razor-sharp, consistently tearing holes in PSG's back line."

"And now, this lightning counter has completely undone Paris Saint-Germain."

"3-0 on aggregate. PSG need three goals to turn this around, but that is virtually impossible."

The live broadcast camera panned to the sidelines.

Gao Shen kept gesturing to his players, urging them to stay calm, stay organized, and not relax.

At the Champions League semi-final stage, even the smallest lapse could flip the game.

Gao Shen remained composed and rational. Although Real Madrid had underperformed in the Champions League in recent years, the squad was full of world-class stars who understood exactly what their coach wanted.

The more critical the moment, the calmer they had to be.

No one wanted a repeat of the dreaded three black minutes.

…

After conceding, PSG launched wave after wave of attacks.

Ancelotti quickly realized the situation and threw on Cavani, hoping to snatch a goal back as soon as possible.

Paris Saint-Germain's firepower was overwhelming, forcing even Real Madrid to retreat and defend deeper.

Gao Shen decisively tightened his back line, waiting for a chance to counterattack.

For more than half an hour, the match became a furious back-and-forth.

Once Real Madrid adapted to PSG's pressure, they hit back with several sharp counters, each one cutting open the French champions' defense and forcing them to ease off and pay more attention at the back.

As the match neared its end, PSG's confidence crumbled.

Scoring three straight goals at the Bernabéu was impossible.

Although Real Madrid were on the back foot for periods, their 1-0 win at home, combined with the 2-0 away win, secured a 3-0 aggregate victory and a place in the Champions League final. For the fans, it was an incredible achievement.

Who could have imagined this a year ago, when Gao Shen had just taken over the team?

When the final whistle blew, the Bernabéu became a sea of celebration.

More than 70,000 fans rose to their feet, showering the players with thunderous applause.

The players sprinted onto the pitch, celebrating wildly.

On the sidelines, Gao Shen finally allowed himself to breathe out in relief.

Behind him, Carlo, Zidane, Hierro and the rest of the staff huddled together, cheering and celebrating.

When Gao Shen turned around, he was immediately swarmed by his assistants and players.

"Fantastic!"

"The Champions League final!"

"We're back in the final again!"

"Wow! We've returned to the Champions League final!"

The Bernabéu roared with joy.

After escaping the crowd of players and coaches, Gao Shen went to the PSG bench to shake hands with Ancelotti. The two agreed to share a drink after the press conference.

This was the etiquette of European football.

Though disappointed, Ancelotti still accepted.

There are always winners and losers in football, but grace is required.

Soon after, the Italian led his PSG side back to the dressing room.

Tonight, the Bernabéu stage belonged only to Real Madrid.

…

"I still remember what Gao Shen said."

In the presidential box, Florentino spoke with excitement.

On the surface, he remained calm, but inside, his heart surged with emotion.

He was as thrilled as anyone.

Even the King of Spain in the box was on his feet, celebrating with joy.

At this moment, if someone asked him to hand over the throne to Gao Shen, he might actually agree.

Valdano, José Sánchez, Butragueño and the others were equally excited, praising the team's performance.

Florentino took a deep breath before continuing, "There is a saying: if one soldier is incompetent, the entire army becomes incompetent. Now I finally understand what Gao Shen meant by that."

Everyone fell silent for a moment, then nodded.

Has Real Madrid changed much?

Yes, and no.

Gao Shen had restructured the midfield and adjusted player roles, making the team more cohesive, steady, and complete.

In the past, Real Madrid under Pellegrini and Mourinho always played on the edge, thrilling but unstable.

Now, under Gao Shen, Real Madrid inspired confidence.

The clearest comparison was Manchester City.

Pellegrini's City had lost to Bayern Munich at home in the first leg of their semi-final.

With a nearly identical squad, Gao Shen had defeated Bayern in last season's Champions League final.

The context was different, but it was still a reference point.

Sacchi had analyzed that City lacked margin for error this season, especially tactically.

This led directly to costly mistakes in the semi-final, which Bayern punished.

By contrast, during Gao Shen's time at Manchester City, his tactics and squad selection always left enough room for error.

That was the hallmark of a head coach.

It was also the true reflection of Gao Shen's value.

"Two cup finals, and the league…"

Florentino sighed deeply. "If Ramos hadn't made that mistake, we would be leading La Liga now. Things wouldn't be like this."

He exhaled again.

Sometimes, no matter how perfect a manager's plan and tactical setup, it still depended on execution. If players made mistakes, the coach was powerless.

When Gao Shen punished Ramos, many had doubts.

Now, looking back, his punishment seemed too lenient.

If not for Ramos' red card, Real Madrid might be chasing the first treble in Spanish football history.

What an achievement that would have been.

But now?

La Liga still depended on Barcelona's results.

"Your technical team must speed up the summer transfer plans. We will do everything to meet Gao Shen's requests and also move quickly with contract renewals."

Florentino gave instructions to José Sánchez and Valdano.

Both nodded firmly.

"Finances are not a problem. We even have a large credit line available at the bank. No matter what, we must strengthen the squad this summer!"

Florentino's ambition was clear.

Looking at Real Madrid's current squad and the players' average age, what did it mean?

This team would remain competitive and full of fight for years.

Florentino knew this side could create unprecedented history.

They could even reshape the history of European football.

And he, Florentino Pérez, could become the greatest president in Real Madrid's history because of this team.

Not one of the greatest. The greatest.

That had always been his ultimate dream.

At such a critical moment, he would never allow anyone to disrupt or destroy what he had built.

(To be continued.)