Starting With Real Madrid

Before leaving for Naples, Gao Shen received a call from Su Qing, who was in China.

A few days ago, after Gao Shen received the finalized contract negotiated by the lawyers from both sides, he still felt uneasy. When Su Qing heard about it, she asked Gao Shen to fax it to her. She then went back to the capital city and consulted an old professor from the law school at her university.

Currently, football contracts in China are still quite chaotic. In contrast, Europe is relatively strict. This old expert was very interested and took the time to help Gao Shen review the contract. He felt there were basically no issues, and the terms were quite stringent.

"There is one part he doesn't quite understand," Su Qing said over the phone.

"Which part?"

"Turn to page 16 and look down to Article 4. There doesn't seem to be a specific time limit here. Does that mean it takes effect permanently?"

Gao Shen took a look. This clause was about the agreement between him and Napoli regarding the sharing of the difference in player transfer fees.

But perhaps because it was the first time both parties encountered such an unusual clause especially since it was specifically added by De Laurentiis some of the content wasn't particularly precise, likely due to a lack of precedent.

Normally, the terms should take effect while Gao Shen is coaching Napoli. But according to the literal terms, even if Gao Shen were to leave Napoli in the future, the profit share would still be given to him.

Gao Shen guessed that this was probably because the lawyers on both sides misunderstood each other's intentions.

Or perhaps there was no misunderstanding at all; maybe De Laurentiis had outsmarted himself and hadn't thought this through clearly.

Of course, if you look at it from the perspective of a newly promoted Serie B team, it's not a big deal. But if you consider that in the future, player transfers could often involve tens of millions of euros, then this becomes significant.

For example, consider the top player on Gao Shen's transfer list Brescia's young midfielder, Hamsik.

How much is he worth now?

Brescia has also fallen into the Serie B league, and Hamsik isn't even a core player on the team. Offering two million euros would be considered a high price. But what about in the future?

Either Napoli won't sell him, or his transfer fee will be tens of millions of euros. If 20% of the difference goes to Gao Shen, how much would that be?

What? De Laurentiis doesn't want to sell?

No problem! If I coach another team, I'll just come back and poach your player, infuriating you, you stingy old miser!

My God, that scenario is so beautiful, I don't even dare to think about it.

"By the way, if we sign it this way, will it cause any controversy?" Gao Shen asked.

"At the moment, it doesn't seem like it. The lawyers on both sides are experienced, and the terms are clear. There is no problem. Our professor said he didn't quite understand it and asked me to clarify with you. If it's not in your favor, it's better to change it."

"No need to change it," Gao Shen replied, laughing out loud.

What a clever son of a gun!

"Why does it sound like you've tricked someone?" Su Qing asked, curious.

"Don't worry, don't worry, no one's getting tricked. If I sold you, you'd still be counting the money for me!" Gao Shen joked.

"You've been a great help this time. When I have time, you should come to Italy for a trip. I'll cover all the expenses," Gao Shen offered.

"Really?"

"Of course! Brother Shen always keeps his word."

"No way? I remember back in third grade…"

"Stop! Don't bring up the past…"

…

When people think of Naples, Italy, the first thing that comes to mind is the mafia and chaos.

This perception is not without reason. There are many immigrants in Naples, and the public security is naturally not that good.

But De Laurentiis proudly told Gao Shen that he doesn't need to worry about these issues as the head coach of Napoli, because football is the best pass in this city even the mafia are the most ardent fans of Napoli.

Of course, no one should have "Napoli's coach" written on their forehead, so one still needs to be cautious.

After getting off the plane, the staff responsible for picking him up specifically took Gao Shen through the old city and the bustling streets of the city center, giving him a more intuitive feel of this city, which is considered the most authentic in Italian style.

The buildings aren't tall, and the exterior facades show signs of wear, reflecting an economic downturn.

Advertisements and graffiti are everywhere, like sticky plaster.

The driver, however, did not seem bothered by this but was rather proud. He pointed out a huge graffiti mural of Maradona in the city center, which was created by Napoli fans in 1990.

Even after more than ten years, the city has never forgotten Maradona and maintains his graffiti regularly.

Naples is a city surrounding the bay. The airport is located in the northeast of the city, while the San Paolo Stadium is in the southwest.

Interestingly, the Posillipo area, where the stadium is located, is also where the wealthy of Naples live. It is considered the safest area, commonly known as the Bay Area.

When Gao Shen arrived at the San Paolo Stadium in Naples, it was already crowded with hundreds of media reporters.

Some of them were local reporters, while others came from Rome, Milan, or even from abroad.

Just three days ago, De Laurentiis had released the news in the local media that Gao Shen was going to coach Napoli.

This immediately caused a strong shockwave throughout European football.

Previously, there were rumors in the media that Gao Shen was going to coach Juventus, and Juventus hadn't denied it. Blanc even said publicly that Gao Shen was the most anticipated young coach in European football today.

Players like Nedved, Buffon, and Del Piero had also expressed their opinions publicly, saying that Gao Shen coaching Juventus would be very exciting, essentially giving the green light for Gao Shen to take over.

But who would have thought that Gao Shen would turn around and go to coach Napoli?

Although they are both in Serie B, there are 22 teams in Serie B. Juventus is the quasi-champion everyone had pegged early on, while Napoli is a newly promoted Serie B team that has been in the third tier for two seasons. Can they be considered the same?

Why did Gao Shen give up Juventus to coach Napoli?

Could it be that he was fooled by De Laurentiis of Napoli?

Those in the know don't speak, and those who don't can only guess.

…

De Laurentiis stood in front of the office window, watching the media reporters coming in one after another, his heart full of excitement.

He still remembered that not long ago, when he cut the ribbon for the official renaming of the club, there were only a handful of media reporters. Even after sending press releases to major media outlets, the reports were only a few lines buried in inconspicuous corners.

But now, he hastily counted at least more than 200 media outlets.

"This is the influence of a double crown coach!" De Laurentiis exclaimed with admiration.

Not just him; even when they previously invited a well-known coach like Ventura to manage the team, they didn't have this kind of appeal.

"Of course, Gao Shen is very popular right now," Marino added with a smile.

De Laurentiis was very proud of his operation. As for the former head coach, Reja, he had already handled the transition well, and there wouldn't be any problems. The next step was to officially sign the contract with Gao Shen.

However, before that, there was a small hidden danger to eliminate.

"Pierre Paul, there's something I need to tell you in advance." De Laurentiis, who was smiling just now, suddenly became stern. Marino, seeing this, couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.

This boss is really unpredictable.

When he likes you, everything is great. But once he dislikes you, sorry, you're out.

"Boss, please say it."

"You know, I've put a lot of effort into recruiting Gao Shen this time, and I've also made a big bet. I don't want anyone in the club to mess around or cause trouble on this matter. Do you understand what I mean?"

Marino's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately nodded. "Understood. Don't worry; I'll keep an eye on everything."

"Good. You need to fully cooperate with Gao Shen and form the team as soon as possible. I'm looking forward to us appearing in Serie A next season." De Laurentiis laughed, referring to the five-year plan he had formulated.

"I understand."

De Laurentiis' eyes appeared old, but they were actually sharp like an eagle's. After staring at Marino for a while, he turned his head. "I know you've felt aggrieved about this, but don't worry. Once this is done, you can be the general manager."

When Marino looked up, he was full of surprise, then he beamed with excitement and nodded quickly. "Don't worry, boss; there won't be any trouble."

As the technical director, Marino had lost some authority since Gao Shen took over Napoli, as part of his power was transferred to Gao Shen, making Marino more like an executor under Gao Shen's command.

It's impossible for Marino not to feel a bit uneasy about this.

Humans are emotional creatures.

But with De Laurentiis' promise, things were different now. If Marino were promoted from technical director to general manager while still retaining his duties as technical director, his authority would significantly increase.

More importantly, his future career prospects would also expand.

…

Seeing Marino leave happily to carry out his tasks, a slight smile appeared on De Laurentiis' face.

He was still very satisfied with this technical director. Having worked at Udinese for many years, Marino had enough contacts and the skills to establish a scouting network that covered the world for Napoli.

It's still early days, but when the team gets promoted to Serie A in the future, this network will play a crucial role.

Gao Shen was also someone De Laurentiis valued greatly.

De Laurentiis didn't particularly like Italian coaches because they were too mature and cautious, lacking the courage to forge ahead. This made Italy's overall tactical style quite conservative.

But Naples is different.

Whether it's De Laurentiis, the team, or the city itself, everything is full of passion and enthusiasm.

Especially now that the team has been promoted from the third tier to Serie B, De Laurentiis is eager to push for promotion to Serie A and revive Napoli's former glory.

Reja has the ability but lacks the boldness.

But Gao Shen is different. He's young, full of energy, and courage. His technical and tactical concepts are advanced. He dares to think, speak, and act. This aligns perfectly with the current situation in Naples and De Laurentiis' ambitions.

He is very much looking forward to seeing whether Gao Shen can really turn Napoli into a strong Serie A team within three years.

So, he's willing to take a big gamble!

The greater the risk, the greater the reward. He understands this principle well!