Starting With Real Madrid

In the press conference hall of the Stadio San Paolo, in front of two or three hundred media reporters, Gao Shen officially signed for Napoli.

This not only elicited warm applause from the press conference hall, but there were also faint cheers from Napoli fans outside the stadium.

Yes, after learning that the team was signing a contract with Gao Shen today, many Napoli fans spontaneously gathered outside the Stadio San Paolo to cheer for Gao Shen's arrival.

According to a local media report in Naples, this is the biggest superstar signing for Napoli since Maradona.

"This is an exciting and thrilling signing!"

After signing, Gao Shen was interviewed by the media reporters on-site.

Although he was only twenty-five years old and faced two or three hundred reporters, Gao Shen was not at all intimidated.

When he was at Real Madrid, he faced more reporters, and the stakes were higher than now, so he was used to it.

Gao Shen first expressed that he was excited to coach Napoli because this is a club with a glorious history, a club where Maradona, one of the greatest players in the history of world football, made his name.

"When the club's driver picked me up at the airport and drove me through the city center, he told me that the city still remembers Maradona. I thought to myself, I want to be like Maradona, to create great memories for this team and this city. That's why I came to coach Napoli."

When asked by the media, Gao Shen also denied having reached any agreement with Juventus.

"Yes, I was in contact with them. That's normal; I needed a job, and several teams reached out to me. Juventus needed a manager, but there were significant differences between us. I preferred to build a strong team in my own vision, so I chose Napoli."

The implication is that Napoli gave him enough respect and commitment.

"Mr. Gao, what did you promise to Napoli?"

Gao Shen smiled at the reporters and nodded, "I know that during my coaching tenure at Real Madrid, many people criticized my football style as conservative and not passionate enough. But I want to say that this is a misunderstanding of me. I actually have a heart for attacking football, so I came to Napoli to bring passionate attacking football."

Many media reporters at the scene applauded.

Everyone knows that Italian football has always been conservative, and head coaches who advocate offensive football often don't have a happy ending.

So, the question is, what does it mean for Gao Shen to choose to play attacking football in Italy?

"It doesn't mean anything; I just want to challenge myself because I've always felt that Serie A is the toughest league in the world. Now, I want to hone myself and improve myself in this league. I believe that as long as I can succeed in Italy, then I can succeed in any league."

There was another round of warm applause from the audience.

Although Serie A is not as dominant as it was before Gao Shen's time, in 2006, it is no exaggeration to say that Serie A is still recognized as the top league in the world.

Before Gao Shen coached Real Madrid, there were many superstars, but now Napoli's lineup is truly shabby. Media reporters are very concerned about whether Gao Shen has the ability to lead this team and whether Napoli can provide him with adequate support.

De Laurentiis answered this question by saying that he would do everything in his power to support Gao Shen.

"We chose the best head coach in the world, so we naturally need to give him trust and support. We believe he can lead the team to Serie A!"

De Laurentiis also promised that this summer, Napoli's transfer budget would be as high as 20 million euros.

This is an astronomical figure in Serie B.

Even for a team like Juventus, it would be impossible to spend this much money in Serie B.

De Laurentiis smiled at Gao Shen and said that this was not just for Serie B. "More importantly, we have a long-term plan. We need to prepare and lay the foundation for Serie A."

Now, even the media reporters were excited.

The newly promoted Serie B team is already preparing for Serie A. Should this be called ambition? Or is it over-ambition?

Regarding the current state of Italian football, Gao Shen said he played against the two strongest teams in Serie A last season.

"Capello and Ancelotti are both world-renowned coaches, but I think Italian football needs some changes. Just like Sacchi said, the technical and tactical thinking of Italian football needs to change to break away from the past barriers."

Gao Shen promised to bring higher intensity and more aggressive football.

"High intensity, high pressure, high aggression, but also the ability to control rhythm, possession, and space this is a very interesting direction, and I will work hard towards it."

Gao Shen and De Laurentiis made an apt analogy: building a team is like making a movie.

Before the film is made, no one knows its quality or final box office earnings.

Similarly, the head coach is like a director. He can only control the direction, constantly adjusting and refining, checking for deficiencies, but he cannot say with certainty what kind of football he will play.

That is not realistic.

Gao Shen now has a goal, an idea, and he wants to bring it to life in Naples.

When asked by a media reporter, Gao Shen also revealed that he is not a so-called genius.

"Actually, I'm very ordinary. Everything I've achieved comes from the support and trust of the players, assistants, and management around me, and most importantly, the fans. So, I really hope that in Naples, I can continue to receive all of this. I also believe I can succeed in Naples."

This season's Serie B has been hailed as the most competitive Serie B ever, as there are not only giants like Juventus, but also Genoa, Brescia, Bologna, Lecce, Treviso, and Piacenza all traditional Serie A teams.

It can be said that the competition in Serie B this season is really fierce.

Gao Shen smiled confidently and said he was aware of this.

"I know that as a newly promoted Serie B team, I probably shouldn't say this, but I still think that our goal is not just to be promoted."

As soon as Gao Shen's voice fell, there was an uproar in the room.

Not to be promoted?

De Laurentiis smiled because he had guessed what Gao Shen was about to say.

"There are three places for promotion. The top two can advance directly, while the third to eighth places have the opportunity to participate in the playoffs. This is the rule of Serie B, but I think it's too cumbersome. I've thought about it for a long time and still don't understand what it's all about."

Many media reporters at the scene were amused. What's there to not understand?

The top two advance directly. If the third-place team leads the fourth-place team by more than 15 points, they also advance directly. If not, the third to eighth-placed teams will participate in the playoffs.

This is what Gao Shen meant when he said that the third to eighth places are all eligible for the playoffs.

"Finally, I figured out, why bother with this complex set of rules? We can make it simpler by directly targeting the championship. That way, there are no headaches!"

Everyone present nearly fell over.

Damn, so all that talk was just for the last sentence.

Fortunately, some enthusiastic reporters were just about to explain the Serie B rules to him.

It turned out Gao Shen didn't misunderstand; he just pretended not to understand.

People who don't understand are often the ones who understand the most. Sure enough, this is true.

But for a newly promoted team to claim they want to win the championship even if it's just Serie B it's a bit of an exaggeration.

Keep in mind that Juventus is far from weak and is widely recognized as the favorite for the Serie B championship.

Gao Shen said with a smile, "I don't know how other teams are doing. I only know that in the new season, Napoli is only fighting for the championship. Next season, we will appear in Serie A!"

"I hope that all Serie A teams can prepare in advance!"

Bold! Powerful!

Everyone at the scene was stunned!

He's already this fierce on his first day; is this really okay?

However, the media reporters were truly excited.

Italian football is filled with a group of dull old men. They are conservative and cautious, careful with their words, and hardly give anything away. It's tough to even create news.

Look at the Premier League Ferguson, Wenger, Mourinho which one of them doesn't talk trash every day?

The British media are all thrilled, aren't they?

But look at Italy. If it weren't for the recent Calciopoli scandal, it would have been a backwater.

But now, things are different. Gao Shen is here, and it's a new dawn for Italian media reporters!

...

"You were so bold just now; I like it!"

After the press conference, De Laurentiis and Marino walked on either side of Gao Shen, and the Napoli boss laughed.

He himself is a bold and ruthless character, and he appreciated Gao Shen's attitude.

Whether you can achieve it or not, just declare it first.

If you don't even dare to declare it, what can you achieve?

"Seriously, we really need such a slogan now to boost morale and gain more confidence," Marino said.

Gao Shen nodded, which was one of the reasons for his high-profile statement.

He is the double champion of La Liga and the Champions League, but Napoli has a very weak foundation. When signing players, those players will definitely have concerns, especially some strong players who certainly wouldn't want to stay in Serie B for too long.

Once Gao Shen's bold statement spreads through the media, everyone will know that Napoli's goal for the new season is the Serie B championship. This will boost the confidence of many players.

Serie A and Serie B are still different.

Many players are willing to stay in Serie B for just one season, but if it goes on for too long, they won't accept it.

"I have a transfer list here. Take a look at it and start signing according to this list. We'll keep in touch at all times," Gao Shen said as he took out a list. The list contained the names of many players and the teams they belonged to.

Marino was a bit surprised; he hadn't expected Gao Shen to be so well prepared.

Feeling De Laurentiis' gaze, he nodded immediately.

"Don't worry; I will try my best to get these players."

Gao Shen nodded, knowing that a few difficult-to-acquire players would likely require him to step in personally.