Starting With Real Madrid

Perhaps due to the "Calciopoli" scandal, the Italian Football Association (FIGC) underwent a self-cleaning process, bringing in new personnel and adopting a new style. After winning the World Cup in Germany, they held a series of lively celebrations at their headquarters building next to the Borghese Museum in Rome.

One such celebration involved hanging massive posters of the Italian national team on the walls of the five-story headquarters building.

On one side was a scene of the team lifting the World Cup at the Allianz Arena in Germany, and on the other, a poster of the eleven players who started in the final.

The posters were nearly 20 meters high, making for a spectacular sight from a distance.

But today, the FIGC headquarters, which is not usually in the spotlight, attracted a lot of attention. Across the narrow road at the entrance, many media reporters were waiting.

They were all there for today's draw for the third knockout round of the Coppa Italia.

The draw was held in a hall on the third floor of the headquarters building. Representatives from the 16 teams that made it to the third round gathered, including those from both Serie A and Serie B, while the teams from the C-1 and C-2 leagues were mostly out of contention.

The style of Italian football is conservative, and upsets are rare.

Juventus was represented by their sporting director, Alessio Secco, who remained the center of attention despite the club's relegation to Serie B and the scandal involving Calciopoli. 

This is not surprising, as many Serie A and Serie B teams have youth training partnerships with Juventus.

In contrast, Marino from Napoli was less warmly received.

Spoilers are always unwelcome.

Neither Serie A nor Serie B teams were thrilled with the rise of Napoli.

The competition is fierce; no one knows who might be the next to suffer from Napoli's ascent.

...

The draw process itself was straightforward, following standard procedures and with officially licensed media on hand to witness it.

The final result, however, surprised everyone.

After 14 teams were drawn for eight matches, only two teams remained: Napoli and Juventus.

At this point, there was no need to guess. These two teams were destined to face each other. The only suspense was who would play at home.

As the draw continued, Marino's expression became increasingly stoic. By the end, he was almost expressionless.

Out of 15 possible opponents, how did they end up with Juventus?

Even Lazio would have been a better draw.

He almost wanted to get up, walk to the stage, and check if there was any foul play involved.

What terrible luck!

Marino wasn't the only one who was taken aback. Alessio Secco was visibly stunned for a moment, then broke into a wide smile.

The young sporting director of Juventus laughed heartily, clearly pleased with the outcome.

Even if the draw placed the match at Napoli's home ground, he didn't mind.

From his expression, it seemed like this was the best possible result for him.

In fact, Secco had been saying that he wanted to face Napoli ever since the first-round draw of the Coppa Italia.

And finally, it happened in the third round.

"This is a single-elimination match, Pier Paolo," Secco said with a grin, turning to look at the now grim-faced Marino.

Everyone could see that, in Serie B, and even in Serie A, facing Juventus was akin to facing death.

Despite selling over 80 million euros' worth of players, the team remained strong.

A skinny camel is still bigger than a horse; even relegated, Juventus is still Juventus!

On the other hand, no matter how strong or surprising Napoli might be, or even if they have a coach who won the double at Real Madrid, they are still newly promoted to Serie B.

In terms of overall strength, the two sides are simply not on the same level.

If Gao Shen were given more time, the situation might be different, and perhaps he could cause an upset. But now, with the season just starting and his team still newly assembled, how is that possible?

Italy doesn't believe in fairy tales!

After the draw, Secco walked over to Marino, still laughing.

Everyone knew about his feud with De Laurentiis, as well as his falling out with Gao Shen, so the two sides were deeply at odds.

Now, with enemies on a narrow road, Napoli was in trouble!

"It's a pity, Pier Paolo and I was looking forward to seeing Napoli go further, but fate has decided that our teams would meet so soon. I can only say, I'm sorry," Secco said with a smug grin.

Marino was no pushover. He quickly calmed down, but seeing Secco's face made him angry.

Before heading north to Rome, De Laurentiis had told him, "No matter who we draw, don't be a coward. Go out there and kill them!"

At this moment, seeing Secco looking so pleased with himself, Marino gritted his teeth.

"What? Have you taken up poetry and decided to become a poet? Did you major in literature?" Marino retorted with a sneer.

Secco's face immediately darkened. "What did you just say?"

"Since we've drawn you, we'll meet on the pitch and decide this once and for all!" Marino replied firmly.

With that, the Napoli general manager turned around and left, ignoring the seething Secco behind him.

Now that the matchup was set, what more was there to say?

As soon as he stepped out of the venue, he called Gao Shen from the corridor.

"Bad luck we drew Juventus," Marino said, his voice heavy.

After a few seconds of silence on the phone, he heard Gao Shen chuckling. "Good. We'll just step on them again and send them packing!"

Marino wondered if he had heard wrong. This is Juventus we're talking about!

But upon reflection, it was very possible that Gao Shen was merely putting on a brave face.

Facing Juventus before the league even started isn't necessarily a good thing.

Moreover, getting knocked out of the Coppa Italia would make the new season a significant challenge.

But regardless, since the matchup was set, there was no choice but to show their mettle.

...

Marino had just left the FIGC headquarters when Secco was surrounded by reporters outside.

These eagle-eyed journalists had already caught wind of the Napoli vs. Juventus matchup.

This was going to be a showdown for the ages.

Unfortunately, the match wouldn't be broadcast live on television.

And with only two days left to prepare, neither side would have much time to get ready.

This was set to be a true head-on collision!

Secco was quite pleased with the result. He confidently declared that Juventus was capable of beating any opponent, including Napoli.

"Yes, I know, Napoli just beat Ascoli, but I don't think that's anything to write home about. They were at home, and we are stronger than Ascoli."

Secco stated that Juventus had a clear season plan. Their goal wasn't just to return to Serie A but also to make a mark in the Coppa Italia, as winning it would allow them to participate in the UEFA Cup next season.

"You all know how painful it is for a team like Juventus not to be in European competitions, so we aim to return to the European stage as soon as possible. This is my duty as the club's sporting director."

Regarding Napoli, Secco acknowledged their competitiveness but doubted they could pose a real threat to Juventus.

"I've always said, maybe in the future, Gao Shen could become a famous head coach in Europe, but not now, not at 25, and certainly not this season."

Secco also reiterated that he chose Deschamps over Gao Shen because of his commitment to the club's future.

"Actually, everyone has seen that after Gao Shen took over Napoli, he carried out a drastic overhaul of the team. They spent over 16 million euros, but so far, there's no visible result. Meanwhile, we only spent just over 3 million euros."

Secco argued that Juventus wasn't short on money, nor were they unwilling to invest. They simply had their own strategy.

"This is why we refused Gao Shen. We are a giant club. We must operate according to our rhythm and plan, and we won't change that for any coach."

Finally, Secco remarked that the draw was favorable and gave Juventus a great opportunity.

"I believe our players will show on the pitch why the management made the right choice with a win!"

After speaking to the reporters, Secco made his way to the airport, ready to return to Turin.

In the car, on the way, he called Deschamps.

"We drew Napoli," Secco said as soon as Deschamps answered. "We absolutely cannot lose this game. Whatever it takes, we must win!"

There was a brief pause before Deschamps responded. "I've read detailed reports on Napoli's first two rounds. They have a strong attack, with eight goals in two games. I think the club should help me set up meetings with Paolucci and others to gather more information on Napoli."

With no live TV broadcast and no prior knowledge of their opponent, there was no way to prepare specifically. Both sides would have to play it by ear.

But Juventus had an advantage.

They had players on loan at Ascoli, which they could use to gain insights on Napoli.

"Alright, I'll contact Texel directly and get more information. As I said, the club fully supports you, but you must win this game!" Secco said sternly.

After a few moments of silence, Deschamps replied, "We have an issue with our offense, which I've mentioned before. I need Van der Vaart; I need Saviola, but I don't see either player here."

"I understand your concerns, but in Serie B, we don't need Van der Vaart; we have Nedved. We don't need Saviola; We have Bodinov and Del Piero, that's enough. Everything will wait until after Serie A, I have my own plans and arrangements here," Secco's voice rose.

After a pause, he seemed to realize that his tone was heavy, and he said in a more relaxed way, "So, let's try to win against Napoli first. I will do my best to negotiate, and I will try to secure Saviola before the transfer window closes. As for Van der Vaart, I'll do my best."

"Okay!" Deschamps replied helplessly.

After Secco hung up the phone, he leaned back, exhausted.

In the past, when his predecessor Moggi handled these matters, he was very familiar with it, and it seemed easy. But why did it become so cumbersome and complicated now that it's in his hands?

In the end, it's because his reputation is too weak, and no one dares to question him.

Therefore, the most urgent thing he needs to do now is to build his own reputation.

It all starts with beating Napoli