Starting With Real Madrid

"Fuck, is there such a thing?"

When Gao Shen saw the fax from the Italian Football Association in his hand, he was immediately dumbfounded.  

He even had the urge to storm the headquarters of the Football Association in Rome.

Damn it, why do they have to play tricks like this when a decisive battle is looming?  

I've prepared everything, and now they're suddenly throwing a suspension at me?

The fax was a notice from the Italian Football Federation, informing Napoli that Paolo Cannavaro had received a yellow card in the game against Ascoli. Since he accumulated two yellow cards, he would be suspended for the next round.

What the hell!

This sudden notification left everyone stunned.

Gao Shen and his coaching staff were especially flabbergasted. Suspended after just two yellow cards?  

Why not just suspend someone after one yellow card?

Of course, these are the rules of the Coppa Italia, and they are not specifically targeting Napoli.  

What truly angered Gao Shen was, why wait until the day before the game to notify them?

"Marino got an explanation from the Italian Football Association saying that due to significant personnel changes this summer, the FA is currently a bit slow in processing some affairs, so there's been a delay. They hope we can understand," Carlo explained with a bitter smile.

This reason seems legitimate enough; after all, the fallout from the Calciopoli scandal is still being felt.

Paolo Cannavaro's two yellow cards were not all for Napoli. One was received while playing for Parma in the Coppa Italia last season. Since Parma wasn't eliminated, that yellow card naturally carried over to Napoli, which Gao Shen didn't know about.  

This is quite the trap.

After all, Cannavaro only received one yellow card at Napoli, so why would he be suspended?

But who can you reason with about such matters?

What's more, the game is tomorrow.

Damn it, this is a proper setup!

"What are we going to do now?" Carlo asked with concern.

Napoli's centre-back options aren't too bad. Besides Cannavaro, they have David Luiz, Bonucci, Domic, Maldonado, Savini, and Cupi. Domic can play on the left, and Cupi is a versatile defender.

However, the strength of these players varies. Domic is the strongest and, at 26, is in his prime.

From a more reasonable point of view, it would make sense to balance between veterans and newcomers.

However, Domic, Savini, and Maldonado all have something in common: their physical attributes are great, but they lack flexibility and agility. Cupi has good agility, but he is only 1.74 meters tall and already 30 years old.

This is quite normal. If a player were outstanding in all aspects, they wouldn't have ended up at Napoli last season. They would have been snatched up by Serie B or even Serie A teams.

"I don't deny the potential of Bonucci and David Luiz, but at this stage, they're not stable enough. Especially David Luiz, that kid is wild," Carlo analyzed with a wry smile.

Gao Shen nodded. Not only now, but even in a few years, David Luiz would still be wild.

In his memory, this guy belongs to the type who feels uncomfortable unless he makes at least three critical mistakes.

Of course, he also had his moments of brilliance.

"I'll go talk to them."

With that, Gao Shen turned around and walked out.

---

Out of the meeting room, turning left led to the players' lounge.

Gao Shen called out Bonucci first, basically telling him about the suspension of Cannavaro.

The players had already heard the news. When the Italian Football Association sent the fax, they also posted the suspension notice on the official website. The print media would take a bit longer, but the online media had already reported it.

Gao Shen asked Bonucci to prepare well; no matter what, he would still start.

After settling Bonucci, Gao Shen asked him to call David Luiz to his office.

...

The Brazilian centre-back, with his youthful face and short hair, walked in.

Yes, at this time, David Luiz had not yet grown his infamous curly "bird's nest" hairstyle, so he wasn't quite in his strongest form yet.

Gao Shen had been waiting for his transformation.

If you interact with him long enough, you'll find that this guy is quite the comedian.

What do I mean?

Gao Shen once nicknamed him the "Happy Bean" of the locker room.

With his cheerful temperament, David Luiz integrated quickly into the team.

He has almost all the qualities of a top centre-back. Note, not just a top centre-back for this period, but even by 2021 standards. Whether it's running coverage, recovering back, spatial awareness, or personal defending, he's exceptional.

Not to mention his excellent passing vision and long-range passing skills.

However, he is also impulsive, reckless, easily excited, and unstable these are his faults.

Is this good or bad?

Before Gao Shen's time-travel, the discussion about David Luiz had already become stale, with fans either loving or hating him.

Why are opinions so divided about the same player?

It's quite simple: David Luiz's strengths and weaknesses are both obvious, and they have different impacts in different tactical environments.

In a team that employs a high defensive line, David Luiz's advantages are significant, and his weaknesses are almost negligible. It's like Real Madrid not worrying about Ramos' occasional mistakes or Barcelona not fretting over Puyol being unreliable.

But if he's in a low-block team, then sorry, David Luiz is a ticking time bomb. His weaknesses are magnified, and it's difficult to make the most of his strengths.

Some say the ten-plus meters in front of the defensive line is where centre-backs make most of their errors.

So generally, for a centre-back like David Luiz, no team will easily give up on him, but they will pair him with a suitable partner to cover his weaknesses.

Think of Bonucci and Chiellini at Juventus.

Yes, Gao Shen's plan was to have Bonucci and David Luiz partner up.

But now, this sudden situation forced Gao Shen to bring that plan forward.

...

"David, I remember when you decided to sign with Napoli, you called me. We talked for a long time, and you told me that you wanted to fulfil your father's dream, right?"

After greeting David Luiz, Gao Shen spoke slowly.

"Yes, boss," David Luiz smiled and nodded. He has always been a sunny boy.

"He used to be a prodigy that many people had high hopes for, but at the age of 20, he gave up football for the sake of the family and became a middle school teacher. He taught me how to play football since I was a child."

David Luiz joined the Sao Paulo youth academy at nine and had to travel three times between home and the academy but persisted.

At 14, Sao Paulo refused to sign him because of his small size, forcing him to move to the lower-tier team Vitória, 2,000 kilometres away.

"You've heard about Paolo's suspension, right?" Gao Shen asked.

"I know, boss," David Luiz said, somewhat excited.

Although the relationship is good, they are still competitors. Cannavaro's suspension represents an opportunity for David Luiz.

Especially at this critical time when Gao Shen called him to talk.

"Let me be straightforward; I want you to start in place of Paul and partner with Bonucci."

Before Gao Shen could finish, David Luiz was overjoyed and said quickly, "Thank you, boss."

"Don't rush," Gao Shen said, smiling bitterly in his heart. This kid is always so rash. "The coaching staff still has concerns about you. You know your performances haven't been reassuring, with quite a few mistakes."

Whether in warm-up matches or training, David Luiz made many mistakes.

While Napoli hasn't conceded many goals, the opponents haven't been strong enough to capitalize.

But the next opponent is Juventus, and David Luiz will have to face strikers like Trezeguet, Zalayeta, Del Piero, and Bojinov.

The smile disappeared from David Luiz's face. He felt a little down, knowing what his problem was.

"I'll be careful, boss. Trust me."

"I definitely trust you, David; otherwise, I wouldn't be here talking to you," Gao Shen reassured. "But the coaching staff's concerns are not unfounded. I have to consider everything because this is a single-elimination match. The opponent is Juventus."

David Luiz knew the importance of this game and the challenges it posed.

Never lose!

Now, he was also feeling a bit nervous. He wasn't sure what Gao Shen was implying.

"I assured the coaching staff that I believe you will not let us down in this game. You won't make any mistakes, and you won't concede. I want you to be the starting centre-back for this game."

Upon hearing this, David Luiz became excited.

With Gao Shen's assurance, his emotions were like a rollercoaster ride, but now he was filled with excitement and gratitude.

"Thank you, boss!"

"Don't let me down, David!" Gao Shen said earnestly.

"I swear, boss, I won't let you down!" David Luiz stood up from his seat and assured him solemnly.

Gao Shen gestured for him to sit down.

"You know, I'm very, very optimistic about you, David. I believe your dream can come true, that you will become one of the best centre-backs in the world, and I'm willing to keep giving you these opportunities..."

David Luiz was excited again, but Gao Shen didn't let him interrupt and gestured for him to calm down. 

"But," Gao Shen's tone shifted, "I have to consider the entire team, the locker room, and the coaching staff. You need to show your best, or even better than your best, to convince everyone and earn more starting opportunities."

David Luiz nodded vigorously, thoroughly convinced by Gao Shen. He believed that Gao Shen truly valued and trusted him, and was eager to prove his worth.

He felt a strong urge to excel for his coach!

"Show your best performance against Juventus, with zero mistakes, and I'll make sure you start in the first Serie A match!" Gao Shen urged him with determination.