Starting With Real Madrid

"Yeah!!!"

When the referee blew the final whistle, Gao Shen, who had been standing on the sidelines, suddenly leapt into the air, pumping his fists in celebration as if he had just knocked out an opponent in a boxing ring. 

The entire stadium, along with those watching on live broadcasts throughout Italy and the world, could feel the pent-up excitement and passion that had been brewing inside him.

Just like the final score of tonight's game.

5-0!!!

Napoli had demolished Juventus at home!

At this moment, Gao Shen stood alone.

No one else could truly understand the depth of his feelings, the excitement bubbling within him. No one could fully grasp why he needed this outburst, this catharsis. Only Gao Shen himself knew the immense pressure he had been carrying all this time.

The pressure was even greater than what he had felt when managing Real Madrid.

Back then, managing Real Madrid had been different. He had nothing to lose, nothing to worry about. He could throw himself into the job with abandon, with no fear of the consequences. 

But coaching Napoli was different.

Now he was the La Liga and Champions League double winner. He was no longer an unknown rookie; he had responsibilities, expectations, and burdens to carry.

He was responsible for the €16 million transfer spend De Laurentiis had entrusted him with. He was responsible for the faith of the Napoli fans, the trust of the players who had come to Naples to follow him, and the confidence of the assistant coaches standing behind him.

He was no longer alone!

There's a saying: "Once you have responsibilities, you know the weight of dignity; once you have success, you learn the fear of loss."

That perfectly summed up Gao Shen's current situation.

Yet this battle against Juventus was only his third official match in charge of Napoli. Still, he had carefully planned this to be a pivotal showdown. Juventus wasn't just any team; they were Napoli's biggest rival in Serie B this season.

And to make it even more important, it was a knockout match in the third round of the Coppa Italia.

Since Napoli had beaten Ascoli in the previous round, Gao Shen had begun to sense the true strength of his team. Ascoli had been relegated from Serie A, and although they were not the strongest team, their strength wasn't insignificant.

After that match, Gao Shen realized that Napoli could indeed compete with lower-tier Serie A teams.

And against Juventus?

Gao Shen knew he had the tools to aim for even more.

And now, the results were in.

With a 5-0 demolition of Juventus, Gao Shen had proven what Napoli could do under his guidance when they gave their all.

Even more remarkable, Napoli had controlled the tempo of the entire game. In fact, Gao Shen had controlled it from the sidelines.

This filled him with newfound confidence and ambition. 

But after that emotional release, he also felt a strange emptiness.

He wanted to share his feelings, his pent-up excitement, but he couldn't. He couldn't share this with his assistants, not even with Lucas. He had to maintain the aura of leadership. He couldn't share it with the players, nor with people who wouldn't fully understand, like Sacchi or Valdano.

The only person he could think of was Su Qing. 

Maybe it was because, growing up, he had never had many close friends.

...

The San Paolo Stadium had transformed into a massive party.

In the stands, the Napoli fans were singing and dancing, basking in the euphoria of the rout. As a newly-promoted Serie B side, Napoli had just crushed Juventus 5-0 at home. What better way to boost morale and confidence?

On the pitch, the players were just as ecstatic.

Most of them were in their early twenties, still young and full of energy. There was competition among them, but it was healthy competition honest and without any scheming or backstabbing. At their age, they could still acknowledge each other's strengths.

As a result, the atmosphere in Napoli's dressing room was incredibly simple. Everyone had the same goal: to win. And there was only one leader: Gao Shen.

At this moment, the players were celebrating wildly on the field, as if they had just won a championship.

The live broadcast cameras shifted to the visiting team's bench, where Deschamps sat with his head bowed in defeat.

"In this match, from lineup selection to in-game tactics, Deschamps was completely outplayed by Gao Shen," said one commentator.

"This is quite surprising because Deschamps is a seasoned manager, having led Monaco to the Champions League final. He has plenty of experience, yet tonight, it felt as though Gao Shen had him dancing in the palm of his hand."

"Of course, we must acknowledge that this Juventus side is not the same as last year. After being relegated and selling over €80 million worth of talent, this is a much weaker Juventus."

"From that perspective, this 5-0 defeat might actually be a good thing for Juventus. It could serve as a much-needed wake-up call for a team that has already been touted as Serie B champions."

The cameras panned back to the home team's bench, capturing Gao Shen hugging his coaching staff in celebration.

"And let's not forget to congratulate Gao Shen and Napoli for this magnificent victory."

"This season, Napoli has been playing some truly remarkable attacking football, and tonight, they used a 5-0 victory to prove that they are more than just a newly-promoted Serie B team. They have the potential to earn promotion to Serie A."

"What's truly impressive is the influence of Gao Shen. He has created a team with a unique identity: vibrant, aggressive, and full of energy. Napoli plays with a level of intensity that is rarely seen in Italian football."

"I am eager to see if Gao Shen can truly lead Napoli to the Serie B title, as he promised."

"With Juventus now out of the Coppa Italia, Napoli's next challenge will be facing one of the top eight Serie A teams. These will be opponents even stronger than Juventus."

"Napoli is still young, but they have already amazed us. I hope they can continue this momentum, inject some fresh energy into Italian football, and deliver more exciting matches for the fans."

...

Up in the chairman's stand, Secco was in shock.

Upsets are common in knockout matches. That much he knew. 

But nobody had predicted this. No one expected Napoli to destroy Juventus 5-0.

Even when Juventus were down 0-2 at halftime, few believed it could end like this.

But now, here they were.

Secco wasn't just shocked he was scared. Because he knew what was coming next.

After this match, the furious Juventus fans would be looking for someone to blame. And that someone would be him.

The reason was simple: Gao Shen should have been Juventus' manager.

It was Secco who had let Gao Shen slip away to Napoli.

Deschamps was another part of the equation, but given the circumstances of Juventus' relegation, fans had been understanding. They saw Deschamps as a coach who had stepped up when Juventus needed someone the most.

But Gao Shen... let's just say that was on Secco.

Seco could already picture the fans' rage. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to confront Gao Shen and ask: "What have I ever done to you for you to humiliate me like this?"

"Ha, Alessio, I want to thank you on behalf of all Napoli fans!" De Laurentiis teased, clearly enjoying himself. "I could tell right from the start that Gao Shen and Napoli were a perfect fit."

Marino joined in, laughing. "If Gao Shen had gone to Juventus, it would have been a disaster for us. We wouldn't have had the joy of tonight's victory!"

Secco shot the two men a look of disgust.

He had had enough of this vulgarity.

Wasn't it just a... a... five-nil victory?

It's not like other teams haven't won by five goals before...

With one final, hateful glare at De Laurentiis and Marino, Seco stormed off.

"Leaving so soon, Alessio? Stay for dinner!" De Laurentiis called after him mockingly.

"Take care on your way out! Don't trip!" Marino added with a grin.

Seco didn't bother to respond.

As he disappeared into the stadium's exit, De Laurentiis and Marino exchanged glances and laughed.

"Thank God we made the right call when we hired Gao Shen. Look at the results now, and look at the players he's brought in. Oh my God, how is he so young but so sharp?" De Laurentiis marveled.

This current squad of players in Napoli each and every one was performing beyond expectations.

Even Pelle, who had been underwhelming in previous years, had been transformed under Gao Shen's management. 

"It's not the players who are the problem," De Laurentiis chuckled. "It's that their previous coaches didn't know how to use them!"

And that applied to the whole squad. Every player was thriving.

"We all thought we were in trouble when Paolo Cannavaro was suspended," Marino said. "But who could have predicted this outcome?"

All those naysayers and pundits who doubted Napoli before the match they must be feeling embarrassed right now.

Naples hadn't had a victory this monumental in years.

And to think it had come against a northern giant like Juventus? The whole city of Naples would be celebrating for days.

"I've really hit the jackpot this time!" De Laurentiis said, grinning from ear to ear.