Starting With Real Madrid

Since taking charge of Napoli in June, Gao Shen's life had been moving at a breakneck pace.

From player transfers to pre-season training, followed by preparations for the Coppa Italia, the schedule had been jam-packed. He hadn't allowed himself a moment's rest, and the constant tension kept him on edge.

It wasn't just Gao Shen who felt the pressure his entire coaching staff had been working nonstop.

However, after Napoli's stunning 5-0 rout of Juventus in the third round of the Coppa Italia, things finally began to slow down.

With two weeks of international breaks, Gao Shen and his staff suddenly had time to breathe, reflect, and make adjustments.

Gao Shen generously granted two consecutive days off to himself, the players, and the coaching staff. Afterward, training resumed at Fort Volturno, where he joined the players who hadn't been called up for national duty.

Most of the time, it was Carlo and the other assistants handling training sessions while Gao Shen supervised.

To be honest, he felt a bit uneasy with all the sudden free time.

But football was a game of rhythms, dictated by schedules. When things slowed down, he had to adjust too.

During the break, Gao Shen also organized a team outing, a day trip around Naples. 

Despite having lived in Naples for almost three months, Gao Shen had barely seen the city. He had only had a quick look around when signing his contract. He hadn't even visited famous landmarks like Castel dell'Ovo or Castel Nuovo. 

So, with a wave of his hand, Gao Shen arranged for a professional tour guide to lead the team on a day long trip, fully reimbursed by the club.

…

Two days after Napoli's triumph over Juventus, the Italian Football Federation held the draw for the fourth round of the Coppa Italia.

Sixteen teams remained, but this time, the top eight Serie A teams from last season joined the fray, including AC Milan, Inter Milan, Roma, Parma, and Palermo.

The draw was structured so that the teams advancing from the third round would face one of the top eight teams from Serie A. This meant Napoli would be facing a top-tier team for sure. If they were unlucky, they could be pitted against Mancini's Inter Milan or Ancelotti's AC Milan, both of which would be daunting opponents.

Fortunately, Napoli drew Parma.

In terms of strength, Parma was ranked somewhere in the middle. Originally, they had finished 10th, but after the Calciopoli scandal, they were bumped into the top eight. Parma's overall strength didn't compare to powerhouses like Milan or Roma, giving Napoli a better chance to advance.

However, their head coach was Stefano Pioli.

Pioli was just starting to make a name for himself at this point, having performed well with Modena last season. Expectations were high for him at Parma this year. Later in his career, Pioli would go on to manage teams like Lazio, Inter Milan, Fiorentina, and even AC Milan, proving his coaching acumen. He was definitely a coach to watch out for.

But after Napoli's commanding victory over Juventus, both Gao Shen and his team were confident they could take another step forward. Drawing Parma instead of one of the top Serie A sides was seen as a stroke of luck.

…

Meanwhile, Juventus was embroiled in chaos.

After their humiliating elimination from the Coppa Italia at the hands of Napoli, Juventus faced heavy criticism. The spotlight was on head coach Deschamps, with no one pointing fingers more aggressively than Juventus' sporting director, Alessio Seco.

It was a situation that Gao Shen found perplexing.

After all, losing a game is part of football. It's natural to assign blame, but shouldn't the priority be to maintain team stability and protect both the coach and the players?

Instead, Seco had been quick to criticize Deschamps publicly after the match, blaming him for poor tactics and match management.

In response, Deschamps defended himself, claiming that the team had failed to bring in the players he wanted. This, he argued, had limited his tactical options and contributed to the defeat in Naples. 

At the same time, Deschamps pointed out that the 5-0 loss was somewhat of a fluke. If they played the match again, he doubted Napoli would win so convincingly.

This statement had some merit. Napoli's victory wasn't just about their superiority in quality, but a result of numerous factors coming together in their favor.

The media interpreted Deschamps' defense as a direct attack on Secco's transfer decisions, which only escalated the conflict. Secco retaliated, and soon Juventus' general manager, Blanc, was dragged into the fray, as he had been the one who recruited Deschamps in the first place.

Watching this all unfold, Gao Shen was grateful he hadn't stepped into Juventus' mess. It was becoming clearer why Deschamps would leave Juventus angrily after returning them to Serie A. The internal conflict had been simmering long before the public fallout.

Of course, many fans and outsiders didn't fully understand the situation. Most didn't have access to the behind the scenes details, and without all the information, their perceptions were skewed.

Regardless, with Juventus now out of the Coppa Italia, if they could focus their efforts on Serie B and resolve their internal issues, it might still turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

…

On the first weekend of September, Gao Shen left Naples and headed to Rome.

He had been invited by the Italian Football Federation to attend a coaching summit for Serie A and Serie B managers.

This gathering, which was held once a year, was attended by famous football legends like Sacchi, as well as current head coaches from Serie A and Serie B. It was an exclusive, industry only event, where the head coaches would discuss football matters without the presence of football association officials or media.

Events like this weren't unique to Italy. Similar gatherings took place in other leagues, and UEFA and FIFA also hosted their own summits for managers competing in international tournaments.

The summit was set over two days the first day was the main event, while the second day included breakout sessions for more in-depth discussions.

When Gao Shen arrived in Rome, he had some time to spare, so he went sightseeing before heading to the summit venue.

…

The summit was held at a five-star hotel in the heart of Rome.

As soon as Gao Shen walked in, he became the centre of attention.

"Oh no," Ancelotti joked. "You've already been the topic of conversation before you even arrived."

Ancelotti, along with Sacchi, was one of the few people Gao Shen was close to at the event.

"Your 5-0 win over Juventus was incredible!" Ancelotti exclaimed.

Gao Shen, ever humble, simply smiled and maintained a low profile. 

After all, he was still young and new to these gatherings, and most of the attendees were football veterans. Today, he was here to listen and learn.

"I heard Sacchi is going to give a talk later," Ancelotti said. "He's been holed up all day preparing."

Gao Shen laughed. He imagined Sacchi preparing his speech like a writer rushing to meet a deadline, churning out drafts under pressure.

As they chatted, Gao Shen spotted Deschamps across the room. The French coach acknowledged Gao Shen with a polite greeting but quickly moved on to catch up with other friends. 

It was no surprise. Deschamps had just experienced a humiliating defeat, and it would be difficult for him to engage in casual conversation with the man who delivered that loss.

"Secco was really out of line this time," Ancelotti commented, watching Deschamps from a distance.

Gao Shen nodded silently.

After the Calciopoli scandal, most top managers had been reluctant to take over Juventus. After Gao Shen went to Napoli, Juventus had used every connection they had to persuade Deschamps to take the job.

Deschamps agreed, partly because he wanted to prove himself after previous coaching stints, and partly because of his emotional ties to Juventus, having played for the club. But now, after just one bad loss, Secco had thrown him under the bus.

"It's clear," Ancelotti continued. "Secco isn't focused on Juventus' success. He just wants to keep his power and position secure."

This was the real reason Secco had rejected Gao Shen in the first place.

In teams where power struggles were rampant, poor performances could always be pinned on the head coach. Even if results didn't improve, the sporting director could keep their position, protected by higher-ups. As long as the head coach took the blame, the hierarchy stayed intact.

"At the end of the day, it's all politics," Gao Shen sighed.

Ancelotti smiled knowingly. "And the football world is no different."

They moved on to discussing Parma, Napoli's upcoming opponent in the fourth round of the Coppa Italia. 

Interestingly, several Serie A teams this season had adopted a 4-3-2-1 formation, including Pioli's Parma.

Why?

"Because it's safe," Ancelotti explained.

Serie A had endured a tough season in Europe, with many teams underperforming. Even Juventus and AC Milan had failed to meet expectations. In response, teams had shifted to more cautious tactics.

Ancelotti chuckled. "I suppose I'm partly to blame for the trend."

Gao Shen couldn't help but laugh.