Starting With Real Madrid

As Gao Shen chatted with Guardiola, Lucas finished his phone call and walked back with a broad smile on his face.

Seeing Lucas's expression, Gao Shen couldn't help but ask, "What's going on?"

"You're right, Pioli is an honest man," Lucas replied with a laugh.

Stefano Pioli, currently the head coach of Parma, had spent most of his career coaching youth teams. He had a decent run last season in Serie B with Modena, nearly getting the team promoted to Serie A.

Due to his solid performance, Pioli was recruited by Parma to coach their Serie A team and lead them in the UEFA Cup. 

But why did Gao Shen call him an honest man?

The answer was simple: Pioli had taken on a thankless job managing Parma this season, which was like falling into a pit. Even the best coach would struggle to make things work at the club.

This had become increasingly clear as the season progressed.

Do you know what Parma's goal for this season was?

Despite competing in the UEFA Cup, their public goal was relegation survival. Yes, that's right staying out of relegation was their primary objective.

Many people were shocked. How could a club playing in European competition aim to avoid relegation? It didn't make sense at first.

But a look at Parma's summer transfer window explained everything.

Their main goalkeeper Frey was sold to Fiorentina, Bonera went to AC Milan, Simplicio and Bresciano both joined Palermo, and their primary center-back Cannavaro now plays under Gao Shen at Napoli. 

Even Marchionne left for Juventus.

So, it wasn't hard to understand why players like Fabio Cannavaro's younger brother, Paolo, preferred a move to Serie B with Napoli rather than stay at Parma. The team was a sinking ship, stripped of most of its quality players.

The few signings Parma made were mostly free transfers, like Kutuzov and Paci. It was clear they were looking for budget options and were prepared for a tough season.

In this context, fighting relegation wasn't just a possibility; it was a grim reality.

...

"I've asked around, and Parma's main objective is indeed very pragmatic: survive in Serie A and go as far as possible in the UEFA Cup," Lucas said.

From the start of the season, Pioli's Parma had focused more on the UEFA Cup than Serie A. This was evident in their domestic league struggles.

"Just today, Parma played away at Messina and drew 2-2. They were leading by two goals but then conceded twice to let Messina equalize. What's more, they used Contini and Paci as their main central defenders," Lucas continued.

"Kutuzov, Morfeo, and Budan, the core of their attacking lineup, also played full minutes."

Hearing this, Gao Shen couldn't help but chuckle, "He really is an honest man. He's telling us straight that he doesn't plan to go all out in the Coppa Italia."

Guardiola laughed too, seeing the humor in the situation.

"It's probably because he has no choice. Parma's stuck in the relegation zone, and they're facing Inter Milan next weekend. Losing that match would drop them even further down the table. Pioli can't afford to take risks," Guardiola added.

Sometimes, a head coach simply doesn't have any good options.

...

Why did Gao Shen call Pioli an honest man?

Because before Gao Shen crossed over to this life, Pioli was coaching AC Milan.

Pioli's early career was far from smooth. In the 12 years before taking over at Milan, he had coached ten different teams. During that time, he was sacked five times and forced to resign once, earning him the reputation of a "mid-table coach" someone who never lasted long at any club.

Rossoneri fans even coined a term for his type: the "caretaker coach."

But unexpectedly, Pioli found great success at AC Milan, changing the perception people had of him. He went from being seen as an unlucky, unremarkable coach to a beloved figure who revived Milan.

In other words, Pioli had always been a capable coach, but his honesty and humility often led to him being taken advantage of or underestimated. 

He had the unfortunate fate of being an honest man in a world that often rewards the cunning.

And that's why Gao Shen said that Pioli is too honest. 

If Gao Shen or other "clever" coaches were in Pioli's shoes, they would never have taken the Parma job, especially knowing it was such a mess. They would have waited for a better opportunity rather than ruin their reputation trying to rescue a sinking ship.

But Pioli was different. His sincerity and professionalism often worked against him.

...

"Who's your next target?" Lucas asked with a curious grin.

Both Lucas and Guardiola could tell that Gao Shen was up to something mischievous. The playful smile on his face said it all.

Feigning a serious expression, Gao Shen replied, "What are you talking about? Do I look like someone who would harm others?"

Neither Lucas nor Guardiola answered, but the look on their faces said enough.

Yes, you absolutely do.

Gao Shen laughed, "Pep, be careful around Lucas. He'll corrupt you!"

Once they had finished talking about Parma's condition, Gao Shen felt reassured.

It was clear that Pioli had no intention of throwing everything into the Coppa Italia clash against Napoli. His team had already exhausted itself over the weekend, and the match against Inter loomed large.

For Parma, the best possible result would be a draw at San Paolo, allowing them to go all out in the return leg at home. 

But Gao Shen wasn't going to let that happen.

Would Pioli dare to attack?

Gao Shen seriously doubted it. Pioli was too cautious, too defensive by nature.

"Starting tomorrow, we focus on attack!"

...

Parma's situation was less than ideal, but their performances in the UEFA Cup had been commendable, leading many to believe that they could give Napoli a tough game.

The Italian media, in particular, were leaning towards Parma's chances. Despite Napoli's solid victory over Ascoli, many pundits argued that Parma was a different caliber of opponent.

But in the midst of all the media chatter, Gao Shen knew exactly what he was doing.

When interviewed by local Naples media, Gao Shen heaped praise on Pioli's Parma, initiating what Lucas referred to as Operation Embarrassment.

Gao Shen praised Parma's three-game winning streak in the UEFA Cup, emphasizing how competitive they were in European football. He painted a picture of Parma as a formidable opponent with the skills and quality to take on anyone.

"If I were Pioli, I'd be too embarrassed to play defensive counterattacks after hearing what you said!" Lucas remarked with a laugh. 

"You're basically telling them how amazing they are and daring them to play attacking football," Guardiola added.

It was a clever psychological trick. Gao Shen knew that if he publicly praised Parma as a top-class team, it would put pressure on Pioli not to play defensively, even though that was Parma's best chance of securing a result.

Gao Shen didn't stop there. He made sure to emphasize that Napoli would **not** change their aggressive, attacking approach, even against a team as formidable as Parma.

"Yes, Parma is very competitive in Europe, but we are not afraid of such opponents," Gao Shen told reporters. "We hope Parma can come to San Paolo and play a very attacking game, so we can put on a great show for the fans."

In other words, he was daring Parma to open up and attack Napoli, knowing full well that this would be to his advantage.

...

In the lead-up to the game, Gao Shen prepared his team with utmost caution, having learned his lesson from the Juventus match. While he intended to stick to his usual attacking style, he also made sure his team was well-prepared for every possible scenario.

He believed that Parma, with a weakened lineup and a rotation-heavy squad, would resort to defensive tactics and counterattacks. 

And just as Gao Shen had anticipated, when he received Parma's starting lineup on match day, he immediately burst into laughter.

"They're using the 4-3-2-1 Christmas tree formation!"

Pioli had done exactly what Gao Shen expected. 

"He really is such a good man!" Gao Shen exclaimed in front of his coaching staff.

"I like him!"

The room filled with laughter.

"Okay, let's get ready to attack!"