Starting With Real Madrid

Bullying! This is pure bullying!

Standing in front of the visiting team's bench, Pioli was almost driven to tears by Napoli's opening goal.

When he arrived at Sao Paulo Stadium, he had imagined many possibilities. He had even envisioned that his team might concede early. But he never anticipated that they would concede a goal in the very first minute! That was just outrageous!

Looking over at Gao Shen, the home team's coach, Pioli couldn't help but feel a surge of anger. He desperately wanted to march over and give him a piece of his mind.

Couldn't you tell that my opening move was just to throw you off balance? Didn't you realize I was just trying to fake you out and feel things out on the road?"

"I gave you such a clear hint before the game how could you not see it? How can you be so heartless?"

"Have you thought about how I feel?"

"I'm a dignified Serie A coach. I've led my team to three consecutive UEFA Cup victories. I'm a top 100 coach in UEFA rankings… Alright, maybe top 200. But still, you can't just humiliate me like this!"

"To be beaten like this in front of your home crowd… Where's your sense of decency?"

Pioli silently vented his frustrations and resentment in his heart, but it didn't change his predicament.

When the game restarted, Napoli continued with the same tactics high pressing and relentless attacks. On the other hand, the Parma players were beginning to look hesitant.

According to the pre-match strategy, they were supposed to push for an early goal. But Napoli had come out swinging and scored immediately. Now, the Parma players were bewildered.

"How are we supposed to play like this?"

The team began to fall out of sync, and many players glanced toward the sidelines, waiting for Pioli's guidance.

But Pioli himself was at a loss.

As a Serie A team visiting a Serie B club, conceding so early was humiliating. What should he do now?

Should he have them retreat? That would be even more embarrassing!

Especially after hearing Gao Shen's pre-match remarks, that Parma was a prestigious team that should play with pride and decency. At the very least, shouldn't they put on a respectable performance to prepare for the home leg of the second round?

Pioli wasn't ready to give up just yet.

His game plan was to secure a draw and then finish things off in the return leg at home. But with an early deficit, he was far from satisfied.

However, continuing on like this seemed risky. 

The Napoli team and that audacious young coach were ruthless and didn't seem to follow the unwritten rules of the game.

How long could Parma hold out if they didn't fall back?

Pioli was unsure.

And when a coach hesitates, the players lose clarity and direction. The disconnect between offense and defense soon became obvious on the pitch.

A pass during a quick counterattack went astray.

After Biglia intercepted the ball, he quickly passed to Hamsik to launch a counterattack.

Hamsik stopped the ball, turned, and sent it forward.

Cavani received it, skillfully dribbling past defenders Cotto and Rossi, charging towards the penalty area. As the defense closed in, he sent a precise pass back behind him.

Gervinho, anticipating the move, dashed behind Cotto, got ahead of the goalkeeper, and gently tapped the ball into Parma's net.

Napoli scored again within just five minutes!

2-0!!!!!

The entire stadium fell into stunned silence.

In the stands, the fans were so overjoyed that they momentarily forgot to cheer. It wasn't until Gervinho ran off the pitch in celebration that the crowd erupted into thunderous applause, chanting his name in unison.

Pioli, on the other hand, was left utterly bewildered.

With a resentful gaze, he looked towards the home team's bench, where Gao Shen was embracing his assistants. Pioli nearly wept in frustration.

"This is too much to bear…"

...

Gao Shen was ecstatic!

Initially, he thought it would be a win just to score one goal early on. But Parma, in their eagerness, practically handed Napoli another goal on a silver platter.

What could be better than this?

Less than six minutes in, and Napoli were already two goals ahead. What more could he ask for?

Looking at his coaching staff, Carlo, Lucas, and Guardiola were equally stunned. No one had expected the game to go this smoothly. It was completely unexpected.

Gao Shen then glanced over at the visiting team's bench. Pioli was gesturing at his players, signaling for them to fall back and defend.

There's a saying: "When a scholar rebels, he never succeeds for three years."

If Pioli had made tactical adjustments earlier, they might not have conceded the second goal so quickly. But he hesitated.

That's the problem with honest people—they think too much, and they hesitate.

In the workplace, it's the same: why do honest people often get taken advantage of? Because they care too much about others' feelings. They don't know how to refuse or make decisive choices. They try to accommodate everyone, but in the end, they end up being the ones who suffer.

And when they suffer, the people who take advantage of them often don't even appreciate it. They think it's only natural and continue to "bully" them.

Pioli's experience tonight was a perfect example of how honest people get treated on the football field.

Are we being too cruel?

Gao Shen briefly pondered this. His conclusion? It's always better to be ruthless with the opposition.

After all, you decided to be an honest man what can I do?

I'm doing this for your own good, Mr. Pioli.

...

Once Parma retreated into a defensive formation, it became difficult for them to break Napoli's line.

This is a typical characteristic of Italian teams they excel at defense.

Parma's defense in Serie A has been lackluster, but the media and fans have long criticized them for their defensive capabilities. Nevertheless, once they committed to a full retreat, Napoli found it difficult to break through.

When an Italian team goes into a defensive "iron wall" mode, every opponent knows it's a nightmare.

Napoli played patiently, knowing that they held the advantage. With a two-goal lead, Gao Shen saw no need to rush.

Though there was still a second leg to play, Gao Shen felt confident with two goals in the bag. What was there to fear?

At halftime, Gao Shen didn't push the players to increase their offense further.

Parma still had some fight left in them. After all, they were a Serie A team. Gao Shen urged caution and told his players to maintain their composure and avoid taking unnecessary risks.

...

In the second half, Pioli played it safe, refraining from pressing forward too aggressively. He patiently waited for opportunities to counterattack.

Napoli continued probing, trying to create chances, but without success.

Around the 60th minute, Pioli made his move, substituting midfielder Bolano for striker Detic, switching to a 4-4-2 formation to bolster the team's attacking power.

Three minutes later, Pioli made another bold move, replacing Savi with Pisanu to strengthen their right flank attack.

Sensing Parma's intentions, Gao Shen immediately signaled his players to ramp up the tempo, launching a series of rapid attacks that put Parma under intense pressure.

Both Cavani and Hamsik had excellent chances to score, but their shots narrowly missed the target, to the great disappointment of the Napoli fans.

Had those two goals gone in, the tie would have been sealed.

After enduring Napoli's onslaught, Parma once again withdrew into a defensive stance.

The game returned to a stalemate.

It wasn't until the 80th minute that Parma mounted another counterattack, only to be pinned back by Napoli's pressing.

The remainder of the game saw fierce but fruitless exchanges between the two teams.

In the end, Napoli emerged victorious with a 2-0 win over Parma at Sao Paulo Stadium.

...

As the final whistle blew, Gao Shen clenched his fists in celebration.

A 2-0 lead was more than enough.

He was pleased with how the game unfolded. Napoli's players had expended a lot of energy, but the result was well worth it.

Most importantly, with this victory, Gao Shen felt even more confident heading into the second leg.

Parma's strength was unimpressive, barely better than Ascoli's.

No wonder these two teams were sitting at 19th and 18th place, respectively, in the Serie A standings.

As for Parma's UEFA Cup performances… well, that could just be a reflection of the competition's decline.

After shaking hands with his assistants, Gao Shen made his way over to the visiting team's bench.

Pioli's expression was one of pure disappointment.

But as soon as he saw Gao Shen approaching, he forced a polite smile and extended his hand.

A good man!

Even after losing, he still managed to maintain his composure and show respect for his opponent's feelings. He was a truly... great man.

So great, in fact, that Gao Shen almost felt like beating him again!

Pioli wasn't happy with the game. He felt that his team had been thrown off balance by those two early goals.

"If we had another chance, we wouldn't concede so easily," Pioli said.

Gao Shen nodded with a smile after all, a win was a win. Whatever made Pioli feel better.

"If you were Lippi, or Capello, with a squad full of superstars, sure. 

"Although we are two goals behind, the real final will be at our home ground, and we will definitely be able to make a comeback," Pioli said with a serious expression.

It was clear that he was determined to reverse the situation and advance.

In fact, he might have already prepared for an away defeat, banking on a comeback at home.

Gao Shen originally wanted to respect Pioli's optimism and not ruin his mood, but seeing how confident he was, Gao Shen couldn't help but feel the urge to shatter his unrealistic expectations.

"I think you may have forgotten, Mr. Pioli, back when I was at Real Madrid, I was known for my defense. In a situation like this, I could defend for 180 minutes," Gao Shen said, still maintaining a serious expression as he nodded, as if to emphasize: I'm dead serious.

Pioli was left stunned once again.