Starting With Real Madrid

At the post-match press conference, Gao Shen expressed that he was very satisfied with his team's performance.

He acknowledged that Roma was a formidable opponent, both in Serie A and the Champions League. For a young team like Napoli to play against such a powerful side on the road, Gao Shen felt there were many positives. 

"The important thing isn't the result of this match, but rather that the players executed the game plan as I asked. That's what makes me confident about our chances in the second leg."

As for what exactly gave him that confidence, Gao Shen didn't elaborate.

Naturally, the media wasn't going to let him off so easily.

Gao Shen had become the hottest topic in Italian football. Whether the media criticized or praised him, it was impossible to ignore the fact that he drew attention. Major outlets like Gazzetta dello Sport might scold him one day and then praise him the next.

It's undeniable: talking about Gao Shen sold newspapers, drove clicks, and attracted attention.

And Gao Shen knew it.

In fact, he didn't mind.

When the media focused on him, it took a lot of the pressure off the Napoli players. If the team lost, as they did tonight, the Italian media would tear into Gao Shen the next day. The players would largely escape the harsh criticism.

What did it matter if they criticized Gao Shen? How harshly could they even criticize him?

After all, in football, it's the results on the pitch that speak the loudest.

As one humorous commentator once said: "Half the money Gao Shen earns is because he's constantly getting scolded."

…

Napoli actually did a good job containing Totti tonight, aside from the goal they conceded.

However, the media and the fans don't care about the little details. All they see is that Totti scored, so in their eyes, he had a great game.

It's the same story with someone like Ronaldo at Real Madrid. It doesn't matter if he's quiet for 90 minutes if he scores, he's the hero.

For professional coaches, that kind of thinking can be a nightmare.

Totti did contribute more than just the goal, but his overall performance was below par, and that was largely due to Napoli's defense.

But Gao Shen wasn't about to say that publicly. Instead, he praised Totti effusively, calling him Roma's biggest threat and someone he admired greatly.

He even threw in compliments for Mancini, who was undoubtedly Roma's standout player. With a goal and an assist, Mancini had a significant impact, which was also due to Napoli's struggles on the right side of defense.

This was a problem Gao Shen knew they had to address.

When Napoli loses, reporters never miss the chance to grill Gao Shen. They use every trick in the book, trying to get him to slip up and say something controversial.

Gao Shen was well aware of their tactics.

"The 2-1 loss is our first defeat in the Coppa Italia, and it's definitely worth reflecting on. However, I remain confident that we can overturn this result at the Stadio San Paolo and advance to the next round."

"What? You want me to predict the score?"

"I can't do that. I'm not a magician, and I can't predict what tactics the opposition will use, but…"

Gao Shen paused. Over the last six months, the Italian media had gotten used to his style and knew something bold was coming.

"I'm confident that we will score at least three goals at home!"

As soon as he said that, the room erupted.

The reporters had been waiting for something like this, but even so, they were stunned.

Three goals?

Napoli had only managed to score once in the 88th minute against Roma on the road, and now Gao Shen was promising three goals in the return leg?

Did he think Roma were just going to roll over?

But after delivering his bold statement, Gao Shen waved goodbye to the reporters and left the room, leaving the press in a frenzy of speculation and chatter.

He'd certainly set the tone for a fiery second leg.

…

"What? Three goals? Is he crazy?"

Back at the Stadio Olimpico, Spalletti was briefed on Gao Shen's comments shortly after the press conference ended. When he heard that Gao Shen had promised to score three goals against Roma in Naples, his initial reaction was disbelief. Then, he burst into laughter.

"This kid has guts, I'll give him that. Three goals against us?" Spalletti smirked.

"He's probably just playing to the media," Roma's press officer suggested.

The press officer had been paying close attention to Gao Shen's words throughout the press conference. He had to admit, Gao Shen, with his youth and good looks, was something of an anomaly in Italian football management.

Italy is famous for producing handsome men, and even in the coaching ranks, legends like Lippi and Capello had been quite dashing in their younger days. But now they were aging, and their charm had faded.

Gao Shen, at just 25, was still in his prime, and he knew how to play the media.

"From what we saw tonight, Napoli's attack isn't that impressive. In Serie A, their offense would barely be mid-table. Not bad for a newly-promoted Serie B side," Spalletti said, rubbing his bald head and smiling. "But we are Roma!"

"I agree. Maybe he's feeling overconfident after beating a few weaker teams," the press officer added with a laugh.

Of course, Juventus wasn't exactly a "weaker team," but with their relegation, the perception of them had changed.

As for Parma and Ascoli? They were at the bottom of Serie A and hardly posed the same threat as a team like Roma.

"Do you think he's really planning to go all-out in the second leg?" the press officer asked, slightly concerned.

Gao Shen had developed a reputation for backing up some of his boldest claims, though he'd had his share of bluffs too.

Tonight, for example, Gao Shen had talked about winning the away leg or at least forcing a draw, but that hadn't materialized.

So, in a sense, head coaches often say things they don't fully mean.

"He'll definitely attack, but whether he goes all-out remains to be seen. Besides, if Napoli were truly planning an all-out attack, would Gao Shen announce it a week in advance?"

That was a good point.

"Plus, Gao Shen has more immediate concerns," Spalletti added with a chuckle.

He respected Gao Shen's talent, but the young coach had stirred up a lot of trouble with his brashness. Even though Sacchi supported him, others in Italian football weren't afraid to go after him.

There's a saying that goes: *If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight.*

Gao Shen had become the ultimate disruptor in Italian football, but now he had to prove he could handle the pressure.

You may be dominating Serie B, but that's just the appetizer!

…

As expected, the next day the Italian media went wild.

With Napoli's loss, the entire Italian football media celebrated.

Rome was never really adored by the northern Italian media, but on this day, it felt like they had been transformed into national heroes for standing up to Gao Shen, the foreign disruptor.

Papers heaped praise on Roma, using every superlative in the book to describe their performance.

And to be fair, Roma's performance was backed up by the stats.

At the Stadio Olimpico, Roma's offensive numbers were significantly better than Napoli's. Mancini had wreaked havoc down the left flank, repeatedly exploiting Napoli's defensive frailties. Unsurprisingly, he was named the man of the match.

On the other hand, Napoli had lost their invincible aura that they had shown against teams like Parma, Ascoli, and even Juventus. Roma had stifled their attack, and their defensive lapses were glaring.

Several high-profile mistakes had led to the two goals Napoli conceded.

In La Repubblica, a commentator argued that if Roma had been more clinical, Napoli might have conceded four goals.

But as with all data, the interpretation varies.

In his column, Sacchi offered a different perspective. While he acknowledged the stats, he argued that it wasn't necessarily Roma's wastefulness that limited the scoreline, but rather Napoli's ability to defensively contain their chances.

"Look at the data from two different angles, and you can arrive at two completely different conclusions," Sacchi wrote.

So, who was right?

They both were!

In the end, the only result that mattered was the one on the scoreboard.

Roma won, and Napoli lost. That was the bottom line, and as far as the media was concerned, it meant Roma had performed better end of discussion.

While the Italian media generally believed Roma had one foot in the semifinals, Sacchi wasn't convinced. He argued that Napoli's away goal gave them a lifeline, and the real battle was yet to come.

"From the 80th minute onward, it was clear that Gao Shen was pushing to score an away goal."

"I know him. He doesn't do anything without a reason. He has a plan in mind."

"A 2-1 home victory isn't enough to guarantee Roma's advancement. It gives them a slight advantage, but with Napoli having an away goal and playing the second leg at home, anything could happen."

"I'm very optimistic about Gao Shen's chances of pulling off a comeback!"

But Sacchi's words didn't resonate much in Italy's emotional football climate.

As Spalletti had said, Gao Shen had attracted too much attention. Outside of Napoli, there were few who liked him. Everyone was eager to see him fail.

Because if Gao Shen kept winning, it would mean he was right.

Isn't Italian football really outdated?

So, no matter what, Gao Shen must lose!