Starting With Real Madrid

Castel Volturno Training Base.

On the training grounds, every Napoli player was hard at work, giving it their all and dripping with sweat.

This was especially true for the players who sensed they might start in the upcoming Champions League match.

Whether it was goalkeeper Handanovic, striker Cavani, or others who had played in St. Petersburg, they all carried a fierce determination. They were eager to redeem themselves and take revenge for that humiliating experience on home soil.

The away match in St. Petersburg had been an embarrassment for Napoli.

The game ended in a draw, and while it may have satisfied others, it was far from satisfying for Napoli.

The word "satisfaction" implies meeting expectations. But Napoli felt they had fallen short.

After playing against Zenit, the team knew that their Russian opponents were indeed strong. Yet, Napoli also knew they had the ability to defeat them. Their failure in the away game was due to external factors, chiefly the weather.

The temperature difference of nearly 20 degrees between Italy and Russia posed an immense challenge for any team.

Now, however, it was Zenit's turn to face those same challenges.

Napoli was determined to win at home, secure their spot in the Champions League knockout stage, and achieve their season's goal.

Head coach Gao Shen had already made it clear: Napoli was no longer content with simply advancing from the group.

This team had greater ambitions.

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Zidane stood on the sidelines, observing as Carlo, Buenaventura, Pintus, Borrell, and Lopis led the players through their drills. Though scattered across different areas, the focused atmosphere was unmistakable.

Next to Zidane stood a man wearing Napoli's winter training gear. With round glasses on his face, he had a scholarly, refined appearance.

Before training began, Carlo had specifically introduced this man to the players.

Maurizio Sarri, from Naples, Italy.

Though not a famous name in Italian football circles, Sarri's career path was nothing short of legendary.

A lifelong Napoli supporter, Sarri lacked the talent to become a professional player. Born into a working-class family with ties to Italy's steel industry, he started working at the Tuscan Bank in the 1980s, handling numbers on a daily basis.

His two great passions were football and smoking.

Since 1990, Sarri had been coaching Stia, a team in Italy's eighth-tier league. It was an amateur team, but for the young Sarri, who dreamed of a career in football, it was a valuable opportunity to build experience.

Starting from such humble beginnings, Sarri went on to coach numerous lower-league teams.

In 2000, he got the chance to manage Sansovino, a sixth-tier team with ambitious goals. Sarri vowed that if he couldn't succeed there, he would give up his coaching dream for good.

No one expected that under Sarri's guidance, Sansovino would win the league and achieve promotion to the fifth tier.

Two years later, in 2002, Sarri made a life-changing decision. Feeling that his dual roles as a bank employee and a coach were splitting his focus, he chose to leave his banking career to fully commit to football.

In 2003, Sarri's success at Sansovino earned him a position managing Sangiovannese in the fourth tier. In just one season, he led the team to Serie C, Italy's third tier, and achieved an impressive eighth-place finish during their promotion season.

This success with Sangiovannese caught the attention of Serie B side Pescara. In the 2005–2006 season, Sarri helped the team avoid relegation, securing a respectable 12th place. However, for various reasons, he left after just one season.

When Gao Shen managed Napoli in Serie B, Sarri was hired mid-season by Arezzo, replacing none other than Antonio Conte. However, his stint lasted only a few months before he was dismissed.

This fact had deeply amused Gao Shen at the time.

Who could have predicted that in a single season, Arezzo would fire two future world-class coaches?

Following his departure from Arezzo, Sarri's coaching career hit turbulent waters.

At Avellino, he was sacked after managing just one match. A mid-season move to help Verona yielded just one point from five games, leading to another dismissal. Most recently, he had a brief and unsuccessful spell at Perugia.

Gao Shen had first met Sarri at Coverciano, where they had a long, insightful conversation. Shortly afterward, Sarri resigned from Perugia and returned to Naples, heading to Castel Volturno two days earlier.

In Sarri's own words: "I'm here to learn from the best football in the world today."

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Sarri's first day with the team coincided with Napoli's intensive preparations for the Champions League.

Accompanied by Zidane, he stood on the sidelines, observing the training session. He was struck by how different Napoli was—not just in terms of unique training methods, but also the players' attitudes.

"Every one of your players is brimming with energy and competitiveness," Sarri remarked. "They shout and push each other during training. I can only imagine how fierce they must be during matches if they're like this in practice."

Zidane nodded. "Gao places great importance on the team's mindset. He spends most of his time talking with the players, keeping them motivated."

Sarri had heard about this.

"Gao once said a team is like an army. The coach's mentality is reflected in the players. He's incredibly competitive and never hides his desire to win. That kind of intensity naturally rubs off on the team. As for their fighting spirit and refusal to give up…"

Zidane's expression turned serious, filled with admiration.

"That comes from countless tough battles. It's not something that can be instilled with words, it has to be forged through challenges and the coach's actions, day in and day out."

Sarri nodded thoughtfully. "I remember when Napoli was still a Serie B team. They had the audacity to challenge Roma and Inter Milan in the Italian Cup, even demolishing Roma. That was one of the most memorable Italian Cup matches in years."

Although nearly 50 years old, Sarri was far older than Gao Shen or even Zidane. Yet he felt no embarrassment in learning from them.

He wasn't as skilled in tactics or experienced in coaching, but his passion for football and his desire to succeed were unmatched.

"I have to say," Sarri confessed with admiration, "coaching a team like Napoli would be a dream come true for any head coach."

Zidane remained quiet, lost in thought. Though his coaching philosophy differed from Gao Shen's, he couldn't help but admire him.

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Meanwhile, Gao Shen was in the analysis room, reviewing strategies for the upcoming Zenit match with Lucas. After finalizing his instructions, he left Lucas to handle the details.

When Gao Shen stepped out, he saw Sarri and Zidane engaged in deep discussion. A sense of pride welled up inside him.

After Guardiola and Zidane, another future world-class coach was now learning under his wing.

When Sarri first arrived, Gao Shen had taken a photo with him and posted it on Twitter, officially welcoming him. The post quickly gained attention from fans and media alike.

Sarri wasn't a household name yet, but that didn't matter. Gao Shen was confident his reputation would grow in time.

More importantly, Sarri had offered to work without pay, calling it an opportunity to learn. Gao Shen happily obliged, putting him to work as needed.

Unfortunately, the coaching bench was already full, with strict regulations on the number of staff and substitutes allowed during matches. This meant Sarri would have to watch games from the stands but he didn't mind.

What a humble, dedicated man!

The more Gao Shen thought about it, the more he appreciated Sarri, imagining the glory Sarri might bring to his legacy in the future.

Someday, Gao Shen mused, he might retire and let his protégés—Guardiola, Zidane, and Sarri—carry on his legacy.

Wouldn't that be something?

For now, though, that day was far off. Among his "disciples," only Guardiola was thriving, while Zidane and Sarri still had a ways to go.

Are there more people like Sarri out there? Gao Shen thought with a grin.

If so, give me a dozen of them!

I need to grow my sect!