Starting With Real Madrid

Accidentally being pushed to the forefront is something that Gao Shen did not expect.

Initially, he just had a small intention to solidify his relationship with Guardiola. However, things developed far beyond his expectations, making him quite frustrated.

According to the club's public relations department, media reporters were calling every day, eager to interview Gao Shen. Some requested phone interviews, others video interviews, and some were even willing to travel to Naples for face-to-face interviews.

Gao Shen never anticipated becoming famous once again.

Although it might feel cool to be a celebrity, he found the situation quite helpless because it was beyond his control.

He had always been a man with a strong desire for control and didn't appreciate situations where things were outside his grasp.

Of course, his control freak tendencies weren't as extreme as Benitez, Mourinho, or Van Gaal. Those guys were truly paranoid about control. Gao Shen, by comparison, was more lenient. He could allow players to think independently on the pitch, even encouraging them to do so.

However, there was a prerequisite: the players' actions must still align with his tactical system.

Guardiola, on the other hand, was deeply embarrassed by all the media attention.

He wasn't even officially Gao Shen's assistant, but he was still living in Gao Shen's house in Naples, making him feel somewhat out of place.

After some Catalan media came to Naples, Guardiola mentioned to Gao Shen that he felt guilty for causing trouble and felt it was inappropriate to stay any longer.

However, Gao Shen flatly rejected that notion. He emphasized how much he had benefited from his discussions with Guardiola and insisted that he was happy to have Guardiola stay.

Who wouldn't be?

After Guardiola got his coaching certificate, Gao Shen noticed that several books by Guardiola had appeared in his tactical library. Although they were quite thin, indicating that Guardiola hadn't accumulated much yet, Gao Shen read through them quickly.

As they got to know each other better, Gao Shen found that talking with Guardiola was easy. Many of their ideas meshed perfectly, making Guardiola feel like he had found a kindred spirit, someone he should've met much sooner.

Now, although Guardiola felt he was bringing trouble to Gao Shen, Gao Shen not only didn't blame him but also encouraged him to stay. What else could Guardiola feel but gratitude and a sense of deep appreciation?

Gao Shen had already figured out Guardiola's personality early on and knew that he was idle at home. So, after giving him a stern "lesson," Gao Shen played his trump card to further solidify their relationship.

He proposed a contract!

Since Guardiola was embarrassed about staying in Naples without an official title, Gao Shen offered a solution: "Sign a contract, be my assistant. I'll take care of your room and board, let you learn from me, and even pay you a salary every month."

"How loyal am I!" Gao Shen thought.

There was no need for words; Guardiola signed the contract immediately, moved by Gao Shen's sincerity.

After all, Guardiola did want to stay in Naples and learn from Gao Shen. So, joining the coaching staff and helping out seemed like a natural step.

Gao Shen gave him enough freedom. The contract was short, ending after the current season, and if Guardiola wanted to renew it afterward, he could.

What more could Guardiola say? Finding such a confidant, such a mentor, all he could think of was how to repay the kindness he had been shown.

But there was something else to consider: Guardiola seemed to carry some bad luck with him.

Fans who followed his career might remember that in his first game as a coach for Barcelona's B team, he lost. 

Yes, he lost. This was the fourth tier of Spanish football, and even Barcelona's second team lost. Unbelievable, right?

A year later, when he took charge of Barcelona's first team, his first game was also a loss 0-1 to Numancia.

Even funnier, when he later took over Bayern Munich, his first game was another loss, this time to Dortmund.

Of course, when he later managed Manchester City, he started with a winning streak, but this didn't stop his usual habit of starting out poorly.

And this time, he seemed to have brought his bad luck to Naples.

---

In the eleventh round of Serie B, Napoli played Bari away.

Yes, this is the same Bari where the eccentric Cassano debuted, and it's still his hometown. Here, Cassano even earned the nickname "Brad Pitt." Who knows if the people of Bari all share Cassano's quirky charm?

But it was in this strange city, with this strange team, that Napoli suffered their first defeat of the season.

0-1!

What Juventus, Ascoli, Parma, and many other famous teams couldn't do, Bari managed to pull off.

They defeated the mighty Napoli on their home turf!

Who would have thought?

Napoli couldn't believe it either.

Despite taking nearly 30 shots, they failed to score a single goal.

Meanwhile, the opponent sent in a cross that ricocheted off Bonucci's leg and bounced into Napoli's goal.

Surprising, right? No shots but still a goal!

In the locker room after the game, Gao Shen couldn't help but laugh. 

"You... you..." 

He didn't know whether to laugh or cry, he was truly speechless.

"Everyone will submit a review after we return," he said.

The players were shocked. They had been prepared for a serious scolding.

Just a review?

What happened to the fierce temper that made even Zidane and Ronaldo too scared to speak?

If Gao Shen had known what the players were thinking, he might have suspected that they lost on purpose just to see him lose his temper.

Looking at Guardiola, Gao Shen sighed deeply.

Look at that bad luck his own abilities couldn't even shield against it!

---

The external reaction to Napoli's defeat was relatively calm.

After all, they still topped the Serie B standings.

More importantly, Napoli had just played back-to-back tough matches against Juventus and Parma. With the constant rotations, it was natural to have some fluctuations in performance.

Besides, Bari didn't even take a shot and still managed to win what more could anyone say?

On the contrary, Juventus celebrated their 2-0 home win over Pescara.

The Turin-based La Gazzetta dello Sport was ecstatic, proclaiming that Napoli was crumbling and Juventus would soon overtake them.

While this victory didn't change the standings, it was enough for Deschamps to keep his job a little longer.

The Frenchman had been having a tough time.

---

In the twelfth round of Serie B, Juventus had barely finished laughing at Napoli when they ran into their own misfortune.

After a week of rest, they played AlbinoLeffe away, managing only a 1-1 draw.

AlbinoLeffe was ruthless, fielding a formation with five defenders and four midfielders, clearly focusing on defending Juventus's attacks.

In the 24th minute, AlbinoLeffe launched a quick counterattack that tore through Juventus's defense and reached the penalty area. Buffon, in an attempt to save the situation, fouled the attacker.

The result? A red card and a penalty.

Juventus managed to equalize in the second half, but the final result was a 1-1 draw.

Once again, Deschamps' job was on the line.

---

After a week of rest, Napoli returned to action, refreshed and ready to face Bologna at home.

All the frustrations from the previous round's loss were unleashed on Bologna, and Napoli destroyed them 4-0.

Bologna's coach, Ulivieri, kept exclaiming in disbelief during the post-match press conference.

At 65 years old, the Italian coach had once managed Napoli back in 1998. He hadn't expected his former team to thrash his current one so completely.

By the way, you might not have heard of Ulivieri before, but he's quite a big deal.

Covilciano is Italy's premier training ground for young coaches essentially Italy's "Academy" for coaches. Nearly all head coaches, assistants, and even general coaches have come through this system.

Ulivieri is a key figure at Covilciano, responsible for training many of Italy's coaching students.

Even some current and former players, including Italian internationals who had just won the World Cup, had studied under Ulivieri.

And yet, Gao Shen had thoroughly defeated this highly respected man.

No wonder the Italians were in a hurry!

---

After beating Bologna, Napoli still hadn't had enough.

In the thirteenth round of Serie B, they visited Pescara and put in another dominant performance, winning 3-0.

This result pushed Pescara even closer to relegation.

The match itself wasn't particularly noteworthy, but a small incident afterward caused quite a stir in the media.

Before the game ended, Gao Shen noticed a young player from Pescara in the player tunnel. The youth was rather scruffy and small, but for some reason, Gao Shen was drawn to him and immediately began discussing a transfer with Pescara's interim coach, Ammazzalorso.

When he didn't get the result he wanted, Gao Shen immediately called Napoli's sporting director Marino and asked him to make contact with Pescara.

An hour later, the scruffy Italian youth officially belonged to Napoli, with the transfer set to be completed during the winter break.

"Trust me, he will become one of the best midfielders in Europe," Gao Shen confidently told Guardiola.

Guardiola was confused he didn't understand why.

Gao Shen didn't know either. He just had a feeling.

---

In this round, Juventus played at home again, comfortably beating Lecce 4-1, which temporarily secured Deschamps's position.

Deschamps, who had just regained some stability, drew 1-1 against Genoa in an away match, and his position was once again in jeopardy.

Looking at Gao Shen, he couldn't help but worry for Deschamps. How could he manage things so poorly?

You're not that young anymore; can't you steady the ship?

After all, you, Deschamps, are a head coach who once led a team to the Champions League final. How are you struggling to figure out your opponents in Serie B?

Look at us, Naples 2-0, easy rotation, and we took care of Frosinone without any issues.

After that loss to Bari, Napoli bounced back with another three consecutive wins. The key thing was that we conceded zero goals, demonstrating our dominant strength. From the match performances, it's clear that Napoli is getting better and better.

...

Three days later, Napoli visited the Tardini Stadium to face Parma.