Starting With Real Madrid

Mancini was growing increasingly restless!

This was the 29th round of Serie A, a midweek match where Inter Milan faced Genoa in an away game. From the very beginning, everyone could see that something was off.

In a particular attack from the home team, Genoa midfielder Juric passed the ball into the penalty area. Striker Sculli laid it back, and Argentine forward Figueroa stopped the ball, turned, and volleyed toward the goal. The ball went just wide of the far post.

This near-miss infuriated Mancini on the sidelines. He was seen angrily yelling at his players, visibly unable to keep his composure.

"The head coach of Inter Milan appeared extremely agitated, and the fourth official on the sidelines had to repeatedly remind him to calm down."

"This outburst is largely due to the fact that earlier in another important Serie A match, Napoli defeated Fiorentina 2-0 at home. While the match was fairly evenly contested, there were no surprises in the outcome."

"This result put Inter Milan in a very unfavorable position. To keep pace with Napoli in the league standings, they had to beat Genoa."

"But Inter Milan, from the outset, seemed rushed and impatient."

Inter had two decent opportunities in quick succession.

First, Suazo made a low cross into the box, but Ibrahimovic was slow to react, allowing the Genoa goalkeeper to clear it.

The second chance came when Suazo made a breakthrough through the middle, setting up Ibrahimovic for a long-range shot, but the Swede sent the ball flying high and wide.

Ibrahimovic's impatience was clear, but it wasn't just him, it was the entire Inter Milan team.

In the 16th minute, Genoa launched a quick counterattack. Juric's initial shot was blocked by Cesar, but former AC Milan striker Borriello executed a stunning overhead kick to open the scoring for Genoa.

The goal ignited tensions on the pitch, and tempers began to flare.

Referee Rocchi failed to maintain control of the game, and the match quickly spiraled into chaos.

In the 28th minute, Cambiasso made a precise through ball to initiate a counterattack. Suazo, perfectly timing his run, broke through Genoa's defensive line and scored a one-on-one equalizer for Inter Milan.

But just two minutes later, Portuguese midfielder Pelé committed an elbow foul on an opponent and received a yellow card.

Genoa capitalized on the momentum, launching relentless counterattacks that put immense pressure on Inter's defense.

Four minutes after receiving his first yellow card, Pelé was again overly aggressive in a challenge on Genoa's standout midfielder Juric. The referee had no choice but to issue him a second yellow card, resulting in his dismissal from the game.

Mancini erupted in fury on the sidelines, shouting and cursing until the referee showed him a yellow card as well.

---

In the second half, Genoa brought on another striker to strengthen their offensive pressure.

Taking advantage of their numerical superiority, the home team launched wave after wave of attacks on Inter Milan's goal.

Mancini attempted several substitutions in an effort to stabilize the game, but Inter's players were increasingly frazzled, losing composure and playing defensively.

Toward the end of the match, Mancini made a bold move by bringing on Cruz in an attempt to fight fire with fire against Genoa's offense.

But nothing worked.

In the end, Inter Milan could only manage a 1-1 draw away against Genoa.

---

At the post-match press conference, Mancini publicly lashed out at referee Rocchi, accusing him of bias against Inter Milan. Mancini even listed past grievances between Rocchi and the team, such as a previous match against Sampdoria where Materazzi and Vieira received yellow cards for minor fouls.

"Everyone can see that his refereeing standards for us are not the same as for other teams!" Mancini argued.

The subtext was clear: Inter Milan was being unfairly treated.

Adding fuel to the fire, some Genoa fans held up a banner before the end of the match that read:

"League title? Game over!"

It was a mockery, insinuating that Inter Milan's hopes for the championship were dead.

Napoli's win and Inter's draw meant that Napoli now led the Serie A standings by two points.

When asked about the banner, Mancini dismissed the claim with disdain.

"The championship race is over?" Mancini sneered. "That's the most ignorant joke I've ever heard. There are still nine rounds left in the league. We're only two points behind. Everything is still possible."

Mancini emphasized that Inter Milan's priority was to regain their confidence, stabilize the players' emotions, and focus on training and preparation.

"I believe we can win every remaining match, and Napoli will make mistakes. We'll close the gap and overtake them!" Mancini declared with determination.

Inter Milan certainly had the strength to do so.

---

After the match, Sky Sports aired a Serie A analysis program where commentators strongly criticized Mancini's remarks.

"Is this really about the red card?"

"No, absolutely not!"

"This is an Inter Milan team packed with superstars, but today in Genoa, they played like a second-rate amateur team, barely holding on defensively."

"The red card happened in the 40th minute, but look at the game stats: Inter Milan had only four total shots, just one on target, and scored a single goal. Genoa, on the other hand, had 21 total shots, six on target, and 67% possession."

"Anyone who looks at these stats can see the truth."

The media piled on, echoing Sky Sports' sentiment.

Ever since Gao Shen had pointed out the correlation between running distance, ball possession, and pass success rate, Italian media outlets had begun analyzing games with a greater focus on these metrics.

In this match, Inter Milan's pass success rate was a mere 69.7%, and their ball possession was just 33%.

These numbers were abysmal—on par with relegation-level teams in Serie A!

Mancini had fielded a strong lineup, including Zanetti, Cambiasso, and the promising Portuguese midfielder Pelé. Up front were Solari, Suazo, and Ibrahimovic. With such a roster, there was no reason for their statistics to be this poor.

While the red card certainly played a role, it wasn't the whole story.

"Let's be honest Inter Milan was already being outplayed before the red card. Suazo's goal was their only threatening attack in the first half. What more needs to be said?"

The media was unconvinced by Mancini's excuses, labeling them as nothing more than sophistry.

The truth was that under Mancini's management, Inter Milan lacked creativity, organization, and fighting spirit.

"Gao Shen is absolutely right, this Inter Milan team is lost!"

---

In the wake of the draw, Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Inter's management was deeply disappointed and had begun planning for Mancini's replacement.

The newspaper also revealed that tensions had flared once again between Mancini and Ibrahimovic during training. Ibrahimovic was upset because his goal tally had been surpassed by Genoa's Borriello and Napoli's Cavani.

"The Swedish striker believes it's all Mancini's fault!"

Before their next match against Juventus, Mancini refused to attend the pre-match press conference, leaving it to assistant coach Mihajlović instead.

According to reports, this was a directive from Inter's management, who feared that Mancini's current temper might cause him to say something reckless and create further issues for the team.

---

"It's Ranieri's time to shine now!"

After reading the reports on Inter Milan's pre-match press conference, Gao Shen couldn't help but smile.

Mancini's inability to face the media was proof enough of the team's struggles.

At a time like this, the coach needed to project calm, confidence, and composure to both the media and the players. Instead, Mancini seemed completely out of control.

"It's understandable," Carlo commented with a bitter smile. "He's always been arrogant, never taking us seriously. That 5-0 defeat we handed him completely shattered his confidence. Now that you've publicly exposed his vulnerabilities, it's no wonder he's falling apart."

Gao Shen had grown increasingly adept at playing psychological warfare.

The timing of his verbal attack on Mancini had been impeccable, delivering not only an immediate blow but also ongoing damage.

"Mancini is now in a position where anything he says will backfire. The media will magnify his every word, yet he can't stay silent either. It's a lose-lose situation."

Carlo nodded in agreement, adding, "You've effectively planted the idea in everyone's mind that Inter is in chaos. Even his decision to skip the press conference sends the wrong message, making the team seem disorganized."

"The key is that Inter's internal issues gave me the opportunity," Gao Shen replied with a smile. "If Mancini had a good handle on the locker room, none of this would've worked."

Carlo hesitated for a moment before asking, "Do you think Ranieri can handle it?"

Gao Shen shook his head. "It's hard to say. Ranieri is too conservative, and with the race for fourth place so tight, he might be reluctant to take risks."

"That being said, if Juventus beats Inter, the narrative could change drastically." Gao Shen chuckled, clearly enjoying the unpredictability

of football.

Gao Shen relished this feeling of uncertainty, where the future was filled with possibilities.

"In any case, our focus needs to remain on ourselves," he said, his tone turning serious. "The players have been overly excited these past few days, getting a bit carried away. We need to remind them to stay grounded."

Carlo nodded. "I'll keep an eye on it. They've been acting like the title's already ours, but it's way too early for that kind of mindset."

Napoli's lead was fragile just two points and Gao Shen understood that maintaining focus and discipline was the key to survival in the title race.

"We can't let them lose focus now," Gao Shen emphasized. "If we start to slip up, the momentum we've built will vanish in an instant."

Carlo gave a determined nod. "Don't worry, I'll make sure they stay sharp."

***

For every 500 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 55+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves.