Starting With Real Madrid

"Losing?"

When Gao Shen received the call from Milan, he and his team were traveling to the Granillo Stadium in Reggio Calabria, south of Naples. They were on a bus, ready for their upcoming game against Reggina.

After hearing the news, Gao Shen couldn't contain his excitement. He jumped up from his seat and slammed his fist in celebration.

The sudden movement startled everyone on the bus, even the driver up front.

"It's okay, keep driving. Just stay focused on the road," Gao Shen said to the driver with a laugh. Then, turning to his players, he stood in the aisle, ready to deliver some news.

Seeing his posture, everyone on the bus knew he had something to say. They removed their headphones and roused their teammates who had been dozing off.

When all eyes were on him, Gao Shen grinned and shouted, "Inter Milan lost!"

There was a brief silence as everyone processed his words. Then, disbelief and surprise spread through the group.

"Lost?"

"1-2, Inter Milan lost to Juventus!" Gao Shen announced, his fists clenched in triumph.

The bus erupted into cheers.

"Fantastic!"

"Unbelievable! Boss, you're incredible!"

"My God, boss, did Inter really lose?"

"Boss, it's like whenever you speak, Inter Milan just drops points!"

Hearing his players' playful praise, Gao Shen smiled in satisfaction, though he was genuinely relieved deep down.

Truthfully, he had been uncertain before the game.

If he had faced Inter Milan with Napoli, Gao Shen was confident he could crush them again. While replicating a 5-0 victory might have been difficult, winning convincingly was a certainty in his mind.

But Ranieri? Gao Shen wasn't sure.

Fortunately, the "Tinker" hadn't let him down.

After all, Ranieri would one day become the manager who led Leicester City to a miraculous Premier League title!

Thank you, Tinker!

---

"Alright, quiet down and listen to me!" Gao Shen called out, and the bus fell silent.

"Don't get carried away. Right now, we're only two points ahead. Let me repeat: two points, not five!" Gao Shen's tone turned serious.

He knew his players too well. This group of young, spirited players had boundless energy but lacked discipline.

To put it kindly, they were exuberant and carefree. To be blunt, they were reckless and prone to overconfidence. If he didn't constantly rein them in, they might lose focus and blow everything they'd worked for.

"Now, how do we turn a two-point lead into five points? Do I even need to explain it to you?" Gao Shen asked firmly.

The players nodded. They understood.

Before every match, Gao Shen drilled it into their heads: play steadily.

And now, during this critical juncture of the season, Gao Shen would rather see an ugly victory than risk losing with flashy, careless play.

"I've told you all before, countless times since the start of this season, no, since I first arrived in Napoli last season: we're building a team capable of competing for the Serie A title!"

The players nodded again.

It was true, Gao Shen had said this before.

Back then, he boldly declared that he would take Napoli from Serie B and turn them into Serie A contenders within three years. Many had laughed at him, dismissing it as a pipe dream.

But now, Napoli were sitting atop the Serie A table.

And they were on the verge of widening their lead over Inter Milan to five points.

"Trust me, everyone. If we can increase the lead to five points, Inter Milan's morale and fighting spirit will plummet even further. They'll play worse and worse!" Gao Shen declared passionately, his voice echoing through the bus.

"I hope you all understand, tonight's three points are non-negotiable. I don't care what it takes, I don't care how hard you have to work, but tonight, I want you to give 120,000 percent effort!"

Gao Shen's face hardened, his expression becoming almost ruthless.

"You know what kind of coach I am. In my team, there's no room for laziness, and I won't tolerate mediocrity."

"Tonight, I'm taking these three points, and no one, no one, can take them away from me!"

---

Orlandi, aged 54, was coaching a Serie A team for the first time.

After Reggina lost 0-2 to Inter Milan, the club's management decided to fire their previous coach and promote Orlandi, who had been managing the youth team, to take charge of the first team.

For Orlandi, this was the chance of a lifetime to change the trajectory of his coaching career.

Having spent nearly 20 years coaching Reggina's youth team, Orlandi finally had the opportunity to lead the first team in Serie A.

In his debut match, he guided Reggina to a resounding 4-0 victory over Siena, a fellow relegation-threatened team.

In his second game, Reggina managed a 1-1 draw away against 16th-placed Livorno. These results earned Orlandi widespread praise, and the club began to believe he could save them from relegation.

But now, in the 30th round, they were set to face the league leaders, Napoli.

Orlandi opted for a balanced 4-4-2 formation, with Amoruso and Brienza leading the attack. Confident from his early successes, he hoped to secure at least a point at home, or even shock Napoli with an upset victory.

However, from the moment the match began, Orlandi was stunned.

---

Just 70 seconds into the game, Rakitic dribbled through the center and lofted an overhead pass to Cavani. The Uruguayan striker held off his marker with his body and headed the ball to the right side of the penalty area.

Sanchez burst through Reggina's defensive line like a lightning bolt, slashing into the penalty area from the right flank. He controlled the ball and fired a low shot, sending it into the back of the net.

1-0 to Napoli!

Reggina hadn't even caught their breath before Napoli struck again six minutes later.

Hamsik drove forward with the ball and forced his way into the penalty area, even as Modesto desperately tried to stop him. Hamsik stumbled but stayed on his feet until he was finally brought down.

The referee immediately awarded a penalty.

Hamsik stepped up and calmly slotted the ball into the net.

2-0 to Napoli!

Seven minutes into the match, Napoli had already scored twice.

On the sidelines, Orlandi was dumbfounded, and the Reggina fans in the stands were stunned into silence.

Napoli looked unstoppable.

---

With a two-goal lead, Napoli continued their relentless assault on Reggina's defense.

The overwhelmed relegation battlers couldn't cope with Napoli's intensity, making frequent errors at the back.

In the 20th minute, a quick counterattack saw Hamsik pass the ball to Sanchez on the right wing. The Chilean winger surged forward and delivered a precise cross to Cavani in the penalty area.

Cavani controlled the ball with his chest and unleashed a volley, sending it past Reggina's goalkeeper.

3-0 to Napoli!

In the 40th minute, Reggina made another mistake under Napoli's relentless pressure. A poor clearance fell to Callejon, who passed it back to Vargas. The Peruvian left-back broke into the penalty area and fired a low shot into the net.

4-0 to Napoli!

---

After halftime, Napoli eased off slightly, but substitutions in the 60th minute reignited their attack.

Parejo, who had just come on, delivered a pinpoint through ball to Cavani, who scored his second goal of the match.

5-0 to Napoli!

Later substitutions, including Pastore and Mertens, added even more energy to the team.

In the 83rd minute, Pastore's clever heel pass set up Mertens, who smashed the ball into the net.

6-0 to Napoli!

Finally, in the 89th minute, Lichsteiner delivered a cross to Callejon, who scored with a header to seal the win.

7-0 to Napoli!

---

By the time the final whistle blew, the Granillo Stadium was eerily silent.

A week ago, Reggina's 4-0 victory over Siena had given their fans hope. But tonight, Napoli's dominant 7-0 performance brought them crashing back to reality.

On the sidelines, Gao Shen raised his arms and clapped loudly for his players. He turned to his coaching staff, hugging each of them in celebration, before embracing the substitutes on the bench.

This wasn't just another victory, it was a statement.

Napoli's lead was now five points.

And for the first time, Gao Shen could truly feel the Serie A title within his grasp.

Two years ago, he had made a bold promise to turn Napoli into title contenders.

Tonight, that dream was closer than ever to becoming reality.

***

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