Starting With Real Madrid

24 Via Durini, Milan

When the referee blew the final whistle, silence engulfed the conference room.

All the high-ranking officials of Inter Milan were present, but a collective sense of helplessness weighed heavily on their faces.

Though they had been mentally prepared for this outcome, the reality still struck them with bitter disappointment.

Each of them sat in quiet reflection, asking themselves the same question: Why?

How could they have been nine points ahead, only to find themselves five points behind by late March?

What happened to the 14-point swing?

The collapse felt sudden, like Inter Milan so dominant in the first half of the season had unraveled inexplicably after the winter break.

Losing to Liverpool in the Champions League could be rationalized after all, Liverpool were one of the Premier League's strongest teams in their prime.

But Serie A? Serie A had always been Inter Milan's domain. It was supposed to be untouchable.

---

"What do you think?" Moratti's voice cut through the silence, sounding older and more fatigued than usual.

At this moment, Inter Milan's president appeared deeply disappointed, his once-unshakable faith in his team eroded.

From a nine-point lead to a five-point deficit with only eight rounds left in the league, while there was still a mathematical chance of catching up, who among them felt confident anymore?

"Change the coach, Dad!" Angelo Moratti, Moratti's son, proposed firmly.

He had made the same suggestion after Inter's humiliating 5-0 defeat to Napoli.

If Moratti had acted decisively back then, if Inter had replaced Mancini and managed to lure Gao Shen from Napoli, things might have turned out differently.

Inter Milan might still be leading the league by five points, not trailing.

And who knows, with Gao Shen at the helm, perhaps Inter could have even overturned the Champions League tie against Liverpool.

Doubtful?

Think back to Gao Shen's legendary stint at Real Madrid!

"I agree, it's time to change the coach," CEO Ernesto Paolillo chimed in. "Mancini clearly cannot turn the team's fortunes around. Replacing him is the best course of action."

Moratti remained silent, though his hesitation betrayed his internal struggle. He too was leaning toward a coaching change but wrestled with the question of timing.

"Marco, you're the technical director. What's your opinion?" Moratti asked, turning to Marco Branca, Inter Milan's technical director.

All eyes in the room shifted to Branca, who paused to collect his thoughts. He understood the weight of his words and began to speak.

"As the technical director, I have to say that the team's current predicament is the result of several factors," Branca began, his tone calm and measured.

"First, our squad is lacking in key areas. Gao Shen was not wrong when he said that we lack creativity, passing ability, and youth. We have too many aging players, and this has made us susceptible to injuries and fatigue in the second half of the season."

The executives nodded in agreement, acknowledging the validity of Branca's analysis.

"Second, Mancini bears undeniable responsibility."

Branca's words made Moratti sit up straighter.

"Mancini knows the limitations of the squad, he's been involved in building it. Yet, he has been overly fixated on the Champions League and underestimated the physical and tactical challenges posed by Serie A. His planning for the season has not been scientific enough, and his management of the players has been subpar."

Branca continued, "In the first half of the season, when the players were physically fresh, we were able to hide some of these flaws. But in the second half, every issue has come to the surface, and Mancini has failed to address them. On top of that, his conflicts with players like Ibrahimović and Vieira have further destabilized the team."

This time, even Moratti nodded in reluctant agreement.

"Mancini has had no solutions for the team's struggles, and as the head coach, he must take responsibility," Branca concluded.

---

"But there's one final factor," Branca said, his tone sharpening. "And this is perhaps the biggest reason for our current predicament: Gao Shen."

The room fell silent.

"Gao Shen?" Moratti repeated, his voice laced with disbelief.

How could one man, someone who wasn't even part of Inter Milan, have created such a crisis?

"Yes, Gao Shen," Branca affirmed. "Look at the standings. We're five points behind Napoli. But Roma, who are behind us, trail by four points. If Napoli weren't in the picture, we'd still be in first place. None of these issues Mancini's tactics, the team's struggles would have escalated to this degree."

The executives exchanged glances, slowly coming to terms with Branca's argument.

"Inter Milan is underperforming, but so is the rest of Serie A. Even AC Milan, the reigning Champions League winners, are in sixth place and can't crack the top four," Branca continued.

"Now think back. When did our problems truly start spiraling out of control? When did they become unmanageable?"

Everyone in the room began to reflect.

"Our real collapse began after the winter break, when Napoli started narrowing the gap. The turning point came in San Paolo, when they completely humiliated us 5-0," Branca said firmly.

Heads nodded around the room. It was true.

"But even after that loss, we won our next two matches and began to stabilize. Then, Gao Shen struck again. He criticized us through the media, highlighting our lack of creativity, passing, and defensive consistency. What he said was true, but the way he said it so publicly piled immense pressure on us.

"The stability we'd begun to recover vanished, and we fell apart again. A draw and a loss in our last two matches, including a 1-2 defeat at home to Juventus, have left us in this situation."

Branca's analysis was sobering, and the weight of his words settled heavily on the room.

Gao Shen's remarks had indirectly destabilized Inter Milan and amplified the team's struggles.

Now the executives had to consider their next steps.

"Changing the coach is inevitable," Branca admitted. "But the question is when?"

Angelo Moratti and Paolillo pushed for an immediate change, but Branca and Oriali remained cautious, offering no definitive stance.

Moratti, the elder, sighed heavily. "You all know how I feel. Mancini has done so much for Inter Milan."

He looked around the room, his gaze settling on his son.

"I've hired and fired so many coaches over the years. I've signed countless stars and spent unimaginable sums of money. But until Mancini, none of it brought us sustained success. He made us champions of Serie A."

Moratti's voice softened, tinged with emotion. "I cannot dismiss a man who has given so much to this club without proper consideration. Yes, he has fallen short, but he deserves to finish the season. He told me himself he would leave after this campaign, even waiving his severance.

"If I fire him now, how can I justify it to him, or to myself?"

The room fell silent, as the executives wrestled with Moratti's words.

"Football isn't just about results," Moratti continued. "It's about memories, loyalty, and emotion. I want to win, yes, but I want to win the Inter Milan way."

The discussion then turned to Mancini's potential successors.

Inter's list of coaching candidates had been narrowed down to five names, with two standing out as the top contenders.

"I choose Gao Shen!" Angelo Moratti declared. "He's one of the best coaches in Italy, perhaps even in Europe. I believe he can bring transformative change to Inter Milan."

"I agree," Paolillo added. "Gao Shen's ties to China also offer immense commercial potential, which would help us grow in the Asian market. And as Angelo said, he's one of the best managers out there right now."

Branca, after some hesitation, spoke cautiously. "There's no doubt Gao Shen is exceptional. But if we bring him in, he will demand a complete overhaul of the squad. Many players won't fit his style. Mourinho, on the other hand..."

"But Mourinho is reportedly offering himself to Barcelona," Oriali interjected.

"Yes," Branca confirmed. "And Barcelona's top choice for their next coach is Gao Shen."

This revelation shifted the mood in the room.

If Barcelona hired Gao Shen, Inter Milan's hopes of securing him would vanish.

The conversation ended with a grim acknowledgment: Gao Shen was the most sought-after manager in Europe.

Real Madrid fans were campaigning to bring him back. Barcelona, Liverpool, Juventus, Bayern Munich, and even AC Milan were all eyeing him.

This summer, Gao Shen would be the protagonist of European football.

***

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