Starting With Real Madrid

In an interview with UEFA's official website, Gao Shen credited Napoli's success to the club's management and players, especially the players. He believed that this group of Napoli players still had significant untapped potential.

Many media outlets and fans love to discuss a player's talent, but in reality, it's a rather vague concept.

After all, there's no concrete way to measure it.

Take Denílson, for example—the player who once set a world record for transfer fees. Was his talent exceptional or not?

Some might argue it wasn't, since he never truly excelled in Europe. Others might insist he was talented but simply never found the right environment to flourish.

Either perspective makes sense in its own way.

However, in the European transfer market, clubs focus on two key factors when evaluating players: immediate impact and future potential.

The former is self-explanatory, while the latter is heavily influenced by one major factor—age.

Napoli's current squad consists mostly of players in their early twenties, which happens to be the most sought-after age bracket in the transfer market. More importantly, these players have already demonstrated exceptional ability, making them highly desirable assets.

As for his next move, Gao Shen admitted he hadn't made any concrete plans yet.

"For now, I just want to take a break and get some proper rest," he said, looking forward to some downtime.

In truth, he wasn't planning any trips.

His goal was simple, to relax at home, clear his mind, and reflect on a few things. That alone would be enough. Traveling, on the other hand, felt more like a hassle.

During the interview, Gao Shen also took the opportunity to express his gratitude to Napoli's management, players, and fans.

The three years he spent in this city had been special, leaving a profound impact on him.

"My ideas, tactical concepts, and many other thoughts have been shaped by my time here. I can't fully explain it, but I know I'll always remember my experience in Naples."

At the end of the interview, Gao Shen made it clear that, at just 28 years old, he still had his sights set on winning the Champions League.

"I know it's incredibly difficult, maybe even impossible. But I still want to pursue that goal, which is why I'd prefer to coach a team with Champions League ambitions."

This was essentially an open invitation to any club aiming for European glory, if they had the ambition, he was willing to talk.

At the same time, Gao Shen also dismissed outside speculation, emphasizing that he had never been in contact with Real Madrid or reached any sort of agreement with them.

"I'm the head coach of Napoli. I would never engage in negotiations with another club while still under contract."

When asked whether he would consider managing Real Madrid in the future, Gao Shen simply smiled.

"I believe there will be an opportunity one day."

But when exactly? This summer? Next year? The year after?

Even Gao Shen himself had no answer.

---

After wrapping up the exclusive UEFA interview, Gao Shen bid farewell to his players at Castel Volturno.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis and sporting director Pierpaolo Marino personally came to the training ground to see off the squad, thanking everyone for their contributions to the club.

At that moment, both men couldn't stop smiling.

Winning the Champions League had not only brought glory to Napoli, but it also meant the club would earn hundreds of millions in the coming years.

That was the financial windfall that came with European success.

This season alone, Napoli had pocketed at least €50–60 million in Champions League broadcasting rights and prize money. Factoring in matchday revenue, the total earnings were astronomical.

According to external estimates, this Champions League triumph would bring in at least €200 million for the club.

Of course, Napoli's management was also generous. After winning the treble, every player, staff member, and employee received a substantial bonus.

Gao Shen didn't bother calculating the exact amount, but he knew it was at least €5 million.

Winning three major titles had filled everyone's pockets, leaving them all grinning from ear to ear. But despite the celebrations, there was also a sense of reluctance.

Many players knew that even with €200 million, Napoli wouldn't be able to keep the entire squad together.

Some of them would leave today and might never return.

One such player was Thiago Motta.

"Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Bayern, Juventus, Manchester United, Chelsea… practically every major European club is tracking him. His current market value has already surpassed €30 million," Marino informed Gao Shen in his office.

Per Gao Shen's contract, he was entitled to a 20% commission on player transfer fees.

In other words, if Thiago Motta were sold for €40 million, Gao Shen would pocket nearly €8 million.

Every time De Laurentiis thought about this clause, he felt like he was cutting a piece of his own flesh. The pain was unbearable.

Three years ago, he thought he was being clever by adding that clause to Gao Shen's contract.

Now? He could only accept it with gritted teeth.

After all, Napoli stood to gain even more from these transfers.

"Barcelona is highly interested in Alexis Sánchez, as well as Rakitic, David Luiz, and Vargas. But I don't want to engage with them just yet. Let's waste their time first," Marino said with a sly grin.

"Real Madrid, on the other hand, has its eyes on Rakitic, Di María, Vargas, and Lichtsteiner."

At the mention of Real Madrid, De Laurentiis and Marino both glanced at Gao Shen, carefully observing his reaction.

Nothing unusual.

Gao Shen remained completely composed.

"Relax," he laughed. "I've had zero contact with Real Madrid. I don't even know who their transfer targets are. Does that sound like someone who's already in talks with them?"

At the end of the day, Capello had summed it up best.

Real Madrid is like a playboy. With just one beckoning gesture, managers from all over will come running.

At this moment, Gao Shen had enough confidence to say:

To hell with that playboy!

According to Real Madrid's transfer strategy this summer, they were determined to sign four superstars: Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Ribéry, and Benzema.

In Gao Shen's previous life, Ribéry was ultimately forced to stay at Bayern. Not only that, but Bayern also snatched up Robben from Real Madrid at the very last moment of the transfer window, forming the legendary Robbery duo.

Of course, this couldn't really be considered Bayern's revenge—after all, there simply weren't any buyers for Robben that summer.

There was no doubt about the Dutch winger's quality. Gao Shen knew that Robben still had the potential to reach the peak of his career. But as of 2009, his career trajectory had been shaky, first pushed out by Chelsea, then plagued by injuries at Real Madrid, where his performances were inconsistent. His market value had dropped from €40 million to just over €20 million, clear evidence of his struggles.

On top of that, Robben had high expectations for his next club and demanded a hefty salary. Any team lacking the necessary strength wouldn't be able to accommodate him.

Professional football is brutally realistic.

So, despite spending the entire summer trying to offload Robben, Real Madrid found no takers, until Bayern swooped in and got him for a bargain.

Looking back, it was yet another reminder of how unpredictable football can be.

Who would have thought that just a year later, Robben and Sneijder would both return to the Santiago Bernabéu not as Real Madrid players, but as opponents in the Champions League final?

Of course, history had already changed. That scene might never happen again.

---

Gao Shen was well aware of how much interest Napoli's players were attracting.

But he had no intention of getting involved in transfer negotiations, nor did he want to influence the decisions of De Laurentiis and Marino.

As far as he was concerned, as long as he got his cut, that was enough.

He didn't believe that those two would be able to keep so many players at the club anyway.

Napoli's best move right now was to capitalize on their Champions League triumph and sell players at top value.

In the end, Napoli simply didn't have the financial power to sustain long-term dominance.

As for the transfer fees, Gao Shen had full confidence in the shrewdness of De Laurentiis and Marino.

At one point, De Laurentiis posed an important question: Who should succeed Gao Shen at Napoli?

Gao Shen gave him three names.

"Massimiliano Allegri, who managed Cagliari this season. Antonio Conte, who led Bari to the Serie B title. Walter Mazzarri, who coached Sampdoria."

He then broke down the strengths and weaknesses of all three. Overall, they were all excellent managers.

But given Napoli's current situation, a squad overhaul was inevitable this summer, and immediate results couldn't be expected. More importantly, Gao Shen's record over the past three years had been too successful, meaning that whoever came next would be under immense pressure.

In light of this, Napoli's management, especially De Laurentiis needed to be fully aware of the reality.

"As long as Napoli can remain stable in the next few years, maintain its position among the Serie A elite, and secure Champions League qualification, the club will be in a strong position after a few seasons of accumulation."

De Laurentiis and Marino clearly took Gao Shen's words to heart.

From the very beginning, their vision for Napoli was to establish the club as a consistent Champions League contender, whether they could actually win the tournament would be up to fate.

But no one expected Gao Shen to elevate the team so quickly, setting the bar sky-high. Now, the club found itself in a strange position—one of success, but also uncertainty.

Yet Gao Shen's words helped them regain some clarity.

There was one more name within Gao Shen's coaching staff, someone who was actually a local from Naples.

Maurizio Sarri.

Gao Shen didn't doubt Sarri's ability, but to be honest, putting him in charge of Napoli right now would be throwing him into the fire. He simply wasn't ready to handle a club of this stature yet.

This was the harsh reality.

At the top level of football, every player had an ego. Without the experience and authority to command respect, how could a coach truly lead a squad?

---

After sending off De Laurentiis and Marino, Gao Shen turned his attention to another issue.

Napoli's next head coach was no longer his concern. He had given his professional advice—now, it was up to them to decide.

After the meeting, Gao Shen walked back to his coach's office.

The players had already left, but his coaching staff remained.

This was his personal team, the core group behind his success. There were many things that needed to be discussed before moving forward.

***

Bonus for 600 PS, next bonus at 800 PS.

Just completed one of the ffs I'm working on, and I want to pick another one.

Is there a fic you saw on MTL that was good but so horrible that you can't read it? Or maybe one you enjoyed reading that was dropped? Comment them (with the raw title or link); I'll check them out.

Please don't recommend brain rot, I'm already suffering enough with some of the fics I'm working on xD.