Starting With Real Madrid

As the saying goes, "A hero needs three strong allies."

There's another saying: "When one person succeeds, the whole family benefits."

Over the years, as Gao Shen's reputation in European football continued to rise, his coaching staff also gained significant recognition.

As his chief assistant coach, Carlo had received numerous offers, including some from La Liga clubs that wanted him as their head coach. But for various reasons, he chose to decline.

The biggest reason was simple: coaching alone came with high risks. It was far less stable than staying under a proven leader.

At the very least, as Gao Shen's assistant, any storms would be faced by Gao Shen first.

From a financial perspective, many La Liga managers didn't even earn as much as Carlo did as an assistant coach.

So unless he was truly determined to make a name for himself, why take the risk of going solo?

By contrast, Lucas' success was more personal, a result of his deep bond with Gao Shen.

Back when they were at Real Madrid, they had made a pact: one would become a world-class coach, while the other would be the top analyst behind him.

That promise had now become a reality.

As one of the best football analysts today, Lucas had no shortage of job offers. Even Guardiola, when he took charge of Barcelona, had considered setting up a dedicated data analysis department with Lucas at the helm.

But in the end, Lucas chose to stay.

According to him, he wasn't particularly ambitious. "I have a big tree like Gao Shen to rely on, a stable job, and plenty of free time to date. Why would I give that up?"

But Gao Shen knew the real reason Lucas had joined his staff.

Back at Real Madrid, Gao Shen had personally recommended Lucas for a club-funded study program at Loughborough University.

In private, Lucas had told him, "Unless you stop coaching, I won't consider working for anyone else."

It was the same story with Buenaventura, Pintus, Borrell, Lopis, and the other staff members. Each was a leading expert in their field and had gained recognition over the years, making them prime targets for other clubs.

However, Gao Shen paid them well, and they were happy working under him. After all, they were assistants, it didn't matter who they worked for.

Gao Shen had always been clear about one thing:

"If you find a better opportunity, I won't hold you back. But if you choose to stay, that's even better."

---

At the Castel Volturno meeting, Gao Shen outlined his next steps.

He admitted he hadn't decided where to go yet and was considering various options. Once he had news, he would inform them immediately.

After leading Napoli to a historic treble, Gao Shen had earned huge rewards, and every staff member had also received substantial bonuses.

With his current status in European football, he had no shortage of offers.

The real question was: What kind of team did he want to coach next?

His coaching staff understood this better than anyone.

Gao Shen was looking to move up, which meant his salary would increase, and so would theirs. But the biggest challenge remained Gao Shen's demands.

He wanted to be the undisputed authority in the locker room.

He also wanted full control over transfers.

These were deal-breakers for many clubs.

De Laurentiis had accepted these conditions because he was the club owner and focused on the club's interests. But for many sporting directors, protecting their own power was the priority.

Whether the team succeeded or failed didn't matter to them as long as their position remained secure.

However, the situation was now different from three years ago.

Back then, Gao Shen would coach any team willing to give him a chance.

Now? He wanted a Champions League-caliber team and those clubs were usually wealthy and ambitious.

After receiving Gao Shen's confirmation, his coaching staff breathed a sigh of relief.

One by one, they assured him that they would wait for his decision.

For now, it was the perfect time to take a well-deserved vacation.

---

As night fell, Castel Volturno became quiet.

Gao Shen and Zidane walked side by side toward a small hill near the training ground.

He still remembered, two years ago, around this same time, in this very place, Guardiola had said goodbye before returning to Barcelona to coach the B team.

That move had led to his brilliant rise this season.

Now, it was Zidane's turn.

"Have you made up your mind?" Gao Shen asked.

Zidane stood beside him and nodded.

"Florentino called me personally. You know I couldn't refuse."

Gao Shen understood. Zidane and Florentino Pérez had a special relationship.

They weren't just club president and legendary player, they were partners who had helped each other succeed.

From the moment Zidane joined Real Madrid, his fate had been tied to the club forever.

Just like Gao Shen.

No matter where he went or what he achieved, he would always carry the Real Madrid mark.

"You'll be the president's advisor?" Gao Shen asked.

"He offered me the role of presidential advisor and assistant coach." Zidane hesitated, then added, "But to be honest, I'm not ready. I don't want to be someone's assistant."

There was a hint of pride in his voice.

After all, Zidane was a football legend, why should he be an assistant coach to anyone?

The only reason he had agreed to work under Gao Shen was because he had played for him and won a historic double.

And Gao Shen's coaching ability was undeniable.

At Zidane's level, career decisions weren't just about logic, they involved complex personal considerations.

Gao Shen chuckled.

"Then I should feel honored."

"Actually, I can help you get it."

Zidane looked at Gao Shen, his tone tentative.

Through multiple phone calls, he had already gained insight into Florentino Pérez's thoughts.

If Gao Shen was willing to compromise, allowing Pérez to personally step in and negotiate, the Real Madrid president would be open to it.

Because Gao Shen was too valuable right now.

As long as Real Madrid appointed Gao Shen as head coach, they could immediately counter Barcelona's double-winning season, an impact even greater than signing more superstars.

But Florentino's biggest mistake was finalizing the transfers of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka before securing a manager.

Even now, Gao Shen hadn't been informed about any of it.

This went completely against his coaching philosophy.

Ronaldo was fine. But Kaka didn't fit his system.

Looking at Napoli this season, Hamsik had only played as an attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 formation. In the Champions League, their most-used system was still 4-3-3, a setup where there was no room for Hamsik.

Zidane understood better than anyone, Gao Shen's real preference was 4-3-3.

This formation had better tactical balance and stronger attacking efficiency.

But Kaka didn't have a role in that system.

---

"Are the transfers of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka almost done?" Gao Shen asked casually.

Zidane nodded. "It's finalized, but it's not time to announce it yet. There are still details to handle."

Gao Shen understood immediately.

With Ronaldo confirmed, Robben would be leaving.

A Spanish journalist friend had already given him the heads-up. Whether for sporting or financial reasons, Real Madrid had to sell Robben.

The only question was, where would he go?

With Kaka arriving, Sneijder would also be sold.

Same logic.

There were only so many spots in the first team, and each one was already occupied.

---

Right now, the biggest uncertainty at Real Madrid was the head coach position.

Initially, the media reported that Real Madrid would officially announce Gao Shen as their new manager the day after the Champions League final.

But now, it was already late in the day, and there was still no announcement.

Even Gao Shen himself had no idea if he was coaching Real Madrid.

Ridiculous, right?

Looking across European football, there weren't many managers who could realistically take over Real Madrid.

Apart from Gao Shen, the most popular choice was Ancelotti.

But Real Madrid had been slow to act, prioritizing superstar signings instead.

Meanwhile, Chelsea had moved quickly and were close to finalizing a deal with Ancelotti, a three-year contract worth £20 million.

Very generous.

---

In fact, half a month ago, Chelsea had contacted Gao Shen to ask if he was interested in managing the club.

After careful consideration, he politely declined.

This was one of the reasons Ancelotti ended up at Stamford Bridge.

Gao Shen had turned down Chelsea mainly because of Abramovich's management style.

He respected Abramovich's financial investment in the club but strongly disagreed with some of the Russian billionaire's decisions, especially how Ancelotti was eventually sacked in his previous life.

There was another major concern, Chelsea had just hired Frank Arnesen from Tottenham as their new Director of Football.

This made Gao Shen uneasy.

The Director of Football role wasn't uncommon in European football, but in the Premier League, it was still relatively new.

It had largely been introduced as a response to corruption scandals in the early 2000s, where managers abused transfer power for personal gain. Even big names like Redknapp and Ferguson had been implicated at the time.

For many Premier League clubs, appointing a Director of Football was a way to limit the manager's control over transfers.

After all, Premier League managers weren't just head coaches, they were "managers" with broader authority.

And Frank Arnesen wasn't easy to work with.

Gao Shen wasn't confident he could cooperate effectively with him.

On top of that, Chelsea's current squad didn't align with his tactical philosophy.

So, he declined the offer.

---

With Ancelotti heading to Chelsea, Real Madrid now had fewer coaching options.

The main candidates left were:

Manuel Pellegrini (Villarreal)

José Mourinho (Inter Milan)

Rafa Benítez (Liverpool)

Would Real Madrid go for Pellegrini?

Gao Shen didn't know and didn't care.

He rarely wasted energy on things unrelated to him.

Right now, all he wanted was to take a proper vacation, clear his mind, and recharge for the future.

Who Real Madrid hired as their next coach?

Not his problem.

---

Thinking of this, Gao Shen exhaled deeply, turned around, and extended his right hand toward Zidane.

"If there's a chance in the future, I'll definitely return to Real Madrid. When that happens, we'll work together again."

Zidane didn't ask when, because he knew Gao Shen couldn't answer that.

He simply shook Gao Shen's hand.

"Good luck!"

"Same to you."