Starting With Real Madrid

As Gao Shen was shaking hands with Real Sociedad coach Barquero, he heard some surprising news.

Real Madrid had won one to zero.

A sudden burst of thunderous cheers erupted from the stands of the Bernabeu Stadium, catching both coaches off guard. Upon further inquiry, they discovered that it was because Barcelona had drawn their match.

"Oh my god!" Gao Shen was genuinely shocked. Sporting Santander, usually a relegation team, had managed to draw with Barcelona at home. This reaffirmed the notion that sometimes relegation teams can be tougher opponents than championship contenders.

Real Sociedad, who faced Real Madrid tonight, was also a relegation team, ranking 18th in La Liga with two points less than Sporting Santander, and thus, played tenaciously. Adding to the challenge was that Barquero, Real Sociedad's head coach, had strong Barcelona ties. Before taking the helm at Sporting Santander, he served as an assistant coach under Van Gaal and Rijkaard at Barcelona and later coached Malaga's second team before moving to Real Sociedad.

As a staunch Barcelona supporter and a key player in Cruyff's dream team, Barquero had vowed to help Barcelona by stymieing Real Madrid. Yet, not only did Real Sociedad fail to do so, but Barcelona also stumbled.

Gao Shen was elated by the news. 

It was a proper surprise.

In contrast, Barquero looked embarrassed, especially as Gao Shen glanced at him with a half-smile. Under the pretext of needing to leave, Barquero hastily departed.

Gao Shen watched Barquero flee without rubbing salt in his wounds, relishing the unexpected turn of events.

Barcelona's draw!

Could this mean that Real Madrid had reversed the standings?

However, Gao Shen quickly collected himself. No, Real Madrid was still second in the standings because of their previous 0-3 loss to Barcelona at the Bernabeu. La Liga rules stipulate that when teams have equal points, their head-to-head record is the tiebreaker. Barcelona's 3-0 away victory and Real Madrid's 1-0 win in Barcelona meant that Barcelona held a slight edge.

This realization prompted a heavy sigh from Gao Shen.

So close, yet so far!

He even felt the urge to scream out of frustration for missing that small margin.

Nevertheless, the entire Bernabeu, including players and coaches on the sidelines, erupted in cheers and celebration. From trailing by ten points to catching up, Real Madrid had done the seemingly impossible.

Cruyff had said that no team in La Liga history had come back to win the championship after being ten points behind. Would he dare to say that now?

Gao Shen suppressed his frustration and tried to buoy his spirits. At this critical moment, he couldn't afford to dampen the team's morale. Tying on points was a significant achievement.

Amid the thunderous cheers of 75,000 Real Madrid fans, some even chanted his name, "Gao!"

The players and coaches were jubilant on the sidelines, and Gao Shen couldn't bear to throw cold water on their celebration.

Gao Shen smiled as he walked towards the home team's coach's bench. Ramos, ecstatic, hugged him, followed by Raul and the rest, all crowding around to embrace Gao Shen, including Zidane, Beckham, and Ronaldo.

"I told you Barcelona would make mistakes, didn't I?" Gao Shen shouted.

"Yes!" the players responded in unison.

"And I say, as long as we keep winning, they will keep making mistakes. Do you believe me?" Gao Shen roared again.

"Yes!"

"We believe it!"

"We all believe it!"

Holding Zidane in one hand and Raul in the other, Gao Shen declared, "Trust me, we vow to win the championship this season!"

"Champion! Champion!! Champion!!!"

The chants were echoed by not just the players on the sidelines but also by the Real Madrid fans in the stands.

With Barcelona's draw, Real Madrid was now closer to the championship.

...

"It's unbelievable!"

In the VIP box of the Bernabeu, Florentino watched the scene unfold near the home team's bench. The Real Madrid players surrounded Gao Shen, and the roars from Gao Shen, the players, and the fans filled him with excitement.

Such a scene at Real Madrid hadn't been seen for many years.

Remarkably, under the novice Gao Shen, Real Madrid had managed to close a ten-point gap with Barcelona.

It was simply unbelievable.

From the box next door, faint cheers from Martin could be heard, causing Florentino's expression to darken.

Martin had recently been acting like a nouveau riche, flaunting Real Madrid's record and taking every opportunity to praise Gao Shen, whom he claimed to have discovered. This success forced all those dissatisfied with Martin to hold their tongues.

Florentino himself had regretted not realizing the potential of Gao Shen while in charge. If only he had known about this talent within the youth team and first team coaching staff, he wouldn't have needed to step down.

But what-if scenarios were pointless.

...

"After seven rounds, catching up ten points, should it be said that Barcelona's performance has been lacking recently? Or that Real Madrid under Gao Shen is just too good?" Valdano mused, overhearing Martin's celebrations next door.

Perhaps it was both.

Barcelona had just endured a grueling schedule, coupled with team injuries and the challenges of competing on two fronts, leading to their recent underwhelming performances and dropped points.

Real Madrid's strength lay in how quickly Gao Shen resolved locker room conflicts and reorganized the team's defense. No matter how some criticized Gao Shen's conservative tactics, his coaching results spoke for themselves.

After seven rounds, catching up ten points, what more could be said?

More impressively, Gao Shen had led the team to a miraculous comeback against Arsenal in the second leg of the round of 16 and eliminated Juventus in the quarterfinals—both top-tier teams.

Now, even the media were shifting their tone, no longer harping on Gao Shen's lack of experience but focusing on his conservativeness and Real Madrid's overall strength. Some even argued that any coach with Real Madrid's talent pool could have achieved these results. They conveniently ignored why previous coaches couldn't.

"Jorge, do you think there's a chance?" Florentino asked with concern.

Valdano pondered for a moment before shaking his head, "I don't know. The team is brimming with confidence after closing the ten-point gap, but if Barcelona regains their form, their remaining opponents aren't particularly strong. They could easily win six consecutive games."

If Barcelona did win their remaining six games, Real Madrid's chances were slim.

The crucial blow was the 0-3 loss to Barcelona at the Bernabeu under Florentino's reign.

Gao Shen's remarkable performance had not only increased pressure on Barcelona but also embarrassed many, including Florentino himself.

Despite this, Florentino admitted, "I hope he can lead the team to win the championship."

Valdano and others were surprised by this admission.

But Florentino was sincere.

Great leaders don't have to be the ones in the spotlight; such magnanimity was rare in the world of football clubs.

"I'm actually looking forward to meeting him now," Florentino laughed.

...

In one of the stands at the Bernabeu, Carlo, accompanied by his wife, watched the game. Seeing the post-match scenes on the sidelines left a deep impression on him.

Although he had always supported Gao Shen and helped where he could, Carlo still harbored a prideful belief in his superior experience. He thought Gao Shen's success partly came from his guidance and connections.

However, as the matches progressed and Real Madrid continued to surprise him, Carlo began to recognize Gao Shen's exceptional ability. Tonight, seeing Gao Shen lead the team to tie Barcelona in points was particularly awe-inspiring.

Carlo knew how difficult it was to close a ten-point gap, especially leading this particular Real Madrid team to catch up with Barcelona. But Gao Shen had done it.

What Carlo couldn't achieve, Gao Shen did, and did it even better.

Watching the players surround Gao Shen and hearing the synchronized chants of the fans and players in the Bernabeu, Carlo had to admit—Gao Shen was indeed extraordinary.

"They have a chance to reverse and win the championship," Carlo said, his feelings mixed.

Mrs. Carlo, surprised, noted that Carlo had never been optimistic about winning the championship before.

"Gao Shen is truly amazing!" she praised.

Carlo nodded heavily, "Yes, he is."

Exhausted, Carlo felt as though he had been vanquished. Admitting inferiority, especially to a former "apprentice," was a bitter pill to swallow.

He needed time to rest and contemplate his future. The presidency of Real Madrid was no longer within his grasp.

If Gao Shen could lead the team to a championship, it would boost Martin's standing in the upcoming presidential election, but none of this mattered to Carlo anymore.

Carlo took out his phone and sent a congratulatory text to Gao Shen, encouraging him to keep pushing and aim to reverse Barcelona in the standings. With a sigh, he stood up.

"Let's go home."