Chapter 301: The Secret of Winning the Champions League

What Gao Shen wanted to do was incredibly bold. No one in Italy, or even across Europe's top leagues, had ever attempted it, and perhaps no one had even thought about it before.

His plan was to completely revolutionize the existing physical training system.

This idea took shape as he started analyzing Napoli's issues this season, piecing together insights from various sources. In November, he was invited to a sports science seminar in Europe, where he met some of the industry's leading experts and heard cutting-edge ideas. Those discussions sparked a series of new thoughts.

Napoli faced numerous challenges this season, and the first major issue was the impact of national team games.

With more players now called up for their national teams including youth squads, Napoli's training schedule had become severely disrupted.

Each two-week stretch dedicated to international matches was wreaking havoc on the team's rhythm.

This wasn't a problem unique to Napoli; every European club, past, present, and future, has to deal with this.

So how did other clubs handle it?

By breaking down their training into fragmented, highly targeted, and refined sessions.

By 2021, "physical training" would no longer be an appropriate term. Instead, it would be known as "sports performance."

This wasn't just a change in terminology; it represented a complete shift in mindset.

Training would no longer focus solely on physical fitness but instead prioritize how players perform during matches.

As Lucas and Buenaventura had just discussed, Gao Shen's goal was clear: he wanted Napoli players to consistently outperform their opponents on the field.

It sounded simple, but achieving this required far more than traditional physical training.

Coaches would need expertise not only in physical conditioning but also in specialized training, sports science, rehabilitation, tactical analysis, psychology, and nutrition. They'd need to understand all of these fields and be able to collaborate with analysts to evaluate both players and opponents, making detailed, individualized adjustments.

This was an entirely new system, and it would require a massive support network.

So, when did this concept begin to take shape?

Gao Shen didn't know who originally came up with it, but he first heard about it when Guardiola was coaching Bayern Munich.

There's a saying: The English play long balls, the Spanish focus on technique, the Italians master tactics, and the Germans rely on science.

It's likely that many people were working toward this vision at the same time, but Guardiola was one of the first to fully commit to it at Bayern Munich.

During Guardiola's tenure at Bayern, they hired a 28-year-old Italian, Simon Martinello, who was Buenaventura's assistant at the time. This was Martinello's first job as a sports coach.

From the start, Guardiola's approach led to conflict with Bayern's renowned doctor, Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt, due to their starkly different ideologies. Guardiola, known as a control freak, couldn't tolerate opposing viewpoints in his staff.

To help alleviate the tension, Bayern brought in Holger Broich from Bayer Leverkusen.

Broich's role had various descriptions in the media, some called him a physical therapist, others a diagnostician, a fitness coach, or even just a masseur.

Regardless of the title, Bayern hired Broich to bridge the gap between Guardiola and Müller-Wohlfahrt.

But the conflicts only grew. Although Guardiola achieved success at Bayern, he didn't quite reach the heights everyone had expected.

However, his ideas and methods left a lasting influence at Bayern Munich, who continued to refine and develop them.

In 2020, Bayern won the Champions League with a perfect record.

They were the first team to win the Champions League without a single loss since the tournament's format changed.

That season, led by Hansi Flick, Bayern left a profound impression on everyone. Their players seemed superhuman in their stamina, relentlessly high-intensity from start to finish, without any significant injuries. Each player looked like an ironman who could run endlessly, making Bayern feel like they had an extra player on the field in every match.

How did they achieve this?

Flick's coaching team included two key figures.

The first was Simon Martinello, the fitness coach responsible for the overall physical conditioning—strength, explosiveness, endurance, and speed to ensure players were always in peak competitive form.

The second was Holger Broich, who handled the tailored, targeted training for each player. Broich worked closely with analysts to study each Bayern player and their upcoming opponent, optimizing each player's performance to outshine their counterparts.

On top of that, Bayern's coaching staff was supported by a highly capable analysis team.

This was the secret behind Bayern Munich's undefeated Champions League victory.

---

As a time traveler, Gao Shen was particularly impressed by Bayern's achievements that season.

In fact, many teams were already beginning to experiment with this concept of specialized fitness coaches. For instance, Manchester United's Mike Clegg was exploring similar ideas, though these efforts were still in their infancy.

When Guardiola was at Barcelona, his coaching team had swelled to over 30 members, a staggering number for a football club. However, budget constraints later forced the club to lay off staff, which also created tension between Guardiola and then-club president Sandro Rosell.

Today, more and more fitness coaches were working in professional football, though the role was still evolving.

What Gao Shen now aimed to do was establish a similar role within Napoli's coaching team to help tackle the challenges the team was facing.

If Buenaventura were solely responsible for the physical conditioning of every first-team player, the workload would be overwhelming, and it wouldn't meet Gao Shen's specific requirements for Napoli.

Therefore, Gao Shen was determined to expand and reform the coaching staff.

But to expand and reform, he needed funding.

---

After the coaching staff meeting, Gao Shen returned to his office, with Marino following him in, grumbling as he went.

"If you wanted to propose something, why not just tell me directly?" Marino complained. "In the past year, have I ever not supported you? Have I ever failed to back you up? Was it really necessary to go through this whole charade?"

Gao Shen chuckled, sitting down on the sofa. He gestured for Marino to sit as well.

"Come on, haven't I apologized? It's not that I don't trust you. But you know there's someone else you have to answer to." Gao Shen pointed upwards, implying their boss, De Laurentiis.

Marino shuddered at the mere mention of De Laurentiis.

The man had two great fears: his wife at home, and the boss in the club's upper management.

"This is a legitimate request," Marino said, though his voice lacked confidence. "Who knows? Maybe he won't say no."

Everyone knew that De Laurentiis was notoriously tight with money.

Despite being the general manager, Marino had no say in financial matters.

"That's why I've given you a strong, legitimate reason to make the case," Gao Shen said with a grin. "Just go and report the situation honestly. Emphasize the challenges we're facing and make it sound as urgent as possible. Get us that budget."

Marino shot Gao Shen a look, one eyebrow raised. He couldn't shake the feeling that Gao Shen was a master at twisting things to his advantage.

"Honestly, De Laurentiis is thrilled with the team's performance right now. Very satisfied," Marino said with a smirk.

"Well, I'm not," Gao Shen replied. "Not even close."

After a moment's pause, he continued, "You know, we could have beaten Inter Milan at the San Siro. We didn't have to struggle so badly in November and December. Now we have two options: we can push forward in the second half of the season or settle for where we are. I'm choosing the former."

Marino nodded, understanding the weight of Gao Shen's words.

Everyone knew that Gao Shen had taken on the Napoli job because his goals aligned with those of the club. If their ambitions diverged now, he would undoubtedly consider other opportunities.

With his current reputation, if he left Napoli, there'd be no shortage of offers—teams in other leagues and even Serie A clubs would likely replace their current coaches in a heartbeat to bring him in.

There were even rumors that AC Milan, increasingly dissatisfied with Ancelotti, had their eye on Gao Shen. And as for Juventus, everyone knew Ranieri was on thin ice.

"How much is the budget for this?" Marino asked cautiously.

Gao Shen sighed. "There it is again—money. Isn't all this money for the good of Napoli?"

Marino couldn't help but laugh. "Maybe, but it still depends on the club's willingness to spend."

Given Napoli's current position in the league, with a solid chance of finishing in the top four, why would De Laurentiis invest even more? What guarantees did he have that additional spending would bring greater results?

"You've got to give me a ballpark figure so I can make a case to the Germans," Marino said, exasperated.

Gao Shen nodded. "One core coaching hire, some specialized training equipment, and an additional analyst. Based on my estimates, we're looking at around one to one-and-a-half million euros, maxing out at two million."

"That much?" Marino's heart skipped a beat.

He knew Gao Shen's tactics too well; he suspected the real budget request was the figure Gao Shen had mentioned last.

"If you think it's a lot, consider this: with improved facilities and higher-level training, we could actually compete with Inter Milan for the title!" Gao Shen said with conviction.

"Can you guarantee that?" Marino asked.

"Come on, have you ever heard of a coach guaranteeing anything?" Gao Shen replied. "But you know we have a young, talented squad with tremendous potential. They may not be as physically strong as Inter Milan right now, so the only way to bridge that gap is through more focused, targeted training. That's why, no matter what, you've got to help me get this budget approved."

Marino looked at him with a wry smile. He knew there was no point in arguing further, Gao Shen was clearly set on this path, and he wasn't going to let up until he got what he wanted.

"Alright, alright. I'll see what I can do," Marino finally conceded, shaking his head. "But just know, you're putting me in a tough spot here."

Gao Shen leaned back with a satisfied grin. "That's why I'm counting on you. Besides, you know as well as I do—if we really want to take this team to the next level, it's not just about holding our ground. We need to aim higher. We need to push beyond what anyone thinks is possible."

Marino let out a resigned sigh, scratching his head. "Fine, fine. But remember, if I get yelled at for this, it's on you."

Gao Shen just laughed, unbothered. "Don't worry, Marino. I've got your back."

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