There is no Real Madrid in our target!
"Declare war on Barcelona!"
This was the interpretation by mainstream media of Gao Shen's statement at the signing conference.
It's actually quite normal.
Real Madrid and Barcelona are like classmates in the same class. Barcelona scores 90 points on a test, and Real Madrid scores 80 points. So Real Madrid says, "I will work hard to get 90 points on the next test, and even surpass Barcelona."
Does this sound okay?
It depends on where you're sitting.
Both AS and Marca believe that Gao Shen continued his bold style from his last press conference, boldly shouting an ambitious slogan and setting a very exciting goal: to overtake Barcelona.
Note that this is a goal, a direction for their efforts, and does not necessarily mean success.
Therefore, the two Real Madrid-supporting newspapers responded positively and enthusiastically. They believed that the Real Madrid coach should have such courage and ambition. Otherwise, how could he be worthy of Real Madrid? How could he stand up to such a luxurious lineup?
But if you put yourself on Barcelona's side, you'll find that things look different.
For example, Catalonia's daily sports newspaper ran a front-page headline commenting that Real Madrid's new coach was playing a clumsy trick, trying to provoke Barcelona's anger and anxiety through psychological tactics.
"But it's obvious that his methods are too immature, and no one will be fooled."
The Daily Sports newspaper also commented that, from the schedule, the opponents, the team's form, or even the overall strength, Real Madrid is not qualified to challenge Barcelona.
They are ten points behind with only twelve rounds left in the league. This is an almost insurmountable gap.
More importantly, Real Madrid also has the Champions League to contend with!
"Given Real Madrid's current state of being old, weak, injured, and disabled, it is difficult to maintain a two-front battle, and trying to reverse the standings is simply a joke. It's just like Real Madrid hiring a 25-year-old rookie to coach—a joke!"
"If the young rookie head coach thinks that his words alone can shake Barcelona's confidence, then he is truly ignorant and ridiculous."
Another Barcelona mouthpiece, the World Sports News, also believes that Gao Shen is playing an unwise trick and that it is a very dangerous move.
"He is trying to provoke confrontation between players and fans on both sides, which is not a good phenomenon!"
The World Sports News argues that Barcelona has been the best and greatest team in La Liga and even European football over the past two or three years. Their stars, like Ronaldinho, have been crowned with the Ballon d'Or. Essentially, world football in the past two years has belonged to Barcelona.
"Real Madrid and its stars are in the past. They must try to learn to accept reality!"
The World Sports News believes that Barcelona should focus on their own games, continue to maintain their strong form in La Liga, win the La Liga championship ahead of schedule, and make Real Madrid completely desperate.
At the same time, they should continue their efforts in the Champions League to win it.
In the Champions League, Barcelona's performance has not been as good as Real Madrid's, as Barcelona has only won one Champions League so far, in 1992 with Cruyff's Dream Team. This remains Barcelona's only triumph.
Currently, Rijkaard's side has high expectations, with everyone hoping they will win another, if not more.
The World Sports News called on the team to counter the Real Madrid coach with solid results.
The day after the signing ceremony, mainstream media in other European countries also reported on it to some extent.
After all, Real Madrid is still the most popular team in the world of football, and the 25-year-old Real Madrid coach Gao Shen is the focus of global attention. Naturally, every word he says attracts attention.
But after his statement, Gao Shen hid away in Valdebebas, burying his head in preparation for the game against Valencia.
Meanwhile, in Barcelona, coach Rijkaard read the reports and comments in the newspapers early the next morning, especially those from Catalan newspapers, which almost unanimously attacked Gao Shen. Even the Daily Sports News and World Sports News focused on the story.
This left Rijkaard speechless.
"They're all righteous on the surface, but in reality, they're just feeding off this," Rijkaard sneered.
Though they claim Gao Shen is playing tricks, both World Sports News and Daily Sports News reported it extensively, even making it front-page news to grab attention and increase sales.
They may be sitting on Barcelona's side, but they still want to create a spectacle, attract attention, and boost sales.
Henrik Ten Cate, the chief assistant coach, seemed very calm. "I specifically checked the original words online. He didn't actually say what they're reporting. The media just took one part out of context. If you read the original words, it seems like he's just encouraging his players."
This aligns with the global media's tendency to take things out of context.
Rijkaard nodded. "I also think he was speaking more to the Real Madrid players."
"I watched the game at Highbury two or three times. How should I put it?" Ten Cate frowned. "This head coach does have something, somewhat like Benitez, but with more flexibility. To be able to perform like this at twenty-five is impressive."
Rijkaard was a bit surprised. Ten Cate was a serious person who didn't easily praise others. When did he start giving compliments?
"But even so, Real Madrid is still not our opponent."
The Black Swan let out a silent cry. As expected, this guy likes to play with words.
"Real Madrid's tactics have some merit, but they're still rough. The intense schedule leaves little time for them to polish. They can only adjust and run in through games, which can easily affect results."
"But the most serious issue is the physical condition of Real Madrid's players. From their games, it's clear their training level is low, their star players are performing poorly, and their fitness is terrible. With the current situation, they won't be able to chase us. I doubt they'll even get past Valencia this weekend."
"And none of this can be solved by a rookie head coach."
What makes a world-class coach?
Is it just fame?
No, which big club would be stupid enough to spend so much money hiring someone without real skills just because they're famous?
For example, it's rumored that Real Madrid will spend 7.5 million euros to sign Capello.
Is this just for him?
No, Real Madrid wants to sign Capello's entire team, including the fitness coach, goalkeeper coach, and assistant coach. All of this is included in the 7.5 million euros.
Real Madrid's current situation has many problems, including low training levels and poor player fitness, all of which need to be resolved.
By whom?
Only by high-level training.
If it were a famous coach, he would have the resources and connections to temporarily bring in high-level coaches to alleviate these problems.
But Gao Shen?
A twenty-five-year-old, fledgling rookie, what kind of connections does he have?
Even if he uses Real Madrid's connections, which high-level coach would trust him?
For Real Madrid, appointing Gao Shen as head coach is an unsolvable problem.
"We still have to focus on our own game. Real Madrid can only hope to reach the quarter-finals, and La Liga is impossible to reverse. Real Madrid's goal may be Barcelona, but our goal is not Real Madrid. It's the double crown!"
When Ten Cate said this, he was confident and awe-inspiring, as if he was the head coach of Barcelona.
This made Rijkaard a bit embarrassed, and even slightly dissatisfied.
Fortunately, Ten Cate would be leaving after this season.
Gao Shen's remarks caused a stir, and the media was all abuzz.
Valdebebas was no exception.
As soon as he arrived at the training base, Fernando Lucas reported the latest public opinion to him, looking a bit worried.
"I don't think you should have said that yesterday. There's a lot of opposition now."
Who knew, after hearing this, Gao Shen wasn't anxious. Instead, he smiled, "I expected this."
"What... what do you mean?" Lucas was puzzled.
"After the signing ceremony, people from Butragueno and the public relations department told me they predicted this kind of public opinion, but I told them there's no need to suppress it. In fact, we should secretly push it. The louder the opposition, the better."
"Why?" Lucas was even more confused.
"My words weren't just for Barcelona; they were also for our players and the media."
When everyone thought Gao Shen was standing on the first floor, he was actually standing on the fifth.
Lucas didn't understand at all. What did he mean?
"Did I say anything wrong? Is our lineup worse than Barcelona's? Is there a problem with setting a goal to reverse them?"
Lucas blinked and thought about it carefully. It seemed he was right.
Oh, aren't they allowed to have a goal to strive for?
Besides, although Real Madrid's stars are no longer at their peak, which one isn't a top superstar?
Lucas pondered over and over, vaguely catching something but not fully understanding it.
Gao Shen looked at him and couldn't help laughing. "Our players are all superstars. Even if they're no longer at their peak, they're still superstars. They're all very proud and can't tolerate the slightest doubt. That's why players like Zidane, Beckham, and Raul were so determined at Highbury. Even Ronaldo is probably holding a grudge."
"It's clear now. I just said our goal is to reverse Barcelona and that our lineup is no worse than theirs. The media can't stand it and start questioning, attacking, and criticizing. What do you think our players will think?"
This trick, Gao Shen actually learned from Ferguson's psychological warfare.
Many times, as a fan, you feel some of the things Ferguson and Mourinho say are very inappropriate.
Of course, this is true, but in fact, those words may not be directed at fans at all. They are meant for the players, opponents, and the media.
If the media did not respond, they would be disappointed. But once the media reacts—whether with support, opposition, response, or criticism—their purpose in speaking out is achieved.
"Declare war on Barcelona!"
This is the new goal that Gao Shen has set for Real Madrid.