Chapter 211: Why So Serious?

On the afternoon of December 7th, at Parma's Tardini Stadium.

Parma's coach, Stefano Pioli, paced anxiously on the sidelines.

At this moment, the match between Parma and Napoli had been going on for more than an hour.

Parma had abandoned their conservative tactics from the first leg and went on the offensive at home.

This was clearly a last resort for Pioli.

After losing to Napoli in the first leg away, Parma then went on to lose to Inter Milan.

Now, Parma was rooted in the relegation zone, which had put Pioli's job on the line.

He had no doubts that if he lost this Coppa Italia match, he could be fired at any moment.

Thus, he had no choice but to adopt an aggressive approach at home.

With a 4-3-3 formation featuring Kutuzov, Budan, and Detic, this was the strongest attacking trident Pioli could field.

He had no other options!

Faced with this all-out, do-or-die style of play, Napoli, playing away, had to adopt a defensive stance from the start, abandoning their usual aggressive style for a more stable tactical approach.

Pioli, who had pressed forward from the start, was nearly driven to vomit blood.

What happened to the spirit of the first leg?

Didn't we agree to go head-to-head at the Tardini Stadium? I pressed forward, but you pulled back?

That being said, Parma's attack wasn't very strong.

After an initial aggressive push for about ten minutes and several harmless threats, they failed to break Napoli's defense and had to retreat.

But as soon as Parma pulled back, Napoli immediately came forward with their own attacks, frequently threatening Parma.

The most dangerous moment came from Vidal, whose shot from near the penalty spot was cleared off the goal line by center-back Paci.

It nearly scared Pioli to death.

After Parma caught their breath and pressed forward again, Napoli retreated once more.

The two sides continued like this: when one advanced, the other retreated; when one retreated, the other advanced.

Pioli was so irritated on the sidelines that he completely lost his usual composed demeanor, appearing as if he had gone mad.

He felt that the cunning Napoli was like an experienced lover, expertly playing hard to get, teasing him with seductive moves. Meanwhile, he, an innocent novice, was completely at their mercy, being toyed with.

The first half ended 0-0, and after switching sides for the second half, Parma pressed forward once more.

But despite their relentless attacks, they still couldn't break Napoli's defense.

Pioli, now suffering from a splitting headache, wanted to ask Gao Shen: "You came from La Liga. How are you more conservative than me, a Serie A coach?"

Aren't you supposed to be great at attacking football? Where's your high pressing? Where's your tiki-taka?

No wonder Real Madrid fans criticized you for being too conservative!

You're so conservative that even I, an Italian coach, can't stand it!

Pioli couldn't help but recall what Gao Shen had confidently said to him after their match at the San Paolo Stadium over a month ago.

"I can defend for 180 minutes without conceding a goal!"

Pioli had been skeptical back then, but now he could only bow down and admit defeat.

After more than 60 minutes of the match, he finally understood.

All the public impressions of Gao Shen were inaccurate. This man was two-faced.

When it was time to attack, he attacked harder than anyone else. When it was time to defend, he was more resolute than anyone, completely immovable.

Reporters described Gao Shen as an idealist?

Bah! Pioli swore it was the funniest joke he'd ever heard.

But what could he do? Napoli seemed capable of holding out until the end of the world.

Parma could only retreat and catch their breath.

...

Parma tried attacking for the first 20 minutes of the second half but still couldn't find a way to break through Napoli's defense. Yet, Pioli didn't make any substitutions.

His strongest offensive lineup was already on the field.

But just as the game was nearing the 70th minute and Parma began to slow down the tempo to catch their breath, Napoli suddenly launched an all-out press.

The entire team, from the front to the back, surged forward. With the exception of the goalkeeper, every player pressed aggressively.

The sudden acceleration of the press caught Parma, who thought they were prepared, completely off guard.

Napoli won the ball back in midfield. Biglia quickly passed the ball forward to Pellè, who had his back to goal. Pellè stopped the ball, turned, and sent a through ball behind him.

Like a sharp dagger, Di María cut through Parma's defense, beat Paci to the ball, and slipped past the keeper. Then, instead of shooting, Di María crossed the ball to the right side of the penalty area.

Sánchez arrived in stride and calmly slotted the ball into the net!

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!"

After scoring, Sánchez jumped up in joy, letting out a loud cheer.

Napoli's players rushed over to celebrate with the Chilean winger.

In this game, Napoli had been on the back foot throughout. Despite creating several dangerous chances, they had been largely on the defensive.

Now, Sánchez's goal had released all of Napoli's pent-up frustration.

Gao Shen was so excited that he leapt into the air on the sidelines.

At this moment, he could confidently declare: "We've got this!"

As Gao Shen calmed down, he heard Pioli screaming in frustration from the home team's technical area.

"What are you doing? Didn't I tell you to press immediately?"

"Why did you let Pellè turn?"

"Behind you! I've emphasized countless times to protect the space behind!"

By the end of his rant, Pioli had completely lost his temper.

He desperately wanted to win.

This was his first time coaching a Serie A team. He wanted to establish himself, to prove his ability, so that he'd have more opportunities to coach in Serie A in the future.

But on the pitch, Parma's players were all over the place.

Of course, he couldn't deny that Napoli's players were incredibly strong!

That bastard Gao Shen had taken a group of youngsters and played such a tight game!

The goal they conceded wasn't even really a proper goal. But Parma had completely lost hope and confidence in any comeback.

After his outburst, Pioli managed to calm himself down.

He knew he had lost his temper.

But he had been driven to it by that damned Gao Shen!

After taking several deep breaths to bring his blood pressure back under control, Pioli stepped to the sidelines, signaling his players to remain calm, stay in position, and focus on defense.

But just as he did this, he noticed Gao Shen standing in the away team's technical area, also giving instructions to his players.

The Napoli players had finished celebrating and were returning to the field. As the Parma players prepared to kick off, they passed by the away technical area and heard Gao Shen shouting at them.

"Press up! Take this chance and kill them off completely!"

When Pioli heard this, he nearly collapsed onto the pitch.

What the hell!

Where did I ever offend you? Why are you trying to finish me off?

This is my home stadium. I'm already hanging by a thread. Do you really want to push me over the edge?

Pioli's first reaction was to quickly signal his players to focus on defense and stabilize their rhythm after the kickoff.

But Napoli, under Gao Shen's command, had been honed into a well-oiled machine after five months of training and their experience in Serie B and the Coppa Italia. Gao Shen's instructions were executed with precision, like a perfectly controlled mechanism.

When Gao Shen ordered his team to press, the players didn't hesitate. As soon as Parma kicked off, Napoli surged forward.

High pressing was one of Napoli's trademark tactics.

Parma, having just conceded a goal, was demoralized. After being yelled at by their coach, they were now frustrated.

Seeing Napoli press up so aggressively, Parma's players lost their composure and began to push forward recklessly.

The two teams began a fierce contest for the ball in Parma's half. The ball changed hands repeatedly, and the players fought with intensity.

Both Pioli on the sidelines and the fans in the stands watched in terror.

It was all happening too close to Parma's goal.

When Parma won possession, they'd have to launch a long-ball counterattack. But when Napoli won the ball, they were already in range to create danger with just one pass. How could anyone not be worried?

Pioli knew this too. He wanted to calm his team down and have them push Napoli's press back out of their half.

But in Parma's chaotic and conflicted state, Napoli quickly won possession in the final third.

Pellè pressed Parma center-back Marco Rossi, forcing him to play a back pass.

The Italian striker rushed toward goalkeeper De Lucia. The goalkeeper couldn't use his hands because it was a back pass, but Pellè pressed him too tightly. As De Lucia tried to clear the ball, it deflected off Pellè, changing direction.

Then, a blue Napoli jersey streaked into the frame on the left side of the penalty area. The player took a shot before anyone could react, sending the ball into the unguarded net.

2-0!

Game over!

It's finished!

The aggregate score was now 4-0, and everyone knew there everyone knew that Parma had no chance of reversing the situation.

Pioli was shaky from the disappointment, his heart filled with despair, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

He understood that after being eliminated from the Coppa Italia, he was now even closer to being fired.

In fact, he would probably become the first unlucky coach to be dismissed in Serie A this season.

The entire Tardini Stadium fell into silence.

Parma's fans clearly couldn't accept such a result, and many of them left the stadium early.

A Serie A team competing in the UEFA Cup was eliminated by a Serie B team over two legs. What more is there to say?

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