Chapter 299: Napoli is Sick

In reality, there's no such thing as "metaphysics" in football. Each game is a test of how well the team has been trained and prepared during the preceding weeks and months.

After the game against Juventus, Gao Shen and his coaching staff could clearly sense a fluctuation in the Napoli players' form.

Every player's fighting spirit remains high, but their performance isn't as electrifying as it used to be.

It's obvious that Napoli's form is slipping.

The coaching staff has been working hard to adjust the team's training regimen, hoping to better support the players.

But one has to admit, even in a professional league, there are far too many uncontrollable factors.

For example, who would have expected, before the season began, that the Italian Football Association would require Napoli to play in the first two rounds of the Italian Cup?

Adding these extra games, with a match every three days, has significantly disrupted Napoli's entire pre-season preparation.

Furthermore, in September and October, many players were called up for their national teams for the first time, and some even sustained injuries, which impacted Napoli's preparation plan greatly.

It could be said that, by this point, the team has pushed themselves to their limits just to hold on.

Gao Shen and the coaching staff had mentally prepared for this scenario.

Napoli is a team of young players. Youth brings excellent physical condition, but it also means a lack of experience.

Experience isn't just about having played on the field; it's about knowing how to handle various emergencies and overcoming challenges, like playing well even when you're not in your best form.

For stars like Ronaldo, Zidane, or other seasoned players, this isn't a problem at all. But for many young players encountering this for the first time, it's a huge issue.

It's entirely normal.

It's like being in elementary or middle school, thinking certain things were the end of the world. But after a few years, once you've grown and matured, looking back, you realize they were trivial.

But back then, in that phase, there was indeed a sense of panic, as if the sky was falling.

This is where Gao Shen and the coaching staff's work comes in.

But human resources are always limited.

…

Three days after the match against Juventus, Napoli played Fiorentina away in the tenth round of Serie A.

Fiorentina's head coach was Cesare Prandelli, who would later go on to manage the Italian national team. He's most famous for leading Italy to the Euro 2012 final. Although they lost to the rising Spanish team, Prandelli still earned widespread applause, particularly for his successful transformation of the Italian squad.

Gao Shen had high praise for Prandelli's Italian team, especially his use of Pirlo's diagonal long passes, which were simply beautiful. Prandelli boldly reformed the Italian national team, and Gao Shen admired his determination and courage.

However, at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence, Fiorentina adopted a defensive counter-attacking strategy, using a 4-2-3-1 formation with two defensive midfielders to face Napoli.

Gao Shen had to rotate the squad for this game due to the intense match against Juventus.

Both sides fought fiercely for 76 minutes. In the 77th minute, Montolivo delivered a brilliant pass. Mutu broke past Napoli's right-back, Gyorgy Garrick, on the left and crossed into the box. Vieri overpowered Cannavaro Jr. and Bonucci and scored with a header.

This goal secured the victory for Fiorentina!

Though Gao Shen made immediate adjustments and launched a frantic offensive against Fiorentina, they were unable to breach the opponent's defense.

In the end, Napoli suffered their first defeat in Serie A!

…

Seven wins, two draws, and one loss—this was the record from Gao Shen's first ten games in Serie A.

In any league, such a record would be quite impressive.

But unfortunately, they had to contend with the exceptional Inter Milan in Serie A.

In the tenth round, Mancini's team defeated Genoa 4-1 at the Meazza Stadium, with goals from Cordoba, Cambiasso, Suazo, and Cruz.

This is the difference!

Even after a major rotation, Inter Milan could still field a star-studded lineup and continue to dominate their opponents steadily.

Napoli is simply too young.

After this round, Napoli, who had been leading by two points, was overtaken by Inter Milan, falling behind by one point and ranking second in Serie A.

After defeating Genoa, Inter Milan's head coach Mancini proudly declared that his team would not lose again after reclaiming the top position.

"We will pay no mind to any other opponents because we are confident that we have no rivals in Italy!" Mancini boasted boldly.

This also reflected Mancini's confidence in Inter Milan's current form.

But soon, he would be proven wrong.

…

That weekend, in Serie A's eleventh round, Inter Milan played Juventus away.

After suffering a crushing defeat against Napoli, Ranieri's team won 3-0 at home against Empoli, then set up a tight defense to wait for Inter Milan's visit.

In the 41st minute, Cesar broke through Juventus's right defense and assisted Cruz for a goal. But in the 77th minute, Juventus substitutes Iaquinta and Camoranesi combined for an equalizer.

In the end, Juventus held Inter Milan to a 1-1 draw at home.

Meanwhile, Napoli returned home to face Reggina, led by the veteran coach Ulivieri.

Ulivieri, a respected figure in Italian football, noticed Napoli's poor form and hoped to exploit any gaps. He deployed a 3-5-2 formation with tight defense.

Napoli's continued rotation and overall slump meant that they dominated on the field but couldn't score.

But Gao Shen's team tenaciously pressured Reggina throughout the game and finally, in the 89th minute, Sanchez scored the winning goal, giving Napoli a narrow 1-0 victory.

This goal brought Napoli three precious points.

…

With eight wins, two draws, and one loss, Napoli had 26 points.

Inter Milan remained unbeaten with seven wins and four draws, earning 25 points.

Napoli once again reclaimed the top spot in Serie A, leading for the third time this season.

Mancini was furious after the game, criticizing his players' poor performance.

But soon, Inter Milan's results validated Gao Shen and the coaching staff's earlier concerns.

Starting from the twelfth round, Inter Milan went on to defeat Lazio 3-0 at home, Atalanta 2-1 at home, Fiorentina 2-0 away, Torino 4-0 at home, and Cagliari 2-0 away.

Mancini's team won five consecutive games through November and early December, showcasing incredible form, scoring thirteen goals in five games, and conceding only one.

During this period, Inter Milan appeared invincible.

Napoli, on the other hand, had a tough time in these five rounds.

First, they drew 2-2 with Palermo away, then defeated Catania 2-0 at home, drew 1-1 with Atalanta away, won 1-0 against Parma at home, and drew 1-1 with Siena away.

In between, they also played an Italian Cup match, losing 1-2 to Lazio away.

While Inter Milan won five straight games, Napoli only managed two wins and three draws in Serie A, inevitably falling behind.

Most importantly, in the standings, Inter Milan remained unbeaten with 12 wins and 4 draws, leading Serie A with 40 points.

Napoli had ten wins, five draws, and one loss, earning 35 points and ranking second.

Roma and Juventus both had nine wins, five draws, and two losses, with 32 points each. Due to goal difference, Juventus placed third, while Roma was fourth.

Following them were Udinese with 28 points and Fiorentina with 25.

AC Milan, struggling with a poor start, had only accumulated 22 points and was ranked eighth.

Such standings made it hard for the Rossoneri to hold any hopes for the new season.

…

On the evening of December 22nd, in the seventeenth round of Serie A.

This was also the last game before Christmas, after which Serie A would enter the winter break.

Playing at home, Napoli continued their sluggish form from recent matches and conceded a goal in the first half. Finally, in the 81st minute, Hamsik scored with an assist from Pelle.

Napoli ended up drawing 1-1 with Torino at home.

Inter Milan, meanwhile, faced AC Milan in the Milan Derby at home.

After Pirlo gave AC Milan the lead, Ibrahimovic assisted Cruz to equalize in the 36th minute. In the second half, Cambiasso scored again for Inter, turning the game around.

In the end, Inter Milan defeated AC Milan 2-1, securing three points.

Roma beat Sampdoria 2-0, and Juventus beat Siena 2-0.

Among the top four teams in Serie A, only Napoli drew with their opponent.

As a result, the Serie A standings were clear heading into the winter break.

Inter Milan continued to dominate, leading by seven points.

Napoli followed closely. Despite a rough patch in November and December, they still gathered significant points, trailing Inter by seven but leading Roma and Juventus by one, placing them second.

Roma and Juventus trailed Inter by eight points and Napoli by one, but both had a six-point cushion over Udinese and seven over Fiorentina.

After losing the Milan Derby, AC Milan's ranking dropped further, placing them ninth.

The Serie A situation had become clear. Judging from the current standings, Inter Milan's dominance seemed unshakable. Napoli had become the biggest dark horse this season, but to challenge Inter, they'd need an outstanding second half performance.

Especially with Roma and Juventus hot on their heels, ready to overtake Napoli at any time.

The day after the draw with Torino, Gao Shen called a meeting with his coaching staff.

He was deeply dissatisfied with the team's recent performance.

Napoli was sick!!