Chapter 388: The Master's Demeanor

After the team meeting, Gao Shen was satisfied with the players' response.

Judging by the expressions on their faces and the feedback they provided, Gao Shen felt his words had hit the mark.

Carlo followed Gao Shen, Zidane, and Lucas back to the head coach's office. Once everyone was seated, the middle-aged Spaniard couldn't hold back his question any longer.

"Gao, are you really confident about the Champions League group stage?" Carlo asked with a look of concern.

Gao Shen glanced at Zidane and then at Lucas, and the three of them burst into laughter.

Carlo was a good man. An honest man.

Gao Shen had known this ever since coaching Real Madrid.

Over the years, both Gao Shen and Lucas had changed in many ways, but Carlo? He remained as steadfast as ever.

And yet, it was precisely because of this unchanging nature that their relationship had gradually shifted from mentor and protégé to collaborators, and now, to superior and subordinate.

This wasn't to say Carlo's role in Gao Shen's coaching team was unimportant.

Far from it. Gao Shen had always felt that the team needed someone like Carlo. Without him, he doubted his staff would remain as grounded as they were.

After all, Gao Shen was someone prone to radical ideas.

Carlo, on the other hand, was serious, honest, and meticulous a man who dared to speak his mind to Gao Shen, something the head coach valued deeply.

Because of this, Carlo had become indispensable, particularly when it came to overseeing the day-to-day training. Gao Shen felt he was perfectly suited for the role.

"Honestly, if the whole team gives it their all, the chances are fifty-fifty," Gao Shen said, his tone calm and measured.

"Fifty-fifty?" Carlo was taken aback. "Then why did you just..."

Gao Shen offered a wry smile. "I had to say it. We need to unify our mindset."

Many think that leaders like to make empty promises.

But is that really a bad thing?

The answer isn't so straightforward.

To lead a team effectively, you have to set clear goals. As a leader, you must explain why the goal is necessary, how to achieve it, and what it will mean for the team if it's accomplished.

Does this qualify as an empty promise?

Not necessarily.

A team without a clear goal is like a ship without a destination. It drifts aimlessly and achieves nothing.

So, being able to inspire confidence and make promises is a fundamental skill every leader must master.

Of course, making irresponsible promises should never be encouraged.

When Napoli drew their group for the Champions League, the atmosphere within the team was fraught with tension. Gao Shen knew he had to act fast to stabilize the situation, or else the road ahead would be far more difficult.

After all, his personal analysis told him the odds were evenly split.

Zidane and Lucas agreed.

Napoli's biggest problem was their lack of experience, compounded by how young their players were.

Arrigo Sacchi, in one of his columns, had noted that Gao Shen should focus on winning the three home matches. His advice wasn't unfounded.

Away games—especially long-distance ones posed a significant challenge, both physically and mentally.

Take, for example, the match against Zenit St. Petersburg scheduled for late October.

In Naples, the temperature would hover around 20 degrees Celsius. In St. Petersburg? Zero degrees.

Going from a mild Mediterranean autumn to freezing Russian conditions overnight would require meticulous preparation.

The club would need to coordinate logistics. The coaching staff would need to plan ahead. The players would need to adapt quickly.

And therein lay the gap between seasoned veterans and inexperienced rookies.

This was precisely why Gao Shen had worked so hard to bring Zidane onto his coaching staff before the season started.

The French legend had decades of football experience. He could guide the players, helping them navigate the unpredictable nature of the Champions League both on and off the pitch.

Since Napoli drew Real Madrid, Bayern, and Zenit, the entire organization had been mobilized. Lucas's analysis team had gone into overdrive. Zidane and Carlo were preparing detailed plans for the group's first match, and Gao Shen himself had already begun making notes for their visit to the Bernabéu.

…

"Juan, you're too honest. That's why he took your job," Lucas teased Carlo with a grin.

It had been two or three years since Carlo had left Real Madrid, and by now, he'd moved past the sting of losing his position there. In fact, he often joked about it himself, which gave Lucas license to poke fun as well.

This casual banter showed how much Carlo respected and accepted Gao Shen as a superior.

Carlo let out an awkward smile, his embarrassment evident. He knew that Gao Shen taking over the Real Madrid job was a piece of history he'd never live down.

"I'm just worried that if you say too much, it'll be hard to walk it back later," Carlo cautioned.

"Hard to walk it back?" Lucas laughed. "If the team plays well, it proves Gao was right. If we don't, we'll deal with the problems then. And if worse comes to worst, can't we just come up with an excuse? There's always someone to blame."

Lucas's words cut straight to the heart of the matter.

After all, very few things in football or in life—are black and white.

Take a goal conceded during a match. Is it the goalkeeper's fault? The defenders'? Or the entire team's?

When a player underperforms, is it because they're out of form? Or because the opposition played exceptionally well? Or perhaps the opposing coach outmaneuvered them tactically?

There are always multiple sides to every story, and debates over these questions often lead nowhere. In the end, what matters most is moving forward.

"Fernando is right," Gao Shen said, his tone serious. "The most important thing right now is that we're unified."

At this point, Gao Shen turned to Carlo and looked at him intently.

"Sure, it might sound like I'm making empty promises, but hear me out: if we can survive this so-called 'Group of Death,' I'm confident we can go even further in the knockout stages."

"If we can't be stopped in this group, then I don't believe anyone else can stop us either."

Napoli had a clear identity—a young, rapidly improving team with undeniable potential. Both the club's management and coaching staff knew it.

For instance, in the Italian Super Cup match against Inter Milan at the start of the season, Napoli had given Inter almost no breathing room. The match was a testament to how much the team had grown.

If they could emerge from this brutal group stage, Gao Shen had every reason to believe they could make a deep run in the Champions League.

Because in the knockout rounds, it's not just about individual player strength. The manager's tactics and adaptability become crucial.

And this was Gao Shen's specialty.

With his analytical abilities and the tactical library at his disposal, he could dismantle an opponent's strategy with precision. Gao Shen believed this was his edge against even the best managers in the world.

It was also why he was eager to test himself against Ferguson.

The legendary Manchester United manager was renowned for his adaptability and tactical genius. Gao Shen wanted to see if he could outwit Ferguson, score goals, and win.

Sadly, they hadn't drawn Manchester United in the group stage.

"Do you remember what I told you in 2006, before we went to London to face Arsenal?" Gao Shen suddenly asked Carlo.

Zidane and Lucas perked up, curious.

Carlo chuckled, nodding. "Of course. You said that if you lost, you wouldn't come back."

Zidane and Lucas were stunned. They hadn't expected Gao Shen to have been so bold back then.

"At the time, I had nothing to lose," Gao Shen admitted, a bitter smile on his face. "I was just starting out, and I wasn't afraid of failure."

"But now… now it seems like I've succeeded, like I've gained so much. Yet deep down, I'm still the same person. I'm not afraid of losing everything I have now because I know I can earn it all back again."

As Gao Shen spoke, his tone was calm, but his words carried an undeniable confidence.

Carlo, Zidane, and Lucas couldn't help but be taken aback.

Gao Shen wasn't exuding blind arrogance. His confidence was tempered, steady—a result of experience and hard-won success.

"This will be my last season at Napoli," Gao Shen said suddenly, his voice firm.

"I'm not thinking about anything else right now. All I want to know is how far this team I've built over the past two or three years can go. What heights can it reach?"

"But one thing I know for certain: this team is far better than just a group-stage contender. I believe it can go further. I believe it can aim higher."

"And so, I will make sure we advance from the group stage."

His expression was resolute, his determination unshakable.

"Because I want more fans and more people around the world to recognize this team—and to recognize me!"

"This is my goal. This is what I want to achieve!"

***

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