Chapter 238: Knock Out Naples

Deschamps is gone!

Early in the morning, shocking news spread from 32 Via Ferraris in Turin: Didier Deschamps had left Juventus.

Everyone at the Juventus headquarters was stunned. No one expected that the famous coach, who had just led the team back to Serie A, would suddenly depart.

However, those familiar with the internal situation knew exactly why this happened, especially general manager Jean-Claude Blanc.

From the winter break onwards, Juventus' sporting director, Alessio Secco, had refused Deschamps' requests to sign players like Van der Vaart and Saviola. This led to a complete breakdown in the relationship between Deschamps and the management. After achieving the goal of Serie A promotion, Deschamps had already made it clear to Blanc that he wouldn't renew his contract with Juventus.

He was leaving!

Blanc had tried to convince him to stay, but it was futile Deschamps had made up his mind.

The news sent shockwaves throughout Italy.

After leading Juventus back to Serie A, why would Deschamps suddenly leave?

All fingers pointed at Secco, leaving Juventus' sporting director under intense scrutiny.

Even Juventus' top management began to pay close attention to the situation, especially as they were disappointed with the team's performance in the past season. They felt that the new management had failed to meet expectations and were now planning for a stronger showing in Serie A.

This situation led to a serious discussion between Juventus' two key decision-makers.

"Did you know? Deschamps' departure has severely damaged our reputation. Whether it's the fans, the media, or people within football, their perception of us is highly negative," Blanc said, criticizing Secco.

"He wanted to leave; it has nothing to do with me," Secco defended himself.

He wasn't wrong, but he never made any real effort to keep Deschamps.

"Now is not the time for assigning blame. I want to know, what are your thoughts for the new season?" Blanc asked.

"I'm looking for a new head coach."

Blanc nodded. "I know that, but the boss suggested someone."

"Who?" Secco asked with growing unease.

"Gao Shen."

Secco's face darkened immediately, as if haunted by a ghost that wouldn't leave him.

"The boss feels that Gao Shen proved his coaching ability with Napoli last season. Whether in Serie B or the Coppa Italia, he showed extraordinary performance. Plus, he's young, and even more importantly, he's from China."

The power behind Juventus, the Fiat Group, owns major brands like Fiat and Ferrari, and none of them could afford to ignore the Chinese market.

They hadn't intervened last season because they weren't sure about Gao Shen's coaching level, but now, after his success at Napoli, they were intrigued.

"The boss doesn't know him. He's not suitable for Juventus!" Secco declared with certainty.

"You're wrong, Alessio." Blanc shook his head. "The boss knows him well. In fact, all of Italy knows him."

For the past season, the Italian media had been reporting on Gao Shen almost daily. His every move, even his choice of clothing during matches, had been scrutinized by the press. By now, Gao Shen was a household name in Italian football.

"He's now the public enemy of Italy! Nobody likes him!" Secco gritted his teeth.

Blanc chuckled. "How about a bet, Alessio? I'll organize a survey through the Turin Sports Daily to see if Juventus fans would accept Gao Shen as coach. If less than half support him, I'll admit defeat."

Secco was at a loss for words. He didn't dare take the bet.

Why did Italian fans dislike Gao Shen? Why did the media portray him as the enemy?

Because Gao Shen was good, and his Napoli team was even better. People were scared of him.

Take Juventus fans, for example. If Gao Shen really did come to coach Juventus, those same people criticizing him would quickly change their tune and support him. They'd switch sides faster than anyone else.

A survey? Gao Shen would likely rank at the top!

"No need for that. I still firmly believe that he's not right for us, and he wouldn't want to coach Juventus," Secco said, standing his ground.

There was also the possibility that Secco himself might be out of a job if Gao Shen arrived.

But what kind of world would that be?

Was he expected to invite Gao Shen to Juventus, only to lose his own position?

How absurd.

"There are many renowned coaches in Italy. We have plenty of options."

With that, Secco stood up and walked out.

"One more thing," Secco said as he turned back with a sly smile. "Several players in Napoli are quite good. I've already arranged for someone to contact Marino. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other soon."

Then Secco left.

Blanc was left gritting his teeth in frustration before letting out a long string of curses.

"Damn it!"

---

In the office at Roma's headquarters, head coach Luciano Spalletti submitted his carefully prepared transfer wish list to technical director Bruno Conti.

This was something the club had promised him in return for agreeing to the sale of Christian Chivu to Inter Milan for 16 million euros.

The sale would be a huge blow to Roma's defense.

Conti accepted the list with a smile, but as he scanned the names, he was taken aback. He couldn't help but look up at Spalletti, as if asking, "Are you serious?"

Spalletti nodded firmly.

After losing Chivu, Roma would need a new central defender, and Spalletti had his eye on Napoli's Brazilian center-back, David Luiz. He believed that Luiz was on par with Juan, the center-back Roma had been scouting from Bayer Leverkusen, but Luiz was younger and had a flair for long passes.

Reflecting on Roma's 6-0 loss to Napoli at the San Paolo Stadium last season, especially after Perrotta's absence, Spalletti also wanted to strengthen the midfield. He had his eye on Napoli's Rakitic, who had shined in their matches against Roma.

Additionally, Spalletti wanted a new attacking option and was interested in Napoli's winger, Gervinho.

This made Conti curious. "Are you targeting Napoli?"

It seemed like Spalletti's new strategy was, "If I can't beat them on the field, I'll steal their players."

"When did Roma get so rich?" Conti joked.

But seeing Spalletti's serious expression, Conti sighed.

Talented managers did tend to have strong personalities.

"Alright, I'll reach out to Napoli," Conti said.

---

At Arsenal's training ground in Kearney, North London, the team was already on break, but Arsène Wenger wasn't taking a holiday. He had important work to do.

Thierry Henry was set to move to Barcelona, José Antonio Reyes was returning to La Liga to join Atlético Madrid, and Fredrik Ljungberg, no longer able to meet the team's needs, was also on his way out.

As a result, Arsenal's front line was about to be gutted.

Over the years, Wenger had watched as his favorite players left one by one. From Vieira to Pires, and now Henry and Ljungberg, Arsenal was no longer the "Invincibles" team that had once dominated English football. Wenger had been forced to tighten the budget to help finance the club's new stadium, and now, even though they had survived the financial strain, he was still unable to stop the exodus of top talent.

Henry had told him he was moving to Barcelona to pursue his dream of winning the Champions League, and there was little Wenger could do to change his mind.

But that didn't make the situation any easier for him to accept.

Just as Wenger was brooding over these losses, his assistant, Pat Rice, knocked on the door and entered.

"We just got news from Grimandi, our French scout."

Seeing the urgency in Rice's expression, Wenger was intrigued. "What's the situation?"

"Napoli, the newly promoted Serie A team, just sent a fax to Auxerre. They're asking about Bacary Sagna."

Wenger's heart sank.

Sagna was the right-back he had been targeting for Arsenal. The Frenchman had played every game in Ligue 1 the previous season and had been named the best right-back in the league. His physicality and all-around ability made him an ideal signing.

"Napoli?" Wenger muttered, immediately thinking of a familiar figure.

"That kid has good taste, going after my target."

"So what do we do now?" Rice asked, concerned. Strengthening the right wing was a key priority for Arsenal this summer, but Wenger had been stalling, trying to negotiate a better deal.

"Agree to the terms. Offer 10 million euros, with a clause to raise it to 12 million based on appearances. Let's sign Sagna as soon as possible before things get complicated," Wenger decided quickly.

He had originally hoped to lower the price by another million, but now that Gao Shen was involved, he couldn't afford to wait any longer.

"Got it. I'll send the fax right away," Rice said as he turned to leave.

"Wait, Pat," Wenger called out, stopping him.

"What is it?"

"Send another fax," Wenger said, a mischievous smile forming on his lips.

"To who?"

"To Napoli," Wenger chuckled. "Gervinho had a solid season. He can play on both wings, which could be useful. Let's sign him too. I want that kid to know if he messes with me, there's a price to pay!"

Wenger laughed, already imagining the look on Gao Shen's face when he realized Arsenal had swooped in for Gervinho. It was a small bit of revenge for trying to steal Sagna, but in the world of football transfers, every move counted.

"Let's see how he likes it," Wenger thought to himself, still chuckling as Pat Rice left to handle the paperwork.

Gao Shen wasn't the only one who could play this game.