Chapter 354: You Are Not Worthy of the Champions League!

The day after the Milan derby, news of Napoli securing the Serie A title two rounds ahead of schedule spread across Italy and Europe like wildfire.

Gao Shen and his Napoli had achieved the impossible: winning the Serie A championship as a newly-promoted team.

The news resonated not only in Europe but also worldwide, with countless media outlets marveling at the incredible feats achieved by Gao Shen. Whether it was during his tenure at Real Madrid or now with Napoli, he always managed to deliver surprises and exceed expectations.

Inter Milan's coach, Roberto Mancini, congratulated Gao Shen and Napoli after the match. He admitted that Napoli had outperformed everyone this season and deserved the trophy. However, Mancini also made it clear that Inter Milan would not give up on their season. Their focus had shifted entirely to the midweek clash with Roma in the Coppa Italia, which was now their last shot at silverware.

Meanwhile, Gao Shen declined all interview requests after securing the championship. The media frenzy that followed, with calls and emails pouring in from Italy, Europe, and beyond, left the Naples headquarters overwhelmed. No one anticipated the global response to this monumental achievement.

But considering the circumstances, it made sense.

This was the first time in Italian football history that a newly-promoted team had won the Serie A title.

Even more astonishing was the fact that Napoli had achieved something equally miraculous the previous season: winning the Serie B championship as a newly-promoted team.

Two consecutive seasons of newly-promoted titles were not only unprecedented in Italy but also unheard of in Europe's top leagues.

"This isn't just a first in Italian football history, it's a historic achievement for European football as well!"

"Gao Shen and his Napoli aren't just legends of Italy; they're legends of Europe!"

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As media outlets worldwide praised Gao Shen and his Napoli, the coach stayed focused on his next goal: preparing the team for the Coppa Italia.

In a rare interview with local reporters, Gao Shen revealed that their top priority was winning the Coppa Italia final. He emphasized the need for calm and consistent preparation.

Three days later, Napoli traveled to Florence to face Fiorentina in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinals.

Prandelli's side, trailing 3-1 after the first leg, opted for a bold and aggressive attacking strategy in an attempt to overturn the deficit.

Napoli, unwilling to back down, responded with their own offensive approach.

What followed was a thrilling, end-to-end contest at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, as both teams showcased exciting, attacking football.

In the end, the match ended 3-3, with Napoli advancing to the final on a 6-4 aggregate score.

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Meanwhile, in the other Coppa Italia semifinal, Inter Milan hosted Roma at the San Siro, having lost 2-1 in the first leg at the Stadio Olimpico.

From the start, Inter pressed aggressively. In the 23rd minute, Julio Cruz opened the scoring to give Inter hope.

Roma responded with relentless attacks, but Inter's defense held firm. The match became a tense, hard-fought stalemate.

Despite dominating possession and creating multiple chances, Roma failed to find an equalizer. The match ended 1-0 in Inter Milan's favor.

With a 2-2 aggregate score, Inter advanced to the final on the away goals rule, dashing Roma's dream of lifting the trophy at their home ground.

Inter Milan would now face Napoli in the Coppa Italia final.

After the match, Mancini struck a defiant tone, vowing to take revenge on Napoli in the final.

"The league title belongs to Napoli, but the Coppa Italia will be ours!" Mancini declared. "This will be my parting gift to the fans before I leave."

---

That weekend, the thirty-seventh round of Serie A kicked off.

With the championship already decided, the focus shifted to the battle for European qualification and the relegation fight.

In the race for the top four, AC Milan had gained significant momentum after their victory over Inter Milan in the previous round. They were now just three points behind Juventus.

Fiorentina, who had occupied fifth place for much of the season, fell to sixth after being overtaken by AC Milan.

As the stakes grew higher, every point mattered in the final two rounds.

---

Inter Milan hosted Siena and could only manage a 2-2 draw, dropping crucial points.

Juventus, playing at home against Catania, also struggled. After conceding early in the second half, the Bianconeri needed a late equalizer from Del Piero in the 89th minute to salvage a 1-1 draw.

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Meanwhile, Napoli faced AC Milan at the Stadio San Paolo.

Before the match, the Italian Football Association held an official award ceremony, presenting the Serie A championship trophy to Napoli. Captain Francesco Montervino, who hadn't played a single minute this season, had the honor of lifting the trophy on behalf of the team. The gesture symbolized the unity and spirit of the squad, and Montervino received warm applause from his teammates and fans alike.

For the match itself, Gao Shen opted to field a heavily rotated squad. Even starting goalkeeper Handanovic was given a rest, with Gennaro Iezzo making his first appearance of the season.

The game turned into an open, entertaining contest. In stoppage time, Seedorf scored the decisive goal for AC Milan, giving them a narrow 3-2 victory and three invaluable points in their pursuit of Champions League qualification.

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After the match, Juventus' technical director, Alessio Secco, publicly criticized Gao Shen in Tuttosport. He accused Napoli of deliberately underperforming to help AC Milan win.

"At 2-2, Gao Shen substituted Cannavaro for a 16-year-old. That decision was absolutely baffling and directly led to AC Milan's winning goal," Secco said.

He went on to suggest that Gao Shen and his close friend, Ancelotti, had reached a secret agreement.

"There's a rumor that Ancelotti helped Napoli by beating Inter Milan, and in return, Napoli deliberately lost to AC Milan to give them three points," Secco claimed.

The allegations caused an uproar, with media and fans seizing on the controversy.

Gao Shen wasted no time in responding, dismissing Secco's comments as baseless and absurd.

"On the contrary," Gao Shen revealed, "someone did approach me and the club before the game, hoping we'd go all out to stop AC Milan. But I refused."

He explained his reasoning:

"We've already won the championship. Why would we risk exhausting ourselves or risking injuries in the last two rounds when we need to prepare for the Coppa Italia final? That would make no sense."

As for substituting in a 16-year-old, Gao Shen defended his decision with pride.

"That 16-year-old is Lorenzo Insigne, a youth academy product of Napoli. I firmly believe he'll become an Italian international and one of the best attackers in the country. Giving him game time now is part of his development. What's wrong with that?"

Gao Shen even mentioned another young player, Marco Verratti.

"Insigne and Verratti are two young talents I admire greatly. Verratti is only 15, but I plan to give him opportunities next season. As for Insigne, he's already playing."

In a parting shot, Gao Shen turned his criticism back on Secco.

"If Juventus fails to qualify for the Champions League, it won't be because of us. It'll be because of their own shortcomings. The truth is, Juventus simply isn't good enough to compete at that level."

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Ancelotti also denied the existence of any secret agreement with Gao Shen.

"Yes, Gao Shen is a good friend of mine, but we'd never stoop to something like that," Ancelotti said. "If anything, Napoli's performance against us was understandable. They had already secured the title and were focused on the Coppa Italia."

Napoli's general manager, Pierpaolo Marino, joined the fray, calling Secco's remarks "stupid and unprofessional."

"He's trying to deflect blame for Juventus' failures onto others," Marino said. "If Juventus misses out on the Champions League, the fault lies squarely with Secco."

---

The final round of Serie A kicked off amidst this backdrop of controversy.

Juventus faced Sampdoria and could only manage a 3-3 draw. Mohamed Sissoko's red card in the 59th minute left them vulnerable, and they failed to secure the win they desperately needed.

AC Milan, meanwhile, thrashed Udinese 4-1 at home, securing three points and climbing into fourth place.

With that result, Ancelotti's team overtook Juventus and secured Champions League qualification. Juventus, relegated to fifth place, would compete in the Europa League alongside Fiorentina and Sampdoria.

Napoli, already crowned champions, fielded another rotated lineup and lost 2-1 away to Lazio.

The final round of Serie A concluded with Napoli's miraculous season officially etched into the history books.

Inter Milan finished second, Roma third, and AC Milan clinched the final Champions League spot in fourth. Juventus, despite their significant investment in the squad last summer, fell short, finishing fifth and destined for the Europa League alongside Fiorentina and Sampdoria.

Sampdoria's seventh-place finish earned them a Europa League spot only because both Napoli and Inter Milan, who qualified for the Champions League, were also the finalists of the Coppa Italia.

The results of the final round underscored what Gao Shen had confidently stated earlier: Juventus simply lacked the strength to contend for a top-four spot. Secco's previous conspiracy accusations only served to highlight his desperation and ineptitude, leaving the Juventus technical director as a target of widespread ridicule.

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