Chapter 472: Psychological Warfare
After meticulous planning in Naples, despite delays for the South American internationals during the national team match window, they finally arrived in Rome, Italy, on the afternoon of April 4.
Napoli arranged for a dedicated vehicle to immediately transport the players back to the team.
After a thorough physical examination conducted by Buenaventura, Pintus, and the team doctors, it was confirmed that the players were in good condition overall.
This news made everyone in Naples breathe a collective sigh of relief.
Gao Shen, in particular, had been extremely worried, making daily phone calls to check on the situation.
Now that the players had returned safely and on time, he could finally relax.
To ensure the national team players got proper rest, Gao Shen rotated his squad for Napoli's away match against Sampdoria over the weekend. Specifically, he gave all the South American internationals a break, leaving them behind in Naples.
Not only that, but Gao Shen also granted them an additional day off to allow for adequate recovery.
---
On April 5, in the 30th round of Serie A, Napoli faced Sampdoria in an away game.
Mazzarri's team maintained their usual style, lining up in a 3-5-2 formation against Napoli.
Gao Shen fielded an almost entirely substitute lineup, which resulted in Napoli being quite passive at the start of the match.
In the 28th minute, Sampdoria capitalized on a free kick opportunity. Midfielder Palombo unleashed a long-range shot that pierced Napoli's defense, scoring the opening goal for the home team.
However, just before the end of the first half, Napoli earned a free kick of their own. Pelle managed to head the ball into the net, equalizing the score for the team.
But in the 63rd minute of the second half, Sampdoria won another free kick in the attacking third. This time, Palombo delivered a direct free kick that once again found the back of Napoli's net, putting the home side ahead.
Sampdoria maintained their lead all the way into stoppage time, but then Hamsik provided an assist to Mertens, who came on as a substitute. Mertens controlled the ball, turned, and delivered a low shot that leveled the score for Napoli.
The match ended in a 2-2 draw.
---
While Napoli drew 2-2 against Sampdoria away from home, Inter Milan secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Udinese, courtesy of an own goal from the opposition.
Mourinho's team, also impacted by the national team schedule, seemed to enjoy better luck at a crucial moment.
This own goal earned Inter Milan three valuable points.
As a result, after this round of matches, Napoli's lead in the league was reduced from five points to just three.
For a moment, Mourinho's confidence was reignited.
At the post-match press conference, upon hearing about Napoli's draw with Sampdoria, Mourinho once again applied pressure, claiming that his predictions had been correct: Napoli would not be able to handle competing on multiple fronts and would eventually collapse.
"The closer we get to the end of the season, the more precarious Napoli's situation becomes!"
Mourinho even suggested that Gao Shen should choose to give up one or even two competitions.
"Napoli is now fighting on three fronts. We all know how challenging and stressful this is."
He added that head coaches are often forced to make difficult choices, even if they are reluctant to do so.
"As adults, we can't have everything."
"That's greed. It's a disease, and it needs to be treated."
Mourinho's remarks sparked a major reaction in Italy. Even in Naples, many media outlets and fans began to debate whether the team should make a strategic choice.
With Napoli's league lead reduced from seven points to just three, the situation seemed precarious.
The difference between Napoli and Inter Milan was now just one game. If Inter caught up, Napoli's position would indeed become dangerous.
As Mourinho pointed out, if Napoli continued to compete on three fronts but ended up with nothing, it would truly be a disaster.
Even within Napoli itself, similar discussions began to emerge.
Seeing these doubts creep into the team, Gao Shen acted swiftly. He accepted an interview with a local media outlet in Naples.
In the interview, Gao Shen openly acknowledged the team's current challenges. He admitted that competing on three fronts was putting tremendous pressure on the team, but he did not view this as a negative.
"Pressure can help our players grow and improve. Over the past three years, we've been thriving under pressure. Back in Serie B, we dared to go toe-to-toe with the giants of Serie A."
Gao Shen emphasized that Naples' tradition was to never compromise or give up!
"I want to make one thing clear: in our Neapolitan dictionary, the word 'give up' does not exist."
He continued, "The positive situation we are in now is the result of our hard work over the past season. At this critical juncture, I would rather fight until the end and risk losing everything than compromise now just to secure a league title."
Gao Shen also appealed to the fans, emphasizing that he and his team had experience managing similar situations.
"When I was coaching Real Madrid, I faced a similar challenge of competing on two fronts. Many people, including some within the club, advised me to focus on one competition and abandon the other. But I didn't follow their advice."
"I told my players back then that they should push themselves harder, test their limits, and discover their true potential. That's the only way to achieve the impossible."
"In the end, we won the double!"
Gao Shen expressed a similar sentiment to Napoli now.
---
The day after the interview, after the players had read Gao Shen's statements in the media, he held an internal team meeting to unify everyone's mindset.
He firmly declared that Napoli would not give up on any of the three competitions.
"I'll tell you right now: there's no way out for us."
"It's either we give it our all on all three fronts and fight until the final moment, or we give up early. But if we give up, the consequences will be dire. Inter Milan will overtake us in the league, Arsenal will eliminate us, and we might end up empty-handed!"
Gao Shen wanted every player to align with the same belief: Napoli must persevere until the very end!
"I know the pressure is immense, and it's not easy for anyone. But I firmly believe that as long as we stand together and grit our teeth, we can overcome this. I believe in you!"
"If we succeed, you'll become the heroes of this city!"
---
While Napoli was mired in the challenges of competing on three fronts, Arsenal's situation was slightly better. At least in the Premier League, the Gunners were not under the same level of pressure as Napoli was in Serie A.
Currently, Arsenal was fourth in the Premier League, three points ahead of fifth-placed Aston Villa.
However, in the 31st round of the Premier League, Aston Villa faced Manchester United at Old Trafford, a match that seemed destined for failure.
Manchester United, locked in a title race with Liverpool, had no intention of giving Aston Villa any chance to pull off an upset at Old Trafford.
As expected, Manchester United secured a narrow 3-2 victory over Aston Villa.
This result eased the pressure on Arsenal, whose fourth-place standing now appeared more secure.
In their home game against Manchester City, the Gunners comfortably defeated Mark Hughes' team 2-0.
Incidentally, after 31 rounds, Mark Hughes' Manchester City remained in tenth place in the Premier League, making their heavy investments last summer and during the winter transfer window look rather embarrassing.
While Manchester City's spending wasn't questioned, it was widely acknowledged that Mark Hughes lacked the ability to lead an ambitious team like City. Replacing him had become a near-universal consensus.
For Arsenal, their win extended their lead over fifth place to six points.
With seven matches remaining in the Premier League, this advantage seemed sufficient to secure a top-four finish.
---
Although the Gunners won easily, Napoli's 2-2 draw against Sampdoria, despite being played with a rotated lineup, left some disappointment.
More and more media outlets began voicing concerns about Napoli's upcoming trip to London to face Arsenal.
After defeating Manchester City, Wenger responded to Gao Shen's earlier comments.
Gao Shen had mentioned his experience defeating Arsenal, which had generated widespread optimism in his favor. Gao Shen declared that he would prove himself again.
"I don't know where he gets his confidence," Wenger said, "but I'm glad he has such ambition. Still, he won't get the chance because we've never lost a Champions League game at the Emirates Stadium."
Wenger was clearly proud of this record.
A strong home record was undoubtedly a hallmark of a powerful team.
Meanwhile, in Italy, Gao Shen remained low-key as he led his team through two days of intense training. On the afternoon before the match, during a pre-match press conference to announce Napoli's 18-man roster, Gao Shen responded to Wenger's remarks.
"I don't deny that the Emirates Stadium is a difficult fortress to conquer, but I don't think Arsenal is as strong as they claim to be."
"On the contrary, this is a team that lacks ambition."
"Look at their position in the Premier League. They're in fourth place."
"If I were fourth, I would feel ashamed. They're six points behind third-placed Chelsea and 13 points behind league leaders Manchester United."
"But instead of looking up, they're looking down and saying, 'Oh, I'm six points ahead of fifth place. I'm fourth. Let's have a drink and celebrate.'"
Shaking his head, Gao Shen concluded, "That's not my style!"
It was clear Gao Shen was engaging in psychological warfare.
It was widely known that Arsenal had lacked ambition in recent years.
After selling Henry, they were now preparing to sell Fabregas.
The Spanish midfielder was determined to return to Barcelona. While rumors linked him to Real Madrid, Gao Shen knew Fabregas had no interest in joining Los Blancos.
Gao Shen's comments were deliberately aimed at Arsenal's soft spots, laying the groundwork for the battle at the Emirates Stadium.
That evening, after the press conference, Gao Shen led the team on a chartered flight from Naples to London.