Chapter 502: I Want the Treble
Napoli returned to Naples from Manchester on an overnight flight.
This has been their usual schedule for away matches in the Champions League.
After the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals, the team will face Lecce away in the 35th round of Serie A over the weekend.
Although Napoli has essentially secured the league title ahead of time, there are still four matches left, and they cannot afford to be careless.
After completing matchday 35, they will head to the Stadio Olimpico in Rome for the Coppa Italia final in midweek, where they will face Sampdoria. This match is just as crucial for Napoli.
Right now, the team is in excellent form, but at the same time, every match is of utmost importance.
No one understands better than Gao Shen that "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." The more decisive the moment, the more stability is required.
So, at the regular coaches' meeting the next morning, Gao Shen instructed all members of the coaching staff to stay sharp, remain more focused and committed than ever, and to pay close attention to the players' emotions, guarding against arrogance and complacency.
He emphasized that team discipline must be enforced more strictly than ever and that everyone must take it seriously.
The night before, after the match against Manchester United, Gao Shen spoke with Marino on the way back to Naples. The club would do everything possible to support the team's preparations over the next three weeks.
Gao Shen also declared that, starting today, the team would begin implementing its preparation plan for the Champions League final.
Buenaventura and Pintus needed to devise a physical training regimen as soon as possible. Borrell was tasked with arranging targeted tactical drills to counter Barcelona's possession-based style of play. Everyone else had their own specific responsibilities.
Gao Shen then outlined his requirements for daily training.
"Ball-possession drills and shadow play are extremely important and must be incorporated into training every day," Gao Shen stated firmly.
The purpose of possession drills is to ensure that the team can maintain quick passing and movement under Barcelona's intense pressing, preventing unforced errors or wayward passes caused by opponent pressure.
Manchester United and Chelsea had both suffered from this issue before.
Sometimes, Napoli didn't even need to press their opponents; they simply lost possession on their own.
At the core, it came down to technical deficiencies in passing and receiving, along with a lack of synergy and understanding between teammates.
Meanwhile, shadow play focused on collective pressing, an integral part of the tactics Gao Shen planned to use against Barcelona.
Every team has its own DNA, its own unique playing style.
Napoli has never been a team that sits back and defends passively. Whether considering their squad's age or experience, Gao Shen knew that an ultra-defensive approach in the final against Barcelona was not a viable option.
Beyond the risk of mistakes under pressure, the real concern was whether the players could even adapt to such a passive game plan.
On the contrary, Napoli's strengths lie in physicality, movement, and sharp passing. Gao Shen firmly believed they could take the fight to Barcelona in a direct battle.
Yes, Barcelona is a dominant force, stacked with world-class stars. But they are not invincible. Napoli had a chance, the key was in how they set up and executed their game plan.
Gao Shen laid out his tactical blueprint, and the entire coaching staff understood his intentions.
This was his decision, one he hadn't even consulted others about.
Yet, surprisingly, even Carlo had no objections this time.
After all, none of them had more experience than Gao Shen when it came to preparing for a Champions League final. Furthermore, Gao Shen was extremely familiar with Guardiola, something no one else on the staff could claim.
Under these circumstances, following Gao Shen's lead was the best course of action.
Besides, the first leg against Manchester United had already proven that Napoli was ill-suited to a conservative approach.
This was a young team, led by a young coach, made up of young players. Their football should reflect that energy and ambition.
"Everyone!"
After finishing his instructions, Gao Shen looked at his coaching staff and delivered a final motivational speech.
"By now, I believe everyone understands the situation we're facing. First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude. Over the past three years, each of you has worked tirelessly and played a vital role in the team's success."
A surge of emotion filled the room.
Napoli's achievements weren't just the club's, they were also personal milestones in each of their coaching careers.
"For three years, we have given everything. We've fought and prepared for this moment. And now, we finally stand on the verge of something unprecedented, something extraordinary. Like all of you, I am excited and full of expectation."
"But precisely because of this, we must be even more cautious. We must remain focused, take each step methodically, and execute every training session and match to the highest standard. We have to approach every upcoming challenge with the best mindset possible."
"I believe that, in the end, we will achieve a result that satisfies everyone!"
Gao Shen didn't explicitly say what that result was.
But everyone knew.
The Serie A title was all but secured. The Coppa Italia final against Sampdoria was well within their grasp.
The biggest challenge remaining was the Champions League final.
Gao Shen wanted the treble!
To achieve the treble, Napoli had to beat Barcelona in the final.
They had to defeat that legendary, era-defining team, the greatest team in history from Gao Shen's past life!
---
Meanwhile, in Manchester...
While Gao Shen was rallying his team at Castel Volturno, Sir Alex Ferguson had also arrived at Manchester United's Carrington training base.
Even after a loss, training had to continue.
Manchester United had a scheduled morning session, albeit later than Napoli's.
As usual, Ferguson arrived at Carrington early.
He made himself a cup of coffee, sat in his office, and flipped through the morning newspapers.
The more he read, the worse his mood became.
Across England, nearly every newspaper was criticizing his tactical setup while lavishing praise on Gao Shen and Napoli.
Ferguson felt frustrated.
Damn it! These journalists talk as if their hindsight analysis could have won us the match!
Did they think I didn't know Ronaldo dislikes playing as a center forward?
Did they think I wasn't aware that our midfield trio lacked passing creativity?
The problem was—what other lineup could Manchester United have used?
Play Ronaldo as a right winger instead?
Ronaldo played the ball out to the right, where Di María faced O'Shea one-on-one.
Play on the left instead?
Come on, Evra would have suffered an even worse fate than O'Shea!
So, what was the solution?
Should the midfield step up to block the attack? But isn't that exactly how I would have set up?
Rooney and Park Ji-sung both worked tirelessly to track back and defend, yet the match still ended the way it did.
If Berbatov and Ronaldo played together up front, how would Manchester United set up?
Would they just park the bus and defend with everything they had?
That's not in Manchester United's DNA!
The Red Devils have never been a team that plays ultra-defensively, no matter who their opponent is!
Even in a crushing defeat, Manchester United would never simply sit back and defend!
---
Ferguson was flipping through the newspaper, growing increasingly irritated. Then, suddenly, he came across an article that caught his attention.
"The Gifted Young Coach Presents Ferguson with Top-Tier Wine!"
It was a gossip piece from The Sun.
The article claimed: "As everyone knows, Ferguson is a renowned wine enthusiast with an extensive collection in his personal cellar."
"His wine collection helps him relieve the pressures of competition and brings balance to his life. He also has a habit of drinking a glass of wine every night before bed to help him sleep."
The British media had covered Ferguson's love of wine many times. Over the years, he had attended several wine auctions, acquiring fine wines from Bordeaux's top vineyards his personal favorites.
According to The Sun, during this trip to Old Trafford, Gao Shen, as Ferguson's self-proclaimed biggest fan, had specially arranged for someone to procure two cases of premium wine from Chile's finest winery. Each bottle was said to be worth a significant sum.
"Ferguson was so enamored with the Chilean wine that he placed two cases in his personal collection, alongside world-famous labels like Lafite and Pétrus."
---
When Ferguson read this, he couldn't take it anymore.
Wasn't this a complete fabrication?
Damn it, were The Sun reporters writing news or fiction?
The article was quite lengthy, but the actual facts were barely there.
Yes, Gao Shen had given him two cases of Chilean wine.
Yes, he had accepted them.
Yes, he loved drinking wine and had a personal cellar.
But when had he ever said he placed those two cases alongside Lafite and Pétrus?
That was pure nonsense!
He had tried the wine, it was decent, but nothing extraordinary.
The reporter from The Sun was clearly an expert at sensationalism. They had even managed to get hold of photos showing the wine being delivered to his office. Ferguson didn't need to think hard to figure out how, the leak most likely came from within Manchester United.
In reality, he didn't mind the photos being published. What irritated him was how The Sun had twisted the story beyond recognition.
The reporter wasn't particularly skilled at writing serious articles, and their football analysis was even worse. But when it came to riding a trending topic and spinning a narrative, they were top-tier.
No wonder they had never been taken seriously in the football world.
Ferguson decided not to dwell on it.
If he responded to tabloid gossip, it would only give them more attention and clicks. He had no interest in that.
Besides, Manchester United was still in the middle of a tense Premier League title race. He had much bigger concerns.
---
After The Sun published the report, major Chinese websites quickly picked it up and reposted it.
In a matter of hours, photos of Ferguson, Gao Shen, and the gifted wine were plastered all over news sites, prominently displayed in headlines. The reports were nearly identical, just slight rewordings of The Sun's original article.
Soon after, Chinese newspapers also included the story in their coverage of the second leg of the Champions League semi-final.
In an astonishingly short time, the news spread across the country.
From the internet to physical retail stores, more and more people started paying attention to this Chilean wine brand, one that had previously flown under the radar.
After all, Ferguson was an established connoisseur of fine wine.
If he had chosen to collect this wine and store it alongside world-renowned treasures like Pétrus and Lafite, then surely—this must be an exceptional wine.
Had it been relatively unknown before?
That only made it a hidden gem something truly rare and exclusive!
In fact, that made it even more desirable!
If a product is too well-known and widely available, no matter how prestigious the brand, it loses its mystique.
But a rare find, known only to the discerning few? That was something truly special.
Before long, this Chilean wine brand was taking China by storm.