The 0-5 defeat to Manchester City away from ho left Real Madrid's guests departing the Bernabéu in disappointnt.
None of them were satisfied with the process or the result of the match.
Even at the stadium, so voices called for Mourinho to be dismissed and for Gao Shen to be brought back. This proposal received considerable support and response.
Gao Shen's na held extraordinary influence not just among ordinary Real Madrid fans, but also among VIP supporters and prominent figures. Many of them were even fans of his personally.
Di Stéfano even claid that only Gao Shen could save Real Madrid.
As president, Florentino didn't appreciate such remarks. He had always believed that if Real Madrid needed a savior, it could only be himself, not Gao Shen.
He aspired to be a legendary Real Madrid president like Santiago Bernabéu and Ramón ndoza.
When had Bernabéu or ndoza ever been considered inferior to a head coach?
That was not Real Madrid's tradition.
But it was also a fact that Real Madrid had suffered a humiliating defeat.
So what should be done?
That beca the problem Florentino now faced.
…
When Zidane and Valdano arrived at the Bernabéu, Florentino, Redondo, Butragueño, Pardeza, and others were already gathered in the president's office, discussing the match that had just ended.
As soon as the two sat down, they imdiately began sharing what they had seen and heard in Manchester. They also analyzed the flow of the match. Having watched it live in person, their perspective was clearer and more comprehensive than what could be seen on television.
"In fact, the live broadcast didn't fully reflect Manchester City's dominance. Watching in person, it was even more obvious. We created very few real chances and were completely passive throughout," Zidane said, clearly disappointed by Real Madrid's poor performance.
"If we look at one of the most intuitive stats—distance covered—I haven't received the exact data yet, but it's clear that Manchester City's players ran an astonishing amount. At least ten kiloters more. We were far behind."
"Distance covered isn't shown in the broadcast, so people won't notice it. But watching live, it's clear Manchester City were able to complete so many passes and maintain a high pass success rate because they ran. And they ran really well."
Valdano agreed completely with Zidane's analysis.
They had already discussed the match during their flight back to Madrid.
"Since he started coaching Real Madrid, Gao Shen has always emphasized fitness and off-the-ball movent. That was even more the case after he arrived in Naples. He has two world-renowned fitness coaches, Buenaventura and Pintus. The teams Gao Shen coaches are famous for their running ability."
Valdano believed Manchester City's running ability was far superior to Real Madrid's.
The biggest problem in the first half had been Özil, who was virtually invisible.
Along with Ronaldo and Adebayor, four of the attacking players in the final third—except Di María, who tracked back actively—the rest barely participated defensively, leaving Real Madrid with at least one fewer player running than the opponent.
That was the equivalent of playing with a red card.
"This reflects a fundantal difference in team-building philosophy," Valdano said helplessly.
It was simply unrealistic to expect Mourinho to play like Gao Shen. That would be asking the impossible.
Not only would the proud Mourinho never accept it, but even if he did, he wouldn't be able to implent it.
Because it wasn't his style at all.
"Is it possible…" Florentino hesitated and looked at Zidane and Valdano, "I an, hypothetically, is there a chance we could bring Gao Shen back?"
Both Zidane and Valdano were stunned. They looked at each other and saw the concern in each other's eyes.
They had anticipated this.
"Impossible!" they both said in unison.
This surprised Florentino and the others.
"Why not?"
Valdano and Zidane exchanged a look, and the Frenchman took the lead in answering.
"I know Gao Shen very well. Right now, he is fully focused on winning the Champions League for the third ti. We all know how much this ans to him. I believe he joined Manchester City with that goal in mind."
"Now, after polishing this team for a year, I think he's ready to chase results. No one can convince him to leave Manchester City now. I don't think he would accept our invitation."
Florentino fell silent. He felt Zidane was right.
Which made him even more frustrated.
Because he had had the chance to hire Gao Shen this past sumr, but he didn't.
Now it was too late to regret it.
"I've also heard that not only is Gao Shen receiving the highest salary in world football at Manchester City, but more importantly, he also has generous bonuses. He is both the technical director and head coach. A true football manager. If he wins the Champions League this season, he'll earn a 10 million euro bonus."
"Ten million?"
"Yes, after tax."
Everyone in the room gasped.
How wealthy did a club have to be to offer that?
"Just for the Champions League?" Butragueño asked.
Valdano nodded. "Winning the Premier League also brings a huge bonus. There are others as well."
At that point, Valdano sighed helplessly. "Honestly, it's hard to lure Gao Shen back just with financial incentives."
Everyone turned to look at Florentino, whose face had grown grim.
Now, everything Real Madrid could offer, Manchester City could offer as well. But what Manchester City could offer, Real Madrid might not be able to.
The only remaining advantage was Real Madrid's platform, history, and personal connections.
Florentino was filled with regret.
He had once ignored Gao Shen, and now the man was beyond his reach.
That was exactly how Florentino felt in this mont.
But there was no dicine for regret in this world.
…
Gao Shen slapped Real Madrid hard.
This was the headline published by Spanish newspaper Marca after the battle at the Etihad.
The article was written by veteran journalist José Ánaut, who praised Manchester City's refined squad and performance. He described the match as an elegant display by City, dancing past a hapless Real Madrid.
"Manchester City fans enjoyed a fantastic ga, while Real Madrid never even threatened City's goal."
"Gao Shen dismantled the Galácticos with his own hands, and Real Madrid suffered a complete collapse."
Ánaut said he had personally witnessed many legendary teams, such as Sacchi's AC Milan, the Five Eagles era of Real Madrid, Cruyff's Dream Team, and the Galácticos led by stars like Zidane, Figo, and Ronaldo.
"But Gao Shen has always been different."
Ánaut noted that Gao Shen's legendary journey began when he led the Galácticos to a league and cup double. His grassroots rise with Napoli captured everyone's attention, and now at Manchester City, he had showcased a form of money-powered football that stunned the world.
"Under Manchester City's overwhelming high press, Real Madrid completely lost their bearings."
"Mourinho's team couldn't keep up with City's tempo and could only defend passively. But Manchester City's surgical passing repeatedly exposed gaps in Real Madrid's backline and posed a constant threat to Casillas' goal."
Alfredo, editor-in-chief of AS, Real Madrid's unofficial mouthpiece, also wrote an article after the match, declaring that Gao Shen had utterly humiliated Real Madrid.
Alfredo argued that in the past two sumrs, Real Madrid had spent over 400 million euros bringing in superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Di María. On paper, their strength looked impressive. But when facing a strong team, the truth was clear.
"At the Etihad, Manchester City only scored five. That was Real Madrid's luck. In reality, the Blue Moon could have scored more. Gao Shen simply showed rcy."
Alfredo urged Real Madrid to take serious lessons from the loss.
"In a team, the head coach is like a chef, and the players are his ingredients."
"The sa ingredients, when handled by different chefs, can produce vastly different results."
"It's clear that Gao Shen has once again demonstrated his elite 'cooking' ability. He is the chef Real Madrid needs most, the one who best fits the club's requirents."
Alfredo openly called for Real Madrid to bring Gao Shen back.
Compared to the disappointnt and helplessness shown by Madrid-based dia, Gazzetta dello Sport seed more amused.
As an Italian outlet, Gazzetta dello Sport said that the powerful Manchester City stunned Real Madrid at ho, throwing the group of death into chaos and creating an eerie atmosphere.
"Who would have thought that Real Madrid, one of the favorites for the title, would lose 0-5 in their opening match?"
The paper suggested that Manchester City's win had handed Inter Milan a big opportunity, since their primary group rival had suffered such a blow. Now Inter could push for first place.
"Based on the current situation, Real Madrid may not be able to beat Manchester City and could finish third in the group."
As for Schalke 04, Gazzetta dello Sport didn't take them seriously and expected Inter to easily beat the Bundesliga side at ho.
But no one expected what happened next: just one day later, Inter Milan were held to a 0-0 draw by Schalke at ho.
And it wasn't a hard-fought draw.
Throughout the ga, Schalke 04 played better than Inter. Led by Raúl and Huntelaar, Schalke ca close to scoring multiple tis.
In the end, Schalke 04 had every reason to feel disappointed, as they ca away with only a draw.
dia and fans across Europe and beyond were stunned by the results.
Real Madrid lost 0-5 to Manchester City away. Inter drew 0-0 at ho against Schalke 04.
Oh my god, is this group of death really this deadly?
Are we witnessing an upset from the very first round?
Why does it look like Real Madrid and Inter Milan are both in serious trouble in the group stage?
(To be continued.)
***
For every 200 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support on patreon to read 30 advanced chapters: patreon/Blownleaves.
Reviews
All reviews (0)