In the chairman's office at the Santiago Bernabéu, while the clash at Camp Nou was in full swing, Florentino, Zidane, Valdano, Butragueño, Redondo, and others sat together on the sofa, watching the match broadcast live on TV.
When Gareth Bale scored the second goal, Valdano couldn't help but exclaim with heartfelt admiration.
Butragueño nodded. "When he left Real Madrid, his coaching was still raw. But now, look at him—his composure, his tactical deploynt. If we talk about current coaching level, I'm afraid he's surpassed all of us."
Valdano and Zidane both nodded in agreent.
In fact, Butragueño's words weren't just polite flattery.
There was no guessing needed.
FIFA and UEFA had already made it abundantly clear—Gao Shen is the best head coach in the world, beyond any doubt.
How good is he?
In January of this year, during Manchester City's grueling fixture schedule, Gao Shen devoted himself entirely to team preparations and match managent. He didn't even have ti to go to Zurich to receive the award. When FIFA requested a recorded video for the ceremony, he declined, saying he had no ti.
And the result?
FIFA still happily gave him the Best n's Football Coach of the Year award.
At the award ceremony, Butragueño joked that he was rely accepting the award on Gao Shen's behalf and that he would personally deliver it to Manchester later.
Who else but Gao Shen could command that kind of respect?
After all, how could this award not go to him?
His achievents and ability were right there for all to see. Not awarding him would only damage the credibility of the honor itself.
"Barcelona's strength has declined," Zidane comnted sharply.
Valdano and Butragueño nodded.
It was evident from the two goals Manchester City had scored.
Moreover, Barcelona's possession and control couldn't break through City's defense, and their own defense faltered twice.
"So, does that an we have a chance?" Real Madrid director Manuel Redondo asked, clearly optimistic.
Zidane and the others exchanged glances, then smiled bitterly.
"Even with their decline, Barcelona remains one of the strongest teams in world football," Butragueño said. "In terms of pure strength, they're still elite."
"Exactly. What's crucial is the tactical precision and squad managent that Gao Shen has shown," Valdano agreed.
If it were just about strength, it would still be difficult to say who's better—City or Barcelona.
But add one more factor, and the equation changes.
"We need to have hope, but also stay realistic. From the current standpoint, it won't be easy to surpass Barcelona's level anyti soon, especially under our salary constraints," Valdano reminded.
One key reason Manchester City could build such a team so quickly was due to Mansour's nearly limitless investnt, particularly in the squad's wage structure.
In the three years since Gao Shen took over, his salary had increased every year. Manchester City now ranked among the highest-paying clubs in Europe.
If this trend continues, to maintain the current lineup configuration, they'll eventually have to offload players to stay ahead of Barcelona and Real Madrid.
But for Real Madrid, that's simply not possible.
"In any case, maintaining our wage structure is non-negotiable. I believe Gao Shen understands this," Florentino said firmly.
This was the bottom line of how he managed Real Madrid.
No matter who you are, the rules apply.
Many have forgotten why Florentino originally ca to power.
Back in 2000, it wasn't even supposed to be an election year for the Real Madrid presidency.
But then-president Sanz, having won the Champions League in 1998 and 2000, beca overconfident. He decided to hold early elections, convinced he couldn't lose. Who could challenge him?
Logically, he was right.
From the start of the campaign, Sanz was the overwhelming favorite.
Almost everyone believed Florentino beat him with the so-called "superstar strategy"—because of Figo.
But that was a massive misconception.
Do people really think Real Madrid's mbers and fans are fools?
Superstars?
Everyone wants them.
Sanz wanted one. The other candidates wanted them too.
For Real Madrid, superstars are practically standard.
The only difference? Figo ca from arch-rivals Barcelona.
Besides, who seriously believed at the ti that Figo would join Real Madrid?
So what was the real issue?
Debt.
No one took the ti to understand that behind those two Champions League trophies was a mountain of debt.
Even after winning in 2000, people were already asking: Would Real Madrid beco the first reigning European champions to go bankrupt or be disqualified by UEFA?
At the ti, Real Madrid had debts of over €300-400 million—an extrely serious situation.
Sotis, Florentino felt that fans acted like gods, floating in the clouds, surviving on air, detached from real-world concerns.
But the club's mbers, especially the board, were grounded in reality. They had to think about survival, about resolving that debt.
Just like Laporta's Dream Team II and III—they were brilliant. But so what?
Burdened by debt, he still lost to Rosell, who promised to reduce debt and cut spending.
Many say Rosell was just following Florentino's path.
To Florentino, that was a joke.
He wasn't boasting. He simply never took Rosell seriously.
So people claid Real Madrid avoided bankruptcy through governnt subsidies. Another lie.
The debt was solved by selling the old training complex.
That would be like Florentino today agreeing to demolish the Santiago Bernabéu to clear debts.
Would the Madrid city council want that?
Of course. The Bernabéu's location is pri real estate.
Back then, the old Ciudad Deportiva occupied a large and valuable piece of land. After it was sold, the team moved to Valdebebas near the airport. The city paid hefty compensation, which helped Real Madrid solve its debt crisis. The governnt then developed the land into a comrcial zone with four towers, now one of Madrid's most prosperous districts.
It was a win-win deal.
But just because others forget, doesn't an Florentino does.
He always rembered how he beca president.
Whether it was the first or second Galácticos era, he always adhered to a strict wage structure.
That was the foundation of his managent, both for business and football.
The wage structure is like an iron ring, binding Real Madrid tightly.
All signings and restructures must consider it.
Also, unlike Mansour, Real Madrid can't give the head coach unlimited transfer funds.
From that angle, expecting Real Madrid to build a squad comparable to Barcelona in a short ti is simply unrealistic.
What Real Madrid needs is hope.
Hope that they can compete with and even defeat Barcelona.
But right now, no one sees that hope in Mourinho.
Only Gao Shen can offer that.
Only Gao Shen.
…
The first half ended 2-0.
The ho side trailed by two.
After Gareth Bale's goal, Barcelona played more cautiously and focused on stability.
Manchester City didn't take risks either. They kept things steady and solid, showing the composure of an elite team.
So while both sides kept attacking and defending, neither managed to score again.
At halfti, Gao Shen first singled out Yaya Touré for praise.
In fact, when Barcelona was drawn, Gao Shen had already predicted that Touré would be eager for this match.
The Ivorian was determined to avenge his past and prove his worth—to make Barcelona regret letting him go.
Gao Shen deliberately kept quiet, waiting for him to step up.
Later, he teased him a bit in private, which ended up firing Touré up for the match.
Tonight, Yaya Touré was simply a world-class midfielder in every sense.
Excellent in defense, impactful in attack, and equally capable on both ends. He contributed everywhere. And most importantly, he had superb technique.
With the right usage, he could be the midfield's backbone.
Gao Shen had ntioned this to Sarri before, and he was sure Sarri was watching the match tonight.
At Leeds United, Paul Pogba and Kondogbia are similar midfielders. If managed well, they could provide a huge boost.
Of course, Manchester City did have issues in the first half. So counterattacks lacked decisiveness and were overly complicated.
In Gao Shen's words, they needed to be more direct and ruthless, to hit with maximum impact.
Additionally, the Touré-Rakitić pairing made City's midfield solid, forceful, and dominant. But the finesse, the dribbling, and rhythm control were missing.
There's no perfect solution.
Putting David Silva on would help in that regard, but it would weaken the team in other areas.
There's no such thing as a perfect team.
"The start of the second half will be the sa."
"Barcelona will want to take control again, and we'll launch another attack."
But Gao Shen also noted that Barcelona would definitely be prepared this ti. They wouldn't allow City to strike like they did early on.
"But it's fine. If we can't score, we'll pull back. Keep defending and countering."
"We scored two away goals in the first half, so now Barcelona has to push forward. That's our chance!"
To concede two goals at Camp Nou is unacceptable to anyone, especially Barça fans.
This scoreline practically spells doom for them.
Guardiola would have no choice but to press forward and attack.
What Manchester City needs to do is hold their shape, let Barcelona co at them, and wait to counter.
That's the benefit of taking control of the match early.
(To be continued.)
***
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