SWR: Chapter 1063/1064

Chapter 1063: Barcelona, Keep It Up

After the physical examination on the first day of training, Ronaldo took the initiative to find Gao Shen and told him about his contract renewal with Real Madrid.

"I have decided to renew my contract!" Ronaldo said directly.

Gao Shen was slightly surprised but quickly smiled and said he was very happy to hear the news.

Ronaldo did not disclose the specific details of the negotiations, but judging from earlier talks between both parties, Real Madrid had not made concessions on image rights. However, they offered him an annual salary of 17 million euros.

Ronaldo achieved his goal of securing a higher salary than Messi and others, but he compromised on image rights.

Both sides took a step back, and everyone was satisfied.

The renewal process, which had dragged on for a year and a half, finally came to an end.

At noon, Gao Shen also received a call from Valdano, who confirmed that he had been informed by Ronaldo's agent Mendes that the two parties were about to begin negotiating the details of the contract renewal.

With the general framework settled, the next step was to work out the specific terms.

This summer, Ronaldo had been linked with Manchester United, Monaco, and Paris Saint-Germain. Many media outlets even reported that PSG were willing to spend a staggering 150 million euros to sign the Portuguese star.

There is no smoke without fire. PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi made no secret of his admiration for Ronaldo.

In an interview with L'Equipe, Nasser said that Ronaldo was the best player in world football today.

"I know he still has more than two years left on his contract with Real Madrid. I have a very good relationship with Florentino Perez, the president of Real Madrid. If I want to sign Ronaldo, I will call Florentino Perez directly."

Not only Ronaldo, but PSG's wealthy chairman also publicly accused Barcelona of attempting to lure away their central defender Thiago Silva, calling it immoral.

Previously, Catalan media revealed that Barcelona were willing to pay Silva's release clause.

Nasser responded in a threatening tone: "If Barcelona trigger Thiago Silva's release clause, then we will directly pay Messi's release clause and sign Messi."

Catalonia laughed at the claim, since Messi had just renewed his contract with Barcelona in February. His release clause was 250 million euros, and nobody would be crazy enough to pay such a price.

In Madrid, Gao Shen felt even more amused when he saw many Catalan media mocking PSG's wealthy backers.

Barcelona, just keep doing this!

Perhaps one day, the Paris tycoons might really be provoked into madness, and a shocking transfer could happen sooner than expected.

…

With Ronaldo's renewal, rumors of him leaving Real Madrid completely vanished.

On the day of his renewal, the Portuguese star even said in an interview that he liked Gao Shen's coaching.

"He always makes me feel like I am an important part of his grand plan and a part of this great club, Real Madrid, and that's why I chose to stay."

Ronaldo declared that Real Madrid would definitely succeed.

Once the training camp started, AS revealed that Ronaldo was training for 10 hours a day, working harder than anyone else in the squad. He had remained disciplined during the summer break, keeping himself in excellent condition.

A reporter from AS tweeted: "Cristiano Ronaldo is charging towards the Ballon d'Or!"

The entire Real Madrid squad trained with great effort.

Buenaventura and Pintus learned from last season's experience and designed a more targeted and scientific training regimen for the team. The intensity was very high, but the players cooperated well and worked hard.

Just as Real Madrid were focused on training at Valdebebas, big news broke in Barcelona.

Vilanova announced his resignation.

The reason was the relapse of his illness.

Gao Shen and Real Madrid immediately sent their best wishes to Barcelona and Vilanova.

Barcelona quickly announced Vilanova's successor, Tata Martino.

According to Argentina's Ole newspaper, Martino's appointment as Barcelona's head coach was inseparable from Messi's strong recommendation.

"Barcelona's management hopes to mend the rift with Messi in this way."

The conflict between Barcelona and Messi centered on two main issues, one being Neymar's transfer.

Although the media and fans said little, there had long been rumors in football circles that Neymar's transfer fee was far higher than the 57 million euros Barcelona disclosed, and that his annual salary might even exceed Messi's.

But Barcelona consistently denied the rumors.

On the other hand, when Messi was investigated for tax problems, Barcelona did not provide enough support, which caused the Argentine's dissatisfaction.

Hiring Martino was also a move to win Messi back.

Meanwhile, La Liga announced that the scheduling of matches this season would be further adjusted.

In order to cater to Asian fans, Real Madrid had always hoped to arrange some matches at 12 noon. Barcelona, however, were very reluctant.

This season, La Liga considered holding its iconic match, El Clásico, at 12 noon.

This would undoubtedly be a landmark decision.

Of course, whether it happens depends on Barcelona's attitude. Real Madrid had already agreed.

It was also worth noting that Barcelona's training camp started a week later than Real Madrid's, only beginning on the 15th.

Many players who took part in the Confederations Cup would not return to the team until August.

Compared to Real Madrid's first day of training, when every player was present, Barcelona looked much lazier.

…

Real Madrid's brutal summer training camp in Madrid left Valdebebas filled with exhaustion and misery. But once the squad endured the devilish sessions, they began their friendlies.

Real Madrid's first warm-up match was against Bournemouth in a small English town.

This was a game with a huge gap in strength, and Gao Shen deployed a 3-4-3 formation.

The two goalkeepers each played a half. The key was Marcos Alonso and Nacho, whom Gao Shen was testing by pushing them to the two flanks of the midfield.

Casemiro dropped deeper, while Isco pushed forward, forming a large diamond in midfield.

The front three were Morata, Dzeko, and Jesé.

Gao Shen had already prepared himself mentally for chaos, and he could even accept a poor performance.

But surprisingly, just 9 minutes into the game, Isco threaded a through ball to assist Jesé, who scored.

Then Jesé returned the favor with a pass, and Dzeko finished.

The game quickly turned into a Real Madrid goal-fest, with goals pouring in.

By halftime, they were already leading 5-0.

In the second half, Real Madrid continued attacking fiercely, adding more goals.

Even Marcos Alonso got on the scoresheet.

In the end, Real Madrid defeated Bournemouth 9-0.

Gao Shen was left dumbfounded on the sidelines.

Come on, we came here to test formations and train, not to massacre the home team.

Do you still want to leave here alive?

But soon, Real Madrid proved that the first game was just an accident.

It wasn't that Real Madrid played too well, but that Bournemouth were far too weak.

After Bournemouth, Real Madrid traveled to France to face Lyon at the Gerland Stadium.

Gao Shen rotated again, sticking with the 3-4-3 he used in the previous match.

But against different opponents, the same tactics produced completely different results.

Real Madrid were beaten 2-0 by Lyon in the first half.

Gao Shen finally realized that this 3-4-3 diamond midfield was not workable.

In the second half, Real Madrid switched to a 3-5-2, which looked much better, but still failed to break through Lyon's defense.

From the 75th minute, Gao Shen made continuous substitutions and reverted to the familiar 4-3-3.

First, Jesé dribbled into the box on the left and was fouled, earning a penalty that Morata converted.

Then Morata broke into the box again, winning a corner. Casemiro rose to head the ball into the net, making it 2-2.

Before the final whistle, Real Madrid had one more chance. Vázquez broke down the right and crossed, Jesé struck at the far post, but his shot hit the post, missing a golden opportunity.

In the end, Real Madrid drew 2-2 with Lyon.

…

Three days later, at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Real Madrid faced Paris Saint-Germain.

PSG were no weak side, while Real Madrid continued with their experimental formations.

Not only the players, but also the media and fans were already used to Gao Shen's style of friendlies.

He had always treated warm-up matches casually.

PSG's strength was evident, especially after signing Jorginho. Their midfield organization and passing improved greatly, while Cavani and Ibrahimovic had also developed excellent chemistry after a season together.

In the first half, Kurzawa crossed from the left, and Cavani scored from close range.

Just a minute later, Real Madrid countered quickly, and Benzema equalized with a low shot.

But in the 39th minute, Ibrahimovic headed the ball down for Cavani, who scored again, making it 2-1.

Three minutes later, Marcos Alonso crossed from the left, and Ronaldo scored with a close-range header, bringing it to 2-2.

Both sides traded attacks, but Real Madrid's midfield trio of Illarramendi, Pogba, and Verratti did not hold much of an advantage against PSG's Jorginho, Pastore, and Matuidi.

In the second half, both Gao Shen and Ancelotti made substitutions, but neither side could score again.

The match ended 2-2, giving Real Madrid two consecutive draws in their warm-up matches.

After the game, Gao Shen was satisfied with the team's performances across the three matches, believing they had largely achieved his objectives.

Still, many were confused by his experimental lineups.

What was the meaning behind such extravagant tinkering every preseason?

Some tabloids even speculated that Gao Shen planned to abandon the 4-3-3. But Gao Shen gave no explanation.

After the PSG match, Real Madrid finished their European schedule with one win and two draws from three warm-ups and headed for the United States.

Their first stop was Phoenix on the west coast.

Real Madrid would face the Los Angeles Galaxy in the opening round of the International Champions Cup.

In the other match, Juventus from Serie A would face Leeds United from the Premier League, with the winners set to meet Real Madrid.

Like many others, Gao Shen was also looking forward to Pochettino's Leeds United.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1064: Total Defeat

August 1, at Phoenix University Stadium in Phoenix, on the west coast of the United States.

In the fourth match of the first round of the International Champions Cup, Real Madrid faced the Los Angeles Galaxy.

The opponent was not strong, so Gao Shen did not field all his main players, instead making large-scale rotations.

Just six minutes into the game, Vázquez crossed from the right, and new signing Dzeko headed in from the edge of the six-yard box to score his first goal for Real Madrid.

In the 15th minute, Isco sent a long pass. Dzeko laid it off first time across the box, and the unmarked Jesé finished calmly, 2-0.

Real Madrid then launched wave after wave of attacks on the Galaxy.

After the break, Gao Shen made further changes, bringing on Pogba, Verratti, and others.

In the 51st minute, Pogba dribbled in from the left channel and slipped a diagonal pass through. Morata finished low in the area to make it 3-0.

Then in the 63rd and 74th minutes, Real Madrid added two more through Casemiro and Jesé, changing the score to 5-0.

Real Madrid defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy 5-0.

This left Gao Shen dissatisfied with the team's performance when he spoke to the media after the match.

The reason was simple.

There was nothing sophisticated about this kind of warm-up match.

…

On August 3, Real Madrid moved from Phoenix to Los Angeles to face Premier League side Leeds United at Dodger Stadium.

This was a highly anticipated clash.

In their first game, Leeds United defeated Juventus 2-1 to advance.

Gao Shen also attached great importance to this match.

He had a clear understanding of Real Madrid's strength and could use this opportunity to test Leeds United.

Moreover, after reaching the semifinals, according to the contract between Real Madrid and the organizers, the team was required to field all its main players.

Therefore, Gao Shen started with his best 4-3-3. In the starting lineup, except for Xabi Alonso, who was injured and replaced by Casemiro, all the other regulars started.

Ten minutes in, Ramos launched a long pass to the left side of the area. Ronaldo burst in, controlled it on his chest, and volleyed home from the left of the penalty spot to open the scoring for Real Madrid.

Just four minutes later, Kroos played a direct pass. Ronaldo made another run in behind, rounded the onrushing goalkeeper Navas, and finished into an empty net to make it 2-0.

In the 17th minute, Real Madrid had another chance, this time from a Modric through ball. Ronaldo went a fraction early. He scored, but the referee signaled offside and the goal was ruled out.

In the 31st minute, Modric threaded another pass. Ronaldo squared from the left of the box, and Benzema tapped into the empty net to extend the lead to 3-0.

Leeds United did not produce a real threat until the end of the first half, when Vardy's shot struck the post.

At halftime, Gao Shen made six changes. Leeds United came under slightly less pressure and began to trade attacks with Real Madrid.

In the 62nd minute, Zaha broke through on the left and crossed. Harry Kane finished from close range to pull one back for Leeds United.

In the end, Real Madrid defeated Leeds United 3-1.

Anyone could see that this was a comprehensive defeat.

Even if Gao Shen had not eased off at halftime, Leeds United might have lost by a larger margin.

After the game, the media reaction was quite negative.

The main reason was that Leeds United's summer signings and adjustments had not been effective.

At least for now, the team's overall strength had not reached last season's level, and the new campaign looked precarious.

But Gao Shen had a different view.

…

The match kicked off at 5 pm. After the game, everyone returned to the hotel. Gao Shen took Carlo, Zidane, and others to have dinner there.

Fernando Lucas, Borrell, and others called as well.

They were staying in the same hotel, so everyone came over to eat together. Pochettino also arrived when he heard and they shared a table.

At dinner, the conversation naturally turned to the match that had just ended.

Zidane pointed out that Pochettino's tactics still had issues, and the coordination across the three lines was not smooth.

"In the first half hour, your entire midfield was in disarray. We picked you off accurately, one by one, and there was no protection. Three goals, plus the one that was disallowed, four in total, all came from direct passes played into the penalty area from outside."

Once might be an accident. Twice or three times means there is definitely a problem.

Another issue was that, in dealing with Ronaldo's positioning, the two centre-backs still did not coordinate well.

Pochettino agreed with Zidane and said he had been adjusting the midfield's setup and positioning.

This game was still very much a training exercise, but the effect was poor.

"My original idea was to play Coutinho as a number 10, with Zaha on the left, Harry Kane through the middle, and Salah on the right, forming an attacking square."

Pochettino had his reasons.

Coutinho is not quick and lacks explosiveness. If he is put on the wing, the problem becomes more obvious.

Last season, Pogba often operated in that area and the issue was not particularly prominent. This season, Pogba and Kondogbia are gone, Rabiot has just arrived, and Leeds United do not have that type of player in midfield.

"Coutinho is a really good player," Carlo agreed. "I noticed that once he gets the ball, he rarely loses it. He can play incisive passes and threaten the opponent, and he can shoot from range. But his physicality is a bit weak, which limits him."

"Yes," Pochettino continued, "If you put him on the wing and have him face defenders directly, he will be at a disadvantage."

Pochettino wanted Coutinho as a number 10 to be the creative hub, with Brozovic and Kanté as the double pivots. The results were not good.

"I think Coutinho should not push up too high. In the first half he was too close to Casemiro," Gao Shen said.

Casemiro is very strong in duels, and Coutinho cannot gain an edge there.

"And Kanté should be given more freedom to run and recover the ball. If he drops in, Brozovic can hold his position. He also has solid defensive skills."

Gao Shen asked Lucas, who was carrying a briefcase, for paper and pen, and began sketching on the table.

"Harry Kane has a complete skill set and a high scoring efficiency. He has height and strength. He can occupy the center and give both flanks a target. He is the focal point of your attack."

Leeds United now have many good wingers, such as Zaha, Salah, Mané, Felipe Anderson, and Sterling. They are all excellent wide players who can become explosive points on the flanks.

"The midfield must control the tempo and possession. This is where Coutinho excels. He is great on the ball and has strong passing ability. He should be responsible for supplying the ammunition. Kanté should win the ball, and Brozovic should organize and distribute. The three of them must work closely together to control the middle."

"Bertrand is very fast and has great thrust, and Trippier on the right has excellent crossing. Both flanks can provide strong support for the team."

"The most important thing now is to link the front, middle, and back to form a combined force."

Gao Shen felt that Pochettino was still a bit constrained.

Perhaps, when facing Real Madrid, he still wanted to perform better.

At the very least, he wanted to hold the line, but the result was a heavier defeat.

"I think you have to be clear that Leeds United's greatest strength lies in attacking, not in controlling the game, and certainly not in sitting back to defend."

In this warm-up match against Real Madrid, Leeds United suffered a complete defeat.

But it was not without gains.

Judging from the process, Leeds United's players are still strong.

This group of players in their early twenties are highly talented. The key is how Pochettino brings them together to form a collective force.

"Take it easy, we performed well," Borrell said with a smile to comfort Pochettino.

Lucas nodded. "Exactly. We were facing Real Madrid. What is the big deal about losing 1-3? At least we scored one more than Bayern. It's fine."

Everyone could not help but smile.

Isn't that true?

In the Champions League final, Bayern lost by three.

"After I go back, I will study it carefully with the coaching staff. I think I know what to do," Pochettino nodded.

These words from Gao Shen, Zidane, and Carlo were very inspiring.

Once you have a plan, everything becomes easier.

Gao Shen turned to Lucas. "How is it going? I heard you have been doing well in the United States lately."

It would have been fine if he had not brought it up. Once mentioned, Fernando Lucas sighed repeatedly.

"Let's not talk about it. The momentum is good, but the actual effect is not ideal. I think this will be a long-term battle."

Everyone nodded.

If the North American market were so easy to develop, teams like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester United would have already struck gold.

Competitive sports in North America are extremely inward-looking. Football is still considered a niche sport here.

What really draws attention are American football, baseball, and basketball, while football takes a back seat.

This year, Barcelona went to Asia.

To put it bluntly, the big piece of meat in North America looks tempting, but you cannot get a bite.

After years of hard work, how many have actually made money from the North American market?

Manchester United did make a lot, given the historic ties between Britain and the United States. Real Madrid and Bayern also made some. As for other teams, it is hard to say. Most were hoping to collect appearance fees from commercial matches.

"Of course. Do not think about opening up this market all at once. You need patience and deep cultivation."

Gao Shen smiled and patted Lucas on the shoulder to encourage him.

"If we do not make money this summer, so what? We will try again next year. If it does not work next year, we will try the year after. If we persist, we will conquer it sooner or later."

"Tell me, we have been doing this for two years and have so many fans, but we have not even found a business model to monetize it. What can we do?" Lucas asked with a wry smile.

It was quite frustrating to talk about.

(To be continued.)