SWR: Chapter 1011/1013

Chapter 1011: La Liga Best Midfielder

After waking up in the morning and washing up, Gao Shen went to the bedroom next door to visit his wife, who was still in confinement.

In fact, according to European customs, women do not need to stay in confinement after giving birth, but the elders on both sides insisted, saying the European way did not apply to Chinese people.

In the end, Su Qing stayed at home for a month.

The thing she had worried about during pregnancy happened during her confinement.

Eating supplements every day really did make her gain weight.

Every time she saw Gao Shen, she would often ask, "Have I gained weight again?"

Gao Shen always had to comfort her with a few intimate words to ease her concerns.

"Look, I've gained weight recently and even have some white hair." Gao Shen pointed to his belly and temples.

Su Qing looked carefully and actually found two or three strands of white hair.

It was all caused by stress and overwork.

Newborns grow so fast. Every time Gao Shen returned from an away match, he felt the baby had grown noticeably.

The tiny face was no longer wrinkled and ugly like when he was first born. Now, his features were delicate and rather cute.

Everyone said the child had inherited the best features of both Gao Shen and Su Qing, and would definitely grow up handsome.

But for some reason, the baby did not seem close to Gao Shen, crying every time he held him.

"It seems I can only play the role of a strict father from now on," Gao Shen said helplessly.

He had originally planned to be like a brother to his son, but now that seemed impossible.

"He's still so young. How could he understand these things?" Su Qing said coquettishly.

Gao Shen then told her that he had asked Buenaventura and Pintus to make time to tailor a fitness plan for the couple. The main goal was to lose weight first and then build strength.

Of course, the most important thing was not to overwork.

Those two were ruthless when training players, and Gao Shen did not want to go through their methods himself.

It was best to find something easier but still effective.

For example, swimming, jogging, and so on.

In this regard, Gao Shen was quite an outlier in the professional football world. He could not play football at all, and his physical fitness was not great either.

"Don't worry, those two are the best fitness trainers. Besides, I've also signed you up for a yoga class. If you want to play tennis, I'll find time to invite Nadal over, and we can play against the King of Clay together!"

Gao Shen spoke in an exaggerated manner, which made Su Qing giggle.

She had been recuperating at home after childbirth, feeling bored every day, with the baby crying constantly. Only when Gao Shen came home and coaxed her did she feel truly happy.

"Don't say I'm bragging. If you don't believe me, I'll call Nadal right now." Gao Shen picked up his phone seriously, as if to dial.

He really did have Nadal's number.

The reason was simple. Nadal was a die-hard Real Madrid fan, one of the most devoted. He knew Real Madrid inside and out, and naturally had become very familiar with Gao Shen.

As for tennis, that was because the sports center in Gao Shen's residential community had four tennis courts, six basketball courts, and a football pitch, all available for residents.

In the end, Su Qing smiled and said she believed him.

But her expression clearly showed she didn't believe it at all.

…

After the baby was born, Gao Jianguo and Su Zhijun returned home first, while Gao Shen's mother and mother-in-law stayed behind to take care of Su Qing. The family also specially hired housekeepers, chefs, nannies, a professional confinement nanny, and nurses to provide home care, making sure everything went smoothly.

Fortunately, Gao Shen had bought this large detached villa early on, which saved him a lot of trouble.

After finishing his family matters, Gao Shen set off for Valdebebas.

Although Gao Shen was once known for riding a bicycle to work when he first coached Real Madrid, he could no longer do that now.

Real Madrid's car sponsor Audi had given him two cars, one an Audi R8, the model from the movie "Iron Man," and the other an Audi Q7.

In addition, Audi recently planned to gift Gao Shen the latest RS7 to enrich his garage.

With Real Madrid's help, Gao Shen also signed a sponsorship contract with Audi.

The German brand wanted to use Gao Shen's influence to further expand into Asia, and paid him 5 million euros annually in sponsorship fees.

This was also the value of Gao Shen's current endorsement deals.

But as a result of his higher profile in public and private life, he could no longer cycle the 4 kilometers to work as he did before.

Driving did have its advantage, though. With license plate registration, he could enter directly.

According to regulations, Real Madrid opened one training session to the public after every match, but Spanish fans generally woke up late, so these were scheduled for the afternoon.

When Gao Shen arrived at Valdebebas in the morning, there were no fans at the gates.

When he entered his office, a stack of documents had already been placed on his desk.

The top one was the players' physical report, jointly prepared by the team doctor, Buenaventura, and Pintus.

This was also what Gao Shen valued most.

After reading it, he could clearly see the injury situation and general physical condition of the squad.

After each match, the team doctor and coaching staff monitored the players' condition in detail. If any irregularities appeared, they were recorded in the report.

After carefully reading it, Gao Shen had a clear picture of the team's physical state.

After surviving the grueling schedule, most of the news was positive.

For example, Marcelo had been cleared to play.

The coaching staff now planned to gradually get Marcelo back into rhythm, starting by using him as a substitute and letting him adjust slowly.

He had been out injured for several months, so it was impossible to throw him into a full match right away. A phased return was best.

Gao Shen checked the schedule again and frowned.

The Round of 16 knockout stage had eight groups and would be played over two weeks. Barcelona would start a week later than Real Madrid and finish on March 13.

The 28th round of La Liga was scheduled for March 17, with Real Madrid playing on the 16th. After this round, there would be two weeks of international fixtures.

Then came the 29th round and the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.

Gao Shen now faced a problem. If Real Madrid carefully managed Marcelo's recovery, only for the Brazilian national team to swoop in, it would be frustrating.

If he got injured again on national duty, Gao Shen would be devastated.

Thinking of this, he hurried to the analysis room next door, found Carlos Vargas, and asked him to check Brazil's schedule.

Sure enough, Brazil had arranged two friendlies during the international break.

One against Italy in Geneva, Switzerland, and another against Russia at Stamford Bridge in London.

Just as he had expected.

Real Madrid treated Marcelo like a treasure. Even after his recovery, they still refused to rush him, taking the utmost care to ensure he was fully fit and didn't relapse.

But the national team would not be so cautious.

As Wenger once said, the national team was like driving a Ferrari as if it were a tractor.

"It seems I'll have to talk to Marcelo and call Scolari in advance. After all, it's only friendlies. It's best if he isn't called up," Gao Shen frowned.

He had some friendship with Scolari and had always cooperated well with him. If Gao Shen spoke up, Scolari should give him face. After all, these were just warm-ups, and Marcelo had only just returned from injury.

The key was Marcelo himself.

At Real Madrid, Marcelo faced little competition. As long as he returned to form, he was almost guaranteed to start. But in the Brazilian national team, it was different. Filipe Luís was waiting in the wings. Even while Marcelo was injured, the Manchester City left-back had been starting.

Gao Shen could not guarantee Marcelo would listen to him.

This was where it became tricky.

It was only natural for players to want to represent their country.

Why did Kompany leave Hamburg for Manchester City?

Because Hamburg refused to let him play in the Olympic tournament.

There had always been conflicts caused by international duty.

…

Besides Marcelo, several other Real Madrid players were carrying knocks.

For example, Di Maria reported a slight muscle strain after the Manchester United match, but it was not serious.

According to Buenaventura, it was mainly due to fatigue and would be fine with rest.

Other players also had minor issues, but as long as they did not affect matches, it was not a big problem.

Back in his office, Gao Shen received a call from Valdano.

It was about Kaka.

The Brazilian had made a decision. Through his agent, he reached an agreement with Real Madrid's top management to leave this summer. Real Madrid, in turn, took an amicable stance, allowing him to leave on a free transfer.

This was no surprise to Gao Shen, as it was also how Kaka had left in his previous life.

But unlike before, Kaka's agent specifically asked Valdano to convey Kaka's gratitude to Gao Shen, and promised that until he left, Kaka would fully cooperate with Gao Shen's work.

At present, this news was confidential and would not be made public until after the season.

Still, Gao Shen felt complicated about it.

It was sad to see a superstar like Kaka leave Real Madrid in such a way.

As head coach, there was little Gao Shen could do. He had his own performance pressures and could not sacrifice the whole team's efforts for one player.

Now, the only thing he could do was to lead the team to the best possible results while giving Kaka more opportunities, letting him shine at Real Madrid as much as possible and reduce the loss.

Beyond that, he could not help much.

But Gao Shen also told Valdano that after Kaka's departure, the team would definitely need to reinforce the midfield.

Valdano then informed him that Real Madrid was considering signing Illarramendi.

The Real Sociedad midfielder had been outstanding this season, to the point where he might even surpass Xabi Alonso and Busquets to win La Liga's best defensive midfielder award.

That showed just how well he had performed.

Under such circumstances, Gao Shen had no reason to oppose the signing.

Real Madrid had to continue its dual path of localization and internationalization, and Xabi Alonso needed a successor.

Gao Shen could not possibly tell Florentino that Illarramendi would not adapt to Real Madrid.

Besides, just because he failed to adapt in his previous life did not mean he could not do so now.

Times had changed, and Gao Shen wanted to give it a try.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1012: I Cultivate Talents in Real Madrid

On the evening of March 10th, at Balaídos Stadium.

In the 27th round of La Liga, Real Madrid faced Celta Vigo away.

Gao Shen once again made major rotations to the starting lineup, especially resting the players who had featured in the battle at Old Trafford.

Morata finally appeared on the left wing, playing in the position of his idol Cristiano Ronaldo, with Higuaín as the center forward and young Jesé as the right winger.

This was another new attacking trident arranged by Gao Shen.

After the opening whistle, Real Madrid played very actively, but Celta Vigo's offside trap was executed well.

In the first 20 minutes, Real Madrid were caught offside 8 times.

It was not until the 24th minute that Kaka delivered a through ball. Higuaín timed his run perfectly, broke into the penalty area, and faced the goalkeeper one-on-one. He calmly slotted the ball into the net to open the scoring for Real Madrid.

1-0!

After taking the lead, Real Madrid continued to press steadily against Celta Vigo.

In the 39th minute, it was Kaka again. On the left edge of the penalty area, after receiving a pass from Higuaín, he skillfully dribbled with his right foot, evaded defenders, and played a diagonal ball to the right side of the box.

Jesé timed his run well, found himself unmarked, and met the pass with a right-footed volley.

The ball flew past goalkeeper Varas and straight into the net.

2-0!

At the end of the first half, Real Madrid launched two more dangerous attacks, but failed to score.

After the break, the match continued in an orderly manner.

In the 55th minute, Gao Shen made his first substitution.

Marcelo, who had been out for four months with injury, returned to action, replacing Marcos Alonso.

This was the Brazilian left-back's first appearance since October of last year.

But unlike other long-term injury cases, Marcelo had already trained with the squad before his return, and his recovery had been carefully supervised by Buenaventura and Pintus.

After coming on, Marcelo was very lively.

Just four minutes later, during a Real Madrid attack, he received a pass from Kaka and played it into Higuaín at the edge of the penalty area on the left side. Higuaín struck the ball first-time, cushioning it behind the defense.

Morata rushed onto it and finished directly, extending Real Madrid's lead.

3-0!

Real Madrid's attacking waves continued.

Still on the left, Marcelo combined beautifully with Morata in a one-two. The Brazilian pushed down the flank and crossed low into the box. Higuaín met it with a header to score again.

4-0!

A brace for Higuaín!

In the 71st minute, Real Madrid built an attack from the right before switching it to the left.

Marcelo surged forward, almost as if he were a winger, before playing the ball back to Kaka, who then laid it off to Verratti.

After moving the ball on, Kaka immediately darted forward. Verratti read his movement and delivered a lofted pass.

Kaka burst into the box, controlled the ball with his chest, and before it dropped, volleyed it into the net.

5-0!

Kaka turned and sprinted off the pitch in celebration, full of excitement.

Two assists and one goal.

The Brazilian showed excellent form.

In the 85th minute, Real Madrid's midfield intercepted the ball and launched a quick counterattack.

After receiving a pass from Kaka on the left, Morata drove into the box along the edge and squared it across goal. Jesé arrived at the back post and calmly finished.

6-0!

Even in stoppage time, Real Madrid created another chance.

Morata played a ball into the left channel. Jesé dribbled past the defense and broke through into a one-on-one. Despite defensive pressure, he stayed composed and pushed the ball into the net to complete his hat-trick.

7-0!

After scoring his hat-trick, Jesé sprinted toward the touchline to celebrate with Gao Shen and Zidane.

Gao Shen, Zidane, Hierro, Carlo, and the Real Madrid substitutes who rushed over all congratulated him warmly.

Celta Vigo's defense had clear problems tonight.

They had some early success with the offside trap, so they kept using it.

But they did not expect Real Madrid to adapt so quickly, countering the trap repeatedly.

Once broken, the offside line left Celta completely exposed, and Real Madrid's finishing was ruthlessly precise.

This is the risk of playing the offside trap.

When it fails, the opponent gets clean one-on-ones.

Jesé stood out with his hat-trick, which was remarkable for such a young player.

But what satisfied Gao Shen even more was Morata.

Whether he played on the left or as the center forward after Higuaín was substituted, he performed very well.

This season of training had seen Real Madrid's young players make significant progress.

…

Real Madrid eventually defeated Celta Vigo 7-0 away.

After the game, whether it was Jesé with his hat-trick, Higuaín with his brace, or the excellent performances from Morata and Kaka, all received glowing praise.

The most-liked comment on Gao Shen's Twitter read: "For the first time, I've felt the joy of cultivating young talent in Football Manager, but at Real Madrid!"

At the post-match press conference, Gao Shen praised the outstanding performances of several players, saying Real Madrid now had the depth and squad quality to compete on two fronts.

"It has been proven that our young players are capable of standing on their own. I have full confidence in them."

Gao Shen also revealed that Real Madrid would further optimize its rotation system.

"Yes, we are one point behind Barcelona in the league, but I don't think that is a big gap."

Gao Shen expressed his belief that Barcelona would make mistakes.

Meanwhile, there were reports that two very important cancer fighters at Barcelona would soon return to Camp Nou.

One was French left-back Abidal.

Abidal returned to action two months after liver surgery and was applauded across the world, but his illness relapsed and there were rumors he would retire. Fortunately, he underwent a liver transplant and had been recovering ever since.

The other was Barcelona head coach Tito Vilanova.

In December last year, Vilanova underwent his second parotid gland tumor surgery and returned to the bench just 13 days later. But the illness returned and he traveled to New York for treatment.

Recently, news arrived that Vilanova had successfully stabilized his condition and would return to Barcelona soon.

The return of these two figures would provide a huge emotional boost for Barcelona.

Although he was Real Madrid's head coach, Gao Shen said in a press conference interview with Catalan media that he was happy about their return and offered his congratulations.

"They have both put in tremendous effort and shown incredible strength of will. They deserve all of our admiration."

"I'm truly happy to hear of their recovery and I hope to see them back on the pitch. They are real heroes."

When asked if their return could boost Barcelona and put Real Madrid at a disadvantage, Gao Shen smiled and replied, "If their return brings Barcelona a championship, then I and everyone at Real Madrid will sincerely congratulate them."

Gao Shen said that in the face of life, football must take a back seat.

His interview was praised across the board, including by Real Madrid, Catalan media, and fans.

In professional football, victory is important, but life is more precious.

…

After the match against Celta Vigo, Real Madrid enjoyed a rare week of rest.

Over the past month, they had played almost two matches per week, putting them under huge strain.

This time, Gao Shen simply gave everyone two days off, letting the players rest and spend time with their families.

Later that week, the remaining four matches of the Champions League Round of 16 were completed.

The quarterfinal draw was held at noon on March 15 at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.

The draw was conducted by Secretary General Infantino and Competitions Director Marchetti, with Wembley Stadium ambassador and former Real Madrid player McManaman serving as guest.

The result of the draw paired Real Madrid with Serie A leaders and near-champions Juventus.

Gao Shen did not feel particularly lucky with this draw.

Serie A's overall strength was not as strong as Real Madrid's, but Juventus' tactical style posed a major threat.

Juventus excelled at defensive counterattacks. With passing masters like Pirlo in midfield and counterattacking forwards such as Vučinić, Matri, and Quagliarella, they were dangerous in transition.

Everyone knew Real Madrid were most vulnerable to quick counters when playing their trademark high pressing game. If Juventus were given opportunities to counter, the results could be disastrous. The best example was Italy's tactics against Spain at Euro 2012.

At that time, Pirlo's influence was fully displayed.

Clearly, Juventus would not be an easy opponent.

Another concern was the scheduling. Real Madrid would play the first leg at the Bernabéu before traveling to Turin.

This was not ideal, because if Juventus scored an away goal in Madrid, Real would be under heavy pressure in the return leg in Italy.

Gao Shen thought so privately, but he would never say it publicly.

In media interviews, Gao Shen first praised Juventus.

"Juventus are the best team in Italy right now. They are very strong defensively and have many excellent players in attack. They are a very tough opponent."

But he quickly added, "Real Madrid has never been afraid of challenges. Whether we play home first or away first doesn't matter much to us."

He also reminded reporters that during his time at Napoli, his record against Juventus was quite outstanding.

"At the very least, I can guarantee that when the draw was announced, our opponents had more of a headache than we did!"

His confidence infected the whole team.

Especially after eliminating Manchester United, Real Madrid's confidence was soaring.

In media interviews, Real Madrid players expressed further belief upon learning they would face Juventus.

Captain Iker Casillas said the team's current form and morale were excellent.

"We all believe the team will succeed this season and win a major title!"

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1013: I Will Demonstrate Again

After defeating Celta Vigo 7-0 away, Real Madrid enjoyed a week of rest.

Once they had recovered, Gao Shen's team returned to the Bernabéu and defeated Real Mallorca 6-0 at home in the 28th round of La Liga.

Across two matches, they scored 13 goals and conceded none.

The rotation of Real Madrid's three central defenders kept the backline solid.

At the same time, Real Madrid's performances against both Celta Vigo and Real Mallorca were excellent, especially in the second half.

Marcelo came on at halftime and played 45 minutes. During that period, Real Madrid scored 4 goals, which reflected the overall strength of Gao Shen's side.

Real Mallorca head coach Manzano admitted in the post-match press conference that Real Madrid had played surprisingly attacking football.

Manzano accepted the crushing defeat with humility.

"Gao Shen is creating the third great team!"

Manzano believed this was something unprecedented in the history of European football.

Most top coaches only build one great team during their peak years, but Gao Shen was different. From Napoli to Manchester City to Real Madrid, he had already led three sides to greatness.

And right now, Real Madrid was walking firmly on that path.

…

After the match against Real Mallorca, La Liga paused for the international break.

This time, Gao Shen had some good news, as Marcelo followed his advice and did not join the national team.

Gao Shen personally called Scolari, and the Brazilian head coach respected him, leaving Marcelo out. However, Kaka was called up again.

The Brazilian superstar's form at Real Madrid had improved significantly in recent weeks.

Scolari spoke at length with Gao Shen. As he prepared for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, he not only asked about the Real Madrid Brazilians but also those at Leeds United.

As Leeds' reputation in the Premier League grew this season, many of their players attracted attention from the national team.

Naturally, this included their Brazilian contingent.

For example, Coutinho had become the core of Leeds United's attack and was performing superbly. There were also Allan and Jorginho in midfield, while Marquinhos was excellent in defense.

As Gao Shen had said before, José Fonte was like a factory for producing central defenders. Any defender who partnered with him grew significantly.

This had been true for Koulibaly, and now for Marquinhos.

In addition, Real Madrid had young Brazilians such as Fabinho and Felipe Anderson.

Gao Shen strongly recommended Jorginho and Coutinho, believing both could help the Seleção. Coutinho had already been capped before, but fell out of the squad when Inter Milan declined.

As for Jorginho, Gao Shen felt the deep-lying playmaker had unlimited potential.

"Why isn't Casemiro on your list?" Scolari asked with a smile on the phone.

Gao Shen was momentarily speechless.

In the end, Scolari called up Coutinho and Casemiro, which left Gao Shen feeling depressed.

The old man was not so kind after all.

Still, with Marcelo spared from international duty, Gao Shen felt relieved.

In the following days, Gao Shen remained busy.

He and his staff monitored the international players closely, worried about potential injuries.

At the same time, he began studying Juventus.

After taking charge of Juventus, Conte had reformed the squad and implemented a three-man defense. But the lineup was different from what Gao Shen remembered from his previous life.

In that life, Lichtsteiner played for Juventus, but now he was at Manchester City. Isla had been signed from Udinese for 14 million euros instead.

Vidal was not at Juventus either, but at Bayern Munich.

Meanwhile, Pogba was making a name for himself in the Premier League with Leeds United.

Even so, Juventus still had significant strength. Marchisio and Pirlo were there, while Bonucci, Chiellini, and Barzagli formed a solid defensive trio.

For Real Madrid, there were two big advantages in this tie.

First, after the international break, Juventus had to travel to Milan to face Inter.

Although Turin and Milan were not far apart, it was still a major clash immediately before meeting Real Madrid. This would be a serious test for the Bianconeri.

Second, Real Madrid had the home advantage in the first leg at the Bernabéu.

During the international break, Gao Shen and his assistants studied countless Juventus match videos, analyzing their attacking routines and patterns.

In Gao Shen's view, Real Madrid had to win at the Bernabéu, while preventing Juventus from scoring an away goal.

He knew better than anyone that their 1-0 win in the first leg against Manchester United had been crucial.

That clean sheet gave them the advantage before the second leg at Old Trafford.

It would be the same against Juventus.

With the schedule being home first, then away, Real Madrid had to avoid conceding at the Bernabéu.

…

"Juventus have played well in Serie A this season and basically secured the Scudetto. Napoli in second place pose no real threat," Carlo analyzed.

Inter were currently fifth, and their situation was poor, while Roma sat sixth.

"In fact, I don't think analyzing Serie A games is very useful for us," Carlo added.

Everyone agreed.

The reason was simple. The overall strength of Serie A had declined drastically.

Once upon a time, Italian football was synonymous with tactical innovation. But now?

While the Premier League, La Liga, and Bundesliga had all embraced high pressing, Serie A lagged behind.

Few sides played aggressive pressing.

This was a shift Gao Shen himself had contributed to when he coached in Serie A.

Now, many Serie A clubs were interested in Sarri, whose tactical concepts were far more advanced by Italian standards.

"Except for Napoli, most Serie A teams don't press high against Juventus, which leaves their defense under little pressure."

"From Bonucci to Pirlo, Juventus always build slowly, patiently passing from the back to midfield, then forward. Their attacks are well organized."

"In the Champions League, Juventus also had good luck with the draw. Their group was not difficult, and they faced Celtic in the Round of 16, which was also fortunate."

Carlo's point was not that these teams were weak, but that Juventus' opponents were not stronger than them, so they still adopted defensive tactics, allowing Juventus to play their usual way.

Therefore, Juventus' Serie A style carried into Europe, and they had become accustomed to it.

"But the three-at-the-back system has inherent flaws, especially against four-at-the-back sides. The wingbacks are naturally exposed. So in this match, we must exploit our width."

"At the same time, defensively, we must shut down Bonucci and Pirlo, their two key passers."

Carlo then had Carlos Vargas display two PPT slides showing the passing distribution of Barzagli and Chiellini.

As central defenders, especially in an era where European football demanded ball-playing defenders, their passing was limited. Under pressure, their success rate dropped significantly.

Currently, Juventus' back three consisted of Bonucci in the middle, Chiellini on the left, and Barzagli on the right. When needed, the two wide defenders could drift out toward full-back areas and even carry the ball forward.

This was the Juventus style Carlo was referring to.

"Pirlo sits very deep. If we want to press him, we should probably let Modric step forward," Zidane suggested.

Against Manchester United, Modric's pressure on Carrick had been very effective.

"Our advantage on the flanks will be clear. Marcelo is basically recovered and in good shape. We can definitely attack down the wings," Hierro added.

Everyone offered their views while Gao Shen sat quietly, resting his left cheek on his hand, twirling a pen in his right hand, and staring at a handwritten tactical sketch.

It was their projection of Juventus' likely starting XI.

Conte would likely use a 3-5-2, or perhaps a 3-5-1-1.

Juventus' strike partnerships had varied this season. Vučinić and Giovinco had started 14 times, Matri and Giovinco 7 times, Quagliarella and Giovinco 6 times, and Matri with Giovinco another 6.

There were also 4 starts for Vučinić with Quagliarella, and 1 for Matri with Quagliarella.

From this, the most probable setup was a 3-5-1-1, with a lone striker ahead of Giovinco.

But this would mean Juventus had no midfield advantage.

If they stuck to their Serie A style, the Bianconeri would have little chance of surviving at the Bernabéu.

Would Conte dare to gamble?

Gao Shen stopped spinning the pen only after everyone else had finished speaking.

His assistants all knew this was his habit. It meant he was about to give his conclusion.

"Before coming to the Bernabéu, Juventus will face Inter. That match is important and they won't throw it away."

Gao Shen knew Serie A inside out.

"Our internationals just finished duty. I will rotate them in the league this weekend so that everyone is fully fresh. We will go all out to beat Juventus in the first leg at the Bernabéu."

His words surprised the staff, but they all nodded in agreement.

This was Gao Shen's decisive nature.

Juventus were not as strong as Real Madrid, and Conte was no Ferguson. Gao Shen would not hold back.

"I want the team to press Juventus from the first whistle, all over the pitch."

"We will demonstrate to Serie A once again at the Bernabéu!"

(To be continued.)