SWR: Chapter 921/922

Chapter 921: Why Hasn’t He Been Robbed Yet?

If Gao Shen had known what Vilanova and Roura were thinking in the stands, he would've felt incredibly wronged and shouted back, "You think I'd be crazy enough to clip my own wings?"

One of the main reasons Di María wasn't in the starting lineup tonight was due to something discovered after the 7-1 win over Deportivo La Coruña.

The day after that match, during regular training, analyst Carlos Vargas noticed something off with Di María's performance.

Buenaventura and Pintus conducted their usual physical assessments, and Di María admitted he was experiencing discomfort in his leg muscles, which immediately drew attention from the coaching staff.

The Argentine himself didn't take it seriously, thinking it was just post-match soreness from high-intensity play and that he'd recover after some rest.

But following an evaluation by the team doctors and coaching staff, it was diagnosed as a mild muscle strain.

It wasn't serious, and as Di María said, most players wouldn't even pay it much mind. A bit of rest and they'd be back.

But Gao Shen made the call to rest him and temporarily replace him with Higuaín in the starting lineup.

Not only that, Gao Shen also held a special team meeting in the dressing room, emphasizing that all players must report any physical discomfort immediately. He used Di María as a negative example, scolded him harshly, and even issued an internal disciplinary warning.

It was a minor issue on the surface.

Every team deals with this, and many players often push through such knocks.

Young players especially believe they're always in top shape and full of energy, so they don't take minor injuries seriously. But over time, that carelessness can lead to serious injuries.

Most muscle strains are fatigue-related.

Gao Shen also planned to have Buenaventura give a special lecture on sports injuries to raise awareness among the players about injury prevention.

You may not believe it, but many players hide minor injuries or illnesses.

The reason is simple: money and playing time.

In addition to their base salaries, players often earn appearance fees. If they don't play, they don't get paid.

For players on lower contracts, these appearance fees can make up a significant portion of their income.

So they do everything they can to stay on the pitch.

Don't doubt it. To many of them, football is just a job—no different than tightening screws on an assembly line. Overtime on the line is the same as hiding an injury to earn that match appearance bonus.

Fans may see footballers as lofty superstars, but for ordinary professionals—even one like Di María—his current contract barely guarantees stability.

And don't forget, football careers are short.

What happens after retirement?

A group of thirty-somethings with little formal education and no skills—if they can't play anymore, what do they do?

Most stay in football, becoming youth coaches or starting football academies.

The ones who do exceptionally well are the elite stars like Cristiano Ronaldo.

If Di María could secure a contract renewal with Real Madrid, his life would be very different.

When he moved from Napoli to Real Madrid, the transfer fee was high, but his salary was not.

This is actually a common tactic used by Florentino when signing young talents. High transfer fees often come with low wages, while players with high wages usually arrive for lower fees.

Of course, there are exceptions—stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká, and Gareth Bale.

Di María wasn't trying to hide anything. His injury was minor, and he was probably more concerned about keeping his place.

Right now, his position in the squad was excellent. Whether in matches or training, he worked harder than most. Sometimes, even when the game was already decided, he'd still sprint 70 or 80 meters to chase down a chance.

That kind of physical expenditure was massive.

Everyone at Real Madrid knew Di María was Gao Shen's trusted player. Since Gao Shen took over, Di María had been the biggest beneficiary.

But even so, Gao Shen scolded him harshly and issued a formal warning, which sent a clear message to the rest of the dressing room.

Hide an injury?

Even Di María wasn't spared. Would anyone else dare?

But after the harsh scolding, Gao Shen pulled Di María aside privately and reassured him, explaining it was all done out of concern.

In the end, Gao Shen added, "Play well. During the winter break, I'll talk to management and try to secure a contract extension before the end of the season."

Di María, caught between discipline and encouragement, left the meeting teary-eyed and overwhelmed with gratitude. He repeatedly thanked Gao Shen and promised to follow every instruction to the letter.

Gao Shen could only smile wryly.

In truth, Gao Shen would've preferred to be direct.

But in the real world, especially in football's high-pressure workplace, being too straightforward doesn't always work.

Sometimes, being tactful is essential.

This isn't about being manipulative. It's about managing people effectively.

Just like this situation with Di María. If Gao Shen had handled it too gently, Di María might not have taken it seriously and would've made the same mistake again.

Now, Gao Shen had brandished the stick and scared the locker room into attention. That fear would help prevent similar incidents.

But sticks alone aren't enough.

Especially with loyal players like Di María, they also need to feel protected. That's why Gao Shen offered the promise of a contract extension—to keep loyalty and morale high.

Then there was Ronaldo, who required a different approach entirely.

Before coaching him, Gao Shen had only seen media reports and assumed Ronaldo was difficult to handle.

In reality? Not at all.

He's proud—excessively proud, even—but that comes from deep-rooted insecurity. At the same time, he's incredibly self-motivated.

If you go against him, he'll resist. But if you support him and encourage him at the right times, he'll respond with full commitment.

He's actually quite straightforward.

These are all young men in their early twenties. How complicated can they really be?

And even if they were, most of their behaviors were shaped by agents.

Gao Shen also used both carrot and stick with Ronaldo—stern at the start of the season, and then increasingly supportive. The results were outstanding. Ronaldo had been on fire and working harder than ever.

What impressed Gao Shen the most was Ronaldo giving Kaka a penalty earlier in the season.

That was totally unexpected.

In today's game against Porto, Gao Shen also made an unusual tactical change for Ronaldo. He asked him to drop deeper, positioning closer to midfield.

From the kickoff, Real Madrid didn't go all-out on the attack. Instead, they prioritized ball control.

Gao Shen and the coaching staff had studied Porto's match against Manchester City and found that the Portuguese side applied intense pressure. So Gao Shen's strategy in the first half was to dominate possession and lure Porto forward.

Everyone knew Real Madrid still lacked coordination. Porto's pressing could stress Real Madrid's midfield and backline, giving Gao Shen a chance to test the team's composure and ability to play out from the back under pressure.

After a month and a half of competition, how well had Real Madrid's coordination come together?

Tactically, it would also tire out Porto's players.

Porto head coach Vítor Pereira quickly saw through Real Madrid's plan. He even suspected that Gao Shen was using this match to fine-tune his team.

But so what?

He didn't panic. Instead, he repeatedly reminded his players to ignore Real Madrid's ball control and to stick to their defensive shape.

He knew Real Madrid were trying to provoke them into pressing too high.

In the first 30 minutes, Porto had only one shot—a long-range effort from James Rodríguez from 25 meters, which was easily handled by Casillas.

Real Madrid, on the other hand, kept creating half-chances with their movement and probing.

They weren't very threatening, but they did keep Porto under constant pressure.

What's that old saying?

"I'm not afraid of the thief stealing. I'm afraid of the thief thinking about stealing."

Real Madrid had more than 70% possession, constantly threatening Porto's goal, which made the Portuguese side extremely nervous.

Several times, they tried to press in midfield and the final third, but failed to disrupt Real Madrid's passing rhythm.

Vítor Pereira, standing on the sideline, watched as his players struggled to cope with Real Madrid's precise midfield and backline passing. He shook his head repeatedly, then turned back to the bench and muttered to his assistant.

"This Gao Shen's team is really something. The tactical discipline and flexibility are on another level."

Porto's pressing was aggressive and intense, but Real Madrid's players always found ways to move, support each other, and pass their way out.

It resembled the tactics used against Manchester City, only more refined. Real Madrid's technical quality was clearly superior.

Porto's win against Manchester City in the previous round had been largely due to a lucky moment. Fernando had intercepted the ball and launched a direct counterattack, setting up James Rodríguez for the goal.

So Pereira urged his players to stay calm and wait patiently for their opportunity.

…

What Pereira didn't know was that, at almost the exact same moment, Gao Shen stood near the home bench, glancing dejectedly at the scoreboard.

Over 30 minutes had passed. Real Madrid held more than 70% possession, had created several chances—but none were truly threatening.

Porto were still strong and their pressing was effective, but Real Madrid had handled the pressure well.

That was one of Gao Shen's goals for this game.

But it also exposed another problem.

Gao Shen frowned, walked back to the home bench, took a water bottle from Zidane, unscrewed it, took two sips, and muttered in frustration.

"What the hell is Fernando doing tonight? Why isn't he pushing forward?"

(To be continued.)

Chapter 922: Boss, I'll Be a Scumbag for You

Standing on the pitch at the Bernabéu, Modric had just completed a dribble and was bent over, hands on his knees, gasping for air. He wanted to take a brief moment to catch his breath, but then he heard head coach Gao Shen calling from the sidelines.

When he turned to look, he saw the coach gesturing wildly at him, repeating the same word again and again.

Gao Shen didn't say it out loud, but with his body language, anyone watching—fans, directors, opponents, viewers at home—would probably think he was delivering precise tactical instructions, possibly even giving Modric some sort of mystical Eastern guidance.

This was the world's interpretation of what they couldn't understand.

People tend to cloak what they don't know or can't explain in mystery.

And that was the case with Gao Shen.

Otherwise, how could they possibly explain his meteoric rise and success in European football in such a short time?

At that moment, the stadium's big screen switched to a tight close-up, and the crowd burst into loud cheers.

Modric figured the broadcast director, the fans, even the opponents and TV audience must all be thinking Gao Shen was issuing some sort of secret command or carefully calibrated tactical tweak.

But the reality would probably shock them.

Modric could clearly make out what Gao Shen was shouting just by reading his lips.

Scumbag!

Yes, Gao Shen was calling him a "scumbag."

…

This all started two days before the Porto match, in Gao Shen's office at Valdebebas.

Gao Shen had shown Modric an analysis report prepared by chief analyst Carlos Vargas. It detailed several insights about Porto, one of which was focused on Fernando.

The Brazilian midfielder had a habit of abandoning his position.

As the team's holding midfielder, he often rushed forward to press or intercept, leaving gaps behind him.

In football, nothing is absolutely good or bad.

Fernando's aggressive pressing had been the key to Porto's upset win over Manchester City. His interception led directly to James Rodríguez's winning goal.

But that same aggressiveness also left his midfield position exposed.

And this wasn't a one-off.

Vargas had reviewed multiple Porto games and found that Fernando always played this way.

This kind of trait isn't uncommon in the Portuguese league.

Or more accurately, it's typical of many Brazilian players.

Take David Luiz, for example. If even centre-backs are roaming out of position, what can you expect from a defensive midfielder?

Gao Shen called Modric into his office to discuss the problem and devised a targeted tactical plan to exploit Fernando's tendency to vacate his position.

The plan was to have Modric lure Fernando out.

"Are you a scumbag?" Gao Shen asked.

Modric blinked, completely confused, and shook his head. "No, no, no, boss, I'm not! Really!"

"I mean, you need to seduce that beautiful girl named Fernando like a scumbag would," Gao Shen said.

Modric stared blankly, his brain filled with question marks. "Boss, I really can't do that kind of thing. You should ask Toni Kroos. He's taller and better looking than me. I think he's more suitable."

He wanted to hand off the task as quickly as possible. He really wasn't cut out for this.

"I'm telling you, TK is a top-tier straight-edge guy. He can't pull off something like this." Gao Shen rejected the idea outright.

Many people thought Toni Kroos had high emotional intelligence. Maybe he did. But once you got to know him, you'd see he was actually a complete straight shooter. Either he said nothing, or he said everything directly. It was impressive in its own way.

That kind of guy was made for long-term, stable relationships.

"Also, let me correct your misunderstanding, Luka. Who told you that scumbags have to be tall and good-looking?"

Modric widened his eyes. "Don't they?"

"Tsk. I can tell you're way too innocent. Real scumbags aren't usually handsome. Or at least, being handsome is the least important trait," Gao Shen explained.

Of course, looks are still a plus. Better to have than not.

Now Modric was truly curious.

Men are not only interested in women, but also in other men—especially when it comes to figuring out why women fall for the wrong ones.

Many say that a scumbag is perfect in every way—except that he's a scumbag—while an honest man is useless in every way—except that he's honest.

But those who say that clearly don't understand what makes a scumbag tick.

Gao Shen had known a few in his past life. Some were so manipulative it was scary.

Even when several female colleagues knew one of them was a serial cheater, they still longed for him afterward, hoping he'd change and give them another chance.

To put it in poetic terms, he was the devil's finest creation.

And no, he didn't look like Beckham, Ronaldo, or Kaká.

He looked more like Diego Costa.

Is that what you'd call handsome?

Gao Shen had worked closely with that guy for years. He was also friends with the women who got cheated on. After observing and analyzing for a long time, and even having a heart-to-heart while drunk, Gao Shen finally understood his methods.

According to that "champion-level" scumbag, after the initial effort to reel a girl in, he didn't do much. Instead, the women ended up working to please him.

It completely flipped Gao Shen's understanding of relationships.

It was just like a scam.

Here's how it worked:

In the beginning, the scumbag would lavish the woman with attention and kindness, giving her a taste of affection. Then he'd start tailoring his actions to her preferences and gradually pull her into the relationship.

Once someone gets used to those benefits, it becomes hard to give them up.

When the scumbag started pulling away, she'd feel the loss and try harder to regain what she once had.

That's when he'd play hard to get.

And every time she made an effort, that counted as her "investing" in the relationship.

At first, she'd get big returns on small investments. But gradually, the more she invested, the harder it became for her to walk away.

By the time the relationship was deeply entangled, the woman couldn't let go—even if she knew she was being used.

She'd want something back for her "investment."

According to that scumbag friend, it worked every time.

And even after being cheated on, some women still regretted things ending. They wanted him to come back—not because they forgave him, but because they couldn't bear the loss.

It wasn't even about love. It was about sunk cost.

Of course, that's the theory. Actually pulling it off takes serious skill.

But the framework is there.

When Modric heard all this, his eyes nearly popped out. It was too much. His worldview had been shaken.

"Boss, I haven't heard anything about you doing stuff like this," Modric said, suspiciously eyeing Gao Shen.

Why else would he know all this?

Gao Shen nearly slapped him.

"I'm a man of integrity, got it?"

But as a head coach, sometimes you need to understand things like this. It's called knowledge application.

"Anyway, just listen to me. Give Fernando a taste of something sweet, draw him out slowly, and then trap him. Understand?"

Modric smiled bitterly. "Boss, I'm really just an honest man."

Gao Shen laughed. "Don't give me that. I've looked at the whole team. You're the most suited for this task."

"Because I'm the ugliest?" Modric asked, resigned.

Gao Shen grinned. "Let's not get into that. Here's how we'll get rid of him…"

…

Now, standing on the pitch at the Bernabéu, Modric saw Gao Shen yelling "scumbag" at him from the sidelines and could only smile bitterly inside.

But Gao Shen hadn't just fed him theory. He had made him practice it.

In training the day before the match, they spent fifteen minutes running this exact scenario. Modric had to dribble and lure Casemiro out of position.

Pretend to refuse, then show a little bit of potential gain. Make the opponent feel like there's something to win. That's how the trap works.

Modric took a deep breath and looked at Gao Shen on the sidelines.

Boss, for you, I'll be a scumbag this once!

Real Madrid restarted with a goal kick.

Xabi Alonso dropped deep to receive the ball from the back line.

Modric moved centrally, slipping between Defour and González, positioning himself directly in front of Fernando. But the other two Porto midfielders were still a few steps away.

After several short passes, the ball landed at Modric's feet.

He was now right in the space between Defour and González, facing Fernando.

Just as he was about to advance, González came in from the side, forcing Modric to turn his back and pass the ball back to the defense.

"Tony!" Modric called out to Kroos.

Wasn't he supposed to screen González?

How was he supposed to be a scumbag 1v2?

Kroos nodded, indicating he'd pay more attention.

Real Madrid's defense pulled back further, the full-backs spread wide, and Kroos worked to create more space by dragging González away. Modric continued shifting into open pockets.

Jackson Martínez, James Rodríguez, and Varela pressed Real Madrid's back line.

Not just Modric—Real Madrid as a whole was teasing Porto, tempting them to press higher.

After all, the first half was nearly over. If they weren't going to press now, when would they?

Modric received the ball just behind González. Defour was a little far, and Fernando was the closest.

The Brazilian midfielder hesitated, then made his move.

He had tried several times already, and each time Modric had passed it back right away.

It seemed that Real Madrid was playing it safe.

This time should be the same.

Fernando was confident in both his timing and his physicality.

But to his surprise, Modric didn't pass the ball back.

On the sideline, Porto head coach Vítor Pereira's heart sank as he saw Modric deftly turn and accelerate on the ball.

No! Something's gone wrong!

(To be continued.)