SWR: Chapter 914/915

Chapter 914: The Conflict Between Gao Shen and the President of Real Madrid

After Casemiro joined Real Madrid, he heard a legend about Valdebebas.

In the first-team coaching office, there was a desk that no one used. Word had it that this was Gao Shen's desk.

Back in 2006, when Gao Shen was promoted from a rookie to Real Madrid's head coach, he never left the shared coaching office. He continued to work alongside the rest of the first-team coaching staff.

Because he could be fired at any moment.

But even under that pressure, he left Real Madrid with his head held high, relying on the legendary double title win. That desk, once his, had remained untouched ever since.

Coaches came and went at Real Madrid, but none had ever claimed that desk.

Until now. Gao Shen had returned.

The desk was still there, and Gao Shen was once again working from the head coach's office.

It had become a symbol, one that everyone passing by couldn't help but glance at.

Just like Casemiro at this moment.

After glancing at the desk, he continued walking toward the head coach's office.

Knock knock knock.

Casemiro knocked on the closed door and heard a deep voice from inside.

"Come in."

Casemiro opened the door to see Gao Shen working on his computer. He smiled and raised his right hand. "Boss, you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, come in and have a seat."

Gao Shen gestured to the sofa. He continued typing for two or three minutes, clearly finishing up some paperwork—part of a Real Madrid manager's daily responsibilities.

Soon after, Gao Shen got up and poured Casemiro a glass of water.

"Don't be nervous. I just wanted to talk to you," Gao Shen smiled and sat beside him.

"No, I'm not nervous," Casemiro replied with a smile.

But the 20-year-old clearly was nervous, even if he tried to act otherwise.

Gao Shen didn't blame him. With his current status and accomplishments, very few players could stay completely relaxed around him.

The last time he spoke with Casemiro had been about a week ago.

At that time, Casemiro had just returned from the Brazil national team.

Yes, he had joined the senior national team last year.

The reason was simple. He performed exceptionally well at the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup, helping Brazil win the title and earning rave reviews. With his solid contributions on both ends of the pitch, he was called up early to the senior team.

That tournament had also attracted the attention of many clubs, including Real Madrid and Juventus.

After Gao Shen took over, he instructed the club's technical department to sign Casemiro.

Gao Shen communicated with his players about once a week. It helped him keep track of changes in their physical, psychological, and emotional state.

At a club like Real Madrid, to be honest, every player's technical level was high, even the younger ones like Casemiro. The real difference came down to experience and mentality.

The key was helping them unleash their potential.

During their last chat, Casemiro mentioned that he wanted to bring his mother to Madrid, but the visa process hadn't been completed.

After learning of this, Gao Shen asked Real Madrid's administrative team to assist and sort it out. He used this topic as a conversation starter today, and Casemiro informed him that the issue had been resolved and his mother's visa had been approved.

The Brazilian midfielder was very grateful that Gao Shen had stepped in.

He knew his own position. Without someone powerful like Gao Shen backing him, the admin staff probably wouldn't have helped with such a minor personal issue.

Almost every Brazilian player in Europe faced similar problems. Casemiro had heard the stories from teammates and friends. But for him, the process had gone unusually smoothly.

Gao Shen also congratulated Casemiro on reuniting with his mother soon. He had heard that Casemiro's father abandoned the family after a dispute, leaving Casemiro and his mother to depend on each other for survival.

Sometimes, Gao Shen truly believed that one reason football thrived in Europe and South America, but struggled to develop in China, was the difference in class mobility and wealth inequality.

He had read Simon Kuper's Soccernomics, which noted that most British footballers came from lower-middle-class families and had minimal education. This was even more pronounced in South America and Africa. A player like Kaká, whose father was an engineer, came from an unusually privileged background.

Of course, players like Piqué or Marcos Alonso were rare exceptions.

Even Zidane's children hadn't made it big in football.

The reason was simple. For many children from modest families, football was their only way out. It was their shot at escaping hardship and achieving social mobility.

It was like taking a university entrance exam.

Becoming a professional footballer was like getting into a regular university. Signing with a European club was like entering a top-tier school. Playing in a mainstream European league meant you made it into a 211 university. Making it to the top five leagues was equivalent to getting into a 985. If you landed at a superclub, that was like Tsinghua or Peking University.

If we understood European and South American footballers through this logic, their choices made perfect sense. Because for many of them, there was no other path.

Casemiro's story was no different.

…

"You've probably seen the chairman's comments recently, right?"

After some small talk, Gao Shen changed the subject.

Real Madrid is a socios-owned club and holds a general assembly every October. Before that, there are two preparatory meetings.

At the most recent one, Florentino was asked several sensitive questions by reporters.

It was a bit frustrating, honestly. Since Gao Shen returned, media leaks from Valdebebas had become rare due to his strict controls.

So the reporters turned their focus to the club management.

The questions weren't just about Gao Shen. They also touched on Ronaldo and youth development.

For instance, one reporter asked whether Gao Shen requiring Ronaldo to track back on defense aligned with Florentino's views.

The club president didn't answer directly but expressed full support for Gao Shen.

"Real Madrid needs talented players, but talent must also work hard. If you don't run, the fans will boo you."

"Gao Shen understands Real Madrid. He knows how to help the players perform at their best."

However, one question caused some stir.

A reporter asked whether, given the number of young players in the current squad and the reduced spending in the transfer market, Real Madrid had changed its business model.

It was a significant question. Florentino's answer was a clear "No."

He stated that Real Madrid's long-standing philosophy is to recruit the best players in the world. That would never change.

"The whole world loves young players, but they all share one problem. They lack experience."

"I've said it before, if Zidane had joined Real Madrid at 18, he wouldn't have gotten any playing time."

"No one ever said that youth academy players must play for the best club in the world. That's a mistake."

Florentino also elaborated on the club's youth development strategy. He noted that 39 Real Madrid academy players are currently playing in La Liga, and another 39 are playing for other European clubs. This, he said, proves the success of Real Madrid's youth system.

He added that if these players couldn't get playing time at Real Madrid, they should go to clubs that could provide it. The club would carefully choose the right teams to ensure they got game time.

"If they still can't get minutes at those clubs, and go a year or two without playing, it's terrible for them and a loss for us. It would be nearly impossible to bring them back into the first team."

This, then, is Real Madrid's current youth policy.

Regarding the first team, Florentino said the club was continuing to look for players who could strengthen the squad.

This was understood by many in the media as a potential disagreement between Florentino and Gao Shen.

The implication being that Gao Shen wanted to use more academy players, while Florentino did not support it.

Gao Shen himself wasn't even aware of this supposed "disagreement."

But he raised the issue with Casemiro because the Brazilian was 20 years old—exactly the kind of player Florentino mentioned as needing to go on loan to gain experience.

The media had blown this up, and the rumored "conflict" between the president and the head coach was now all over the news. Casemiro had definitely heard about it.

But he wasn't quite sure what Gao Shen meant.

"I'll be honest with you, Casemiro. You're a player I personally signed. I still hope you can stay at Real Madrid. But you have to prove yourself with convincing performances. Do you understand what I mean?"

Casemiro nodded firmly. "I understand, Boss. I'll work even harder."

"Your attitude in training has been excellent. The coaching staff and I are very pleased. We all want to help you keep improving. In the upcoming game against Deportivo La Coruña, I want to see your best performance."

The last time Casemiro played was away to Sevilla. That game ended 0-0. Gao Shen was criticized heavily afterward and came under a lot of pressure. Now with Florentino's comments, many young players in the squad were worried about losing their chances.

Casemiro was one of them.

But now, Gao Shen had told him he would start again.

The Brazilian was surprised and thrilled.

"You did well in the away game against Sevilla, but that's not enough. You know, Real Madrid always wants the best. Even if you're not there yet, you have to show performances that prove you can become the best. Understand?"

Casemiro could feel the coach's trust and commitment to developing him. The young Brazilian instantly shot to his feet.

"I promise you, Boss, I'll give everything this time. I won't let you down!"

(To be continued.)

Chapter 915: Mission Impossible

Gao Shen walked briskly into the meeting room at Valdebebas.

By this time, the players of Real Madrid's first team were already seated, the coaching staff were in position, and everyone was waiting for Gao Shen to arrive.

With a quick glance around the room, Gao Shen noticed that Casemiro, whom he had just met earlier, was also present.

"Okay," he said as he sat down.

As soon as he took his seat, Carlo stepped forward.

Today's meeting was crucial, not only to summarize the previous league match, but also to reflect on issues that had arisen from the international break up to now.

More importantly, it was to lay out the work arrangements for the next two weeks.

After the fifth round of the league, Real Madrid were afforded a rare week of rest. But very soon, the team would face another grueling schedule.

This weekend they would play Deportivo La Coruña, followed by a Champions League match against Porto. Both were home fixtures. But the weekend after that, they would travel to face Barcelona at Camp Nou.

It was clear that starting with the Deportivo match, Real Madrid would no longer have the luxury of slow, in-depth analysis sessions like this one.

Every day from now on would feel like going to war.

Carlo summarized the problems exposed in recent matches, including defensive organization, coordination between passing and movement, and especially player positioning.

Each player's performance, whether in matches or training, is pushed to their mobile phones or tablet apps. Everyone could review it, and just before this meeting, the coaching staff had sent out a combined version.

So now, Carlo was analyzing the issues more from a tactical and collective perspective.

Following Carlo's report, Buenaventura, Pintus, Llopis, and others shared their analysis based on their respective responsibilities and highlighted current issues within the team.

Buenaventura, who also oversees rehabilitation and physiotherapy, focused on injuries.

At present, Real Madrid had no major injuries or absences, but vigilance was still required.

Injuries are inevitable for professional players, but precautions must be taken, especially for key players.

Buenaventura was satisfied with the current injury status, but emphasized that some players needed to work more closely with the coaching and medical staff.

Zidane and Hierro were in charge of specialized individual training. Zidane focused on personal skills, shooting technique, and free kicks—such as shooting drills for Jesé, Morata, and others, and direct free-kick training for Ronaldo.

Although Hierro was famous for playing center-back, he was in fact a very well-rounded player with high football IQ. His training for midfielders and defenders focused mainly on imparting experience. Even Ramos, Pepe, and Varane held great respect for him.

As usual, Gao Shen walked forward calmly after all his assistants had finished speaking.

…

"As you all know, we are currently four points behind Barcelona in the league."

Gao Shen said this very calmly. It was clear that this gap was still within his acceptable range.

"If we drop more points, especially at Camp Nou, the gap could become seven points. At that point, the situation will be completely different. The pressure on us will be much greater, and the games will be much harder."

Everyone in the room nodded in agreement.

If the gap widened, pressure would come from all directions. Under intense pressure, problems would be exposed, and even relationships could start to break down.

This happens to every team. Many teams function well when they win, but fall apart as soon as they lose.

"So, no matter how we look at it, we cannot afford to lose at Camp Nou."

This was the harsh reality.

"As for the Champions League, no one can say how the two matches against Manchester City will turn out. You've all experienced Dortmund's strength. But I can tell you with certainty, Manchester City are stronger than Dortmund. Much stronger. No one knows that team better than I do."

"When the media were celebrating City's loss in Portugal, I was more concerned. Because I know that team. That defeat will only make them more desperate in the remaining games, which is a dangerous situation."

Porto was clearly the weakest team in this group of death.

Whether Manchester City were careless or simply caught off guard, their loss to Porto would now force them to focus fully on the rest of the group stage.

That's bad news for both Real Madrid and Dortmund.

"So, we absolutely cannot lose the match against Porto."

Once again, the players nodded.

"I don't need to say much about the match against Deportivo La Coruña. We must win to avoid falling further behind Barcelona. So, the bottom line is this—we have to win all three of our next matches!"

The pressure was intense.

Deportivo was manageable, but Porto and Barcelona would be tough, and even Real Madrid had no guarantees of beating them.

Especially when facing Barcelona at Camp Nou, where the odds were stacked against them.

"I've faced Barcelona many times. When you play at Camp Nou, the most important factors are form and physical condition. So in the next two games against Deportivo and Porto, we must rotate. Especially in the match against Deportivo."

Given the physical limits of professional footballers, it was unrealistic to expect them to give 100% and maintain form across three high-level matches in one week.

In fact, in the eyes of many media outlets, winning all three matches in a row was almost impossible.

"In the next week, I'll closely monitor your performances and build the starting lineups based on your condition and form. I hope each of you will fully cooperate with the coaching staff and give your best in training."

As he said this, Gao Shen's eyes swept over the room.

The players looked back at their head coach.

Casemiro quickly looked down after making brief eye contact with Gao Shen.

The Brazilian midfielder knew that Gao Shen had promised him a starting spot, but also asked him to earn it through effort in training.

If he performed well against Deportivo, he might get the chance to play in the Champions League, and even in El Clásico.

Xabi Alonso was carrying some minor injuries.

At present, Real Madrid didn't have many players who could fill his role. Modrić and Toni Kroos weren't first-choice options for that position. Casemiro and Raúl Albiol could both play there, and even Ramos and Pepe could deputize in emergencies.

But clearly, Casemiro had the best chance now.

That thought filled him with motivation.

However, this was a private agreement between him and the coach. No one else knew.

"Everyone, I'll say it again—stay relaxed, stay focused, stay committed. Believe in me and believe in the coaching staff. We can overcome any obstacle. That's my promise!"

Gao Shen's words gave the players great confidence.

As the most successful head coach in world football, what was more convincing than a promise from Gao Shen?

Externally, Gao Shen barred the media from his work. But inside the team, everything was relatively transparent.

This helped the players fully understand the coaches' thinking and intentions, making them more willing to follow.

…

Deportivo La Coruña had just been promoted to La Liga this season, but their performances so far were respectable. They were currently 10th in the league. In their first five rounds, they had one win, three draws, and one loss, scoring seven goals and conceding seven.

Their results included a 2-0 home win over Osasuna, a 3-3 away draw with Valencia, and a 0-2 home loss to Sevilla in the most recent round.

This kind of form, especially defensively, placed them fairly high among La Liga sides.

Their head coach, José Luis Oltra, was 43 and from Valencia. He made his name at Tenerife and later managed Almería to stabilize their season.

After taking over Deportivo last season, he led them to win the Segunda División and secure promotion to La Liga. He was retained this season.

Based on last season's title win, Deportivo were especially strong at home, though their away form was weaker. Their attacking play was decent, while defense was a bit vulnerable. However, they had brought in veteran Carlos Marchena from Villarreal and a few others to strengthen the back line.

Their most used formation was 4-2-3-1, a tried and tested system.

Their current striker was Ricky, a former Real Madrid academy product.

Interestingly, Real Madrid have always produced quality strikers—Morientes, Morata, Joselu, Negredo, Soldado, and now Ricky.

"As usual, they'll likely build around Ricky," Carlo analyzed.

In a 4-2-3-1 system, the striker still plays a central role.

Gao Shen nodded. "Have the center-back step out and press him."

"Should we start Varane?" Zidane asked with concern.

After all, Zidane was the one who had brought the young French defender to Real Madrid.

Gao Shen nodded. "This kid needs more opportunities. We also need to be patient. We can't discourage him. This match is at home, so there won't be much defensive pressure. Give him more chances to build confidence, and let Ramos rest."

Zidane had no objections.

"If Varane starts, then Albiol will be on the bench," Hierro said, a bit helplessly.

Pairing Albiol and Varane carried risk.

Albiol was a good passer, but average in one-on-one defense. Varane was still too young and might struggle against a striker like Ricky.

The other center-back should be Pepe.

"I've spoken to him. After this stretch, I'll give him more chances," Gao Shen explained.

Only two center-backs could start each game. Of course, he had to choose the most suitable.

Varane was a truly promising young talent.

"On the right, I'm planning to start Carvajal and push forward."

In this match, Real Madrid needed to rotate the midfield. If Arbeloa started on the right, there wouldn't be enough attacking threat.

"In the next training session, pair Di María and Carvajal more often to build chemistry," Gao Shen instructed.

Carlo nodded in agreement.

(To be continued.)