SWR: Chapter: 811/812

Chapter 811: Step Down Again

On the evening of November 22nd, at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid.

In the 37th minute of the match, Real Madrid's number 10 attempted to dribble past Yaya Touré in the middle of the attacking third, but the Ivorian midfielder used his physical strength to shoulder him off the ball. The Madrid player lost his balance and fell.

Possession was lost.

Yaya Touré completed the interception and immediately surged forward with the ball.

Khedira stepped up to challenge him but was smoothly bypassed.

The Ivorian accelerated, forcing his way between Khedira and Xabi Alonso, and carried the ball all the way to the edge of Real Madrid's penalty area, drawing both Ramos and Pepe toward him.

Robinho on the left, Van Persie centrally, and Robben on the right had all sprinted into position.

Manchester City's counterattack was lightning quick—no slower than Real Madrid's own.

Yaya Touré spotted an opportunity and sent the ball wide to the right.

Robben drove the ball into the right side of the box, stopped sharply to throw off Coentrão, cut inside, and curled a left-footed shot.

The ball traced a graceful arc toward the top left corner.

Adam could do nothing.

One-nil!

The entire Bernabéu erupted in boos!

Seventy thousand Real Madrid fans vented their frustration with fierce disapproval.

…

Gao Shen stood still in front of the visiting team's dugout.

Before kickoff, Real Madrid fans at the stadium had welcomed him with warm applause on his return to the Bernabéu.

At the pre-match press conference, many Spanish journalists tried to draw comments about Real Madrid from him. But Gao Shen repeatedly emphasized that he was Manchester City's head coach and a friend of Mourinho, refusing to comment on anything related to Real Madrid.

And in this game, Manchester City had clearly held back.

From the attacking lineup alone—Robinho, Van Persie, and Robben—Gao Shen had deployed a combination that was not his strongest.

Originally, he hadn't planned to play Robben at all. He wanted Robinho and Sturridge on the wings, but Robben asked to play, and Gao Shen saw no reason to refuse.

Robinho also asked to play against Real Madrid. He still held a grudge.

In midfield, Gao Shen went with a three-defensive-midfield setup: Henderson, Fernandinho, and Yaya Touré.

Neither David Silva nor Rakitić was selected—enough to show his intent.

Manchester City had already qualified from the group, and there was no reason to go all out against Real Madrid.

Gao Shen had even stated before the match that, due to their participation in the Club World Cup, Manchester City's fixture schedule was extremely tight and needed to be managed accordingly.

In defense, he started Felipe, Jérôme Boateng, Gary Cahill, and Zabaleta, with Given in goal—a clear signal that City weren't playing at full strength.

Mourinho had launched a furious offensive from the start, trying to overpower City.

But Real Madrid are a curious team. The more anxious they become, the more disorganized they play.

What they really lack is confidence.

Since 2006, Real Madrid had not reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League. That record had severely damaged the squad's self-belief.

From kickoff, players like Ronaldo and Di María fired off shot after shot—especially Ronaldo, who had three efforts in the first ten minutes alone—but failed to score.

Manchester City stayed calm, refraining from forcing the issue and instead focusing on structured counterattacks.

This was perfectly normal.

Manchester City had already qualified and had no obligation to win. A cautious approach made sense, and no one could accuse Gao Shen of letting Real Madrid off the hook. Any other team in their position would likely do the same.

Unless, of course, they had a compelling reason to win.

But Real Madrid failed to capitalize on their chances and kept squandering opportunities.

Then, in the 37th minute, Manchester City struck on the counter and scored.

Under these circumstances, what more could Gao Shen say?

Standing on the touchline at the Bernabéu, he felt like he was reliving the script from last season.

Back then, Real Madrid had also been in a must-win situation.

No, this season they were in an even worse state.

The controversy surrounding Mourinho's banishment of Casillas continued to escalate.

On the surface, Gao Shen appeared calm. But inside, he felt a certain helplessness.

He had given them a chance, but they failed to seize it. Was that his fault?

Real Madrid undeniably had the strength. With this squad, who would believe they lacked quality?

But the real problem was that they weren't playing to their potential.

On one hand, morale and confidence were lacking. On the other, there were tactical flaws.

When a team is distracted by off-field issues, it inevitably struggles to perform on the pitch.

…

After conceding, Real Madrid intensified their attack.

This was now a do-or-die match. They had to win.

Having gone behind, they needed two goals to turn the tide.

So they attacked with even more urgency.

Manchester City remained composed, sticking to their defensive shape and waiting to counter.

The midfield trio of Yaya Touré, Fernandinho, and Henderson provided solid cover in front of the back line.

The trio also executed the tactical plan with great discipline.

The first half ended with Manchester City leading 1-0.

Just over a minute into the second half, Di María broke down the right wing, beat Felipe, and unleashed a left-footed shot that struck the post and went wide.

Real Madrid then launched wave after wave of attacks.

In the 50th minute, Mourinho made his first substitution, bringing on Higuaín for Khedira.

That left Real Madrid with only one defensive midfielder. Higuaín and Adebayor partnered up front, with Ronaldo, Di María, and the number 10 supporting from midfield—about as attacking a lineup as Real Madrid could field.

But as always, offense isn't just about piling on attackers.

Gao Shen had long said Mourinho was not good at building offensive systems. Neither midfield organization nor front-line coordination was his strength. His expertise lay in defense.

So, when Mourinho's teams press too aggressively, they are often most vulnerable.

And this was no exception.

After the change, Gao Shen responded immediately, pushing Yaya Touré higher to press Xabi Alonso.

Everyone knew Alonso was a top-class deep-lying playmaker, but his biggest flaw was that he struggled under pressure. Once opponents locked onto him, his passing game was neutralized.

At that point, he needed help.

But Real Madrid were all focused on pushing forward. No one was looking back to support Alonso. Even though Di María tracked back, he stayed too far right to be of much help.

Finally, in the 67th minute, Yaya Touré overpowered Alonso, intercepted the ball, and surged forward.

This time, he quickly played a diagonal pass to the left.

Robinho received it, drove forward, and stopped just outside the penalty area. As if preparing to shoot, he suddenly laid the ball off behind him.

Van Persie made a run from deep into the left side of the box and smashed a left-footed shot into the net.

Two-nil!

Real Madrid's young goalkeeper lay flat on the grass, clearly having lost all confidence and hope.

On the pitch, the Madrid players looked dejected.

When they were one goal down, there was still hope of a comeback. But after conceding the second, all belief was gone.

Mourinho responded by making two substitutions, a clear sign that he was ready to go all-in.

But by then, the Real Madrid players had lost the will to fight.

The entire Bernabéu echoed with jeers and boos. Some fans even stood and demanded Mourinho be sacked, and Florentino be held accountable.

…

The match wasn't over.

In the VIP stands, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez sat motionless, face like stone, ignoring the chorus of boos and insults, along with the demands for his resignation.

It wasn't that he didn't hear them.

He simply had no way to respond.

Lately, he had been full of regret.

This was rare for him. Throughout his adult life, he had always made rational, correct decisions.

But this time, choosing Mourinho over Gao Shen had been a mistake.

Now, he was paying the price.

And the cost was severe.

It was almost certain that Real Madrid would be eliminated in the group stage. Next season, they'd drop into the third tier of Champions League seeds.

What? Not sure they'll even qualify for the Champions League next season?

Florentino wasn't worried about that. Other La Liga teams couldn't challenge Real Madrid or Barcelona's position.

But if things really spiraled to that point, where Real Madrid failed to qualify for the Champions League, then he would naturally be forced to step down.

The only bit of good news tonight came from Zidane.

Before the game, he received accurate information from a friend at L'Équipe: Manchester City's lobbying in the Premier League had failed. Not only had United, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool refused, but even several mid- and lower-table teams had rejected them.

That meant, if Leeds United were promoted, Gao Shen could no longer coach Manchester City.

Based on Leeds United's current form, promotion to the Premier League seemed highly likely.

"After the game, Jorge and I could try to sound him out?" Zidane suggested.

Florentino was tempted but quickly shook his head.

"It's a sensitive time. We should keep our distance and avoid making things difficult for him."

Zidane looked surprised and turned to Valdano.

The technical director nodded. "Florentino's right. Stay low-key. We can talk again after the season ends."

Zidane thought it over and agreed.

They all knew Gao Shen's character.

If he truly couldn't continue at Manchester City, given Real Madrid's current mess, as long as they gave him enough trust and support, he would likely be willing to return—especially if Florentino reached out personally.

But the situation now was truly perilous, eerily similar to the 2005–2006 season.

If Real Madrid really did crash out in the group stage, could Florentino survive until season's end?

Would it be like that season again, when he couldn't withstand the pressure after the winter break and was forced to step down?

(To be continued.)

Chapter 812: Completely Chaotic

After defeating Real Madrid, Gao Shen strictly followed UEFA regulations and attended the post-match press conference on time.

Throughout the press conference, his answers were serious, and he was more cautious than usual—especially when questions touched on Real Madrid or Mourinho. He was even more careful, clearly afraid of saying the wrong thing.

This made many journalists feel frustrated.

So they tried every means possible to steer Gao Shen toward the topics they were most interested in.

For instance, a Marca reporter asked whether Gao Shen had heard the cheers from the Bernabéu.

Gao Shen gave a bitter smile. "The noise was too loud. I couldn't hear clearly."

A reporter from AS followed up—an old acquaintance, Crino, whom Gao Shen suspected might have been specially arranged to attend.

Back when Gao Shen managed Real Madrid, Crino had been the team's beat reporter and knew the club very well.

"Mr. Gao, do you remember this press room?"

Gao Shen glanced around and nodded. "Yes, I remember."

"I still vividly recall that on March 1, 2006, in this very room, you sat right there and declared the need to clean out the Real Madrid dressing room. No one would be given special treatment. Even now, the memory is crystal clear."

Gao Shen smiled wryly to himself. Was this an emotional play?

He glanced at the press officer beside him, who immediately understood and cut in, "This is the official post-match press conference. Please refrain from raising questions unrelated to the match. Mr. Gao is very busy and has limited time."

With no other choice, the journalists tried asking more roundabout questions, but ultimately, they got nothing.

Gao Shen was like iron—refusing to answer anything not directly related to the match.

But after the press conference ended, Gao Shen stood up and pointed playfully at Crino with a half-joking glare. Crino put on an innocent face and gestured for mercy.

In truth, Gao Shen maintained a very good relationship with the Spanish media, especially those aligned with Real Madrid.

That's why many of them had continued to speak up for him over the years.

At times, Gao Shen understood that the hype these media outlets generated could also sway the opinions of Real Madrid fans. However, Mourinho's relationship with the media had deteriorated—particularly recently, when he directly banned AS and Marca.

The reason? Those two outlets were defending Casillas.

It was an awkward situation.

Everyone in the football world knew AS and Marca were mouthpieces for Real Madrid—just as Mundo Deportivo was for Barcelona. Now that their own mouthpieces were banned, how were they supposed to function?

Gao Shen had no choice but to sigh. Mourinho was just too willful.

…

After returning to England from Spain, Manchester City resumed Premier League action in the 13th round with an away trip to face Liverpool.

Benítez's team had indeed encountered serious problems this season. The main issue was Fernando Torres. Since his injury, his form had declined sharply, leaving Liverpool with a serious striker crisis.

There were reports that the club had considered signing Newcastle's local striker Andy Carroll. But Benítez wasn't fond of him, and Newcastle's asking price was simply too high for Liverpool.

As a result, the Reds' attacking dilemma remained unresolved.

However, Liverpool's defense was still solid.

Mascherano had not left the club as he did in Gao Shen's previous life. Instead, he remained to form a double pivot with Biglia. The duo—currently the starting defensive midfielders for the Argentina national team—were very strong.

With a tight backline and disciplined midfield, Liverpool managed to hold off Manchester City's attacking onslaught at Anfield and came away with a draw.

City conceded a set-piece goal in the first half but managed to equalize in the second half through Luis Suárez.

…

Three days later came the League Cup quarterfinals.

Fresh off the Liverpool match, Manchester City traveled south to London to face Arsenal.

Arsenal had the edge in physical freshness, while City had the advantage in strength. The match was evenly contested, but in the 83rd minute, Eden Hazard scored the winner to give Manchester City a narrow 1-0 victory and secure a place in the semi-finals.

It's worth noting that in another quarter-final, Leeds United hosted Crystal Palace, another Championship side.

In the league, Leeds sat top of the table while Palace were battling relegation, with a clear gap in quality. But in the cup, Palace gave Leeds a lot of trouble. They even opened the scoring away from home.

In the 65th minute, a defensive mistake from Leeds allowed Darren Ambrose to strike first for Palace.

Fortunately, just four minutes later, Bolasie set up Benteke for the equalizer.

The two teams battled hard, and the match ended 1-1 after 90 minutes.

According to League Cup rules, the game went to extra time.

In the 108th minute, substitute Mauro Icardi latched onto a header from Benteke and cleverly broke through Palace's defense, slotting home the decisive goal.

2-1, Leeds United edged out Crystal Palace.

What made things even more interesting was the semi-final draw that followed.

Along with Manchester City and Leeds United, the remaining two teams in the League Cup semi-finals were Liverpool and Cardiff.

Two Premier League teams and two Championship sides. Interestingly, Manchester City topped the Premier League, Liverpool sat fourth, Leeds United led the Championship, and Cardiff were fourth in the Championship.

Some media outlets started stirring things up, speculating that the top Premier League side should face the top Championship side.

But they guessed wrong.

Manchester City drew Liverpool, while Leeds United were paired with Cardiff.

The League Cup semi-finals would be played over two legs, home and away.

This result surprised many.

While the League Cup was often seen as a less important competition, it was still a domestic trophy. There was a clear gap between Premier League and Championship teams. The last time a second-tier team reached the League Cup final was the 1999–2000 season.

That year, Premier League club Leicester City faced Tranmere Rovers, then playing in the second tier (then called the First Division).

In the eleven years since, no second-tier team had reached the final.

Now, with Leeds and Cardiff facing off, it guaranteed that one of them would reach the final—breaking a more-than-decade-long drought.

Some media even speculated that the FA had rigged the draw to ensure a Championship club reached the final.

Otherwise, how could it be such a "coincidence" that City drew Liverpool, and Leeds drew Cardiff?

…

After the semi-final draw, the Premier League entered Round 14.

Manchester City hosted Norwich at the Etihad.

The newly promoted team sat deep in defense, lining up with five defenders and three defensive midfielders. But their resistance lasted only 30 minutes before Suárez's goal broke their spirit.

In the second half, further goals from Gareth Bale, Yaya Touré, Van Persie, and Robben sealed a 6-0 victory for Manchester City.

Another dominant win.

…

Three days later, Manchester City hosted their final opponent in the Champions League group stage.

After defeating Real Madrid 2-0 in the previous round, the Galácticos were officially eliminated. Meanwhile, Dortmund had lost 2-3 away to Porto.

This meant Porto still had a chance to advance.

In theory, if Porto beat Manchester City and Dortmund lost or drew against Real Madrid, Porto would go through.

As a result, Porto came out aggressively at the Etihad and pressed hard from the start.

But Sturridge launched a lightning-quick counterattack that allowed Van Persie to open the scoring.

In the second half, a defensive error from Manchester City allowed Porto to equalize, with Hulk getting the goal.

Neither side could break the deadlock afterward.

1-1, a draw.

In the other group match, Real Madrid—having lost interest after being eliminated—suffered a 1-4 defeat away to Dortmund, triggering shockwaves throughout European football.

The world's most expensive and star-studded Galácticos were eliminated from the Champions League, finishing bottom of their group. It was a massive humiliation.

Spanish media and fans slammed Mourinho and the Real Madrid players, accusing them of collecting sky-high salaries without delivering performances, and of lacking ambition.

After the loss to Dortmund, Cristiano Ronaldo publicly voiced his frustration.

"This is not the Real Madrid I expected!"

The Portuguese superstar's remarks sparked further media speculation that he might consider leaving the club.

During Casillas's suspension, Ramos had served as acting captain. After the humiliating defeat to Dortmund, the Real Madrid centre-back didn't hold back in front of the media. He strongly criticized the team's poor performances, especially the state of the dressing room.

"It feels like we've gone back to the days when everything was falling apart. We lack unity. We lack cohesion. Everyone is just thinking about their own interests. Everyone's looking out for themselves."

"Our collapse in those years proved that only through collective effort and unity can we generate real fighting spirit. Even with more stars, if we play as individuals, we will fail."

Ramos added, "Now, everyone should reflect on what they've done over the past few months—including me. Are we doing the right thing? We'll soon find out."

Both AS and Marca reported that there had been a major locker room confrontation following the Dortmund defeat.

"Mourinho's shouting could be clearly heard from inside the visitors' dressing room."

It was clear that Real Madrid had completely lost control.

Calls for a managerial change grew louder and louder. It was obvious to everyone that Mourinho no longer had a grip on the dressing room. Under such circumstances, what were they waiting for?

Especially considering Carlo Ancelotti was still available…

And just then, Chelsea sacked André Villas-Boas.

The reason? He had failed to guide Chelsea through the Champions League group stage, finishing third.

Assistant coach Di Matteo would take charge temporarily.

According to The Daily Mail, Roman Abramovich hoped to bring Mourinho back to Stamford Bridge.

The entire European football world had descended into chaos.

(To be continued.)