SWR: Chapter 675/676

Chapter 676: Is This Your Revenge Against Real Madrid?

Farfan's dribble was intercepted and Felipe quickly played the ball forward.

"Gareth Bale has incredible speed, and Manchester City's counterattack is lightning-fast."

The front trident's counterattack formed a three-on-four situation.

"Look at what Gareth Bale just did. He broke through Atsuto Uchida on the left flank and sent a low cross along the line!"

"Suarez missed the ball in the center, and it rolled to the far post…"

"Robben!!!"

"Dribbling with his right foot, cuts inside beautifully, directly bypasses two defenders, and shoots with his left foot!"

"The ball is in!!!"

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!"

"Manchester City scores again, 4-0!"

"Only three minutes into the second half, Manchester City has broken through Schalke 04's defense once more with a quick counterattack. Robben scores again with a brilliant left-footed strike."

"This time, Manchester City's counterattack was sharp and decisive. Schalke's midfield failed to keep up, and the four defenders at the back couldn't handle the coordination of City's attacking trio."

"Four to zero! Magath really needs to make adjustments now."

"If Schalke 04 continues trying to go head-to-head with Manchester City, they could end up losing even more miserably."

…

"You're not going to keep being this stubborn, are you?"

Gao Shen glanced toward the home team's technical area with an innocent expression, muttering softly to himself.

Being stubborn is an illness. It needs treatment.

Carlo, Lucas, and Sari, who were standing nearby, heard him clearly. Their expressions turned strange.

They were speechless, thinking the same thing: Gao, could you be any more shameless?

You're obviously overjoyed inside. Why are you pretending to be so innocent?

Who do you think you're fooling?

Magath really was stubborn. Even after conceding three goals in the first half, he still tried to attack in the second half. Wasn't that asking for trouble?

But after conceding the fourth goal, Magath finally seemed to make up his mind.

In the 55th minute, American international Jermaine Jones replaced Baumjohann.

The midfield shape also shifted from the original diamond formation to a double defensive midfielder setup.

Manchester City continued to control possession, dictating the tempo of the match, and kept launching waves of attacks on Schalke 04.

However, Schalke, now focused on defending, managed to hold firm. With two defensive midfielders shielding the backline and City easing up slightly after establishing a four-goal lead, Magath's team stabilized.

In the 65th minute, Magath made his second substitution, bringing on Annan for Jurado.

This Annan was the nephew of former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Once dubbed "Essien II," the Ghanaian midfielder's development so far had been disappointing.

At present, his greatest claim to fame was still being the nephew of the former UN Secretary-General.

The final thirty minutes of the match were largely uneventful, with Manchester City rotating their squad and Schalke staying deep in defense.

The quality of play dropped noticeably, and City failed to score again.

The 4-0 scoreline remained unchanged until the final whistle.

…

"Congratulations."

As soon as the referee blew for full-time, Magath walked over to the visiting team's technical area and shook hands with Gao Shen.

The German's expression was grim, without the slightest hint of a smile. It felt as though he were being forced at gunpoint, looking utterly reluctant.

Gao Shen, on the other hand, was in a great mood, smiling warmly as he greeted Magath.

He actually wanted to ask: Why did you decide to attack Manchester City so recklessly?

Or even: How do you feel now?

But in the end, Gao Shen held back his urge to gossip.

Magath's situation was already miserable enough.

The blow Gao Shen delivered tonight might just have been the one that finished him off.

After shaking hands, Magath didn't say much. He turned and walked straight into the tunnel.

From the stands, faint chants could be heard from Schalke 04 fans calling for Magath's dismissal.

But Gao Shen didn't think it would happen so easily.

It was reported that the termination clause in Magath's contract with Schalke 04 was as high as 12 million euros—an astronomical sum for a club already drowning in debt.

In other words, Schalke 04 was so broke that they couldn't even afford to sack their coach.

Unless Magath willingly gave up the compensation fee, which would mean resigning voluntarily.

But according to Magath himself, he had no intention of doing that.

Gao Shen couldn't quite wrap his head around this complicated situation.

…

"Hey, Boss!"

Raul came over with a smile, giving Gao Shen a high-five and handshake.

Gao Shen pulled him in for a hug.

"You seem to be doing well," Gao Shen said cheerfully, clearly happy to see Raul.

He had noticed that Raul was adapting quite well at Schalke 04. After all, as the team's biggest star, he naturally received a lot of attention and respect.

"I just want to score more goals," Raul replied.

Gao Shen almost wanted to joke: Why bother working so hard?

In a couple of years, you'll be overtaken by those two record-breaking monsters anyway.

Instead of grinding it out here in the Bundesliga, wouldn't it be better to head to MLS or the Middle East and make some easy money?

But then again, people need their ambitions.

"By the way, your tactics tonight were a bit strange. It almost felt like you were helping us."

As soon as Gao Shen finished, Raul gave a bitter smile, looking a little embarrassed.

Boss, could you not phrase it like that?

Anyone who overheard might think Schalke 04 was fixing the match.

"He had a talk with me before the game. I reminded him to be careful, but he still chose to press forward. I guess the pressure's been getting to him lately," Raul sighed.

Unless you've been in that position yourself, you can't truly understand the kind of pressure a head coach faces.

It's the same reason no one understood why Guardiola would suddenly make a baffling decision before the Champions League final.

It's not just the pressure from the club's management. There's pressure from the locker room, the media, and the fans.

Worst of all, the head coach has to shoulder all of it alone. No one else can bear it for him.

"To be honest, Schalke 04 can't compare with Real Madrid," Raul admitted, his expression darkening.

Though he came up through Atletico Madrid's youth system, Raul had spent nearly his entire career at Real Madrid. His deepest memories of professional football were all tied to that club.

Leaving Real Madrid so suddenly required time to adjust, both mentally and emotionally.

Especially when moving from Real Madrid to a club like Schalke 04.

"There's a huge gap between the strength of our starting lineup and the quality of our bench. If we focus on doing well in the Champions League, it's hard to maintain form in the league. But because of the club's debt, we're under pressure to perform in the Champions League, at least to make it out of the group stage…"

Gao Shen raised his eyebrows in surprise. Wow, you're aiming to qualify from the group?

Looking at Raul, Gao Shen couldn't help but laugh. "So, is this your revenge against Real Madrid?"

If Schalke 04 wanted to make it out of the group stage, they would have to fight Real Madrid head-on.

"Boss, can't we just knock out Manchester City instead?" Raul shot back.

Gao Shen chuckled. "Don't forget, we've already won two in a row."

As he spoke, he raised two fingers in front of Raul with a grin.

Raul's expression turned sour.

Because at the same time, results from the other group match had come in.

Thanks to Ronaldo's goal, Real Madrid had defeated Inter Milan 1-0 at home.

This left Manchester City at the top of the group with two straight wins, while Real Madrid, with one win and one loss, sat in second place.

Inter Milan and Schalke 04 each had one draw and one loss, but because Schalke had conceded more goals, they dropped to the bottom of the group.

The situation was eerily similar to their position in the Bundesliga table—Schalke 04 in last place.

Raul had come to Schalke 04 hoping to score more goals in the Champions League. But after this heavy defeat, he couldn't help feeling confused and frustrated.

"Don't worry. In the next two rounds, I'll do my best to help you beat Inter Milan," Gao Shen patted Raul on the shoulder and encouraged him.

But Raul still looked a bit uneasy.

Could Schalke 04 really bounce back from this crushing home defeat?

More importantly, in the next round of the group stage, Raul would be leading Schalke 04 to the Santiago Bernabéu.

It would be his first time stepping into the Bernabéu as an opponent of Real Madrid.

Raul himself didn't know how he would handle that moment.

…

After crushing Real Madrid 5-0 at home in the first round, Manchester City followed up with a 4-0 away win over Schalke 04 in the second round.

Two wins from two, with zero goals conceded. A highly impressive start.

Both British and European media were full of praise for Manchester City's performance.

In fact, even before the season began, many had predicted that Manchester City would be this year's Champions League dark horse. With Gao Shen at the helm—a manager known for his ability to navigate cup competitions—and as the reigning Premier League champions, City was always going to be a serious threat.

Gao Shen didn't say much about Schalke 04 or Magath during the post-match press conference.

Although Magath expressed his dissatisfaction with Manchester City's approach after the game, claiming City's victory wasn't as easy as the score suggested and blaming Schalke's defeat on bad luck…

Gao Shen, on the other hand, was pleased with his team's performance but reminded everyone that two wins at the start meant nothing. The real test was still ahead.

If Manchester City wanted to progress from the group, the next two matches against Inter Milan would be the key.

Those would be the third and fourth rounds of the group stage.

"I don't know how others see it, but in my opinion, we still had some problems in the first two group matches. I believe my players can, and should, perform even better."

Gao Shen emphasized that the Champions League is the highest level of competition in world football.

"It demands complete focus and full effort in every game and every minute."

Clearly, Gao Shen was still trying to keep a low profile.

But with two dominant victories, it was impossible for Manchester City to avoid the spotlight. They had easily become the most eye-catching team in the opening rounds of the group stage.

Naturally, the media and fans went wild with the hype, and the attention on Manchester City skyrocketed.

Some media outlets even began touting Manchester City as one of the favorites to win the Champions League this season, a situation that left both Gao Shen and the club feeling a mix of pride and concern.

It was understandable.

Gao Shen had always believed in one saying: Born in adversity, die in comfort.

As a head coach, being a little more worried is always a good thing.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 677: What Can I Do to Save You and My Arsenal?

"You really are such a fool, leaving every single hair for me to cut."

At their villa in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, Su Qing held a hair clipper, carefully trimming Gao Shen's hair.

She didn't know any fancy techniques. She simply left a few centimeters of hair in the middle and tried to make the edges as thin as possible.

Gao Shen was mumbling as she worked, but his expression was full of joy.

"What do you know? I'm advertising for rent. Look, I just landed a sponsorship from a hair clipper brand," Gao Shen said proudly.

He was referring to a sponsorship deal he had recently signed with an internationally renowned hair clipper brand. The company had approached him directly and was offering three million euros per year in sponsorship fees.

Since Gao Shen genuinely liked their product, he had even agreed to give them a small discount.

"Yes, yes, you're amazing. You can even find sponsors for something like this," Su Qing laughed as she scolded him affectionately. "How about next time you just walk out naked, put 'available for advertising' on every part of your body, and see how many sponsors you can attract?"

Gao Shen was speechless, but in fact, there had indeed been some underwear brands that approached him.

"I was just telling Buenaventura and Pintus that I want to work out, get eight-pack abs, and then go sign underwear ads. They're offering five million euros a year," Gao Shen said exaggeratedly.

Su Qing knew about this, but she didn't believe Gao Shen was working out just for ad deals.

To be honest, he had indeed put on a little weight recently.

…

The clipper worked well for quick trimming, but it was tricky when it came to the finer details. If she wasn't careful, she could easily cut too much and leave a patchy spot.

Maybe it was the long flight or jet lag, but Su Qing was clearly not at her best today and made several mistakes. In the end, Gao Shen had no choice but to let her shave his hair into a three-millimeter buzz cut.

"You should really thank my parents. They blessed me with a good head shape that hides your terrible haircutting skills," Gao Shen teased with a smile.

Su Qing snorted in annoyance, knowing full well that her performance today had been poor.

Gao Shen was right. When it comes to buzz cuts like this, the shape of the head matters a lot. A slightly crooked head shape would look especially awkward.

"And now you're even criticizing me as soon as we meet. I'm seriously starting to suspect whether you're messing around outside," Su Qing complained playfully. This was just one of their usual ways of joking as a couple.

"Do you think I dare?" Gao Shen replied with a grin. "The world out there is way too dangerous. What if I accidentally call someone, regardless of their gender? What am I supposed to do then?"

Su Qing burst out laughing, lightly smacking him and telling him not to move.

Gao Shen trusted her completely. The same went for Su Qing toward him.

Besides, there was always media scrutiny.

Recently, a scandal had broken out in the Premier League involving several Mexican internationals hiring prostitutes. Among those involved were Fulham's Salcido, Celtic's midfielder Suarez, and Arsenal's Vela.

They had hired prostitutes at a rave party back in September and were subsequently punished. The most severely penalized was Celtic's Suarez, who received a six-month ban and a £2,500 fine.

At first, the incident hadn't attracted much attention.

After all, young players with too much energy partying and hiring prostitutes was hardly surprising.

Professional football is a world full of fame and fortune, with constant rumors swirling around. These things had become common occurrences. The Mexican players involved weren't big names, so no one paid much attention.

But the story had suddenly gone viral again in the past few days.

A man using the stage name "Jima," whose real name was Yamil Herrera, revealed to the media that he was one of the sex workers involved in the scandal. According to his story, Fulham midfielder Salcido had spotted him, initiated contact, and the two kissed passionately before having sex in a hotel bathroom.

The key point? Herrera was a transgender person.

This piece of news instantly hit all the sensitive headlines and caused a huge stir throughout the UK.

How did this even happen?

According to Herrera, Salcido had no idea throughout the encounter and only learned the truth afterward from Herrera himself. Salcido was reportedly shocked.

Arsenal's Vela was also implicated after a photo surfaced of him with Herrera.

This was exactly the scandal Gao Shen was referring to now.

Of course, Gao Shen was genuinely curious.

How had Herrera managed to keep Salcido completely unaware the entire time?

After all, Ronaldo had experienced something similar two years earlier.

At the time, Ronaldo was playing for AC Milan. During his recovery back home in Brazil, he apparently got bored and brought a prostitute to a motel. He then called two more over, planning a four-person party.

But what infuriated Ronaldo was that the first prostitute he brought turned out to be transgender.

What made things worse was that the two others he called afterward were also...

The fantasy of a four-person party that he had long been looking forward to completely fell apart. Ronaldo was so disgusted he almost vomited.

He had a heated argument with the three of them on the spot. Although they didn't actually serve him, they recognized Ronaldo and immediately tried to blackmail him, demanding $30,000 in hush money.

Ronaldo only offered $600, which they refused. In the end, he had no choice but to call the police.

The world really is too dangerous.

If you're not careful, who knows who might set you up?

…

Su Qing planned to stay in the UK a little longer this time. She had accumulated her vacation days and was taking them all together over the National Day holiday, giving her an extended break.

Gao Shen also planned to take advantage of the two-week international break and the league suspension to spend some quality time with her.

Both families had already begun discussing the marriage arrangements.

After all, both Gao Shen and Su Qing were already thirty years old and had been engaged for some time. Getting married soon would also ease the concerns of their families.

Su Zhijun and his wife had openly stated that they intended to give their daughter's dowry in the form of shares in Gaoshen Company, along with all their real estate and assets in China, plus their hometown supermarket chain.

Gao Shen's family initially didn't want to accept it. They felt they didn't need that money. But Su Zhijun was very insistent, repeatedly saying that he had only one daughter and all the family property would eventually be hers anyway, so whether he gave it earlier or later didn't make a difference.

When Gao Shen first heard this, he didn't say much. But right away, he asked Su Qing to help him order a high-end luxury car and gave it to Su Zhijun on behalf of both of them.

Currently, the house they lived in back in Shanghai and the office building where their business was located were both high-end properties. But Su Zhijun still drove an older, more modest car. Now that the business was on track, with orders pouring in and supply running short, Gao Shen felt it was only right to show proper appreciation.

Su Zhijun didn't really care about cars on a daily basis and had never thought about upgrading.

Gao Shen saw this gift as a way to express gratitude.

Though they were future in-laws and would eventually be family, the proper etiquette still needed to be observed.

No matter how close people are, if you fail to show respect and act stingy, even if everything seems fine on the surface, resentment can build up beneath.

Because Gao Shen wasn't in China, Su Qing had been handling many things on his behalf.

Even though she was busy with her own work, she still managed everything efficiently for Gao Shen.

Like the Christmas gifts prepared for the players every year.

The two of them had already chosen each other, and the families were deeply connected. Marriage was just the final step, one that would reassure both sides. So why not go through with it?

…

On the afternoon of October 3, in the seventh round of the Premier League, Manchester City hosted Newcastle at home.

It was a bit unlucky that many of Manchester City's matches this season were scheduled at noon or in the early afternoon.

The main reason was the Premier League's need to accommodate its global broadcast audience.

Gao Shen continued with a rotation lineup and started the match by launching a fierce offensive against Newcastle. In the first fifteen minutes, Manchester City earned five corner kicks.

On average, that was a corner every three minutes.

The frustrating part was that they didn't manage to score from any of them.

Finally, in the 17th minute, City won their sixth corner, and David Luiz headed the ball into the net to break the deadlock.

But just five minutes later, Newcastle's Argentine winger Gutierrez made a cross from the left. Jerome Boateng, who was starting in place of Kompany, barely managed to block the ball, but his clearance was poor. Before David Luiz could step up to clear it, Gutierrez followed up and slotted the ball into the net from close range.

1-1!

After the equalizer, Manchester City kept pushing forward, launching wave after wave of attacks against Newcastle.

In the 39th minute, Robinho crossed from the left flank, and Hazard timed his run perfectly, meeting the ball in the box and finishing to restore City's lead.

During the second half, Gao Shen made tactical adjustments based on what he observed in the first half.

Less than five minutes after the restart, Van Persie assisted Robinho, who scored again.

In the 72nd and 80th minutes, Van Persie capitalized on defensive mistakes by Newcastle to score twice more.

In the end, Manchester City defeated Newcastle 5-1 at home.

…

The focus of this round, however, was the clash between Chelsea and Arsenal.

In this match, Arsenal's performance was noticeably better than in their previous games. From the opening whistle, they took the initiative, pressing Chelsea high up the pitch and applying heavy pressure.

This aggressive pressing approach was clearly something they had learned from playing against Manchester City.

The idea was to put as much pressure as possible on Chelsea's midfield, disrupting their rhythm and forcing errors in their passing.

Under this kind of pressing, Chelsea really had no good solutions. Ancelotti was forced to adjust the team's tactics, switching to a defensive and counterattacking approach.

But once Chelsea stabilized, Arsenal's own problems were quickly exposed.

First, Anelka missed a one-on-one chance. Then Drogba scored with a brilliant backheel, giving Chelsea the lead.

Neither side managed to score again until the 85th minute, when Alex fired in a powerful direct free kick from distance to seal the result.

In the end, Chelsea beat Arsenal 2-0.

Arsenal had suffered yet another defeat. Their current position in the league was eighth.

It was clear to everyone that Arsenal's form was far from ideal, and their situation was dire.

Not to mention fighting for the top four, at this rate, Arsenal would be lucky just to qualify for European competition.

Even The Independent, a paper traditionally friendly toward Arsenal, couldn't help but express its concern.

What can I do to save you, my Arsenal?

(To be continued.)