SWR: Chapter 656/657

Chapter 656: The Dark Side
A week later, it was time for the second round of the Premier League.

No one expected that Blackpool, already stunned by an upset in the first round, would suffer a crushing 0–6 defeat away to Arsenal in the opening match of Round Two.

Young gun Walcott bagged a hat trick, while Arshavin, Diaby, and Chamakh each added a goal.

After drawing with Liverpool in the first round, the Gunners turned up the heat in the second round with an offensive feast.

Tottenham, who had been thrashed by Manchester City in the first round, bounced back with a 2–1 away win over Stoke City, thanks to a brace from Džeko.

But the real shock came from Chelsea.

Ancelotti's Blues demolished Wigan Athletic 6–0 away from home, with Anelka and Kalou each scoring twice.

Across the first two rounds, Chelsea had racked up twelve goals, a staggering achievement.

Wigan, on the other hand, had conceded ten goals in two matches, which was just as surprising.

Coincidentally, in another game played at the same time, Newcastle United thrashed Aston Villa 6–0, with Andy Carroll netting a hat trick.

Manchester United, who had defeated Newcastle in the first round, followed that up with a 2–1 away win over Fulham.

…

On the evening of August 22nd, at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester.

Manchester City hosted Liverpool.

The deadlock was broken in the 23rd minute. Javi Martinez, Lichtsteiner, and Robben executed a series of quick two-on-one passes down the right flank, eventually releasing the ball to Rakitic, who made a forward run.

The Croatian midfielder dribbled into the right side of the penalty area and played a cutback to the edge of the six-yard box. Suarez charged in but missed it overhead. David Silva controlled the ball with his left foot and calmly slotted it home, giving Manchester City a 1–0 lead!

After that, Liverpool launched a fierce counterattack.

Benítez's side showed courage both in the opening stages and after falling behind. They had four consecutive shots inside City's penalty area, but Neuer came up with a series of brilliant saves to keep his side ahead.

In the second half, neither side made any substitutions, but in the 62nd minute, Manchester City capitalized on a corner kick. Kompany rose high to flick the ball toward the far post, where Suarez finished from close range to make it 2–0.

The match remained tight throughout. Both teams had chances, but Manchester City took theirs, and Liverpool were thwarted by Neuer. The German keeper made several outstanding saves to keep a clean sheet.

In the end, Manchester City defeated Liverpool 2–0.

Although the scoreline read 2–0, the match itself was a hard-fought battle, and City came away with a narrow escape.

Liverpool's overall strength remained formidable, but due to financial constraints, the Reds hadn't made any major signings during the summer.

Their start to the new season was less than ideal, with one draw and one loss from their opening two matches.

Most notably, Torres, their top striker, had yet to produce any exciting performances this season.

…

"Congratulations, Gao!"

As Gao Shen walked over to the visitors' technical area, Benítez extended a polite handshake.

"Thank you, Rafa. It was a great match."

Benítez had a slight smile on his face, but it felt a little forced.

No surprise—his team had just lost.

"You've built a very strong team this season and made some big moves in the market. Seems like you're really going for it," Benítez said blandly. But when you think about it, there was a hint of envy, maybe even a little bitterness.

Knowing his personality, he was probably thinking: If I had a squad that strong, I could win too!

Gao Shen didn't argue. To a certain extent, Benítez wasn't wrong.

In the professional game, money isn't everything, but without money, you're not going anywhere.

Many people criticized Gao Shen's heavy spending this summer, calling it excessive.

Just look at the abundance of forwards on the team—Suarez, Van Persie, Giroud, Sturridge, Robinho. It looked like a waste of talent.

But what they didn't understand was that this was all part of a bigger plan—by Gao Shen, Mansour, and Mubarak.

With Platini's Financial Fair Play policy about to take effect, this two- to three-year transition window was Manchester City's last chance. They needed to build a top-tier squad quickly to secure their place among Europe's elite.

If City had to rely on gradual growth, it would be impossible to catch up with the established Big Four in the short term.

Just like last season, after City won the league, Arsenal dropped out of contention. The Gunners were forced to sell players just to keep the squad afloat, otherwise, they would have fallen apart.

But clearly, that path was unsustainable. It was like drinking poison to quench thirst. Wenger had no choice.

After selling Van Persie and Adebayor, Wenger brought in Chamakh. How much did that cost?

Of course Wenger knew Chamakh couldn't replace Van Persie or Adebayor.

But he had no choice. He had no money.

As Mansour once told Gao Shen, "I'm not concerned about the losses. What I care about is whether you can take Manchester City to the next level!"

And Gao Shen promised, "I'll do everything I can to turn Manchester City into a new powerhouse in the shortest time possible!"

And for any European giant, one competition is essential.

The Champions League!

This was the shared goal of Gao Shen and Manchester City.

They both wanted the Champions League!

So far, Gao Shen had spent over €300 million of Mansour's money. But if he could build a top team, it would be a worthy investment. Mansour planned to build a football empire, starting with Manchester City.

…

Even though Manchester City's second-round performance wasn't as dazzling as Chelsea's, or as explosive as Newcastle's, what they offered was consistency.

Beating Tottenham 4–0 and Liverpool 2–0, City had made a strong statement.

With those two wins, and after Blackpool's heavy loss to Arsenal, City climbed to second in the table, level on points with Chelsea, trailing only on goal difference.

Three days later, following the completion of the Champions League qualifiers, the 32 group stage teams were officially confirmed.

UEFA immediately ranked the teams based on their coefficient points from European competitions and divided them into four pots.

Unsurprisingly, Manchester City, with no European competition history, was placed in Pot 4.

This came as no surprise. It was just the reality.

What was surprising was that Real Madrid, loaded with superstars, had only made it into Pot 2.

It was absurd!

When Gao Shen saw the standings, his first reaction was: Something shady is going on!

It felt like a fix!

He nearly called Platini himself to ask if there'd been a miscalculation.

"Real Madrid won the Champions League in 2006!" Gao Shen argued.

"But in the past four years, they've all been knocked out in the Round of 16," Carlo reminded him with a wry smile.

That's when Gao Shen understood.

UEFA calculates coefficients over five years. So...

"That's right. If Real Madrid doesn't make progress this season, next year's ranking will be even worse!"

Sometimes, even Carlo struggled to understand why a team as strong as Real Madrid couldn't get past the Round of 16.

With that kind of squad, how could they fall short every year?

The only explanation was that the issue wasn't with their strength, but their execution.

It could be the manager. It could be tactics. It could be mental fragility.

The three English teams—Manchester United, Chelsea, and Liverpool—were all in Pot 1. That meant Manchester City was guaranteed to face one of Inter Milan, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, or Lyon.

Pot 2 also featured strong teams like Real Madrid, Werder Bremen, Napoli, Benfica, Valencia, and Shakhtar Donetsk.

Pot 3 offered a slightly better chance, but still included tricky teams like Ajax, Schalke 04, Braga, and Spartak Moscow.

The biggest issue with the Russian clubs was the travel—too far and too tiring.

As for Pot 4, Manchester City was the main troublemaker.

"We can't always be this unlucky, right?" Sari asked with a wry smile, looking at Gao Shen and the others.

A group of death is a group of death—the only question is how deadly it'll be.

If they drew a team like Lyon, that would actually be a decent result. It would be like finding happiness in misfortune.

If they ended up with Barcelona, though, it would be a complete barbecue. The only silver lining would be avoiding Real Madrid from Pot 2.

This was City's first appearance in the Champions League since the takeover. While many of the players had European experience, this was their first test as a unit. They needed to be cautious. A slow, steady climb would be the ideal path.

"Just wait. Statistically speaking, the chance of us drawing the worst group is 100%," Lucas said with a laugh.

"Why's that?" Sari looked puzzled.

"If you remove the three English teams from Pot 1, we don't have many options left. When you combine that with the strong teams in Pots 2 and 3, we're guaranteed to end up in a tough group. That's the curse of Pot 4."

And it wasn't just City. Real Madrid and Napoli in Pot 2 were in a similar boat.

They had to face a Pot 1 team. That was unavoidable.

"So we might as well face it head-on, ditch the fantasy, and get ready for war!" Lucas said excitedly.

Honestly?

The league is long. It's a grind. It tests the team's overall strength.

But cup competitions, especially knockout rounds, are something else. They're tense and thrilling. Lucas wasn't the only one who looked forward to the Champions League knockout stages—Gao Shen did too.

He loved that feeling of eliminating an opponent.

The league just couldn't match that.

…

On the evening of the 26th, at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.

The UEFA Champions League group stage draw and annual awards ceremony officially began.

City sent CEO Gary Cook to attend in person.

Gao Shen and the coaching staff stayed behind at the club after training to watch the live broadcast.

He didn't care much for the awards, Barcelona were bound to sweep them.

His focus was on the draw.

Even if it's a group of death, you need to know who you're up against!

(To be continued.)

Chapter 657: Avengers

"If, and I mean if, we actually draw Real Madrid, I'm not going to attend the UEFA Elite Summit this season!"

Before the draw ceremony, Gao Shen sat on the sofa and made this dramatic declaration, as if Platini and the others in Monaco could hear him all the way from Manchester.

In reality, it was just Gao Shen venting to himself.

He was simply frustrated.

He truly didn't want to face Real Madrid.

On one hand, he still had deep feelings for the club. On the other hand, Real Madrid was genuinely strong.

They were already guaranteed to face a first-tier powerhouse, and if Real Madrid came out of the second tier, that would be a nightmare.

Gao Shen wasn't afraid of strong opponents. After all, in the Champions League, you always have to go up against the best.

But did it have to be so soon? Did it have to be Real Madrid?

Another key reason was that Gao Shen still hoped Real Madrid could go further in the competition.

If they got knocked out in the Round of 16 again this season, their European coefficient would drop even further.

Right now, they had 84 points. If they lost the points from the 2005–2006 season, they'd lose nearly 30 points.

Currently, third-tier teams have 56 points in European competitions.

If they don't make a breakthrough in the next two seasons, Real Madrid might actually fall into the third tier.

"We don't have a choice!" Lucas said with a wry smile.

The rules are what they are, and Manchester City is in the fourth tier.

Unless the draw is canceled, there's a high chance Real Madrid will be drawn against them. That's just how it is.

…

While Gao Shen was watching the draw in Manchester, at the Bernabéu in Madrid, Florentino, Zidane, Manuel Redondo, and others were also nervously glued to the TV screen in the president's office.

For some reason, Florentino had a bad feeling.

He wasn't alone. That kind of hunch had existed for years, to the point where people often suspected UEFA's draws were rigged.

But Florentino could swear tonight's draw was fair. Valdano was there in person to oversee it.

If Real Madrid ended up drawing the mighty Manchester City, then it was just bad luck.

"Tell me honestly, Zinedine. If we do face Manchester City, what are our chances of winning?" Florentino asked solemnly.

He sincerely hoped Mourinho could lead Real Madrid to victory over the powerful City.

Only then could he prove that his decision not to hire Gao Shen had been right.

"I don't know," Zidane said, shaking his head with a bitter smile.

"You don't know?" Florentino was a little surprised. Was Zidane just reluctant to tell him the truth?

Zidane noticed Florentino's puzzled look and immediately explained, "Since Gao Shen arrived in the Premier League, he's upgraded his tactical system. Compared to his time in Serie A, it's more refined, especially in the details. I'm not the only one who thinks so. Even Valdano said the same."

"Plus, this Manchester City squad was built by Gao Shen. Combine that with the tactical system he's implemented, and considering the depth of the squad, no one knows how far he can take them."

Florentino nodded slightly, agreeing with Zidane's assessment.

"But Zinedine," Manuel Redondo interjected, "This is Manchester City's first time in the Champions League."

Zidane looked at the general manager. "Yes, but this is Gao Shen's second season coaching City."

Manchester City won the Premier League last season. Their strength was on par with the traditional top four, yet they were placed in the fourth tier. That was perhaps the most absurd aspect of the Champions League draw system.

No one could predict how much fighting power Manchester City would unleash after a full year of top-level training.

But one thing was clear—City were strong.

Because they had depth.

"Back then, Napoli also made their Champions League debut. And what happened?" Zidane asked with a smile.

The legend that Gao Shen created in Naples was still widely celebrated. Even the double titles he won at Real Madrid were missed by many fans.

This was why Florentino didn't want to face Gao Shen.

Even now, countless Real Madrid fans continued to follow Gao Shen and urged the club to bring him back.

Especially during the years when Real Madrid struggled, while Gao Shen thrived in Serie A and the Premier League. To fans, Gao Shen had become almost legendary.

When Florentino changed coaches this summer, he didn't approach Gao Shen. Even though he brought in Mourinho, he still faced questions from the media and fans.

If Real Madrid really drew the powerful Manchester City, they'd have only one option, face it head-on.

…

At Real Madrid's Valdebebas training base on the outskirts of Madrid.

Mourinho and his coaching staff sat in the office, watching the draw live.

After assistant coach Villas-Boas went solo, Mourinho brought in Faria as his right-hand man. With the addition of Karanka, assigned by the club, he had someone familiar with Real Madrid to guide the way.

Still, Mourinho felt uneasy about the draw.

He didn't want to face Manchester City.

Everyone knew about the drama between Gao Shen and Real Madrid, and that Mourinho only got the coaching job after Gao Shen turned it down.

The pressure Mourinho would face if drawn against Gao Shen was unimaginable.

The Portuguese coach might be bold, but he was well aware of both his strengths and limitations, as well as the current state of Real Madrid.

Did Real Madrid truly have what it took to beat Manchester City?

Even if he played it safe and managed to win, he might still get criticized.

From the moment he took the job, even before that, the media and fans had constantly compared him to Gao Shen.

He didn't want to go up against Gao Shen.

Not because he was afraid, but because he wasn't sure he could beat Gao Shen in a way that would satisfy the fans.

"It's okay. We're not going to be that unlucky," Karanka said with a comforting smile.

Mourinho looked at his assistant, then at the TV, and smiled bitterly to himself.

Luck was something that couldn't be explained.

And with Real Madrid in the second tier, they had a 50 percent chance of drawing a Premier League side.

No matter which one it was, none of them would be easy.

…

"The top seeds have all been drawn. Now we move on to the awards. After that, we'll begin the draw for the second pot."

José Ramón de la Morena, the veteran host of Spain's Cadena SER, was updating listeners on the draw's progress, focusing in particular on Real Madrid's situation in Pot 2.

Everyone knew that the group Real Madrid landed in was likely to be a group of death.

What could you expect, with the Galacticos' poor European performances over the last four years?

"The most eye-catching team in Pot 2 is definitely Real Madrid."

"We saw the first team drawn was Benfica. They got Lyon. That's a good draw. Lyon is probably the weakest of the eight top-seeded teams."

"But this puts Real Madrid in a tough spot. They avoided Barcelona and didn't get Lyon. So they're bound to face a stronger opponent."

Soon, Napoli, Shakhtar Donetsk, Valencia, and Marseille were also drawn.

With the three Premier League giants all out of the picture, Real Madrid's draw became more awkward.

"Here we go. Real Madrid has been drawn with Inter Milan!"

"Real Madrid will face Inter Milan!"

"How should we evaluate this draw? It's not terrible, but not ideal either. After all, Mourinho knows this Inter team inside and out. Their current coach, Leonardo, succeeded Mourinho and inherited much of his tactical approach."

"I believe Real Madrid will feel more confident against Inter Milan. So all things considered, it's actually a pretty decent draw."

De la Morena sounded noticeably more upbeat.

"Who says UEFA draws aren't rigged? Mourinho facing his old club—this is classic UEFA storytelling."

"I wouldn't be surprised if Schalke 04 gets drawn next."

"You have to remember, Schalke 04 has four former Real Madrid players—Raúl, Huntelaar, Metzelder, and Jurado. UEFA loves these kinds of storylines, pitting players against their old clubs. There's no more fitting third-tier team than Schalke 04."

De la Morena joked on air.

In general, Bundesliga teams were looked down upon by Premier League and La Liga clubs.

Aside from Bayern Munich, most German teams lacked competitiveness. Schalke 04 had finished second in the Bundesliga last season, behind Bayern, but they still weren't taken seriously.

If Schalke 04 were really that good, why were they stockpiling Real Madrid castoffs?

Especially players like Raúl, Huntelaar, and Metzelder, who couldn't even make the squad in Madrid.

De la Morena even quipped, "It's like an Avengers team assembled to take revenge on Real Madrid!"

But sometimes, reality really is stranger than fiction.

Because, sure enough, Schalke 04 was drawn into the same group as Real Madrid.

Serie A champions. La Liga runners-up. Bundesliga runners-up...

Who would believe this wasn't a group of death?

Even De la Morena was a little shocked.

He had been joking, but his prediction actually came true.

What's more...

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Premier League champions are in Pot 4!"

That's right. After the Pot 3 draw, all eyes turned to Manchester City in Pot 4.

Barcelona, Inter Milan, AC Milan—whichever group City joined would instantly become a group of death.

If they got lucky and landed in the group with Bayern and Lyon, that would be considered a major break.

But if their bad luck continued and they were drawn into Inter's group… that would be unbelievable.

"I still remember Gao Shen once said he doesn't believe in luck, because his luck has always been terrible. Now, I think if that's true, we'll likely see Gao Shen at the Bernabéu this season."

"I believe it'll be a match to remember for all Real Madrid fans. But for the club—and for Mourinho—it might be a very different story."

(To be continued.)