As the game ehe 80th mi pletely shifted into Napoli's rhythm.

  Gao Shen substituted Di Maria, moved Gervinho to the right, pushed Sáo the front line, and switched Napoli's formation to a 4-4-2.

  Hamsik wasn't in top form tonight, so Gao Shen decided to repce him.

  Napoli increased their offensive pressure after the substitutions, while Roma chose to stabilize their defeh their own ges.

  The bination of Aquini and Pizarro was somewhat weaker defensively, but with Perrotta prote ahead of them, Roma's defense remained solid, repeatedly thwarting Napoli's attacks.

  Gao Shen stood on the sidelines, shaking his head.

  "It's still not enough. Our midfield o be stronger, especially in terms of passing and creating ces."

  Carlo and Guardio nodded in agreement. There were still plenty of issues in Napoli's squad.

  When the game opened up, Napoli's attack became threatening, but in a truly tough match, the team cked enough offeions. The root cause was their inability to effectively pass and create danger.

  Hamsik was often pared to Nedvěd, highlighting some simirities with the Czech superstar, but passing and providing assists were not his strong suits. The same could be said fervinho and Sánchez.

  Rakitid Biglia had ability and talent in passing and anization, but when faced with high-iy and tight defehey cked the sharpness needed.

  Or rather, there was stability but not enough creativity.

  It's a difficult situation.

  It's simir to Real Madrid's Guti, whose creativity was incredible, but he was insistent he could be brilliant or pletely off.

  The reality was that pyers who could offer both creativity and sistency were far beyond Napoli's current reach.

  Especially sideri season, when Napoli would be in Serie A, there would be more matches like this one, with eveer defeensity.

  A pyer like Dal Bona wasn't going to cut it for Napoli anymore.

  "Is it possible t in De Red?" Carlo asked.

  After Emerson joined Real Madrid, De Red had fewer ces to py, but Gao Shen still shook his head.

  "De Red, Arbeloa, Negredo, Soldado let's not think about them. Real Madrid won't let them go, and even if they did, the pyers themselves might not want to leave."

  Gao Shen did have a close retionship with them, but that didn't mean he could just call them up and vihem to join Napoli.

  It wasn't that simple.

  Even if the pyers were willing, they had agents, and they weren't stupid.

  Besides, every pyer had their own career pn how could they ge that so easily?

  T them over, Napoli would have to offer a package that matched their career ambitions and financial is.

  Otherwise, if Gao Shen tried to persuade them directly, it might damage their retionship. The pyers could even start seeing him as just another opportunist, and they might never see each other in the same light again.

  Gao Shen had seey of simir situations in his previous life in the corporate world.

  When it es to favors aionships, either both sides be and the retionship grows stronger, or you don't ask for favors lightly. You wait for the right moment, or for the other party to offer their help, and then you repay them generously.

  Some people don't uand this. They think that just because they have a e, they ask for help with every little thing. If you don't help, they pin that you're ungrateful and no lood person.

  The best strategy with these kinds of people? Stay away from them.

  Whether it's young pyers at Real Madrid or superstars like Zidane and Ronaldo, Gao Shen maintained regur tact with them. But he never funted his es, and he worked hard to maintain geionships.

  Even if there es a time when he wants to sign a Real Madrid pyer, it will be dohrough official els, fair and square.

  ...

  Napoli tio probe Roma's defe struggled to break through.

  Then, ih minute, Vidal mao steal the ball from Aquini and quickly passed it to Biglia.

  The Argentine midfielder surged forward and passed to Di María on the left wing, who then crossed to i.

  The Uruguayan striker attempted to pass the ball to Sánchez in the penalty area, but Chivu intervened and cleared it.

  However, the clearance didn't go far, nding just outside the box.

  Biglia quickly rushed fetting to the ball ahead of Pizarro, trolled it, and passed it bato the right side of the penalty area.

  In the chaos, Gervinho suddenly appeared in the box. He made a quick move towards the goal and, before Chivu could react, slotted the ball into the bottht er.

  Roma's goalkeeper Doni was stunned and could do nothing to prevent the goal.

  1-2!

  Napoli had pulled a goal back.

  ...

  On the sidelines, Gao Shen ched his fists in celebration.

  The gnited Napoli's hopes of advang.

  The rules for the Coppa Italia knockout stages are simir to the Champions League: if the aggregate score is tied after two legs, away goals e into py. This made Gervinho's goal extremely important.

  Roma's fans uood this well. After seeing Gervinho's goal and his exuberant celebration, the stadium erupted into boos and insults. Many of them eveed to racist slurs, whifuriated Gao Shen.

  "I'm going to ask the club to file an official protest," Gao Shen said angrily.

  Italy is very servative, and the issue of racism has always been serious.

  As Arrigo Sacchi once said, this mentality is deeply ingrained in the culture.

  "With this goal, in the sed leg, we'll send Roma pag!" Gao Shen said fidently.

  Carlo and Guardio exged gnces.

  Has he already figured out a way to deal with Roma?

  In truth, if Rakitic had been on the field, Napoli might have equalized by now.

  The team had missed several ces and cked anization and creativity in their attacks, but they had clearly dominated much of the match.

  Gao Shen's on-the-spot adjustments were crucial iing Napoli ba the game.

  For example, f Spalletti to substitute De Rossi pyed a major role in Napoli's goal.

  De Rossi's stability and defensive positioning were key to proteg Roma's defense, something that Pizarro and Aquini couldn't provide.

  This was why Biglia was able to push forward from midfield, win the ball, a up the py that led to the goal.

  In essehis goal came from Spalletti's substitution decision.

  Unfortunately, it would likely go unnoticed.

  Because, in the end, Napoli still lost.

  ...

  When referee Luca Banti blew the final whistle, Gao Shen didn't look disappoi all. Instead, he smiled and walked onto the pitch to greet his pyers, giving each of them a high-five or a hug.

  "Well done, everyone!"

  "Biglia, that was a brilliant pass!"

  "Gervinho, that goal was beautiful! Don't mind the crowd noise!"

  He went around, encing and praising each of his pyers.

  Napoli's pyers were a little fused. Did we just win?

  Even Roma's pyers were surprised. They had won 2-1, so why did it seem like Gao Shen was celebrating?

  Spalletti scratched his bald head, baffled.

  This coach sure acts strangely.

  He's happy about losing?

  And then Spalletti thought, I won, Shouldn't I be even happier than him?

  So, Spalletti also cheerfully greeted his pyers.

  ...

  "That was a great match, Mr. Spalletti!"

  Gao Sheended his hand, shaking Spalletti's firmly. "But it's a shame we didn't py our best tonight. Otherwise, the result would have been different."

  Spalletti could hear the tone in Gao Shen's voice there was clear dissatisfa and a sense of unfinished business.

  "You pyed incredibly well. It's no small feat for a Serie B team to show such strength. I believe you'll definitely be promoted to Serie A this season and could even be a dark horse season."

  Dark horse?

  Just a dark horse?

  Gao Shen could tell that Spalletti thought highly of Napoli's ces of getting promoted and even perf well in Serie A season. But to Spalletti, that was merely "impressive."

  "You know, Mr. Spalletti, when I said I'd build a Serie A team in three years, I wasn't joking."

  Spalletti's eyes widened slightly. What do you mean?

  "I've seriously thought about and studied this pn, and I believe it's entirely achievable. And…"

  Gao Shen paused deliberately, "Also, when I said three years, I was being servative."

  Spalletti uood now this was a challenge.

  " season, we won't just be a surprising dark horse in Serie A. But before that, this seaso week at the San Paolo, I'll show you the real Napoli!"

  With that, Gao Shen gave Spalletti a polite nod and turo leave.

  "See you week, Mr. Spalletti."

  Spalletti stood there, watg Gao Shen walk away. He could feel the immense fidence radiating from the young coach.

  But he didn't quite uand where did a newly promoted Serie B coach get such fidence?

  With a team of young pyers in their early twenties, did Gao Shen truly think they could challenge a powerful Serie A team?

  Tonight's game was the first after the winter break, and Roma's pyers weren't at their best, especially Totti. Even though he scored, wasn't Napoli worse?

  Would Napoli have scored if De Rossi hadn't been substituted?

  As Spalletti pohis, he gritted his teeth in frustration.

  He hoped that when they met agai week, Gao Shen wouldn't be so smug.

  ...

  Gao Shen paid no attention to Spalletti's thoughts. As he made his way back to the visitors' bench, he bumped into Lucas.

  "Fernando, when you get back tonight, work hard and pull an all-nighter if you have to. I want a detailed analysis of this game. Also, make sure I have the video footage on my desk by tomorrow m."

  Luodded quickly, already used to Gao Shen's demanding style.

  This wasn't just about learning from their mistakes. Gao Shen clearly had a pn.

  He reparing to fight to the very end with Roma!

  With Lucas's deep uanding of Gao Shen, he khat his boss must have spotted Roma's weakness.