After the first leg of the fourth round of the Coppa Italia, everyone was astoo see that nearly all of the Serie B teams had been eliminated.

  A crushed Brescia 4-0 at home, Trestina lost 1-2 at home to Roma, Sampdoria lost 0-1 at home to Palermo...

  Only Napoli, pying at home against Parma, secured a 2-0 victory with two goals scored in the first six minutes, pletely dominating the match.

  As Gazzetta dello Sport reported: "Napoli once agaiheir signature high-level offensive football!"

  Judging from the overall matchups between Serie A and Serie B teams, even mid-to-lower-tier Serie A teams have a clear strength advantage over strong Serie B teams, and this advantage bees particurly evident in cup petitions.

  This isn't surprising. If there were no signifit differen strength between Serie A and Serie B teams, why would there be two different league levels?

  What is surprising, however, is Napoli's ability to leapfrog a Serie A teams sistently in the cup, especially iest victory over Parma.

  However, some media outlets raised questions, pointing out that Napoli's impressive performances had all e at home against Ascoli, Juventus, and Parma.

  "If Napoli really wants to prove themselves, we o see how they perform away from home in the sed leg."

  "Parma will undoubtedly go all out to unch a terattack when they return to their home stadium for the sed leg. That will be the true test for Napoli."

  This se wasn't just echoed by the media, but by Parma's coach, Pioli, in his post-match press ference as well.

  Pioli admitted that his team had faced immense difficulties at the Stadio San Paolo, especially at the start, which saw them pying very passively. Napoli seized the opportunity and scored two quick goals, whipletely ged the game's dynamics.

  "Our oppos did indeed get a bit lucky at home, as both of their early shots resulted in goals."

  Pioli ceded that, while he didn't io entirely shift the bme to his team's defe was true that Napoli's luck had beeer.

  After all, their first two shots were both on target, which was remarkably effit.

  Despite the loss, Pioli expressed fidehat his team would be able to stage a eba the sed leg at home.

  Additionally, Pioli aowledged that Napoli didn't resemble a typical Serie B team but rather looked like a Serie A side.

  "Gao Shen has truly crafted a very petitive, young, and ueam."

  So, Pioli's a good guy.

  ...

  Iurn, Gao Shen praised Pioli.

  That's his style if he wins, you're the best.

  After the pre-match banter, it would be hard for him to speak with sarcasm now.

  He 't just admit that everything he said before the match was just psychological warfare and shouldn't be taken seriously, right?

  Is there such a thing in this world?

  Thus, Gao Shen tio heap praise, while also giving his own pyers a reality check. The fourth round of the petition is pyed over two legs, and the sed leg will be in Parma's home stadium. This will undoubtedly pose a major challenge for Napoli.

  The media wereirely wroher.

  Sihe start of this season, all of Napoli's key games had been at home.

  The cup draw had beeremely favorable, with the first three rounds all pyed at home, and even the first leg of the fourth round.

  It's as if fate decided to give the newly reanized Napoli an easier start.

  During the post-match press ferehe media also touched on an iing topic: Guardio.

  Since his departure from Serie A, the legendary Bara captain had essentially disappeared from the media spotlight. The st time his name came up was when he joined Qatar, but there had been little news since.

  Even when he had a brief stint at Maer City, it didn't draw much attention. His time in Mexiirly went unnoticed. But now, his sudden appearan Napoli's coag bench caused quite a stir.

  Gao Shen briefly introduced Guardio's situation, crifying the rumors about him being an assistant coach but not going into too much detail about his role.

  Iy, Gao Shen was ecstatic.

  Finally, someoiced!

  e on, dig deeper! Publicize it! Soon enough, even Guardio will have to aowledge me!

  But outwardly, Gao Shen remained calm and posed.

  After all, being a head coach these days requires maintaining a cool persona.

  Given his young age, if he doesn't project stability, who will take him seriously?

  ...

  There's an old saying in journalism: "The less someone says, the bigger the story."

  The mao Shen tried to downpy things, the more intrigued the media became.

  Soon after, the media followed a well-trodden path for rep on Napoli's 2-0 victory over Parma ramping up the hype and the praise.

  However, Sacchi stood out by writing a few words in his n, saying this game was eveer than Napoli's match against Juventus. He particurly highlighted the excellent pre-match preparations, noting that it was evident how much effao Shen had put into it.

  The insight of an experienced master like Sacchi was undeniable he could pick up on subtle details just by watg the game.

  On this point, Gao Shen could only offer Sacchi his utmost respect.

  But what really catapulted Napoli into the media spotlight was Guardio.

  The Italian media were the first to report on it, and soon the Spanish media, especially those from Catalonia, took notice.

  It must be said that Bara's treatment of Guardio back then was quite harsh, leading to him being almost without a team to py for. As a result, he had barely appeared in publi Bara i years.

  And now, he had goo Italy, joining forces with Gao Shen. What was going on?

  Journalists did what they do best, digging deep until they uhed the story behind the ses.

  But for the media, the situation was unfortable.

  Guardio, you're a legend at Bara! You went to Mexico to seek out Lillo, tentina to learn from Bielsa, that's uandable. But now you've got your coag lise, and instead of interning at Bara, you went to Italy to study under Gao Shen?

  Don't you know that Gao Shen is practically an enemy of Bara?

  However, upon refle, the media could only feel helpless. Last season, Rijkaard had been at his peak, but this season, Bara's form had plummeted. After losing Ten Cate, the locker room had bee even more chaotic.

  Neeskens, who repced Ten Cate, was a good guy, but he cked the tough approach that Ten Cate had.

  Now, everyone khat Gao Shen was building a team of his own, with innovative and cutting-edge cepts. It made sehat Guardio wao learn from him.

  It was just like Bielsa said in an interview in Argentina: "I've had ih discussions with Guardio about Gao Shen."

  Lillo also mentioned in Mexico that Napoli was the team he found most intriguing at the moment.

  See? Nobody mentioned Bara.

  But who's to bme for that?

  The media, with their flicted and fused feelings, rushed to Naples, hoping to interview both Gao Shen and Guardio.

  Gao Shen deed the interviews from the media, instead pushing Guardio into the spotlight.

  In his interview, Guardio naturally spoke highly of Gao Sheioning how well he had been taken care of and what he had learned from him.

  These were facts, and Guardio didn't embellish them. But given his reserved nature, the fact that he said them at all roof enough of how much respect he had fao Shen.

  This left the media even more flicted.

  Praise Gao Shen? That didn't sit well with them.

  But if they didn't, they felt uneasy.

  Seriously, Gao Shen, you're not even in La Liga anymore. Why are you still giving us such headaches?

  Guardio also crified his retionship with Bara's ma. He expihat when he first received his coag lise, Vice President Soriano and Teical Directiristain invited him to take up a position at Bara, but he politely deed.

  "I wao be exposed to more advaactical cepts and ideas. In Naples, I've learned a lao Shen not just in football, but also in ma, interpersonal iion, and other areas."

  "I think he's highly ued."

  "I wasn't there for his time at Real Madrid, but I believe he's doing something remarkable in Naples. It's difficult to expin, but I'm really looking forward to seeing Napoli in Serie A, and even the Champions League. I think that day is ing soon."

  Guardio's words left the media genuinely surprised.

  They knew his character well, and he wasn't oo speak lightly.

  If he said this, he truly believed it.

  Could Gao Shen really be that impressive?

  From Valdano to Sacchi, and now even Bielsa and Guardio what kind of magic did Gao Shen possess that could garner admiration from such esteemed figures in football?

  There's a saying that rings true: admiration from your rivals is always more ving.

  Initially, Gao Shen only wao establish his retionship with Guardio as a sort of "mentor-student" dynamic. He never expected that the media's reports would spark widespread i, especially from Spanish outlets.

  Suddenly, many people, including fans, realized they had uimated Gao Shen.

  Wheook over at Napoli, he truly wao build a team of his own, and he'd been doing so all along. Otherwise, would so many respected figures in football speak so highly of him?

  What's so special about Gao Shen's Napoli?

  When journalists dug deeper, fans who hadn't been following Serie B were left stunned by what they found.

  Napoli had been nothing short of remarkable in Serie B.

  Up to this point in the season, they had won every sich ten secutive victories pg them firmly at the top of the league table!

  In the Coppa Italia, they had won four secutive games, defeating teams from higher divisions with ease!

  This record was simply unbelievable!

  Fans who had dismissed Serie B as beh their notice were now faced with the reality of just how dominant Gao Shen's Napoli had bee. Many of them were beginning to realize that this wasn't just a fluke. What Gao Shen was doing with Napoli ecial, and people were starting to take noti a rger scale.