Diego Bortolucow forty, has always been self-aware.

  In the world of professional football, he was never one of those rare talents with extraordinary skills. Even though he started out at the prestigious Atanta youth academy, his career was rather unremarkable. Still, he mao py until the age of 38.

  After retiring, he transitioned into coag. For two seasons, he assisted the renowned coach Guidolin at Palermo, learning a great deal in the process. After Guidolin was dismissed, he tinued under Guidolin's successor, Baldini.

  By 2005, Bortolucci found himself coag Treviso's sed team, taking the typical route of earning his coag badges and hoping for a ce to lead a Serie B team, perhaps even a Serie A club someday.

  Yes, back then, his goals were that simple.

  But fate had other pns.

  Treviso's first-team coach, Rossi, was sacked after just 12 games due to poor results. The club brought in the experienced Alberto Cavasin to try and rescue the team, with the goal of avoiding relegation from Serie A.

  Everyohought Cavasin would stabilize the ship and steer Treviso to safety.

  But after just 15 matches, it became clear that Cavasin couldn't turn things around. He became Treviso's sed head coach to be dismissed in a single season.

  Although it was only February, Treviso was virtually guaranteed relegation.

  Cavasin's results were even worse than Rossi's. While Rossi had mao secure six points in 11 matches, Cavasin only managed eight points in 15 games, pletely losing the faith of the club's ma and their hopes of staying in Serie A.

  At this point, everyone khat Trevisation was iable.

  In desperation, the ma turo Bortolucci, the head coach of the sed team. They didn't expect much from him but hoped that he could focus on developing young pyers and preparing the team for a potential return to Serie A season.

  Bortolucci couldn't believe his luck. The opportunity he'd been waiting for had suddenly nded in his p. Fortunately, he had always been prepared for su opportunity, or else it might have overwhelmed him. In the few months he spent as Treviso's caretaker coach, his results were er than his predecessors. However, he did mao promote young talents like Acquafresca, which earned him some praise.

  That summer, Treviso set their sights on boung back to Serie A. The ma pced their trust in Bortolucci, hoping he would stay on and tinue nurturing young talent.

  Bortolucci himself was full of ambition.

  He khat this was a rare opportunity ohat many dream of but few are given. If he could guide Treviso back to Serie A, it would make his name in Italian football. It could be his stepping stoo being a perma fixture in Serie A, or at least the Italian professional leagues.

  Forty years old and already managing a Serie A team, even if they were relegated, was still something to be proud of.

  Bortolucci couldn't help but feel a sense of aplishment.

  But what he didn't expect was that at the Head Coaches' Summit in Rome, he would e face to face with two much more promi figures: Gao Shen and Deschamps.

  Both men were coag in Serie B, but they had already reached the pinnacle of European football, having ma the Champions League level. Gao Shen, in particur, had won the La Liga and Champions League double.

  Bortolucci respected Deschamps. After all, Deschamps had been a successful pyer before being a coach.

  But Gao Shen? He was just 25 years old far too young.

  And it wasn't just that. Gao Shen had taken over Real Madrid in te February, during a crisis where the club had sacked two coaches, and even teical director Sacchi and president Florentino had resighe situation at Madrid had been even more dire than Treviso's.

  Yet, despite those challenges, Gao Shen had led Real Madrid to an incredible eback, winning both La Liga and the Champions League.

  And now, this "world-renowned coach" with two prestigious titles to his name had suddenly decided to take charge of Napoli, a newly promoted Serie B team. He had even boldly cimed that he would build Napoli into a powerhouse capable of peting in Serie A within three years.

  To outsiders, Gao Shen's ambition seemed reckless.

  But to Bortolucci, it was nothing short ance.

  What did Gao Shen know about Serie A? About Italian football?

  At the Head Coaches' Summit, the legendary Arrigo Sacchi criticized the servative nature of Italian football in his speech. He argued that many Italian coaches were stu their ways, still ging to the traditional 4-4-2 system. Evehey did try something new, it was often just as cautious like the 4-3-2-1 or 4-3-1-2.

  Sacchi urged Italian coaches to learn from more modern, advaactics.

  Bortolucci thought Sacchi was mad.

  Learn from a 25-year-old rookie?

  How had Gao Shen won his titles? Wasn't it thanks to Real Madrid's star-studded squad?

  Besides, what was wrong with the 4-4-2 system?

  Bortolucci himself preferred the 4-4-2 formation, using two strikers up front. What was wrong with that?

  In Rome, as Sacchi praised Gao Shen's tactical approach from the podium, Bortolucci made up his mind: in the first round of Serie B, he would prove a point not just for himself, but for Italian football and its proud tactical traditions.

  Why had Deschamps failed? Because he had focused only on defense and didn't terattack.

  Why hadn't he terattacked? Because he was using a siriker, and Bojinov wasn't up to the task!

  If he had fielded two strikers Trezeguet and Zayeta, or even Del Piero the outight have been pletely different.

  As a result, for the first match of the Serie B season against Napoli, Bortolucci stuck to his guns. He deployed his usual 4-4-2 system with two strikers.

  He was determio expose Gao Shen's "emperor's new clothes" for everyoo see.

  …

  …

  Oember 9th, at 3:00 PM, the whistle blew for the start of the Serie B opener between Napoli and Treviso.

  Napoli faced some difficulties due to the two-week iional break, which had disrupted their preparations.

  The goalkeeper was still Handanovi?, who, iingly, had been on loan at Treviso the previous season.

  On the bae, with Vargas away on iional duty, Gao Shen fielded Savini as a full-back, with Bonucd David Luiz iral defense, and Grava, a more attack-minded pyer, on the right.

  The double-pivot in midfield remained unged, with Biglia and Rakitic partnered up. In front of them, Pezzini, Hamsik, and Gervinho supported Pellè, who ying as the tral striker.

  Several South Ameri pyers, including Sánchez, Di María, and i who had been involved in national team duties were rested, giving them time to recover.

  Privately, Gao Shen had told his pyers: "o use a butcher's ko kill a chi."

  ...

  The first 30 minutes of the match were a tactical stalemate.

  Treviso's defense was solid, especially with their disciplined 4-4-2 formation. The lines were pad well-anized, showg the tactical prowess of Italian coaches when it came to defense.

  During this time, Gao Shen had learned a lot from his oppos and predecessors.

  But the main issue was that Napoli's offensive py wasn't clig. Gervinho, who usually pyed on the left with Vargas, was now on the right, partnered with Grava, which caused some misunication.

  Even so, Treviso didn't pose much of a threat.

  As the game progressed, Bortolucci realized something important. It wasn't that Deschamps' team couldn't terattack; it was that Napoli's relentless high press didn't allow them to.

  In the past, Treviso had time taer winning the ball. But nooli terpressed immediately upon losing possession, maintaining a fast-paced, high-tempo game.

  Had it not been for some sloppy passing from Napoli, Treviso wouldn't have been able to hahe pressure at all.

  Ih minute, Napoli finally broke the deadlock.

  Gervinho, now on the right, forced his ast a defender, darted to the byline, and whipped in a cross.

  Pellè, perfectly positioned in the middle, met the ball first and slotted it into the , giving Napoli a 1-0 lead.

  ...

  After the goal, Napoli's fidence soared, and they tio pile the pressure on Treviso.

  Bortolucci began to panic. Things weren't going as he had expected.

  Just as he reparing to adjust his tactics during halftime, Napoli struck again in the 43rd minute. Pezzini, after breaking through on the left, switched the py to the right.

  Grava, making a surprise run into the box, tched onto a pass from Hamsik and fired it into the back of the .

  Napoli 2, Treviso 0.

  In the space of just 10 minutes, Napoli had scored two goals, firmly taking trol of the game before halftime.

  Treviso, realizing they were outmatched, shifted to a more defensive approa the sed half.

  Bortolucci brought on a defensive midfielder, Baùmsson, to reinforce the bae and switched to a three back tactics.

  But this couldn't stop Napoli.

  Ih minute, with a long pass from Bonucci from the back, Pelle seized the first touch, headed the ball to Hamsik, and then made a swift run forward.

  Hamsik, uanding the move, pyed a through ball after trolling it.

  Pelle timed his run perfectly to stay onside. After trolling the ball, he had a clear shot and easily scored, making it 3-0!

  The entire S?n Paolo stadium went wild!

  Napoli fans celebrated in advah singing and dang.

  But oapoli's attack tinued.

  Ih minute, from a er kick, David Luiz outjumped several defenders and scored a cle header, increasing Napoli's lead to 4-0!

  The Braziliaer-back ran to the sidelio celebrate, then ran to the coach's bench to high-five and hug the head coach, thanking him for the trust and for starting him today.

  "David, I think you should grow your hair long, just like that shaggy style. It would look great and be even more explosive when you head the ball," Gao Shen suggested with a smile.

  He was looking forward to David Luiz transf into a Super Saiyan.

  Uedly, David Luiz was genuinely moved by the suggestion.

  "Boss, that's a great idea. I'll start growing my hair out today." After saying this, he gave Gao Shen a fist pump, as if to say: Just wait and see.

  David Luiz had a serious expression.

  David Luiz with long hair might be more striking, but his current short hair made him look quite gentle.

  Ih minute, Dara Bona, who came on as a substitute, scored Napoli's fifth goal.

  It was a surprise, even to Dara Bona himself.

  He made a casual swipe with his foot and the ball went in.

  Did he actually score?

  Gao Shen could only shake his head with a wry smile. It was just one of those smooth pys, no matter how you look at it.