Starting With Real Madrid

The winds in football change faster than the weather.

One day, you're walking on a road paved with flowers; the next, it's a battlefield of fire and swords.

Nobody feels this more keenly than Klinsmann, especially in recent times.

Ever since he took over at Bayern, controversy has surrounded him like a storm cloud.

The German media and fans seem to have completely forgotten the flowers, applause, and endless praise they once showered upon Klinsmann after he led the German national team to a third-place finish at the 2006 World Cup.

Now, all they have for him is doubt. Endless doubt.

They question everything. If the players lack fitness, they blame Klinsmann. They say his training methods are the problem. They even scrutinize his coaching team, more than a dozen assistants, the largest group in Bayern's history. Who doesn't speak German? Who lacks experience? Why are they even there?

They've also started comparing Klinsmann's success to Joachim Löw's, arguing that Löw contributed far more to the national team's third-place finish. This line of criticism insists that Löw's success after taking over as head coach of the national team highlights Klinsmann's shortcomings.

Fine, Klinsmann thought. I'll change things! He initiated a large-scale squad rotation policy.

But what happened?

The criticism only grew louder.

Effenberg, a Bayern legend, publicly stated that he couldn't understand why Klinsmann was so eager to rotate the squad so drastically so early in the season. After a managerial and roster overhaul, shouldn't the priority be to stabilize the team and establish a cohesive lineup and style as quickly as possible?

Adding fuel to the fire, Hannover 96 goalkeeper Robert Enke openly ridiculed Bayern after their last Bundesliga clash. "When we saw Bayern's starting lineup in the locker room," Enke told reporters, "we felt insulted. That lineup just motivated us to fight even harder."

Enke was referring to Klinsmann's decision to field a reserve-heavy lineup against Hannover 96, hoping to rest key players for Bayern's upcoming Champions League fixture against Napoli. The result? A humiliating loss to Hannover.

Klinsmann's rotation experiment backfired.

More damning still, Bayern's performance in the Bundesliga has been abysmal. Six games into the season, their record stands at two wins, two draws, and two losses, leaving them ninth in the standings. The nadir came with a crushing 2-5 home defeat to Werder Bremen, which provoked outrage from the German media and Bayern fans alike.

The situation became so dire that Beckenbauer, Bayern's honorary president, felt compelled to step in and voice support for Klinsmann.

But even Beckenbauer's endorsement came with a caveat: he urged Klinsmann to establish a clear tactical identity for the team.

So far this season, Bayern has alternated between two formations: 4-4-2 and 3-5-2. The 4-4-2 itself has varied between a diamond midfield and a double-pivot midfield.

Beckenbauer argued that Klinsmann's constant tinkering left the players confused. "Some of them feel like the coach doesn't have a clear idea of what he wants, and that's a serious problem," he said.

Klinsmann's goal is to implement a high-pressing, pass-heavy style of play, an admirable ambition. But for it to succeed, the players need rigorous training to ensure they're physically and tactically prepared.

Although Beckenbauer has largely stepped away from Bayern's day-to-day management, his words carry weight, and for the time being, they've quieted some of the external criticism of Klinsmann and soothed tensions within the locker room.

Nonetheless, Bayern's upcoming match against Napoli represents a major test for Klinsmann.

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"The Germans are saying Klinsmann reminds them of you."

Before the game, as Napoli's coaching staff awaited Bayern's starting lineup, Zidane cracked a sly joke.

It wasn't entirely unfounded.

Some commentators have drawn comparisons between Klinsmann and Gao Shen. The debate, however, is whether Gao Shen is learning from Klinsmann or the other way around.

Gao Shen doesn't bother responding to such claims—except, perhaps, when he's face-to-face with Klinsmann himself.

The similarities are undeniable. Both emphasize ball movement and make heavy use of data analysis.

When Klinsmann took over Germany's national team, he immediately insisted on collecting extensive data during every training session and game. He and his staff would analyze and study this data meticulously.

As Klinsmann himself put it, this approach wasn't groundbreaking, it had been standard practice in the United States for years.

But data alone wasn't what made Klinsmann controversial. The real issue was his fondness for chatting with players.

Yes, chatting. Just like Gao Shen.

Every day, Klinsmann made it a point to have one-on-one conversations with his players about a range of topics. His boundless enthusiasm for these interactions was unmistakable and, at times, infectious.

And everyone knows that since his days at Real Madrid, Gao Shen has been famous for his penchant for chatting.

Unlike Klinsmann, however, Gao Shen's tactical acumen has never been questioned. He delegates day-to-day training to his coaching staff but maintains an acute awareness of every detail through his constant communication with the players.

When Zidane teased him, Gao Shen smirked and shot back, "I'm way better than him, especially when it comes to tactics. Honestly, he's not on my level."

Gao Shen was confident in this claim.

Many have speculated why Löw was chosen as Klinsmann's successor with Germany. The answer is simple: Löw handled nearly all tactical duties under Klinsmann, from game-day strategy to in-match adjustments. Klinsmann focused more on overall team management and morale.

Essentially, Klinsmann offered a vision for reform, but it was Löw and his team who executed that vision.

When Klinsmann stepped down, Löw took the reins and methodically built on that foundation, eventually leading Germany to glory.

Without Klinsmann, Löw's teams sometimes lacked the fire and resolve that characterized Germany's best performances. Without Löw, Klinsmann's Bayern has floundered tactically, drawing heavy criticism from both the media and fans.

Napoli's scouts reported that Bayern's training sessions in Munich have focused almost exclusively on fitness, with little attention paid to tactics. In fact, Bayern players reportedly held informal discussions before matches to decide how they would play.

This lack of direction has led to inconsistency. When their tactics happen to click, Bayern can dominate. But when things go awry, they crumble spectacularly.

For all his past brilliance as a player, Klinsmann's inability to translate tactical ideas into coherent strategies has been his Achilles' heel.

Gao Shen used this as a teaching moment. Turning to Zidane, he said, "This is exactly why understanding tactics isn't enough. You have to be able to teach them."

He almost added, "Don't worship me; I'm just a legend." But that felt a bit too self-indulgent, so he refrained.

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After their humiliation at the hands of Werder Bremen, Klinsmann seemed to have learned his lesson. Against Napoli, he abandoned the 3-5-2 formation and opted for a more traditional setup.

This didn't surprise Gao Shen, though it left him slightly disappointed.

"I was hoping to crush them," he lamented when Bayern's lineup was announced.

Zidane and the others rolled their eyes inwardly. How modest.

Bayern's starting eleven featured:

Goalkeeper: Michael Rensing

Defenders: Lahm, Breno, Demichelis, Oddo

Midfielders: Ribery, Van Bommel, Ze Roberto, Schweinsteiger

Forwards: Klose, Luca Toni

A textbook 4-4-2.

Toni, the reigning Bundesliga top scorer, spearheaded the attack, while Klose operated as a supporting striker. Ribery, Bayern's offensive linchpin, was tasked with driving the attack from the left, while Schweinsteiger played a less impactful role on the right.

Van Bommel, Bayern's captain, anchored the midfield alongside Ze Roberto. The center-back pairing of Breno and Demichelis, however, looked vulnerable, with veteran Van Buyten relegated to the bench.

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As Napoli's players returned from their pre-match warm-up, Gao Shen gathered them in the locker room.

Holding up Bayern's lineup, he said, "Look at this. Exactly as I predicted."

The room was silent, players exchanging impressed glances. Gao Shen's analysis had been spot-on.

"Do you see now?" he continued. "There's nothing to fear about the so-called 'Group of Death.' There's nothing to fear about so-called top teams."

He paced confidently, his voice firm. "I've said it before: Bayern is not invincible. Stick to the plan, follow my tactics, and we'll come away with the result we want."

"And remember—on that pitch, don't give them an inch!"

The players roared in unison, their fighting spirit ignited.