Starting With Real Madrid

After the game, in a conference room at the São Paulo Stadium, Gao Shen and Zidane hosted Klinsmann.

It wasn't anything extravagant, just a bottle of wine and some snacks.

Offering your opponent a drink is a tradition, but only if the opponent commands respect.

Gao Shen had chatted briefly with Klinsmann after the match and extended the invitation, which the German coach readily accepted.

The mention of Lucio stemmed from Klinsmann's comments during the post-match press conference. He explained that Breno's role in the team had expanded because Lucio had transferred to Inter Milan. While true, it also served as an excuse.

But sitting face-to-face with Gao Shen and Zidane, Klinsmann didn't resort to excuses. He simply admitted defeat.

Gao Shen followed a simple principle when making friends: If someone showed him respect, he would do the same. Klinsmann had shown him that respect. Moreover, they shared similarities in their approach to football, which naturally led to many interesting discussions.

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Before Gao Shen's unexpected journey through time, he'd come across a fascinating question on Zhihu:

If someone traveled back to Li Bai's era and recited all of Li Bai's poems before he could write them, what would happen to Li Bai?

The most common answer was: Li Bai would write even better poems, but the time traveler would be labeled a fraud.

Why?

Because Li Bai's poetry wasn't just about the words themselves, it was a form of personal expression, a way of dazzling his contemporaries with wit and talent.

This highlights an important truth: even if someone possesses knowledge from the future, they can't simply imitate greatness and expect it to be accepted. They must earn respect through their own abilities.

The same logic applies to professional football.

Even though Gao Shen was armed with knowledge from the future, he still had to instill his tactical philosophies into his players and develop strategies tailored to each match. That required deep football expertise and tactical acumen. On top of that, he needed an extensive understanding of the game to hold meaningful conversations with peers.

He vividly remembered his first meeting with Sacchi and Valdano when he was coaching Real Madrid.

And nights like tonight were no different. As Gao Shen sat with Klinsmann and Zidane, discussing Bayern, Napoli, and football tactics, it wasn't just casual banter. The value of the insights he could share depended on the depth of his knowledge.

If he had nothing substantial to contribute, it wouldn't take long for word to spread: Gao Shen's reputation was all smoke and mirrors.

To avoid that, Gao Shen had spent years immersing himself in tactical studies, reading every book he could find in the tactical library. That dedication was the foundation of his reputation in the football world.

Now, as he talked to Klinsmann about Bayern Munich's future, he traced the development of German football with clarity, from the late 1990s reforms when German talent peaked, to the youth training revolution that followed the failure of the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, all the way to the current system.

It was all detailed in Beckenbauer's memoirs, which Gao Shen had read cover to cover.

Even Zidane was impressed by Gao Shen's in-depth analysis. Klinsmann, meanwhile, was amazed—not just by Gao Shen's knowledge but also by his ability to recall such specifics.

When the conversation turned to Bayern's future, Gao Shen didn't hesitate to offer his perspective.

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"Dual-wing attack?" Klinsmann echoed, clearly intrigued.

"Exactly," Gao Shen replied. "You've already brought in Ribery, a world-class left winger. If you add a similarly skilled right winger, implement a tactical system focused on both flanks, and improve your midfield's passing and control, Bayern's strength will skyrocket."

He pointed out that Schweinsteiger was no longer suited to play on the wing. His lack of speed and limited dribbling ability made him less effective in that role. On the wings, speed is king.

With Ribery in his prime, adding another top-tier winger would ensure Bayern's competitiveness in European football for the next decade. For any club, sustaining a ten-year peak is an extraordinary achievement.

Gao Shen wasn't theorizing, he had witnessed all of this unfold in his original timeline. So, as he spoke, he exuded confidence, as though he weren't predicting the future but recounting events that had already happened.

His certainty further solidified Klinsmann's trust in him.

Klinsmann nodded, clearly captivated. "It's an interesting concept. If things play out as you described, Bayern could indeed establish a dominant era."

Gao Shen smiled knowingly. Deep down, he wanted to say: This is exactly how it will unfold but you won't be the one leading Bayern when it happens.

Certain outcomes are inevitable.

If Klinsmann remained Bayern's head coach, the team's destined peak might never materialize. That, Gao Shen thought, would be a tragedy.

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Bayern Munich's 0-2 loss to Napoli in San Paulo caused an uproar in Germany.

The result wasn't necessarily shocking, Napoli had already stunned Real Madrid with a 7-0 thrashing in their opening group-stage match. What stood out was how convincingly Bayern was defeated.

German magazine Kicker dedicated its Champions League coverage to the match, highlighting Napoli's dominance and exposing Bayern's deficiencies.

The statistics told the story: 24 shots for Napoli, compared to just five for Bayern.

What was even more damning? Bayern failed to register a single shot on target.

Kicker commented, "Even though Napoli eased off in the second half, they still posed far more threat than Bayern."

"They completely outclassed Klinsmann's team tactically. This wasn't just a loss, it was a wake-up call."

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Bild was equally scathing in its analysis, claiming that Klinsmann's Bayern wasn't on the same level as Napoli.

"Any fan who watched the game could see it. Bayern lacked passion, drive, and a cohesive tactical system. It felt like Napoli was the Bundesliga giant, and Bayern was a second-division team."

The commentary urged Bayern to address their weaknesses quickly, with crucial matches against Real Madrid looming. Failure to do so could mean an early Champions League exit.

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Der Spiegel didn't hold back either, declaring, "Gao Shen slapped Bayern twice!"

Their article noted that Napoli could have scored more but chose not to, prioritizing energy conservation over humiliating their opponent further.

"Napoli taught Bayern a footballing lesson, and Gao Shen showed Klinsmann what cutting-edge tactics look like in today's game."

However, the publication also argued that the group standings were far from settled. It suggested that Bayern could still qualify if they performed well against Real Madrid and if Napoli faltered in their upcoming match against Zenit Saint Petersburg in freezing Russian conditions.

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After defeating two European powerhouses—Real Madrid and Bayern Munich—Gao Shen's reputation continued to grow.

Critics who had doubted Napoli's ability to survive the group of death were now reconsidering. With two wins in two matches, Napoli had become the group's favorite to advance.

Sacchi dedicated an entire column to praising Gao Shen, commending his ability to lead Napoli to success on both domestic and European fronts.

On the other hand, Gazzetta dello Sport took a jab at Klinsmann, suggesting he should learn from Gao Shen.

While both managers rotated their squads to manage workloads, Napoli's results were in stark contrast to Bayern's struggles. Gao Shen's rotation policy was aggressive, yet his team remained unbeaten, sitting atop Serie A after five rounds.

Still, some warned that competing on two fronts could take its toll.

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Three days after their victory over Bayern, Napoli faced Genoa away in Serie A's sixth round.

Genoa, promoted alongside Napoli from Serie B, had always been a challenging opponent.

Last season, they defeated Napoli, and this season, they managed a draw. After Napoli took an early lead, Genoa's Diego Milito equalized in the 73rd minute with a swift counterattack.

Despite dominating the match with nearly thirty shots, Napoli couldn't find a winner. The intensity of their attack led to Genoa receiving two red cards for accumulated fouls. In total, Genoa picked up eleven yellow cards, a testament to how fiercely they resisted.

In the end, the game ended 1-1. It was Napoli's first draw of the season.

Meanwhile, Inter Milan capitalized on the opportunity, defeating Bologna 2-1 with goals from Ibrahimović and Adriano. With this result, Inter overtook Napoli to reclaim the top spot in Serie A.