Chapter 269: Chapter 269: Kill you with your best tactics!

Before the game against Udinese, Gao Shen ran into Marino and, with a mischievous tone, asked him a rather outrageous question: "Are you related to Pasquale Marino?"

Napoli's general manager narrowed his eyes and responded through gritted teeth, "For the last time, I have no relation to Pasquale Marino. We are not connected in any way!"

"He was born in Marsala, a port city in Sicily. I'm from Avellino, east of Naples. They're two completely different places!"

Gao Shen stifled his laughter and, with a teasing expression, nodded knowingly. "Alright, that puts me at ease."

Then, with a sly wave, he turned and said, "No more talking. I'm off to sharpen my knives!"

He left Marino standing there, bewildered.

What did that mean? Sharpening knives?

Still confused, Marino sighed. It was frustrating enough having the same last name as Udinese's head coach, Pasquale Marino, and having previously been Udinese's sporting director, where he had built a strong relationship with the club. It made the situation a little awkward.

But few people knew, or had forgotten something important.

Marino had an even closer connection to Napoli.

This was his second stint as Napoli's general manager.

The first time was when he was thirty years old.

That summer, he helped Napoli sign a superstar from Barcelona: Diego Maradona.

For the next three years, he was Napoli's general manager, guiding the team to their first Serie A title before moving on.

Do you know who replaced him?

Luciano Moggi!

When Marino had earlier said that his sole duty was to serve Gao Shen and the team, it wasn't just lip service. Napoli didn't dominate Serie B last season by sheer luck or "special treatment"they earned it through hard work.

"That kid Gao Shen still has a lot to learn!" Marino muttered to himself, watching Gao Shen walk away. He adjusted his glasses with a smirk.

If he really was as useless as some people thought, would De Laurentiis have worked so hard to bring him back to Naples?

A pushover? That's only because the boss was paying a lot. Of course, I'll endure it!

Strictly controlled by his wife? Nonsense! I… I respect her! Yes, respect!

Marino snorted arrogantly and turned to leave.

But after taking a few steps, something clicked in his mind.

Sharpening knives?

Hmm, interesting.

...

Pasquale Marino is a coach who's worked his way up from the bottom.

His coaching career started in Italy's fourth tier, Serie C2, with the team Foggia.

Ironically, Marino admired Lazio's winger, Pasquale Foggia, whom Udinese had borrowed for the season, and their first encounter had left a great impression on him.

Pasquale Foggia sharing the same first name as Marino and coaching Foggia itself? It almost felt like destiny.

He managed Foggia for two seasons. In the first, he promoted them from C2 to C1. In the second, he almost succeeded in another promotion, but despite falling short, his outstanding performance caught the attention of Arezzo, who had just been promoted to Serie B.

He spent one season at Arezzo, guiding the newly promoted side to a 13th-place finish in Serie B and ensuring they avoided relegation.

Then he moved to Catania, a team aiming for promotion to Serie A.

As it turned out, that was a wise move. In just one season, he led Catania to Serie A and secured a respectable 13th-place finish last season.

That success led to his next leap to Udinese, a team with bigger ambitions.

At 45, Marino was entering the prime of his coaching career, and he was seen as one of Italy's brightest young coaching talents. Many mid-to-lower-tier Serie A teams had tried to hire him this summer.

In the end, he chose Udinese, hoping to elevate the club to new heights.

Young and full of energy, Marino was especially confident after his team drew away to Inter Milan in the first round, followed by a 3-0 win in the cup.

Returning home to face Napoli and their coach Gao Shen, who had just won La Liga and the Champions League, Marino knew this was the perfect opportunity.

After all, Sacchi had predicted that Gao Shen would revolutionize Italian football. Gao Shen had already become something of a public enemy in Italy...

And what better target to beat than someone like that?

He wanted to show Gao Shen what Italian football was really about.

If Mancini could use a 4-4-2 to beat him, then Pasquale Marino would defeat him using the most advanced tactics in the game.

At home, Udinese lined up in a 4-3-3—the most popular formation in European football at the time!

...

Referee Andrea Guervasoni stood at the center of the pitch, whistle in hand, glancing at Udinese on his left and Napoli on his right. After confirming that both teams were ready, he checked his watch.

2:00 PM sharp!

Guervasoni blew his whistle to start the game.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the second round of the 2007-08 Serie A season. Today, Udinese hosts Napoli in what promises to be one of the most exciting matches of the weekend."

"In yesterday's games, Inter defeated Empoli 2-0, with Ibrahimović scoring twice."

"Juventus led twice away to Cagliari, only to be equalized twice, but eventually won 3-2, with Foggia scoring two goals."

"Roma also secured a 3-0 victory over Siena at home."

"The top teams have continued their strong performances from the first round. Now we'll see if Napoli, who currently sit fourth after the opening round, can maintain their momentum."

"Napoli have started aggressively, pressing high from the very beginning, which is their signature opening strategy, and the tempo is already very fast."

"Let's see if Udinese can withstand this whirlwind of an attack."

...

Both teams were clearly well-prepared for the match.

Udinese lined up with a front three of Flores, Quagliarella, and Di Natale, showing Marino's intent. He wanted a win at home.

Udinese's strategy focused on a solid defensive counterattack, and Marino was confident in his team's defensive abilities, especially after holding Inter to a draw in the first round.

Moreover, he had the reliable midfielder Inler to anchor his team.

However, the high-intensity pressure applied by Napoli right from the start was overwhelming for Udinese.

Despite their preparations, they weren't ready.

In the 8th minute, Napoli crafted a slick attacking move on the right.

Sanchez drove the ball to the byline but was intercepted by Udinese's left-back. He quickly stopped, shielding the ball, and passed it back to Lichtsteiner, who was making a run from deep. Lichtsteiner surged into the penalty area at full speed.

He took a touch, adjusted, and whipped in a cross to the edge of the six-yard box, aiming for Cavani.

The Uruguayan striker rose high, met the ball with a powerful header, but it was parried by goalkeeper Antonio Chimenti.

The rebound fell to Sanchez, who had sprinted into position on the right side of the goal. The Chilean winger lined up a direct shot.

It should have been a guaranteed goal, he was unmarked, the keeper was out of position, and the right side of the goal was wide open. All Sanchez needed to do was place his shot.

But shockingly, Sanchez mishit the ball, sending it high over the crossbar.

Everyone was stunned!

Sanchez dropped to the ground, clutching his head in disbelief, as though the sky had just fallen on him.

What a missed opportunity!

...

"No worries, no worries!"

On the sideline, Gao Shen clapped his hands energetically after the missed chance, trying to lift the team's spirits.

"Keep it up! Stay sharp! The game's only just begun!"

While Gao Shen was encouraging his players, across the pitch, Udinese's coach Marino was already making tactical adjustments, pointing out his team's defensive lapses.

His main concern was that his players were sitting too deep.

He had underestimated Napoli's intense pressing and quick transitions.

Marino instructed his players to move the ball forward quickly when transitioning from defense to attack, focusing on making their counterattacks more dangerous rather than getting bogged down in their own half.

After finishing his instructions, Marino adjusted his suit and exhaled deeply, just as he caught a glance of Gao Shen across the pitch.

The two coaches exchanged polite smiles, but Marino's smile quickly faded. He turned away, pretending not to have seen Gao Shen, and focused back on the game.

He realized he might have underestimated his opponent.

...

Neither team was playing conservatively, and the pace of the game remained quick, with both sides attacking and counter-attacking in turn.

Whenever Udinese regained possession, they tried to transition quickly through the midfield and feed the ball to their forwards, but Napoli's pressing and organized pressure made it difficult for Udinese to execute their game plan.

In the 14th minute, after an interception on the left during a Napoli attack, Udinese launched a counter.

Inler played a sharp pass to Di Natale on the right.

As Di Natale prepared to accelerate, a towering figure surged in front of him, casting a long shadow and bringing immediate pressure.

Standing at just 1.7 meters tall, Di Natale was dwarfed by the 1.9-meter David Luiz, whose wild, curly hair made the situation even more daunting.

Di Natale was taken aback.

What was Napoli's center back doing this far up the pitch?

More importantly, David Luiz wasted no time. He closed in, used his body to shield Di Natale, and easily dispossessed him.

After winning the ball, David Luiz didn't hesitate. He pushed forward himself, advancing past the midfield while giving the impression that he was going to pass to Biglia.

But just as everyone expected a pass, David Luiz spotted an opportunity upfield and launched a long ball instead.

The ball soared over the halfway line, arcing perfectly into Udinese's penalty area.

Cavani and Zapata were both charging forward, battling for position. As the ball descended, Cavani positioned himself brilliantly. He jumped slightly, nodding the ball down to the midfield and keeping Zapata behind him.

He was perfectly positioned to receive the ball...