Capítulo 284: Chapter 284: I Almost Went to Real Madrid
In Italy, there's a saying: Neapolitans are born food lovers. Naples is known for its iconic pizza, as well as pasta, macaroni, and all kinds of delicious desserts…
In Naples, good food is everywhere.
When Gao Shen first arrived in Naples, he was excited to try all the local delicacies. But after a while, he started missing the flavors of his homeland and began searching for a good Chinese restaurant. As a native Chinese, Gao Shen had high standards, especially when it came to authenticity.
Eventually, he found a restaurant with a distinctly Chinese name, The Great Wall Restaurant.
This restaurant quickly became a regular spot for him. The owner, an Italian-Chinese, spoke fluent Chinese and was proud of Gao Shen's role as Napoli's coach.
According to the owner, business had significantly improved since Gao Shen began coaching in Naples.
"Many people are now curious about Chinese food and culture because of you."
This was unexpected for Gao Shen, but it also made him feel proud.
So, when David Luiz offered to treat him to dinner, the first place that came to Gao Shen's mind was The Great Wall.
Before he had crossed over into this world, Gao Shen had come across a joke.
When going out for a meal with a girl for the first time, always take her to eat spicy food.
The reasoning? Girls' makeup skills in 2021 were so advanced, you couldn't be sure what they actually looked like.
Gao Shen couldn't help but laugh at that joke, especially now as he watched David Luiz sitting across from him with his wild, messy hair trying to handle the spicy Chongqing hot pot. Luiz was sweating buckets, his face turning as red as a chili pepper. Gao Shen had to hold back his laughter as Luiz's head seemed ready to explode from the heat.
He even wondered if the "bird's nest" of hair on top of David Luiz's head might catch fire from the steam.
Gao Shen was reminded of a popular meme from before he crossed over.
"Eat slowly, there's more where that came from," Gao Shen said, trying to keep a straight face as he scooped more food into David Luiz's bowl. The Brazilian defender, clearly not used to the spice, was drenched in sweat and his mouth was as red as a pepper. His eyes were nearly shut from the heat, and he looked as if he was about to cry. But he held it together, nodding gratefully.
"Thank you… boss."
"No need to thank me," Gao Shen replied casually.
By now, he was sure the poor kid truly regretted his mistake and was desperate to make up for it.
After all, who else would willingly subject themselves to such spicy torture?
Gao Shen himself wasn't eating much, as he didn't handle spice well either. He remembered a meal from last summer, right after he had led Real Madrid to the double crown. When he returned to China, Su Qing had taken him to try a spicy hot pot.
That time, they'd sat across from each other, much like he was with David Luiz now, and she had enjoyed herself immensely.
From the moment she started ordering, her eyes sparkled. When Gao Shen asked her what she wanted to eat, she said "a little bit of everything" and ordered the spiciest broth. She said she'd been craving it for ages but had never found the right person to go with.
"Why not go with a friend or classmate?" Gao Shen had asked.
She had only smiled in response.
But soon, he understood why.
When Su Qing ate hot pot, she really let go sweating profusely, totally unbothered by her appearance. Gone was her usual "ice queen" aura. And she could really eat. She polished off several plates of beef and even ordered a large bowl of ice-cold fruit afterward. Gao Shen couldn't help glancing at her flat stomach and slender waist, wondering where all the food went.
When they finished, Gao Shen went to pay, only to find she'd already taken care of the bill.
As they left, she glanced back at the hot pot restaurant and said with a content smile, "Let's come back together next time we get the chance."
Gao Shen had wanted to laugh. He almost said, "Miss, you were the one eating, I just watched, alright?"
But seeing her so happy, he decided not to ruin the moment.
Now, watching David Luiz struggling through his meal, Gao Shen couldn't help but think of Su Qing and their hot pot experience.
One person who loved spicy food, and another enduring it reluctantly, both seemed equally happy in their own way.
After they finished, Gao Shen watched David Luiz gulp down cold water to cool his mouth. Gao Shen felt secretly amused but maintained a serious demeanor, keeping the air of a strict coach.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?"
David Luiz could barely contain the heat inside him. His entire body felt like it was on fire.
Chinese food was brutal!
No wonder the boss had such a strong will, he'd grown up eating this stuff!
After finally calming down, Luiz sat across from Gao Shen, looking serious.
"I'm sorry, boss. I messed up."
Gao Shen raised an eyebrow, understanding that Luiz was apologizing for his mistake against Inter Milan.
"You don't need to apologize to me. You should apologize to the whole team," Gao Shen said sternly.
"I know. When everyone's back, I'll apologize to them in person." Luiz nodded, and Gao Shen could tell that he was genuinely remorseful and eager to improve.
Of course, with Luiz's personality, he'd probably be back to his cheerful self before long. But at least, after this experience, Gao Shen hoped he'd learn to control his reckless streak.
"You know, this season is crucial for both me and the team," Gao Shen said, deciding it was time for a frank talk.
"We're not one of the big teams. Compared to other clubs, our owner is practically a pauper. If we don't keep progressing, then next summer there's only one outcome: selling players."
"Without selling players, where's the money going to come from to keep the club running? And once players are sold, how can we continue to compete?"
This was the harsh reality for smaller clubs.
Even a club like Napoli struggled to keep its best players.
Forget about the wealthy clubs in the Premier League and La Liga, even Serie A giants like AC Milan, Inter, and Juventus could lure players away from Napoli.
And if Napoli could somehow resist, would the players themselves want to stay?
The answer was clear. Gao Shen understood that if Napoli's upward momentum stalled, the inevitable result would be an exodus of talent.
It was only a matter of how quickly it would happen.
This wasn't an unusual situation.
Look at Valencia back then, their lineup was full of stars, yet they too were forced to sell their best players. Even Liverpool, part of the Premier League's "Big Four," was constantly fending off other clubs poaching their players.
Even Steven Gerrard almost ended up at Chelsea.
This was the harsh reality of football.
This season, Napoli's goal was to qualify for the Champions League or, at the very least, make it to the Europa League. Achieving that would bring in significant revenue for the club and give them more leverage to convince owner De Laurentiis to invest.
Otherwise, De Laurentiis would simply shrug and say, "I don't have the money." Then what?
Former Real Madrid president Florentino Perez had once said that running a football club was all about money, specifically, income.
Of course, knowing how to spend that money wisely was another challenge.
For instance, clubs like Manchester United and Barcelona couldn't afford to spend recklessly like they did in the past.
Gao Shen was well aware that his time in Napoli was limited.
Even if the club had high attendance rates and decent commercial income, it still wasn't enough. The club was running at a loss, even if it was a smaller loss compared to before.
Napoli's foundation was just too weak.
The same could be said for most Serie A clubs outside of the top tier, even teams like Roma and Lazio faced similar struggles.
That's why Gao Shen was so determined to deliver results, to secure a future for Napoli.
David Luiz wasn't foolish, he was actually quite perceptive. He quickly realized why Gao Shen had been so angry about his mistake. His error had cost the team a valuable three points, allowing Inter to stay at the top of the table and causing a significant setback for Napoli.
"I also want to apologize to you, David. I lost my temper in the locker room that day, and I might have gone a bit overboard. Don't take it personally."
Hearing this, David Luiz broke into a smile, rubbing his messy hair.
Gao Shen almost wanted to remind him to check for dandruff.
Luckily, they had already finished eating.
"Actually, boss, did you know? I almost went to Real Madrid." David Luiz grinned.
Gao Shen was caught off guard. "What?"
After a moment, he processed what Luiz had said. "You almost went to Real Madrid? When?"
"At the end of 2005. They wanted to bring me to Madrid before the winter break, not to the first team, but to the reserves, like Felipe Luis."
Gao Shen was surprised. He hadn't known this.
He was aware that Felipe Luis had been brought to Real Madrid's second team from Brazil, but this was the first time he'd heard that David Luiz had almost joined him there.
"If I had gone to Real Madrid back then, I might have had the chance to play under you," David Luiz said with a smile.
He figured that, given Real Madrid's defensive issues back then, Gao Shen would have promoted him to the first team. Then, he could have played in the Champions League and even contributed to their double-winning season.
Gao Shen chuckled, understanding Luiz's train of thought. "Ah, so you think if you were there, I'd definitely put you in the first team?"
David Luiz nodded confidently. "With the way Real Madrid's defense was back then? Absolutely!"
Gao Shen couldn't help but laugh. "Maybe you're right. Given how desperate we were for defenders, I probably would have called you up."
But then, a funny thought crossed his mind.
An unpredictable Ramos alongside an equally adventurous David Luiz as center-backs…
The image of such a defense was both amusing and terrifying.
"Two wild, risk-taking defenders at the heart of Real Madrid's backline… I'm not sure if that would've stabilized anything. More like giving our fans heart attacks every match!" Gao Shen mused, shaking his head with a smile.
David Luiz laughed, scratching his head sheepishly.
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