Chapitre 254: Chapter 254: Champion Collector

It's finally over!

Stefan Lichtsteiner dragged his exhausted legs out of Fort Volturno. Or rather, it should now be called the Kesan Lemei Training Center, because not too long ago, a Japanese video game company announced its sponsorship of Napoli's training center and acquired the naming rights.

But that wasn't the only big news. Head coach Gao Shen also appeared on the cover of the latest Live Football video game.

He was likely the first head coach ever to be featured on the cover of the popular game.

In any case, Gao Shen seemed to be in high spirits. He gifted each new player on the team a game console and a copy of the football game, encouraging them to challenge him online. He even mentioned that there would be a mysterious prize for the winner.

According to Captain Montervino, the team was even organizing internal tournaments to play football games against each other.

This was unheard of.

Most teams, and head coaches around the world, usually treated video games as a distraction, something to be avoided.

Lichtsteiner, typically a disciplined player who didn't dabble much in gaming, found himself intrigued by the enthusiasm of his teammates in the locker room. He couldn't help but feel the itch to join in.

Surprisingly, it seemed that playing video games hadn't negatively affected the players' performance in training or on the pitch. In fact, it appeared to help them unwind.

Sometimes, they even played the game right at the training base.

As the head coach put it, it's all about moderation.

Lichtsteiner didn't fully grasp the concept, but it certainly sounded wise.

---

"Is this devil training not over yet?"

On the drive home, Marko Lichtsteiner, Stefan's older brother, frowned in concern. It had been more than two weeks, and every day his brother returned home completely worn out, clearly feeling the effects of overtraining.

His parents were worried as well, fearing that the intense regimen could lead to injury.

"Don't worry, brother. Our coach says it's fine," Lichtsteiner reassured him.

"What kind of coach is that? What happens if you get injured during training? Is everyone going through this?"

"It's the same for everyone, and I told you it's fine." Lichtsteiner's tone grew slightly irritated. He knew his brother meant well, but sometimes it was too much.

"Our coach has lectured at UEFA and is now a coaching instructor in Spain."

"I checked the club's stats. Last season, not only were we Serie B champions, but we were also the team with the highest running distances in all of Italy. We're even among the top in European football. That level of performance has to come from excellent fitness."

Marko noticed his brother's frustration and backed off. "I'm just concerned, Stefan. I don't want you to get injured."

He paused before adding another warning. "You're new here, and this is a crucial time for you to secure a starting spot. Getting injured now could set you back. You understand that, right?"

"I know, I know," Lichtsteiner waved his hand dismissively. "Our boss has already told me many times. He said I'm his first choice for right-back. He told me not to feel pressured, just to focus on playing steadily and improving."

Marko chuckled, "He really said that? Well, he's got a good eye."

Lichtsteiner's annoyance faded as his brother smiled.

"Don't worry, Marko. The coaching and medical staff are very diligent. We have physical checkups every day, and all our training sessions are recorded. Here, take a look at this."

Lichtsteiner handed his brother a detailed analysis report he had just received. "This is from the analysis department. It breaks down our training in detail, highlighting areas we need to improve like our running distances and activity levels."

"The coaching staff is constantly monitoring us. There's nothing to worry about."

Marko, though worldly and experienced, was still somewhat taken aback. It all sounded quite sophisticated. "I don't think other teams have this kind of setup, do they?"

"Not really," Lichtsteiner grinned. "It's high-tech stuff, imported from the U.S. The sports vests we wear have sensors in them."

After a moment, he added, "Although it's only been a little over two weeks, I feel that our team is really strong much stronger than Lille. And our boss? He's totally different from any other manager I've ever worked with."

"How so?"

"It's hard to describe. He likes to talk to us, one-on-one. It's like he knows exactly what we're thinking. I feel like he really understands me and trusts me."

Marko raised an eyebrow, "Has he told everyone the same thing?"

"I don't know," Lichtsteiner admitted. "But I don't think so. He makes it feel like he really believes in me. He even said I'm the most valuable signing he's made since he became a coach."

The young Swiss player beamed with pride.

"Then you'd better show your best, Stefan," Marko encouraged, though deep down he couldn't help but wonder if his brother was being played a bit.

"Don't worry, the warm-up matches are about to start. I'll work even harder!"

---

There's a rumor that after the launch of Apollo 11, the spacecraft spent most of its journey off-course, constantly making adjustments before finally landing on the moon.

Gao Shen often felt that coaching a football team was much the same.

As head coach, you can never predict everything that will happen along the way. Whether it's player performance, the opposition, the schedule, or even external factors there are always unforeseen challenges.

There are just too many variables that can affect the team.

As a coach, the best you can do is continuously make adjustments, guiding the team toward the ultimate goal. And in preseason, these adjustments often come in the form of carefully chosen warm-up matches.

Last season, as the team was still building its identity, Gao Shen arranged numerous easy warm-up matches to help the team gel and develop its tactics. It worked out well in the end.

This season, Gao Shen scheduled seven warm-up matches, all against lower-division teams from the surrounding areas. Not a single opponent was from Serie A or any other top league.

Such an arrangement meant the intensity of the games wouldn't be high, but it would give Napoli the chance to fine-tune their tactics, identify any issues, and gradually build confidence by defeating weaker opponents.

Yes, confidence was crucial for Napoli, who were about to make their debut in Serie A this season.

The warm-up matches were packed into a tight schedule, and Gao Shen made tweaks to the lineup in every game.

But after the team's intense training and the major restructuring over the summer, it was unrealistic to expect Napoli to immediately return to last season's form.

As a result, the team's performance in the warm-up matches was inconsistent sometimes they played brilliantly, thrashing their opponents with four or five goals, while other times they struggled.

Gao Shen wasn't too concerned. For him, these games were more like military drills testing the waters and experimenting.

However, one thing remained non-negotiable: after each match, Napoli would analyze and discuss the issues that had arisen, and the team would immediately focus on resolving them.

With the warm-up matches underway, the training sessions were reduced from three per day to two, and the intensity gradually tapered off. The players were recovering, and their form was steadily improving.

The coaching staff could see the progress, but due to Gao Shen's extensive rotations in the warm-up games, the team's overall performance remained uneven.

For instance, in one game against a third-division team, Gao Shen fielded a 4-3-3 formation, with Thiago Motta in the holding midfield role and Parejo and Pastore ahead of him.

Throughout the first half, Napoli played a very uncharacteristic game, focused on possession but struggling to find a rhythm. They spent the entire half adjusting and probing, only to concede a counterattack goal in the second half.

Napoli continued their ball possession tactics, but the game remained disjointed and out of sync.

They held nearly 80% possession, but their number of threatening shots was abysmal.

Following the game, the media criticized Napoli's performance, mocking the idea that a team playing like this could seriously challenge for the Serie A title. Did they really think so little of Serie A?

Gao Shen, however, remained satisfied. "We controlled nearly 80% of the possession, which is an amazing achievement!"

---

As Napoli's mixed performances in the warm-up matches continued, the Coppa Italia schedule was released.

The early part of the season would be a grueling stretch of two games per week. Napoli would first play two rounds of the Coppa Italia, then the first round of Serie A, followed by the third round of the Coppa Italia, the second round of Serie A, and finally, the national team matches in September.

In just over two weeks, Napoli would face five competitive matches.

What frustrated Gao Shen, however, was how unfair the Coppa Italia system seemed for his team. Still, there was little he could do about the Italian Football Federation's decisions.

After the draw, it was revealed that Napoli would face Cesena from Serie B in the first round of the Coppa Italia.

A familiar foe from last season.

Cesena's head coach, Castori, was an old veteran of Italian football. At 53 years old, he had been coaching for 30 years, mostly in the lower leagues, but with one impressive distinction:

He had won the championship in every single Italian league except Serie A.

This was a unique achievement in Italian football.

No one else had managed to accomplish such a feat.

Castori had earned the title of a "champion collector," someone who had experienced success at every level except the highest. Another distinguishing feature of the coach from central Italy was his fiery temper.

Last season, when Gao Shen and Napoli had faced Cesena, Castori who was a staunch advocate of traditional Italian defensive football had expressed his displeasure with the innovative, attacking style that Gao Shen was trying to implement.

Now, with the two sides set to meet again, Castori was eager to get another shot at Gao Shen.

As soon as the Coppa Italia schedule was announced, Castori didn't hesitate to stir things up. He declared with excitement that Cesena would show their best side at the San Paolo Stadium and demonstrate the finest example of Italian defensive football.

"We intend to keep a clean sheet against Napoli!"