Bab 275: Chapter 275: Come, Let’s Fight!
A black Fiat slowly pulled up in front of Gao Shen's house in the Naples Bay area, nestled in the mountains.
"I'm heading out now. Be careful on your way back," Gao Shen said as he waved at Carlo, who was sitting in the driver's seat.
"Gao," Carlo called out, hesitating for a moment.
Gao Shen turned and looked at him, puzzled.
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. You've already done enough," Carlo advised.
Gao Shen snorted, a light laugh escaping him. He waved dismissively. "I know, but we could still do better!"
Carlo paused, wanting to say more but ultimately stayed silent.
Gao Shen stepped out of the car, watching as Carlo drove away. The smile on his face slowly faded.
The previous night, Napoli had drawn 1-1 with Genoa at home. It had been a tough match, and after the morning's recovery session, Gao Shen announced a rest day for the squad, giving them time to recharge before returning to training the next afternoon.
He had taken his coaching staff out for a meal, and the one thing everyone kept repeating was what Carlo had said, don't put too much pressure on yourself.
But how could he not feel the pressure?
In just a week's time, Napoli would face Inter Milan.
Inter was the only team in Serie A that had the strength to compete in the Champions League. Gao Shen wasn't naïve, he had managed in the Champions League with Real Madrid, and he knew just how tough the competition was. It wasn't just about tactics; it was a complete test of a team's mental and physical endurance.
Napoli, Juventus, Roma, even AC Milan, who had recently won the Champions League, didn't have the consistency or depth to compete at the highest levels. Only Inter Milan had that capability.
And yet, despite Inter Milan's strength, their greatest weakness lay in their coach Roberto Mancini. Gao Shen respected Mancini's talent, but he believed the Italian coach lacked the capacity to manage at the highest level, particularly in Europe.
As Gao Shen had said before, Mancini was Inter Milan's biggest shortcoming.
With Inter Milan having reclaimed the top spot in the Serie A standings after the sixth round, there was no avoiding the upcoming clash. The pressure on Napoli had only increased.
…
After showering and settling down at home, Gao Shen entered his personal tactical library.
Since his time-travel experience, he had made it a nightly habit to study in the library, immersing himself in books on football tactics and management.
Tonight, he once again opened Ferguson's book and read it carefully.
There was a saying that every football manager has a predecessor they admire, someone whose influence guides their coaching philosophy.
For example, Ancelotti had frequently told Gao Shen that his benchmark was Nils Liedholm, the Swedish legend who had coached at AC Milan and Roma.
For Kevin Keegan, it was Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley, the Liverpool greats.
For Gao Shen, if there was one person who could be called his guiding figure, it was Sir Alex Ferguson.
Throughout his career, people had tried to compare Gao Shen to different coaches, Benitez, Capello, and even Marcelo Bielsa. Each comparison had some truth to it, but none of them fully captured who Gao Shen was as a coach.
Only Gao Shen knew the truth: he had been learning and evolving, and much of that evolution was inspired by Ferguson.
Ferguson had a wealth of football knowledge, and he never hesitated to share it with others. Many of Europe's top coaches, from Moyes to Houllier, had traveled to Ferguson's seminars in Scotland, seeking wisdom from the legendary manager.
Gao Shen had never been to one of these seminars in person, but through the tactical library, he had seen Ferguson's work everything, complete and unfiltered.
Tonight, Gao Shen was reading an article Ferguson had written about club culture and the manager's personality.
Ferguson described himself not as a traditional leader, but as a shaper of culture.
"I think time gave me the opportunity to influence the beliefs of others and give them confidence. My confidence and personality infected them. I often felt that my team reflected my own shadow and personality, and that personality is something I've been searching for my whole life," Ferguson wrote.
Gao Shen found himself returning to these words repeatedly. This passage had struck a chord deep within him when he first read it, inspiring him to shape a team in his own image, to instill it with his own character.
It was this passage that had driven him to join Napoli to create a team that embodied his vision and values.
Whenever he faced difficult decisions, he would revisit this text, reminding himself of his original purpose.
Gradually, he had begun to find clarity and direction in Ferguson's words.
...
"I'm about to face one of the toughest challenges of my career, and I'm not entirely sure how it will turn out. But I'll face it with dignity," Gao Shen wrote in his private journal the next morning.
He left the entry untouched for a few minutes before a new message appeared beneath it.
"For those with confidence, who don't let temporary setbacks define them, there is no such thing as failure!
For those with an iron will and relentless perseverance, failure doesn't exist!
Where others give up, they persist; where others retreat, they charge forward. For them, failure doesn't exist!
And for those who rise each time they fall, stronger than before, failure is impossible!"
Gao Shen's eyes grew misty, but a smile crept onto his lips.
"Thank you," he replied.
"You're welcome!" came the quick response.
...
...
"Everyone!"
Gao Shen strode into the coaches' office at Fort Volturno, calling out to his staff with a commanding voice.
Instantly, all eyes turned to him.
"I've made a decision," he declared. "It's going to be a tough fight, but we have to take it. And we have to make it count!"
The atmosphere in the room immediately became more serious.
Everyone knew what Gao Shen was talking about, the upcoming clash with Inter Milan.
It wasn't an easy decision, and it was a risky one. But Gao Shen had made up his mind.
"I know that Inter Milan is currently the strongest team in Serie A. There's no debate about that. I know that, realistically, our chances of beating them aren't great. I also know that, at the San Siro, they'll be waiting for us, eager to solidify their position at the top of the league."
He paused, letting the gravity of the situation sink in.
"But we have no choice!" Gao Shen continued firmly. "This is a team that we've all worked incredibly hard to build. I don't want our players—our team—to carry fear in their hearts. I want us all to have unshakable belief. Even when we face stronger teams, when we're up against the odds, we can't be afraid. We can't shrink back. We have to step up and fight!"
"I'm going to fight Inter Milan!" Gao Shen declared, his voice filled with conviction.
It was a bold and dangerous decision.
Napoli's strength didn't quite measure up to Inter Milan's. The odds were stacked against them. To win, they would have to push beyond their limits.
"I know that last season's 0-3 defeat to Inter did immeasurable damage not just to me, but to all of us. And I know that some of you are probably wondering, 'What if it happens again? What if we lose 0-3 again, or even worse?'"
He paused, meeting the eyes of each of his staff members.
"Believe me, I've worried about it too. I've been haunted by the thought of another 0-3 defeat or something worse. That's why I've hesitated."
"But no more."
"In 2009 and 2011, Sir Alex Ferguson faced Barcelona in the Champions League finals. He knew going into those games that his team was at a disadvantage. But he didn't back down. He fought them head-on, choosing his own way, even if it meant risking defeat."
"And Guardiola? In 2014, when Bayern Munich faced Real Madrid in the Champions League semifinals, Guardiola knew his team might not be able to match Madrid. But instead of playing conservatively, he chose to attack, to follow his heart. And yes, they lost 0-4. But at least they didn't back down."
"Why? Because weakness is worse than failure!"
"There are two ways to face adversity: either you let it destroy you, or you let it make you stronger!"
Gao Shen's voice resonated in the room, stirring the emotions of everyone present.
"I'm going to show Inter Milan and the world that we haven't been broken by that 0-3 defeat."
"Even after that loss, even knowing that we might lose again, maybe even worse we're still going to stand tall. We're going to fight back, because we aren't afraid!"
"We're not afraid to lose! We're not afraid of Inter Milan!"
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
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