Capítulo 296: Chapter 296: Gao Shen is Amazing!
As the game entered the 60th minute, Gao Shen was still biding his time.
Earlier in the season, former Juventus coach Marcello Lippi had predicted that Juventus would be able to compete for the title because they possessed a "determination and passion" in their DNA, enabling them to focus on each match. Lippi had specifically mentioned that veteran players with Juventus tradition and experience would be crucial to the team's success.
Throughout the season, Ranieri had frequently emphasized this so-called "Juventus spirit." In a long, grueling season, it wasn't just about physical strength, it was also about mental resilience.
This was one reason why Gao Shen had chosen to go all-out against Inter Milan; the spirit of a team wasn't something that could be built in training. It was forged in real battles.
From Juventus's starting lineup and the cautious play during the first 60 minutes, Gao Shen sensed a contradiction in Ranieri's approach. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something didn't add up.
On paper, Juventus's lineup suggested an offensive strategy, particularly with Almiron in midfield instead of the injured Zanetti. Almiron was known for his offensive play and creativity rather than his defensive prowess. However, Juventus's game plan had been ultra-conservative, almost exclusively focused on defense.
Why would Ranieri field Almiron, a more offensive midfielder, if his intent was simply to defend?
But Gao Shen decided it didn't matter.
Back in 2003, at a world coaching tactics seminar in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Carlos Alberto Parreira, who led Brazil to a World Cup victory in 1994 had predicted the future of football would involve a "strikerless formation" or a "false nine" setup, often referred to as a 4-6-0. He argued that in the modern game, you would need six players in midfield who could be both offensive and defensive, like the famous Deco.
In Italy, this concept was later adopted in part by Spalletti's Roma, who operated with a "strikerless" system built around the versatile Totti, who functioned as both a playmaker and a forward.
When Gao Shen faced Roma, he had delved deeply into Spalletti's tactical philosophies, studying his strategies in the tactical library and gaining valuable insights. The core of Spalletti's system revolved around Totti, but the role of players like Pizarro and Perrotta was crucial.
Roma's disastrous defeat to Napoli last season was partly due to Spalletti's misjudgment. He had focused on Totti as the key playmaker and Pizarro as the organizer, overlooking Perrotta's role as a functional player in connecting the play.
One aspect of the strikerless formation that intrigued Gao Shen was the concept of positional rotation, something that Marcelo Bielsa emphasized heavily. Bielsa's teams were known for their intense pressing, which he achieved by rotating players within positions, allowing them to maintain high energy levels.
For instance, if a forward started the press, he would eventually drop back, allowing a winger or midfielder to push up and take his place, creating a constant cycle of rotation and positional switching.
This rotation also created dislocation on offense. By pulling the forward back and allowing a winger or midfielder to advance, the team could exploit mismatches and disrupt the opponent's defensive setup.
Gao Shen saw similarities between Bielsa's methods and Roma's "wolf pack" approach, where Totti would drop deep while players like Perrotta or Mancini would push forward to capitalize on defensive disorganization.
In the past two seasons, Manchester United had also adopted a similar style under Sir Alex Ferguson, who was one of Bielsa's admirers.
As Napoli's coach, Gao Shen had experimented with this system in Serie B, but he realized that Napoli lacked a true playmaker like Pizarro or Carrick who could dictate play in midfield.
That's why he had signed Parejo.
As soon as the game hit the 60-minute mark, Parejo and several other substitutes began warming up. They had been doing this periodically since the start of the second half, so no one thought much of it.
But after the 65th minute, Parejo went out to warm up alone.
Shortly after, he returned and went directly to Gao Shen, who began explaining tactics to him, using gestures and pointing to areas on the field.
Watching this from the Juventus bench, assistant coach Christian Damiano felt an uneasy pang. Gao Shen was clearly preparing to make a substitution.
But without any signal from Ranieri, Damiano was at a loss for what to do.
Where is Ranieri? Why hasn't he sent any instructions?
Damiano looked around at the packed stands, unable to locate his head coach among the thousands of fans. The stadium was too full, and he couldn't find Ranieri's position.
In the stands, Ranieri himself was in a state of anxiety.
He had informed Secco of his location at halftime, and Secco had assured him that someone would be sent to relay instructions. But where was that person?
Ranieri stood up, straining to see Gao Shen and Parejo on the Napoli bench, his stomach sinking. He knew Gao Shen was preparing to make his move.
This was the storm he had feared.
Gao Shen had been waiting patiently, watching Juventus's energy wane, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Ranieri suddenly felt a chill down his spine. A dreadful realization hit him, what if the person supposed to relay his messages had been intercepted by Napoli's staff?
Otherwise, how could he explain why no one had shown up to help him so far?
"Damn it! We need a substitution, strengthen the defense!" Ranieri shouted, almost panicking.
As he yelled, all the surrounding Napoli fans turned to glare at him with fierce eyes.
If looks could kill, Ranieri would have been dead a thousand times over by now.
"Sit down! Sit down immediately!" whispered the Italian Football Federation official seated next to him, tugging him down urgently. "Are you crazy? This is Naples, not Turin!"
Ranieri swallowed his frustration, but he wasn't about to give up. Desperate, he quickly stood up again, pretending to need the restroom.
As he stepped away from his seat, he noticed that several fans in front and behind him stood up simultaneously, shadowing him closely.
Were they all really just going to the restroom too?
Ranieri reached the bathroom, hoping he could somehow find someone from his staff to pass a message. But his mind kept racing, worrying about missing the game and leaving his team exposed.
Just as he was steeling himself to stay hidden in the restroom for a few moments, he heard an impatient banging on the door.
"Hey, is there anyone in there? What, did you fall in or something?"
The tone was fierce, almost mocking.
Ranieri's frustration boiled over. "Can't you use one of the other stalls?"
"Every time I come to the San Paolo, this is my spot! Hurry up!"
Ranieri almost exploded. Was this even real?
At that very moment, he heard a thunderous roar erupt from the stadium, causing his heart to sink.
Oh no…
Ranieri flung open the stall door and hurried back out, dashing down the hallway to the stands. As he returned to his seat, he saw Napoli's players celebrating wildly on the pitch, and the entire stadium was on its feet, chanting and cheering in unison.
He turned to look at the scoreboard.
1-0.
Napoli had scored.
Ranieri felt as if the ground had opened up beneath him.
He hadn't even managed to get a substitution on before Napoli struck.
By the time he returned to his seat, the Italian Football Federation official beside him was practically buzzing with excitement. Seeing Ranieri's distraught expression, the official turned to him and, with a hint of admiration, said, "That was some brilliant coaching by Gao Shen."
"Who scored?" Ranieri asked, barely containing his frustration.
"Di Maria! Angel Di Maria!" the official replied, grinning.
"How did it happen?" Ranieri asked, dreading the answer.
The official enthusiastically explained, "Gao Shen's substitution worked like a charm. He brought on Parejo for Rakitic. Parejo immediately settled into a deep-lying playmaker role. He controlled the ball, effortlessly bypassing Almiron with a quick turn, drew Nocerino towards him, then passed it to Hamsik. Hamsik's movement forced Legrottaglie to step up, and Chiellini was pulled out of position by Pelle, leaving a gap in the defense."
"And then?"
"Hamsik threaded a through-ball behind Chiellini, right into Di Maria's path. Di Maria slotted it past Buffon. It was flawless!"
The official was practically gushing. "I have to say, Gao Shen's substitution was brilliant. It hit Juventus right in their weak spot."
Ranieri slumped back in his seat, devastated.
He realized he had walked right into Gao Shen's trap.
Gao Shen had lulled Juventus into a false sense of security with a cautious approach in the first half. But all along, he had been waiting for Juventus's energy to dip, planning to unleash a decisive assault in the final 30 minutes.
"Damn it, this is dangerous… too dangerous," Ranieri muttered to himself.
In that moment, he didn't care about the hostile fans around him or even the threat of the "Mafia-like" presence in Naples. His only thought was of his team on the field, desperately holding on.
He had to do something, anything, to stop Napoli's momentum.
He realized that if Napoli kept pressing like this, Juventus would be at risk of a complete collapse.
And if that happened, he could envision the headlines and fallout waiting for him back in Turin.
This can't be another Roma disaster from last season!
He could already see the writing on the wall: if Juventus lost by a large margin, his job might be on the line.
Ranieri knew he had to act fast, but without direct communication to his assistant, his options were limited.
Juventus needed a tactical adjustment, especially to contain Parejo and regain control in midfield.
If they didn't stop Napoli soon, Ranieri feared that he would be the next coach forced to resign under Gao Shen's relentless, tactical brilliance.
*****
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