After the game against Real Madrid, Napoli didn't linger in Madrid. The team quickly returo Italy, diving straight bato training the m.

  Since meeting Bueura, Gao Shen had attached great importao post-match recovery sessions. When Pintus joihe staff, recovery training became even morous and systematic.

  Even after a high-profile match like the o the Bernabeu, pyers who didn't get much time on the field, or didn't py at all, were put through light training routihis had bee an integral part of Napoli's daily schedule.

  For instance, after the Bernabeu victory, Pintus took seven substitutes, including Callejon and Parejo, for post-match training directly at the stadium. This session included drills desigo maintain rhythm and fitness for pyers who hadn't pyed or had limited minutes.

  As always, Pintus led the exercises himself, closely the pyers.

  This season, Napoli's post-match recovery protocol had been refined further.

  Acc to Bueura and Pintus, proper recovery training offered substantial bes. It helped maintain the pyers' form, boosted physical capabilities, and sped up recovery. Fao Shen, this was a vital po of his team's preparation, ensuring that the pyers were always match-ready.

  ---

  After the recovery session, Gao Shen anized a review and analysis meeting to go over the match against Real Madrid.

  This wasn't just routi was essential. Napoli was making its first-ever Champions League appearance, and most of the squad was inexperie this level.

  Experience couldn't be rushed, it had to be accumuted gradually.

  Matches like the o the Bernabeu were learning opportunities. Gao Shen emphasized disseg such games iail.

  The team broke dowhing: mistakes made, why they happened, how they could be avoided, and how to react if somethi wrong during a match.

  Every pyer received a detailed report afterward, highlighting areas for improvement and lessons to take forward.

  At these meetings, Gao Shen also enced pyers to share their thoughts and insights, whether about their own performance or the team's. Mistakes could be called out, but only structively.

  However, Gao Shen was extremely cautious about this. He wanted a healthy dialogue, not a bme game. To ehis, he implemerict rules for the discussions.

  Pyers were enced to speak their minds but had to focus on the facts. Criticisms were to be professional, not personal. To ease potential tension, Gao Shen introduced small rituals, after a critical discussion, teammates would shake hands or even hug to diffuse any lingeriivity.

  At first, many pyers found this awkward. But over time, it became a norm. Now, they often discussed tactiistakes amongst themselves, even during halftime in matches.

  This system fostered a sense of atability and unity within the squad. Napoli wasn't perfeo team was—but they were cohesive, w toward a on goal.

  ---

  During lunews came from Madrid.

  At around 10 a.m., Calderon and Mijatovic held a press fere the Bero annouhat Real Madrid had officially sacked Schuster.

  The decision wasn't surprising, but it left Gao Shen feeling reflective.

  He had faced many oppos as a manager, and his victories had occasionally cost rival coaches their jobs. But f the dismissal of Real Madrid's head coach with a crushing 7-0 win stirred something different in him.

  After all, hadn't he himself takehe Real Madrid job as an emergency rept?

  Carlo felt the same.

  "I thought Schuster could hold on until November," Carlo said with a bitter smile, shaking his head.

  He himself had repced Capello at the end of November, during aumultuous period for Real Madrid.

  Historically, October and November were peak months for managerial ges. By then, early-seasos often revealed whether a team needed a shakeup.

  But to fire a coa mid-September? That was rare.

  Of course, with the embarrassment of a 0-7 loss at home, Real Madrid had little choice.

  "If Schuster didn't get fired after that, who would?" arked.

  Zidane, sitting nearby, nodded. "Acc to the Spanish press, Real Madrid is starting their search for a new coach. AS and Marca have even begun polls, and you, Gao, are leading as the fans' top choice."

  Gao Shen chuckled but said nothing.

  The idea of returning to Real Madrid now was absurd.

  Not only would it be awkward, given he had just hahem the most humiliati in their history, but it would also paint him as opportunistic. After driving Schuster out of the job with a 7-0 win, could he really swoop in to take his pce? That would be shameless, and Real Madrid already had enough troversies without adding another.

  Besides, it wasn't practical.

  ---

  Lucas chimed in, shaking his head. "Schuster's ents after the game forced Real Madrid's hand. He essentially burned every bridge with the pyers."

  Schuster's post-match remarks had aliehe dressing room. Keeping him on would have only worsehe team's situation, as the pyers clearly no longer respected him.

  At this point, a coag ge was iable.

  The real question was: who could take over now?

  Finding a top-tier coa the middle of a season was never easy. Most elite managers were either employed or unwilling to join a club mid-crisis.

  As Lucas pointed out, "The optiht now aren't great. I heard the names being floated: Qinduo, Michel, Hugo Sanchez, and Pal. None of them are long-term solutions."

  Gao Shen was familiar with all of them, especially Pal. When Gao Shen first joined Real Madrid's youth system, Pal had been the Castil coach. Gao Shen's reanization of the youth team back then had iently disrupted Pal's pns.

  Pal's coag career since leaving Castil hadn't been stelr, making him an uninspiring didate for the Real Madrid job.

  "Whoever they pick," Carlo interjected, "it'll be a stopgap. Real Madrid won't find their ideal coach right now. They'll bide their time until summer."

  ---

  Later, as the pyers rested during their lunch break, Zidaayed behind, looking unusually thoughtful.

  It didn't take long fao Shen to notice.

  After the room cleared, Gao Shen breot of tea, filling the air with its calming aroma. Zidane, like many others around Gao Shen, had developed an appreciation for tea.

  Zidaen cimed that the process of brewing and drinking tea helped him think more clearly. Whether it was true or not, Gao Shen found his colleague's serious approach amusing.

  Zidane sipped his tea, quietly enjoying the moment before finally speaking.

  " I ask you something?" he said, breaking the silence.

  Gao Shen raised an eyebrow. It wasn't often that Zidane sought advice. The Fren was a football genius, equally fident in his tactical a. If he had a question, it had to be signifit.

  "Of course," Gao Shen replied.

  Zida his cup down and looked directly at him. "Do you really like coag?"

  The question caught Gao Shen off guard. His instinct was to say yes, but as he thought about it, he realized it wasn't such a simple answer.

  Zidane's question wasn't just casual, it was loaded.

  The ret sag of Schuster weighed heavily on both their minds. For Zidane, who was just starting his journey into ma, the abrupt dismissal of a coach, regardless of his faults, was a stark reminder of how unfiving the profession could be.

  Schuster had been Real Madrid's head coach st night. By m, he was unemployed.

  It was a s thought for anyone sidering a career in ma.

  Gao Shen looked at Zidahoughtfully. "It's not about liking or disliking," he said after a moment. "It's about whether you're prepared for what es with it."

  Zidane nodded, his expression serious. Coag wasn't just a job, it was a stant bang act, ohat demanded both passion and resilience.

  After all, as history had proven time and again, even the greatest pyers didn't always succeed on the sidelines.

  ***

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