Not long ago, ahead of Napoli's away game against Inter Min, a team from the try's leading national television station traveled to Italy to produce a special report on Gao Shen's work in Naples.

  The three-part feature, aired on the sports el, delved into everything Gao Shen had aplished iy.

  The produ crew wahrough the streets of Naples and discovered how deeply football had permeated the city's culture. It wasn't just a sport; it art of the city's lifeblood.

  "Dirty, chaotid poor—that's the first impression most tourists have of Naples," the report began.

  "But in the Agora district, often sidered the heart of Naples, football is everywhere."

  The cameras captured shop shutters painted with graffiti of Maradona, the Napoli team, and Gao Shen. Sky blue was the dominant color of the city, and football culture was evident everywhere from shop signs to handcrafted tris. Statues of Maradona and Gao Shen frequently appeared in the footage.

  "Napoli fans even turn their creativity against their rivals," the report added. "You'll find toilet paper adorned with the logos of opposing teams, sold as souvenirs."

  Interviews with fans revealed a shift in rivalries.

  "Napoli fans used to hate Juventus the most," the report expined. "The rivalry began in Serie B. But now, Inter Min has taken Juventus's pce."

  A street intervietured one fan passionately expining why.

  "Because they beat us 3-0 ialian Cup!" he excimed. "Our coach, Gao Shen, said he'd never fet that match, aher will we."

  This bitterurned into creativity, with mockery of Inter Min being a thriving business. Items like toilet paper featuring Inter Min's logo or caricatures of Ibrahimovi? known for his brash remarks about Naples were especially popur.

  This pyful street culture art of what made Naples unique. Many tourists visited the markets to experiehe city's authentid vibrant character.

  ---

  In 1990, Maradona led Napoli to their sed Serie A title.

  To honor the legendary pyer, Naples residents pooled their moo ission a graffiti mural. The artist, Mario Firdi, lived in the Spanish Quarter and worked with a team of voluo plete the project.

  The mural became a pilgrimage site for football fans visiting Naples. But over time, the graffiti began to fade, and some details were obscured, like Maradona's face, which ainted on a window. When the windoened, his image disappeared.

  Many locals believed Maradona deserved a more perma and promiribute.

  Last season, after Napoli won the Serie A double, faiohe city govero create a new mural fao Shen and Maradona. The proposal included pg Gao Shen's mural o the inal Maradona mural.

  The city gover approved the idea. But a street artist proposed an even grander project: using the side of aire building to create two massive murals in the coastal heart of Naples.

  One mural would feature Maradona, while the other would showcase Gao Shen.

  At the same time, the city gover respoo fan requests by ereg life-sized statues of Maradona and Gao Shen at the northwest and southeast entrances of the San Paolo Stadium.

  The Maradona statue depicted him in his pying days, while Gao Shen's statue showed him wearing a suit, standing on the sidelines in a coag pose.

  Every match day, Napoli faering the stadium would pass by one of these statues. The city even redeveloped the surrounding area into ndscaped zones, ensuring the statues became tral features of the fan experience.

  The street artist's massive murals were funded by local businesses and widely supported by the people of he statues at the stadium were a joint effort by the city gover and the Napoli football club.

  Both tributes were scheduled for unveiling just before Christmas.

  ---

  As in previous years, Gao Shehe Napoli pyers in unity outreach activities before the holiday. The team was divided into groups and visited hospitals, nursing homes, kindergartens, and other local institutions across Naples, participating in charity and unity events.

  This tradition is a must for European teams, as local fans tribute the majority of ticket reve is a way to give back to the unity and shoreciation for their unwavering support.

  The event sted the entire m. Each group visited several locations and took part in a variety of activities.

  At noon, the eeam returo the San Paolo Stadium to attend the unveiling ceremony of the statues, a joint effort by the city gover and the club. Even Maradona, the neointed head coach of the Argentina national team, flew in to attend.

  The ceremony began with the unveiling of Maradona's statue. Numerous media reporters from Italy and abroad gathered to capture the moment.

  Maradona expressed his gratitude to the Naples city gover and the club, reaffirming his deep e to the city.

  "I am very happy to see that the team I love and once fought for has now bee the stroeam in Italy and even in European football uhe leadership of a passionate and successful coach," Maradona said.

  "I am so proud of this Napoli team!"

  Maradona admitted that since being a coach, he now uood how challenging the job could be.

  "Many people, including Valdano ai, have told me that Gao Shen is the most thoughtful coa world football. So, this time, I came to Naples not just to participate in this event but also to learn from this team and its coach."

  Though often rebellious, Maradona dispyed humility during his time in Naples, a city that always brought out his softer side.

  The ceremony then moved to the southeast entrance of the stadium, where Gao Shen personally unveiled the red cloth c his own statue. The crowd of fans, pyers, and media responded with warm ahusiastic appuse.

  At just 28 years old, with less than three years of coag experience, Gao Shen had achieved somethiraordinary, a statue in his hoed by Napoli.

  In his speech, Gao Shen humbly respoo Maradona's earlier ents. He expressed his pride in standing alongside a legend like Maradona, whom he described as "the eternal god" in his heart, someone irrepceable.

  Gao Shen also took the opportunity to thank Naples for the experience he had gaihere.

  "This has been a pivotal chapter in my growth and my coag career," he said. "It has taught me so much, lessons that will be me for the rest of my life."

  When asked about the team's goals for the season, Gao She it straightforward.

  "In Serie A, we are leading the standings, and our only goal is to win the championship," he decred fidently.

  Gao Shen expihat as long as Napoli maintaiheir strong performance from the first half of the season, he was fident in their ability to cim the title.

  Regarding the Italian Cup, he aowledged that Napoli had already reached the quarterfinals and credited their successful rotation system for keeping the team petitive on multiple fronts. He stressed that this bance was key to winning the Italian Cup as well.

  Finally, Gao Shen addressed the Champions League.

  "Many people felt frustrated, even pessimistic, after the draw with Chelsea," he said, his gaze sweeping across the crowd of fans and pyers. He tinued with a hint of pyfulness, "And yes, I know many of you felt the same way, even if you didn't say it out loud."

  "But I'm here to tell you—it's unnecessary!"

  Standing fidently in front of the microphone, Gao Shen faced the mayor, city cilors, and other promi figures without a hint of nervousness.

  "Naples is a uy, and Napoli's football is just as unique. From the past to the present and into the future, this city and this team have always fought back against the odds.

  "When we were in Serie B, we dared to challenge Serie A teams, including the top clubs. Yes, we suffered crushis, but those experiences became valuable assets that made us stronger."

  "When we were promoted to Serie A, everyone assumed oal was merely survival, to avation. But only we khe truth: survival was never oal. oal was to win the championship!"

  "tless people called it a fantasy, an impossible dream. But in the end, we proved them wrong. We overcame every obstacle, defeated every team, and turhe impossible into reality. We became the first promoted team in Serie A history to win the championship!"

  The crowd erupted into thunderous appuse.

  "And now, we've fought our way out of the group of death, going up against European powerhouses like Bayern, Real Madrid, a. We've shown the world that Napoli is no pushover. We've shown that we have the strength to fight for what we want."

  "So let me say this clearly: no matter who our oppo is—Chelsea or anyone else—we don't care. Because in the end, they are destio fall before us."

  "We have only one goal: the championship. All the championships!"

  Gao Shen's voice was resolute as he cluded.

  "My pyers and I promise ead every one of you that we will give everything we have to fulfill this promise!"

  As soon as Gao Shen finished speaking, the crowd burst into appuse, louder and more passiohan before.