Covero's history dates back to 1957.

  At the time, two highly respected figures in Florence—Luigi Ridolfi, the owner of Fiorentina, and Dante Berretti, the then vice-president of the Italian Football Association had a vision. They wao create something unique for Italian football, a pce where coaches from diverse tries, backgrounds, and philosophies could gather, exge ideas, and inspire innovative thinking.

  To make this dream a reality, they decided to build Covero near Fiorentina's home stadium.

  inally, the site was designed specifically for coaches. However, the national team ter selected it as their training base, and gradually, it became the nerve ter of Italian football.

  Over the decades, Covero has attracted tless coaches from Italy and abroad.

  Ulivieri expihe long history of Covero to Gao Shen as they toured the grounds, including the Football Museum.

  Although it's called a museum, it only tains six exhibition rooms. These rooms dispy championship trophies, match equipment, photographs, and medals dating back to the 1930s, showg the glorious history of Italian football.

  But, as Ulivieri put it, all of this is just the surface.

  The real treasure lies within, the vast lecture hall and the immense library. The lecture hall hosts numerous renowned coaches from around the world every year, who are io deliver speeches and share their tactical ideas, insights, and trainihodologies.

  Only the most exceptional in their fields are io speak here.

  Fao Shen, standing in this hall satisfied a bit of his vanity. He was about to deliver his first-ever speech here.

  The library, oher hand, was Covero's jewel. It is sidered the most prehensive library in the football world, taining virtually every authoritative book reted to the sport.

  But what truly sets it apart are its irrepceable treasures.

  Every coach graduating from Coverust leave behind a thesis. The topic is uricted as long as it pertains to football. The paper should reflect the coach's learning experieheir insights, and their vision for football.

  From Lippi to Capello, from Ai to Mani, they all left their theses here.

  Gao Shen, while ued in some aspects, found this particurly fasating.

  For example, Antonio te's thesis spans 40 pages and focuses on the 4-3-1-2 formation. This intrigued Gao Shen, hadn't te bee famous for his three-defender system ter on?

  Simirly, Spalletti, the current Roma head coach, wrote his thesis on "The Use of the 3-5-2 Formation in Modern Football."

  Gao Shen found this amusing. Spalletti, a propo of three-defender systems? Really?

  Ai's 1997 thesis, titled "The Future of Football: More Dynamic," at first seemed vague to Gao Shen. He wondered if Ai had just cobbled something together.

  But as he read through it, Gao Shen had to admit the thesis was ahead of its time. It accurately predicted many of the tactical evolutions in football over the following decades and included detailed charts and analyses of on-field and off-field trends.

  Gao Shen was genuinely impressed. Ai truly had a knack for uanding the bigger picture.

  Mani's thesis examihe role and importance of attag midfielders.

  However, Gao Shen couldn't help but question, when Mani managed Inter Min, did he even have a creative attag midfielder? Stankovic hardly ted.

  As for Allegri, his thesis explored midfield figurations.

  He believed that the midfield anizer must possess strong positional awareness and be able to distribute the ball quickly during deferansitions. The right-sided pyer should excel in running and aerial duels, while the left-sided pyer should be skilled, able to break through oppos, and push forward.

  Reading this, Gao Shen immediately thought of Allegri's ter Juventus setup: Pirlo as the deep-lying pymaker, Pogba on the left, and Vidal on the right.

  It was as if Allegri's thesis had e to life.

  But then Gao Shen couldn't help but wonder, why did Mi Pirlo go?

  There was also Sarri, whose thesis focused oiculous weekly training pns leading up to matches.

  …

  Gao Shen quickly browsed the museum, but he couldn't pull himself away from the library.

  Most of the time, he found himself silently critiquing as he read.

  He thought about the possibility of the library being open to the publie day. What would football fans think when they saw these theses written by the game's greatest minds? Would it remind them of uy graduates realizing their degrees were irrelevant to their jobs?

  All the books and theses in the library are open to students and members of the Coaches Association. They visit and study these materials anytime.

  This, as Ulivieri emphasized, is Covero's greatest legacy.

  What struck Gao Shen most was the enormous gap between this system and others.

  Too often, people focus only oe of a match. But a match is merely the result, it's not the ey of football.

  Behind every game are the efforts of tless individuals: pyers, coaches, staff, and more.

  And behind those individuals lies the foundation of youth training, coach development, and football's industrialization.

  Why is Italy hailed as the "kingdom of tactics"? Why are Italian coaches regarded as tactical maestros?

  The answer lies in their prehensive coag education system.

  This is the bae of footballing success.

  A robust youth training system, a world-css coag development program, and an advanced league structure, these are the foundations of every football powerhouse.

  Without them, how talent emerge?

  Take Italy, for instance. Even if their youth training struggles to produce stars now, the framework is still intact. With proper reform, coupled with the best coaches and leagues in the world, it's only a matter of time before talent resurfaces.

  Look at Germany, France, and Engnd—they all rose through simir paths.

  Without youth training, coag education, or leagues, talent magically appear from thin air?

  This is the insurmountable gap that exists outside the pitch.

  After visiting Covero's library, Gao She a deep sense of frustration.

  The disparity between his own try's football system and these football giants was overwhelming. He doubted whether he'd live to see real ge in his homend's football.

  But that wasn't something he could ge single-handedly.

  Even if he became the best coa the world or won a World Cup with another nation, it wouldn't alter the situation bae.

  This realization filled him with a profound sense of helplessness.

  At the same time, it ignited a burning desire within him to bee stronger and more aplished.

  Someday, he hoped to return home, bringing back advaactical knowledge and trainihodologies, and tribute to the development of football in his try.

  But coag the national team?

  No, thank you.

  He thought about Lippi's experiend others who came after.

  Gao Shen could only imagihe absurdity of being transported across time and space for critig his national team. If he truly became its head coach, the Space Administration would be sed, chasing him down for stantly mog the team.

  Would that be eaining? Not really.

  …

  After visiting Covero, Gao Shen, apanied by Ulivieri, rested briefly before heading to the auditorium.

  The hall was already packed.

  Gao Shen's first speech wasn't open to the publid her the media nor fans had any knowledge of it. Yet, it still caused a stir in Europe's professional coag circles.

  Italian attendees made up the majority, including current Covero students, national team pyers and coaches, and famous figures like Mani, Allegri, te, Pioli, and Sarri. They all came out of respect.

  Fn coaches were also present, such as Klopp and Tuchel from Germany; Hans Flick, assistant coach of the German national team; Bn France; Pochettino frentina; Erik ten Hag from the hernds; and Vils-Boas from Pal.

  Before entering, Gao Shen g the list of attendees in his hand.

  Reading the names some of which were unknown now but would bee legendary ter made his heart race.

  Still, his experience siraveling through time had made him calm under pressure.

  Even though he was a bit nervous, he also felt a sense of pride.

  Years from now, when he wrote his autobiography, this would undoubtedly be one of his highlights.

  "By the way, Fernando," Gao Shen said, pulling Lucas aside just before entering.

  Lucas looked at him, puzzled.

  "Go borrow a camera. I want to take a photo with everyoerward."

  "Huh?" Lucas looked fused.

  "You're a famous coaow," Lucas replied. "Most of the people here are unknown."

  Seeing Lucas' expression, Gao Shen chuckled. "This is my first speech ever. Meeting them is fate, and I want to orate it. Go now."

  Lucas still seemed perplexed but obeyed.

  Gao Shen, however, was grinning to himself.

  Years ter, when these people became household names, he'd post the photo on social media with the caption: Spot the future legends!

  Now that would be something even Ferguson couldn't top!