Security at the Konami Trainier in Castel Volturno was ramped up after Napoli's training camp began, but spies were still everywhere.

  There were even is where people sneaked onto nearby golf courses, climbed to elevated spots, and used telescopes to watapoli's training sessions. Fortunately, golf course security caught them i.

  After that, Napoli increased patrols and surveilnce around their training grounds.

  Whenever Napoli pyed an away match, it became an opportunity for oppos to gather intelligence. Scouts would openly set up cameras iands, rec every detail of the game.

  In the close-knit world of Italian football, it was who worked for which club. From the very first preseason match, Inter Min had scouts trag Napoli's every move. But after a few games, seeing that Gao Shen's lineups were disanized and the oppos were mostly lower-tier teams, the scouts stopped showing up regurly.

  Gao Shen found this amusing. At least it showed Mourinharded him as a serious oppo. Otherwise, why bother deploying su extensive operation to traapoli's progress?

  This respely motivated Gao Shen to activate his own anti-espioactics.

  Take tonight's match at Grosseto's modest home stadium, for example. There were only about 1,800 fans in attendance, with tickets sold exclusively through Grosseto's own els. It wasn't hard to weed out any potential spies.

  The football world is small. Everyone knows everyone else.

  …

  "No scouts?"

  After hearing Lucas's repao Shen couldn't help but ugh.

  "Do they think Grosseto isn't worth watg?"

  Truthfully, Grosseto had a det team. Of course, they were nowhere near Napoli's level, but they weren't pushovers either.

  "I think they've just had enough," Lucas joked. "You've been running them in circles. They've probably decided it's a waste of time."

  "That's what happens when people fall into stereotypes," Gao Shen replied with a smirk.

  By "stereotypes," Gao She the preceived notions others had about his team. For example, after selling Domic, most people assumed Napoli would sign a fourth-choice ter-baeone cheap and willing to sit on the bench as a backup option.

  Had Napoli fans paid closer attention before the season started, they might have noticed that Mehdi Benatia barely garnered any attention. Even after David Luiz and Bonucci left to join their national teams at the Olympics, the media mostly focused on Paolo avaro and Thiago Motta as the main defeions. Motta had, after all, pyed as a ter-back during his time at Bara.

  There was also Arturo Vidal, who had inally started his career as a ter-back.

  But Benatia?

  To most people, he was a plete unknown.

  Yes, he was once part of France's U-17 national team. But after failing to break through at Marseille, he was loaned out repeatedly, failing to impress at smaller clubs. He even pyed for a team in Ligue 2 that gated.

  Let's be clear—this yer from a relegated Ligue 2 side.

  Later, he tore his knee ligaments badly, causing Marseille to refuse to renew his tract.

  At best, he was seen as a pyer with some talent but whose career had been derailed by injuries. Could he even still py professionally?

  Thus, Benatia fit perfectly into the narrative about Gao Shen's "bargain-bin" signings: a free transfer for a fourth-choice ter-back to warm the bench. The media barely mentioned him, and fans didn't expect much.

  Gao Shen didn't mind. He used this perception to his advantage.

  Whenever scouts or reporters were present, Benatia would remain on the bench or only appear as a te substitute. As a result, the media overlooked him entirely, treating him as an irrelevant figure in Napoli's squad.

  And why not? He was a free trahat was enough for everyoo dismiss him.

  But the reality was different.

  Careful observers would have noticed that Benatia's actual pying time wasn't insignifit. In matches where no scouts were present and media attention arse, Gao Shen gave Benatia signifit minutes, often pairing him with avaro.

  Moreao Shen never mentioned Benatia publicly. He deliberately kept him out of the spotlight.

  So, while the media and fans worried endlessly about Napoli's defensive lineup for the Italian Super Cup, those within the club khe truth: the startier-back pair wouldn't include Thiago Motta or Vidal, it would feature Benatia.

  From the very beginning, Gao Shen had pced a great deal of trust in the Moro defender.

  Benatia wasn't brought in as a fourth-choice backup. He was inteo be a key part of the rotation, potentially even a starter.

  Why?

  Because Gao Shen believed avaro was reliable enough for Serie A, but for Napoli to pete in the Champions League, they needed someoronger as the third ter-back.

  Befao Shen's "journey," Benatia had performed brilliantly in Ligue 2 for two years after rec from injury. Udinese eventually signed him for a low fee, and he made an immediate impa Serie A.

  This roof of Benatia's ability. Despite his setbacks, he had returronger.

  In Naples, uhe guidance of world-css trainers like Bueura and Pintus, Gao Shen was fideia's recovery and development would be even faster and more effective.

  So far, Benatia had lived up to expectations.

  …

  Napoli's ter-back options were carefully anized.

  David Luiz and Bonucci, for example, plemented each other. Luiz was aggressive, often stepping forward to intercept, while Bonucci stayed back, c and anizing.

  Benatia was simirly skilled at intercepting and reading the game. His sharp anticipation and precise timing made him excellent at one-ouations.

  Standing 1.9 meters tall with a strong physique and good speed, Benatia was an ideal defender fh-pressing systems. His background as a youth striker also gave him excellent ball trol, solid passing, and aerial ability, all traits that fit perfectly into Gao Shen's tactical blueprint.

  So why had Marseille let him go after his injury?

  It came down to tactical fit. A pyer's abilities shine in one system but be iive in another.

  This was why David Luiz, for instance, had always received mixed reviews befao Shen's "journey."

  But fao Shen, these types of pyers were treasures waiting to be unlocked.

  Aia? He was the secret on Gao Shen had prepared for Mourinho ialian Super Cup.

  …

  Ich against Grosseto, Gao Shen decided to field Benatia and avaro as his ter-back duo after firming that no scouts were present. This was another opportunity to test their chemistry.

  Grosseto, under Pioli, pyed a high-pressing, terattag style simir to Napoli's, puttira pressure on Napoli's defenders. Pioli even fielded a speedy forward to exploit any gaps on the ter.

  But when the game began, Napoli's defense held firm.

  Benatia, in particur, impressed. His quick recovery runs and ability to cut out dangerous terattacks stood out.

  On one occasion, he chased an oppo all the way back from midfield to the penalty area, exeg a and decisive tackle without itting a foul.

  The crouded the Moro defender's effort, and Gao Shen nodded in satisfa from the sidelines.

  By trast, avaro's performance seemed less remarkable. While reliable, he cked the fir and dominance of his older brother, Fabio.

  In the sed half, Gao Shen made adjustments, bringing on Thiago Motta and switg to a three-baation. This allowed him to test aactical approach he had been sidering.

  As a student of tactics, Gao Shen had been studying Bielsa's strategies extensively, including his failed experiments with the Argeional team. Gao Shen found the cepts intriguing and worth expl further.

  Fao Shen, warm-up matches were golden opportuo experiment.

  In the end, Napoli secured a 2-0 victory rosseto.

  This marked the first time Benatia had pyed a full 90 minutes for the team.

  …

  "This ter-back is something special," Pioli remarked after the game, clearly impressed.

  Before the match, Pioli, like everyone else, had assumed Napoli cked options in defense. Now, he could see h that assessment had been.

  Thiago Motta, Vidal, and eveia, all of them fit Gao Shen's system perfectly.

  "You've been hiding him for the Super Cup, haven't you?" Pioli teased.

  Gao Shen merely smiled, dodging the question. Instead, he shifted the versation.

  "With a high defensive line, ter-baeed to be fortable in one-ouations. They also rong passing skills. That's the dire football is heading. The days of big, physical defenders with rough teical skills are over."

  Pioli hough he couldn't help but g his own defenders. pared to Napoli's, his options were limited.

  "How do you even find pyers like these?" Pioli muttered, half in admiration, half in frustration. "They're talented, fit your system, and cost o nothing. It's unreal."

  "Well," Pioli added with a grin, "there's just ohing. He's too . You should teach him to py a bit dirtier."

  Gao Shen chuckled.

  "Are you askio corrupt the kid?" he replied with a smirk.

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