"Losing?"
When Gao Shen received the call from Min, he and his team were traveling to the Granillo Stadium in Reggio Cabria, south of hey were on a bus, ready for their uping game against Reggina.
After hearing the news, Gao Shen couldn't tain his excitement. He jumped up from his seat and smmed his fist in celebration.
The sudden movement startled everyone on the bus, even the driver up front.
"It's okay, keep driving. Just stay focused on the road," Gao Shen said to the driver with a ugh. Then, turning to his pyers, he stood in the aisle, ready to deliver some news.
Seeing his posture, everyone on the bus knew he had something to say. They removed their headphones and roused their teammates who had been dozing off.
When all eyes were on him, Gao Shen grinned and shouted, "Inter Min lost!"
There was a brief silence as everyone processed his words. Then, disbelief and surprise spread through the group.
"Lost?"
"1-2, Inter Min lost to Juventus!" Gao Shen announced, his fists ched in triumph.
The bus erupted into cheers.
"Fantastic!"
"Unbelievable! Boss, you're incredible!"
"My God, boss, did Inter really lose?"
"Boss, it's like whenever you speak, Inter Min just drops points!"
Hearing his pyers' pyful praise, Gao Shen smiled in satisfa, though he was genuinely relieved deep down.
Truthfully, he had been uain before the game.
If he had faced Inter Min with Napoli, Gao Shen was fident he could crush them again. While replig a 5-0 viight have been difficult, winning vingly was a certainty in his mind.
But Ranieri? Gao Shen wasn't sure.
Fortunately, the "Tinker" hadn't let him down.
After all, Ranieri would one day bee the manager who led Leicester City to a miraculous Premier League title!
Thank you, Tinker!
---
"Alright, quiet down and listen to me!" Gao Shen called out, and the bus fell silent.
"Don't get carried away. Right now, we're only two points ahead. Let me repeat: two points, not five!" Gao Shen's tourned serious.
He knew his pyers too well. This group of young, spirited pyers had boundless energy but cked discipline.
To put it kindly, they were exuberant and carefree. To be blunt, they were reckless and proo overfidence. If he didn't stantly rein them in, they might lose focus and blow everything they'd worked for.
"Now, how do we turn a two-point lead into five points? Do I eveo expin it to you?" Gao Shen asked firmly.
The pyers hey uood.
Before every match, Gao Shen drilled it into their heads: py steadily.
And now, during this critical juncture of the season, Gao Shen would rather see an ugly victory than risk losing with fshy, careless py.
"I've told you all before, tless times sihe start of this season, no, since I first arrived in Napoli st season: we're building a team capable of peting for the Serie A title!"
The pyers nodded again.
It was true, Gao Shen had said this before.
Back then, he boldly decred that he would take Napoli from Serie B and turn them into Serie A tenders within three years. Many had ughed at him, dismissing it as a pipe dream.
But nooli were sitting atop the Serie A table.
And they were on the verge of widening their lead over Inter Min to five points.
"Trust me, everyone. If we increase the lead to five points, Inter Min's morale and fighting spirit will plummet even further. They'll py worse and worse!" Gao Shen decred passionately, his voice eg through the bus.
"I hope you all uand, tonight's three points are noiable. I don't care what it takes, I don't care how hard you have to work, but tonight, I want you to give 120,000 pert effort!"
Gao Shen's face hardened, his expression being almost ruthless.
"You know what kind of coach I am. In my team, there's no room for ziness, and I won't tolerate mediocrity."
"Tonight, I'm taking these three points, and no one, no one, take them away from me!"
---
Orndi, aged 54, was coag a Serie A team for the first time.
After Reggina lost 0-2 to Inter Min, the club's ma decided to fire their previous coad promote Orndi, who had been managing the youth team, to take charge of the first team.
For Orndi, this was the ce of a lifetime to ge the trajectory of his coag career.
Having spent nearly 20 years coag Reggina's youth team, Orndi finally had the opportunity to lead the first team in Serie A.
In his debut match, he guided Reggina to a resounding 4-0 victory over Siena, a fellation-threateeam.
In his sed game, Reggina managed a 1-1 draw away against 16th-pced Livorno. These results earned Orndi widespread praise, and the club began to believe he could save them fration.
But now, ih round, they were set to face the league leaders, Napoli.
Orndi opted for a banced 4-4-2 formation, with Amoruso and Brienza leading the attack. fident from his early successes, he hoped to secure at least a point at home, or even shoapoli with an upset victory.
However, from the moment the match began, Orndi was stunned.
---
Just 70 seds into the game, Rakitic dribbled through the ter and lofted an overhead pass to i. The Uruguayan striker held off his marker with his body and headed the ball to the right side of the penalty area.
Sanchez burst through Reggina's defensive line like a lightning bolt, sshing into the penalty area from the right fnk. He trolled the ball and fired a low shot, sending it into the back of the .
1-0 to Napoli!
Reggina hadn't even caught their breath before Napoli struck again six mier.
Hamsik drove forward with the ball and forced his way into the penalty area, even as Modesto desperately tried to stop him. Hamsik stumbled but stayed on his feet until he was finally brought down.
The referee immediately awarded a penalty.
Hamsik stepped up and calmly slotted the ball into the .
2-0 to Napoli!
Seven minutes into the matapoli had already scored twice.
On the sidelines, Orndi was dumbfounded, and the Reggina fans iands were stunned into silence.
Napoli looked unstoppable.
---
With a two-goal lead, Napoli tiheir relentless assault ina's defense.
The overwhelmed relegation battlers couldn't cope with Napoli's iy, making frequent errors at the back.
Ih minute, a quick terattack saw Hamsik pass the ball to Sanchez on the right wing. The Chilean winger surged forward and delivered a precise cross to i in the penalty area.
i trolled the ball with his chest and unleashed a volley, sending it past Reggina's goalkeeper.
3-0 to Napoli!
Ih minute, Reggina made another mistake under Napoli's relentless pressure. A poor clearance fell to Callejon, who passed it back tas. The Peruvia-back broke into the penalty area and fired a low shot into the .
4-0 to Napoli!
---
After halftime, Napoli eased off slightly, but substitutions ih minute reigheir attack.
Parejo, who had just e on, delivered a pinpoint through ball to i, who scored his sed goal of the match.
5-0 to Napoli!
Later substitutions, including Pastore aens, added even more energy to the team.
In the 83rd minute, Pastore's clever heel pass set up Mertens, who smashed the ball into the .
6-0 to Napoli!
Finally, ih minute, Lichsteiner delivered a cross to Callejon, who scored with a header to seal the win.
7-0 to Napoli!
---
By the time the final whistle blew, the Granillo Stadium was eerily silent.
A week agina's 4-0 victory over Siena had given their fans hope. But tonight, Napoli's dominant 7-0 performance brought them crashing back to reality.
On the sidelines, Gao Shen raised his arms and cpped loudly for his pyers. He turo his coag staff, hugging each of them in celebration, before embrag the substitutes on the bench.
This wasn't just another victory, it was a statement.
Napoli's lead was now five points.
And for the first time, Gao Shen could truly feel the Serie A title within his grasp.
Two years ago, he had made a bold promise to turn Napoli into title tenders.
Tonight, that dream was closer thao beiy.
