"I heard Gao Shen hasn't renewed his tract with you yet?"

  In the VIP stands, Inter Min's teical direarco Branca, asked the question in a casual tone, but it caught Marino, Napoli's general manager, off guard.

  Oapoli relentlessly pressed Inter Min, wave after wave of attacks leaving the Nerazzurri struggling. But iands, Marino's heart sank at Branca's words.

  "We have him on a three-year tract," Marino replied calmly, trying not to show his unease.

  But his momentary rea didn't escape Branca's sharp eyes.

  The Inter Min direiled knowingly. "Yes, a three-year tract, but from what I've heard, it's actually structured as a one-year rolling deal, with Gao Shen holding the upper hand."

  Marino said nothing, uo deny it.

  When Gao Shen had initially requested such a tract structure, Napoli didn't think much of it. Back then, they believed it wasn't a big deal. But now, with the team's success and Gao Shen's rising status, the flexibility in his tract had bee a potential problem.

  A one-year rolling tract was certainly advantageous fao Shen. If he chose to leave, Napoli wouldn't be able to stop him. There wouldn't even be any liquidated damages involved.

  Of course, even if there were tractual restris, most European clubs would avoid handling such situations with undue harshness. Nobody wao burn bridges with a coach as talented as Gao Shen.

  After all, in the football world, retionships often e full circle. If a team faced difficulties iure, and Gao Shen happeo be avaible, they might want to work with him again.

  Such cases were on in European football.

  But if a team tried to hahings as stubbornly as former Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz once did, it would only plicate matters.

  "What are you getting at, Mararino asked, his voice low.

  Branca leaned back with a fident smile. "We're very ied in Gao Shen."

  "Impossible!" Marino immediately rejected the notion. "He won't coater Min. He'll still be with Napoli season."

  "Don't be so sure, Pierpaolo," Branca replied, his tone calm yet assured. "You know as well as I do that Napoli has hit its ceiling. If Gao Shen wants to move to the level, he'll need a bigger, more ambitious ptform. He wants to pete seriously in the Champions League, and the only team in Serie A capable of doing that sistently is Inter Min."

  Branca's words struck a nerve. Marino didn't respond immediately, but deep down, he khere was some truth to what Branca was saying.

  Napoli's financial situation was limited, with all their iment ing directly from Aurelio De Laurentiis' pocket. Every majning required thh sideration and careful budgeting.

  Take the acquisition of a pyer like Lavezzi, for example. Napoli would o deliberate extensively before making such a move.

  And what about Inter Min? They could have signed such a pyer without a sed thought, likely the summer before Napoli even got involved.

  Now, when it came to tract extensions, Napoli faced further difficulties. One of the main reasons for the deys was their financial straints.

  Put simply, Napoli didn't have the money.

  The club's revenue growth had not kept pace with the team's success och. If Napoli rushed to extend tracts across the board, it would create immense financial pressure.

  But if they deyed renewing tracts, they risked losing their star pyers.

  Napoli had bee a target for other clubs. Biglia, David Luiz, Di Maria, Sanchez—all were being eyed by Europe's top teams. Whether it was Inter Min, A, Roma, or Juventus, everyone wanted a piece of Napoli's success.

  Even De Laurentiis and Marino had sidered selling pyers themselves.

  This was the harsh reality for smaller clubs.

  Yet they hesitated to sell, and the reason was simple: Gao Shen hadn't made his decision.

  If Gao Shen chose to leave, it was almost certain that Napoli would undergo a massive summer clearance. For a mid-tier team like Napoli, this was iable.

  Of course, the funds from those sales could be reied to rebuild the squad, maintaining petitiveness in Serie A. They might not be able to fight for the title anymore, but finishing iop four would still be a realistic goal.

  That alone would be enough for Napoli.

  In fact, Marino had even thought about the potential bes. With the money from pyer sales, they could renovate the stadium, upgrade the training facilities, and put the club on a sustaih to profitability.

  For a club like Napoli, that would be a dream e true.

  But everything hinged on Gao Shen.

  De Laurentiis and Marino both remembered something Gao Shen had said two years ago: he promised to build a strong Serie A team in three years and make waves in the Champions League. Nooli had secured Champions League qualification, and the foundation for success was in pce.

  Winning the Champions League might be unrealistic for now, but reag the knockout stages could bring in at least €30 million in revenue, a figure that would drive any club like Napoli wild with excitement.

  Both men were waiting. Waiting to see if Gao Shen still remembered his ambitions.

  ...

  Oapoli's relentless pressure tinued.

  Even after both sides made substitutions, Napoli's dominanly grew stronger.

  Ih minute, tral defender David Luiz surged forward with the ball, initiating an attack. He passed out wide to Lichtsteiner, who quickly linked up with Biglia.

  Lichtsteiner sent a direct pass to Valencia on the right fnk.

  The Ecuadorian winger, fag Maxwell, trolled the ball with a deft touch before accelerating down the line. Using his speed, he blew past Maxwell, cutting the ball bato the box.

  The cross bypassed the penalty area and the far post.

  Inter's tral defenders had been drawn to i, who occupied the front of the penalty area. But David Luiz had made a surprise run into the box. Despite Pele's attempts to mark him, the Brazilian defender rose high and headed the ball into the .

  3-0!

  David Luiz sprioward the Napoli ben celebration. Sliding to his knees, he clutched Gao Shen's legs and shouted excitedly.

  The rest of the Napoli pyers swarmed around them, celebrating as though they had already secured the trophy.

  Gao Shen couldn't help but smile.

  He kly what David Luiz was trying to vey: the defender had redeemed himself for his mistake in the previous match at the San Siro.

  Though this goal wasn't crucial to the oute, it carried symbolic weight. Luiz had scored against Inter Min, helping secure a trophy for Napoli.

  Meanwhile, Inter Min's pyers looked on in frustration.

  Around the stadium, the cheers of Napoli fans cshed with the boos of the Roma and Inter supporters who had joined forces against them.

  ...

  "Why do the fans seem so hostile toward Napoli?"

  In the VIP se, Italian President Giio Napolitano turo De Laurentiis, separated from him by Italian Football Federation President Giancarlo Abete.

  Both men were Neapolitans, and there was an undeniable sense of camaraderie between them.

  "Because we've humiliated them before," De Laurentiis replied with pride. "Tonight, the fans of Roma and Inter are united in their hatred of Napoli."

  Napolitano chuckled. "Well said! Let them u doesn't matter. We're not afraid!"

  His bold words drew ughter, though the president's staff behind him coughed discreetly, reminding him to mind his position.

  As the president of Italy, Napolitano was supposed to remain impartial, even if he roud Neapolitan.

  "What's there to be afraid of?" Napolitano scoffed. "Everyone knows I'm from Naples."

  The 83-year-old president remained eid defiant, exuding fidence.

  "Besides, when I went to Munich for the World Cup final, Italy won the championship. Now I'm here in Rome, and Napoli is winning the Coppa Italia. What does that tell you?"

  He turo Roberto Donadoni, the Italian national team coach seated on his other side.

  "Roberto, Juh is my 83rd birthday, and it's also the day of the European Championship final. I'll be in Vienna for it. I hope to celebrate my birthday with arophy."

  Donadoni nodded with a smile. "Don't worry, Mr. President. We'll do our best."

  Napolitano ughed heartily, the anticipation for the European Championship clear in his expression.

  After winning the World Cup, all of Italy was dreaming of European glory, and the ce to establish a football dynasty.

  ...

  David Luiz's goal ended any suspense.

  Inter Min, outcssed for the ech, had no answers.

  Mani's team struggled to cope with Napoli's iy and precision, uo evade their relentless press.

  The Nerazzurri created few ces and spent most of the game scrambling under Napoli's sustained assault.

  In the end, Gao Shen's Napoli triumphed 3-0 at the Stadio Olimpico, seg the fourth Coppa Italia title in the club's history.

  This victory also marked the sed domestic double in Napoli's history.

  As the referee blew the final whistle, the Napoli faed in celebration, filling the stadium with cheers.

  Och, the Napoli pyers went wild, dang and embrag one another in a frenzy of joy. They were overwhelmed with excitement, some even losing themselves in the euphoria of the moment. At such a time, no one cared about whether their celebrations appeared too excessive or smug.

  Even though Gao Shen had mentally prepared himself for this moment, when the whistle finally sounded, he was overe with a surge of ecstasy. For a brief moment, his mi bnk. Then, snapping back to reality, he began hugging his assistants one by one, receiving their gratutions and thanking the Napoli fans iands for their unwavering support.

  Before he could fully process what was happening, the Napoli pyers crept up behind him. Like mischievous thieves, they suddenly lifted him into the air.

  Ign Gao Shen's half-hearted protests, they carried him around the pitch to celebrate, and then, to his surprise, they tossed him into the air, over and ain.