Starting With Real Madrid

Choose optimism—that is Ferguson's coaching creed.

Football is a strange and unforgiving sport. No matter how strong a team may be or how brilliant a coach is, losses are inevitable.

In fact, the stronger the team, the more devastating a defeat can feel, especially when it comes at a crucial moment.

For a manager, knowing how to handle defeat is just as important as knowing how to win.

But choosing optimism doesn't mean ignoring reality. It means facing the facts head-on, analyzing them with a clear mind, and finding the best way to improve.

Just like now, standing in front of the home dugout at Old Trafford, Ferguson watched as Gao Shen sprinted from the visitors' bench, celebrating wildly with his Napoli players on the pitch.

It was an unpleasant sight. But despite the sting of defeat, Ferguson wasn't overwhelmed by negative emotions.

Over two legs, Manchester United never really had the upper hand. If anything, they were slightly inferior to Napoli.

Gao Shen had built a formidable, distinctive team, one that embodied his unique tactical philosophy.

He had found his own Path.

Now, his task was to refine it, to perfect it.

As for Manchester United, their performance wasn't terrible.

If they had been weak, they wouldn't have made it to the Champions League semi-finals in the first place.

This loss exposed flaws in the squad, but it also provided clarity, showing Ferguson exactly where the team needed to improve.

With Cristiano Ronaldo set to leave, it was time to have some serious discussions with the board and the Glazer family.

How much of the transfer fee from Ronaldo's departure would be reinvested into the squad?

That was the question Ferguson needed to focus on now.

The Champions League?

It's over.

…

Gao Shen lost himself in the moment.

Only for a second.

Quickly regaining his composure, he called for his players to show restraint. After all, this was still Old Trafford.

As he made his way back to the sideline, he noticed Ferguson already standing there, waiting for him.

"Congratulations, lad." Ferguson offered a warm smile as he extended his hand.

"Thank you, Sir." Gao Shen shook it firmly.

"You played well tonight. You deserved to go through." Ferguson's tone was gracious.

Gao Shen simply smiled. There was no need for false modesty.

Napoli had indeed played better.

He wasn't sure what to say in this moment. This kind of situation, beating a legend like Ferguson on such a grand stage was surreal.

Then Ferguson spoke again, his voice calm and measured.

"In the 19th century, the British writer Rudyard Kipling once said: 'Treat triumph and disaster just the same. Do not be swayed by illusions of victory or the sting of defeat.'"

He chuckled lightly.

"Too many people lose themselves in success. Others are crushed by failure. When things are going well, they think they're invincible. But the moment they hit a rough patch, they feel like the world is collapsing around them."

Gao Shen understood the lesson behind those words.

"In psychology, they call that 'cognitive distortion.'" He picked up the conversation naturally.

Ferguson raised an eyebrow, momentarily surprised.

Gao Shen grinned. "I told you, I studied psychology on my own."

Ferguson let out a hearty laugh.

The more he interacted with Gao Shen, the more he realized, this young man was fascinating.

Not quite as fun when he was winning, though.

Ferguson's expression grew serious.

"From a purely selfish perspective, I've won two Champions League titles. You've only got one. So, I should be the one giving advice here. But tonight, you beat me."

"And if you win in Rome…" He let the words hang.

Gao Shen smiled knowingly.

If Napoli won the final, he too would have two Champions League titles matching Ferguson's tally.

At that point, Ferguson would no longer have the same leverage to offer advice.

"Doesn't matter when or where, if you speak, I'll listen." Gao Shen responded with humility.

Ferguson nodded in approval.

"I know you understand how to keep a level head in victory and defeat otherwise, you wouldn't be here. But there's one mistake you can't afford to repeat."

His expression grew even more solemn.

"Last time, someone told me they admired me. Then his team beat us 2-1 at home in the first leg and held us 1-1 at Old Trafford. That knocked us out of the Round of 16."

"And now, you told me you were a fan of mine. But the first leg was 1-1, and tonight, you won 2-0, eliminating me from the semi-finals."

At that, Ferguson shook his head and let out a bitter chuckle.

"I keep getting knocked out by my own 'fans.'"

Gao Shen laughed as well.

Ferguson hadn't named anyone, but from the scoreline, it was obvious, he was talking about Mourinho.

Back in 2004, Mourinho's Porto had stunned Manchester United in the Round of 16, paving the way for their historic Champions League triumph.

"In the final, watch out for Barcelona," Ferguson warned. "They're tough to deal with. I won't lie, I never found a perfect way to stop them."

His gaze turned distant for a moment.

"You either park the bus completely or try to match them pass for pass… but honestly?" He shook his head. "Neither approach guarantees success."

Even if United had made it to the final, Ferguson wasn't sure he had an answer for Pep Guardiola's Barcelona, a team that controlled the game like no other.

So in the end, whether he lost here or in the final… did it really make a difference?

---

Gao Shen and Ferguson stood on the sidelines for nearly ten minutes, talking about football, tactics, and the game they had just witnessed.

During his visit to Manchester, Gao Shen had brought along two cases of fine Chilean wine as a gift for Ferguson.

He didn't mention that it was from his own winery. Instead, he simply introduced it as a well-known Chilean brand, saying that a friend had recommended it and that he wanted Ferguson to try it. He promised to have someone deliver it later.

Even in defeat, Ferguson's mood had improved considerably. The gesture, combined with a couple of cases of quality wine, was more than enough to earn a heartfelt thank you from the legendary manager.

But Ferguson didn't just chat idly. He offered Gao Shen some advice regarding the upcoming Champions League final against Barcelona.

The first leg of the other semi-final had already seen Barcelona dismantle Liverpool 3-1 at Anfield. Their place in the final was all but secured.

That meant a showdown between master and apprentice was on the horizon.

But no matter their past, Guardiola had the advantage.

He was managing peak Barcelona, perhaps the strongest team in the club's history.

For Gao Shen, the challenge was immense.

As Ferguson had said, there were only two real ways to approach a game against Barcelona.

One: Park the bus—defend deep, stay compact, and wait for counterattacking opportunities, much like Chelsea or Inter Milan had done in the past. But this approach was extremely passive. Barcelona could dominate possession with over 70%, forcing their opponents to endure relentless waves of attack.

For a young Napoli squad, whose average age barely exceeded 20, was it realistic to expect them to hold out for 90 minutes under such intense pressure?

Besides, in the three years since Gao Shen had taken charge, Napoli had never truly adopted a purely defensive strategy. It was simply not their style.

Two: Press high and play them head-on.

This was how Heynckes' Bayern Munich would later dismantle Barcelona.

But this Napoli side wasn't Bayern.

And the Barcelona they were facing now was even stronger than the one Bayern would crush in 2013.

So how should he play?

Gao Shen already had a framework in mind.

After all, when Guardiola was still his assistant, Gao Shen had often pondered this exact scenario how to beat Guardiola's Barcelona.

Back then, it had been nothing more than a hypothetical battle against an imaginary opponent.

Now, he had to put those ideas to the test.

…

Full-time!

Napoli had done it!

A 2-0 victory at Old Trafford.

A 3-1 aggregate win over Manchester United.

Napoli were through to the Champions League final!

As the stunned home crowd began to file out of the stands, a conversation was taking place near the visitors' dugout.

Manchester City's young chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, stood beside Ferguson, his excitement barely contained.

"He's the perfect manager for us!" Mubarak declared, his voice filled with conviction. "No matter what, we have to bring him to City!"

"He's the one who can take us to the top, who can make us challenge United and every club in England!"

Meanwhile, over in Germany, at Bayern Munich's headquarters on Säbener Straße, the club's legendary Big Three—Franz Beckenbauer, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, and Uli Hoeness—had also watched the game.

And they were just as stunned.

They had never truly believed that Napoli could eliminate Ferguson's Manchester United in the semi-finals.

But Gao Shen had done it.

He had outcoached Ferguson in a direct tactical battle, proving his ability beyond any doubt.

Even more impressive was the team he had built.

Napoli had world-class talent, young players with enormous potential. Letting them go would be painful.

Beckenbauer leaned back in his chair, shaking his head in admiration.

"A manager like him doesn't belong in Naples anymore."

He spoke with certainty.

"He needs a bigger stage, one that matches his ambitions. A true top club."

Rummenigge and Hoeness both nodded.

Bayern had been monitoring Gao Shen for some time.

But there had always been concerns about his age, his experience.

That was why they had opened talks with Louis van Gaal, the current manager of Dutch side AZ Alkmaar. Negotiations had progressed well.

But now?

Now, Gao Shen had taken Napoli to the Champions League final.

And if he won it?

He would become a two-time Champions League-winning coach.

That would place him alongside Ferguson and Ancelotti the only active managers with such an achievement.

At just 30 years old, Gao Shen would be one of the most elite coaches in Europe.

Beckenbauer folded his arms.

"We need to rethink our decision."

Rummenigge and Hoeness exchanged glances, then nodded.

…

Meanwhile, in Madrid.

Florentino Pérez sat in his office, watching the final moments of the match on a large screen.

His emotions were complicated.

He had miscalculated.

Or, more accurately, he had underestimated Gao Shen.

Barcelona had been unstoppable in La Liga.

Neither Real Madrid nor any other Spanish club had been able to keep pace with them.

If Florentino returned to power at Madrid, his first and foremost mission would be to take down Barcelona.

But how?

His philosophy had always been Galácticos, signing global superstars. That was his vision for Madrid's future.

But Gao Shen?

Gao Shen didn't believe in buying superstars just for the sake of it.

Florentino had assumed he could sign the players first and then convince Gao Shen to come later.

But now, things weren't so simple.

He had put himself in a weaker position.

If Gao Shen won the Champions League again, he wouldn't need Madrid.

At that point, it wouldn't be Gao Shen chasing Real Madrid.

It would be Real Madrid chasing him.

Florentino exhaled slowly, leaning back in his chair.

Miscalculated.

***

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