Starting With Real Madrid

Guardiola often said that his coaching philosophy had been deeply influenced by many people.

This was true not just in terms of tactics but also in how he managed the locker room.

For instance, after Guardiola took over as Barcelona's head coach, one of his first decisions was to overhaul the locker room culture by removing many outdated regulations.

During Frank Rijkaard's tenure, many of these rules had become meaningless formalities, so Guardiola decided it was better to abolish them altogether.

Another controversial change he implemented was the cancellation of centralized accommodations before matches.

Traditionally, whether for home or away games, players were required to stay at a team-arranged hotel or training facility the night before a match. This system made it easier to manage the players, especially since being at home introduced variables, such as distractions from family life that could impact game-day performance.

But Guardiola abolished this tradition.

Why?

"Gao Shen had already abolished it during his time coaching Real Madrid, and later when he coached Napoli. Yet, his teams didn't suffer. Instead, by trusting his players and relying on their self-discipline, they became even more disciplined."

Many of Guardiola's decisions mirrored those of Gao Shen, so much so that some referred to him as Gao Shen's direct disciple.

Gao Shen had repeatedly denied this. He maintained that Guardiola was an outstanding and innovative coach in his own right, someone who analyzed, thought critically, and developed his ideas independently. Gao Shen emphasized that Guardiola didn't need a mentor.

But Guardiola himself often admitted to learning a lot from Gao Shen, even tacitly agreeing with the perception that Gao Shen had influenced him.

This dynamic made for an interesting story.

On the eve of Barcelona's home match against Bayern Munich, Guardiola, his assistant Tito Vilanova, and the rest of his staff gathered at Barcelona's Ciutat Esportiva to watch Napoli's away match against Arsenal.

Initially, they were expecting a thrilling, closely fought contest. What they witnessed instead was…

---

When the game reached the 22nd minute, Arsenal maintained possession in their defensive half, passing the ball around the backline.

Napoli, meanwhile, eased off their tempo and maintained a steady pressing shape without overcommitting.

Despite several exchanges between their defenders, Arsenal struggled to find a way forward. Spotting an opportunity, Gallas advanced with the ball and attempted a straight pass upfield.

Ahead, Adebayor had dropped deep to receive the ball with his back to goal. After controlling it, he laid it off to Kolo Touré, resetting the play to Arsenal's defensive line.

Kolo Touré pushed forward, crossing the halfway line. Spotting Adebayor further upfield near the 30-meter mark, he attempted another straight pass.

Adebayor, closely marked by Thiago Motta, had no room to maneuver and was forced to play the ball wide to Walcott on the right.

Walcott carried the ball through traffic and threaded a pass into the box toward Van Persie.

Receiving the ball with his back to goal, Van Persie tried to shield it and turn, but David Luiz held his ground and blocked him effectively. Unable to find space, Van Persie dribbled toward the right before passing back to Sagna, who had pushed high up the pitch.

Sagna took a touch past Vargas, created a bit of separation, and attempted a cross with his left foot. However, Biglia intercepted it before it could reach the penalty area.

Napoli immediately seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack.

As with every counter from Napoli that night, the move was swift, direct, and heart-stopping for Arsenal's defense.

---

"Arsenal are panicking," Guardiola said, shaking his head. He could already predict the outcome of the match.

Vilanova nodded in agreement. "The players are too rushed, and Wenger hasn't stabilized the team."

"He's in a tough spot now. They've conceded two goals at home, so he has to attack, but they just can't break through," Guardiola said with a bitter smile.

"You know, everyone talks about Mourinho, Capello, and Hiddink as masters of defensive football. But I'm telling you, Gao Shen's defensive tactics are just as strong and incredibly precise."

The room fell silent.

Back when Gao Shen coached Real Madrid, his name had become synonymous with disciplined counterattacking football, earning him trophies and global recognition.

"Arsenal's biggest problem is still their midfield," Guardiola continued, visibly disappointed in the Gunners' performance.

"Look at that last attack. Their backline passed the ball around repeatedly, but their midfielders, especially Song and Fabregas weren't dropping back to support. Instead, they were already pushing forward."

He gestured to the screen.

"This breakdown in Arsenal's positioning and transition is glaring. Without a clear outlet in midfield, their ball progression suffers. In the end, Adebayor had to drop all the way back to facilitate transitions, and then sprint forward to receive the next pass. It's chaotic."

Guardiola sighed. "Both Sagna and Clichy are pressing high as full-backs, but when Arsenal loses possession, their midfield can't hold its ground or delay the counterattack. That leaves their center-backs completely exposed."

---

As Guardiola spoke, Arsenal began another attack.

Once again, the play went through Walcott on the right. He drove the ball diagonally toward the penalty area, leaving the flank open for Sagna's overlapping run.

But as Walcott reached the edge of the box, Napoli's defense swarmed him. Thiago Motta, Biglia, and Vargas collapsed on Walcott, leaving Sagna unmarked. Vargas, abandoning his mark, joined the double-team, and together, the three successfully dispossessed Walcott.

Walcott tumbled to the ground, but the referee waved play on, signaling no foul.

Napoli immediately launched another counterattack. The ball was quickly worked to Sanchez upfield.

Fabregas hurried to close Sanchez down, but with no clear path forward, the Chilean winger smartly passed back to Rakitic, who was unmarked in midfield.

Rakitic controlled the ball and passed to Cavani, who had dropped deep. The Uruguayan laid it off to Biglia, who then reset the play with Thiago Motta.

Napoli passed the ball around with precision, frustrating Arsenal's attempts to regain possession.

Before Arsenal could fully retreat into their defensive positions, Thiago Motta saw an opening and launched a probing attack.

Vargas advanced down the left, combining with Sanchez to create a two-on-one situation. When Arsenal's defense adjusted, Napoli recycled possession through the midfield.

Biglia, unpressured, spotted Sanchez sprinting behind Arsenal's defensive line. With a perfectly timed low lob, he sent the ball into Sanchez's path.

---

"He's onside!"

"Sanchez breaks free!"

The Chilean winger sprinted down the left, catching Biglia's pass before Sagna could intercept. Cutting diagonally into the box, Sanchez faced Kolo Touré one-on-one.

With a series of feints, Sanchez shifted toward the goal line, drawing Touré closer. Suddenly, Sanchez stopped, changed direction, and sent Touré stumbling. With space now open, Sanchez adjusted and curled a powerful shot with the outside of his right foot.

The ball rocketed toward the top-right corner.

Almunia, who had already made several excellent saves that night, reacted quickly, diving to his left. But Sanchez's shot was perfectly placed, too fast and too precise.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!"

"Three to zero!"

"Unbelievable! Napoli has scored three goals in under 30 minutes!"

---

As the Emirates Stadium fell silent, Napoli's players erupted in celebration.

Sanchez, now with a goal to add to his earlier assist, sprinted toward the corner flag, arms wide in celebration. His teammates rushed to join him, their confidence soaring.

On the sidelines, Wenger's frustration was palpable. He gestured animatedly, shouting instructions to his players.

In stark contrast, Gao Shen raised his arms high, clapping and smiling broadly.

"Three to zero!" he exclaimed, turning to Zidane and the coaching staff with a triumphant grin.

"This game is over," Gao Shen declared confidently.

In his heart, he had always believed in this outcome. With his players in top condition and their strategies executed to perfection, nothing could stop them.

He glanced back at his celebrating players, then turned to Zidane.

"Semi-finals, here we come!"