Chapter 61: Juventus lacks Zidane!
The advantage of wealthy teams is that they are rich and can do whatever they want.
All of Real Madrid's Champions League away games are chartered flights, so there is no need to change flights midway.
After finishing the last training session in the afternoon and having dinner in Valdebebas, the team set off for the nearby Capital Airport. After more than two hours of flight, the team arrived in Turin, Italy.
A bus that had been waiting at the airport took the team to the hotel.
Except for a few close Spanish media accompanying the team, few teams followed the news of Real Madrid's landing.
The media also needs to consider costs and benefits.
As usual, two people shared a double room, and each person had a fixed partner. The staff had already checked in the team. After arriving, everyone went straight back to the room to rest.
Tomorrow night is the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, so rest tonight is particularly important.
Some players are a little more troublesome, they need medication to fall asleep, there is nothing we can do about it.
Many people only see the glamorous side of football stars, and few people notice that they are actually under heavy pressure. Every game and every kick of the ball may involve millions or even tens of millions of euros in revenue.
What does it mean to play a game worth over 100 million yuan?
Real Madrid plays many games like this every year, so many players are prone to injuries due to excessive pressure, or have difficulty sleeping and can only rely on medication.
Gao Shen will not have this kind of trouble.
He had his own room. When he arrived, he took a hot bath, changed into pajamas, and fell asleep directly.
In fact, he entered the tactical library.
He is also studying Capello and his Juventus.
But not long after I entered, the doorbell of the room rang.
He stepped out, jumped off the bed, ran to open the door, and saw Zidane and Beckham standing at the door.
"It's you, come in." Gao Shen was a little surprised and opened the door to let them in.
As soon as the two entered the room, they saw Gao Shen barefoot and wearing pajamas. Then they saw the bed in the room and it was obvious that he had just climbed out of bed. They immediately showed an envious look.
"It's good to be young. You can sleep whenever you want." Zidane praised.
Gao Shen smiled softly, looking at Zidane's image, he felt quite sympathetic.
It’s all because of insomnia.
"Come, sit down."
Gao Shen welcomed them to the sofa in the room, poured each of them a glass of water, then sat down on the soft mattress and looked at the two superstars with a smile.
We have been together for almost a month, and we chat about every two or three days, so we are familiar with each other. But it is the first time that we both visit at the same time like tonight, especially on the eve of the game against Juventus.
"Tell me, what's the matter?" Gao Shen took the initiative to speak with a smile.
Zidane and Beckham looked at each other, both showing some helplessness.
"Actually, we came here to ask you something." Beckham said.
Zidane is a quiet person, so Beckham is relatively more familiar with Gao Shen.
Gao Shen looked at the two people's embarrassed expressions, guessed something in his heart, and laughed secretly, but he remained calm on the surface.
"What are you going to do with Ronnie, Carlos and the other Brazilian players?" Beckham asked tentatively.
Gao Shen exclaimed inwardly, as expected, his eyes were always observing Beckham and Zidane, and the two superstars were also paying attention to him.
Gao Shen was quite pleased with this move.
At the very least, this proves that in their eyes, profundity still has some weight.
"Do you think there's something wrong with the way we handled it?" Gao Shen asked back without commenting.
"No, we just..." Beckham hesitated, and it seemed that he didn't know what to say.
The Brazilian gang is just to make it easier to distinguish. In fact, there is no such thing as a Brazilian gang or a local gang in the Real Madrid dressing room. Aren't they all Real Madrid players?
Zidane quickly took over the conversation and said, "We feel that the team's schedule is very tight and we really need more manpower. Several players have problems and have been suspended for several games and have been punished. Can we give them some opportunities next time?"
"Yes." Beckham nodded, with an expression that said, "That's exactly what I meant." "In fact, they are still very capable. And you can see that they work very hard in training and are in good shape."
After Buenaventura took office, Real Madrid's training level has gradually improved. Gao Shen originally thought that the Brazilian gang would resist, but unexpectedly, they were quite cooperative.
This is probably also related to the fact that they were marginalized by Gao Shen and could not participate in the competition.
After Gao Shen signs the contract, they will be under Gao Shen's management at least until the end of this season.
Look at what Gao Shen has done in the past period of time. He would rather use young players from the second team and let the team struggle than let Brazil help.
This is a very clear attitude: either you give in and admit defeat, or you continue to guard the water dispenser.
In the past, Real Madrid still used the superstar strategy. When Florentino was still there, who dared to treat Ronaldo and Carlos like this?
And timing has always been the most favorable for Gao Shen because there is the World Cup this year.
It happens once every four years. If you miss the World Cup because you can't play for Real Madrid, who knows what will happen in the next four years?
Gao Shen had actually expected ; it was only a matter of time.
"Ronnie looked for you?" Gao Shen asked calmly. He didn't look angry at all.
Zidane and Beckham looked a little surprised, as Gao Shen had really guessed it.
They also said privately that Gao Shen didn't look like a 25-year-old young man who had just graduated from school.
Even worldly-wise old foxes like them are sometimes completely controlled by the masters.
Just like now, he guessed it at once.
Zidane and Beckham hesitated for a moment, but did not hide it and nodded.
"Ronnie wants to have a good talk with you," Zidane said.
"No problem, you can tell Ronnie that I will wait for him in the office after training the day after tomorrow morning." Gao Shen nodded. Zidane and Beckham came to his house, and he had to give this face no matter what.
As for how the talks go and whether Ronaldo can return to the game, it depends on his attitude.
In fact, Gao Shen has also been waiting.
Ronaldo, Carlos, Baptista, Robinho, Cicinho, which one of these players is not extremely strong?
Real Madrid is in urgent need of players now. If they are willing to give in, it will be a great help to the team.
Gao Shen has only one request all along, which is to force the Brazilian gang to surrender and be used by him.
When coaching Real Madrid, Gao Shen’s biggest desire is to achieve better results and lay a foundation for his future coaching.
He likes Real Madrid and Ronaldo very much, but he never thinks that it is his responsibility to save Real Madrid and Ronaldo. That is a Madonna disease and needs to be cured.
In fact, Gao Shen never thought that he could cure Real Madrid’s problems.
Therefore, his purpose has always been very clear. In order to achieve good results, he needs to suppress the Brazilian gang, so he suppresses them; when the team is stable, the Brazilian gang has surrendered, and can provide support to the team, then he will use them.
Of course, before using the Brazilian help, Gao Shen still needs to do some work with Raul and the local help players.
This is also very delicate and requires him to handle it properly.
Zidane and Beckham did not expect that things would go so smoothly and that Gao Shen would give them such face. They were immediately happy. But when they saw Gao Shen wearing pajamas and his messy bed, another doubt suddenly arose in their minds.
"Have you figured out how to play against Juventus?" Beckham asked curiously.
This is actually also the question of countless media and fans outside.
Gao Shen smiled and said, "I have a rough idea, but it needs further consideration and improvement."
Zidane and Beckham looked at each other, and both of them showed an expression that wanted to give a thumbs up to Gao Shen.
You have such a big heart!
Haven’t thought it through yet, and you’re just going to sleep?
"I remember Beckenbauer once said that the strongest is often the weakest."
The two superstars on the opposing team looked at each other in bewilderment. Did Beckenbauer say this?
Anyway, they haven't heard of it.
"Juventus' strongest point right now is their lineup and tactics. When facing a team like Juventus, we can only fight them head-on. It is often difficult for surprise troops to play an effective role. Instead, they may be used by the opponent and have the opposite effect, because this team is too comprehensive and versatile."
After these profound words were spoken, both superstars nodded.
Capello's Juventus is truly all-round, able to play both offensively and defensively. They can play however they want, but opponents have no good way to deal with them.
This is the most difficult problem.
but……
Zidane quickly figured out the meaning of the profound words, "You mean, being versatile is Juventus' weakness? And their tactics are also a weakness?"
Gao Shen smiled and couldn't help but secretly praise Zidane in his heart. He was really sharp. No wonder he could achieve such amazing results after becoming the head coach in the future. He was no joke.
Coaching a guy like this actually puts a lot of pressure on the head coach.
"Whether being versatile or not is an advantage or a disadvantage depends on the kind of opponents they face. In fact, I have a set of statistics here. So far this season, Juventus has scored 60 goals and conceded 20 goals in 31 Serie A games, ranking first in Serie A."
"If we count the home results, we scored 29 goals and conceded 6 goals in 16 home games, which ranks behind AC Milan and Inter Milan. We scored 32 goals and conceded 14 goals in 15 away games, and got 36 points, which is 7 points more than Roma, which ranked second."
Zidane and Beckham listened carefully to the profound data, pondering in their minds what was behind the data.
Logically speaking, all teams are good at playing at home but not good at playing away, so usually speaking, home results are better than away results, but this is obviously not the case for Juventus.
The points are similar, but judging from the goals and league ranking, Juventus is obviously better away than at home.
Of course, the six goals conceded at home are indeed quite eye-catching, but what about the offense?
"I understand. When playing away, the opponent will be more proactive and Juventus will have more counterattack opportunities, so we concede more goals, but also score more goals. But when playing at home, the opponent always focuses on defense and Juventus has fewer chances." Zidane was the first to react.
Gao Shen nodded, "Yes, Juventus' lineup looks very comprehensive and versatile, but in fact, they lack creativity, especially in this season. Nedved, Camoranesi and Piero are not in the same form as before, which directly affects Juventus' offense. This is most obvious in their home court."
"To put it simply, Juventus' midfield lacks a Zidane!" Gao Shen joked with some amusement.
