As the game ehe 60th minute, Gao Shen was still biding his time.

  Earlier in the season, former Juventus coach Marcello Lippi had predicted that Juventus would be able to pete for the title because they possessed a "determination and passion" in their DNA, enabling them to focus on each match. Lippi had specifically mentiohat veteran pyers with Juventus tradition and experience would be crucial to the team's success.

  Throughout the season, Ranieri had frequently emphasized this so-called "Juventus spirit." In a long, grueling season, it wasn't just about physical strength, it was also about mental resilience.

  This was one reason why Gao Shen had chosen to go all-out against Inter Min; the spirit of a team wasn't something that could be built in training. It was fed in real battles.

  From Juventus's starting lineup and the cautious py during the first 60 minutes, Gao Shen sensed a tradi in Ranieri's approach. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something didn't add up.

  On paper, Juventus's lineup suggested an offerategy, particurly with Almiron in midfield instead of the injured Zai. Almiron was known for his offensive py and creativity rather than his defensive prowess. However, Juventus's game pn had been ultra-servative, almost exclusively focused on defense.

  Why would Ranieri field Almiron, a more offensive midfielder, if his i was simply to defend?

  But Gao Shen decided it didn't matter.

  Ba 2003, at a world coag tactics seminar in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Carlos Alberto Parreira, who led Brazil to a World Cup victory in 1994 had predicted the future of football would involve a "strikerless formation" or a "false nine" setup, often referred to as a 4-6-0. He argued that in the mame, you would need six pyers in midfield who could be both offensive and defensive, like the famous Deco.

  In Italy, this cept was ter adopted in part by Spalletti's Roma, who operated with a "strikerless" system built around the versatile Totti, who funed as both a pymaker and a forward.

  When Gao Shen faced Roma, he had delved deeply into Spalletti's tactical philosophies, studying his strategies iactical library and gaining valuable insights. The core of Spalletti's system revolved around Totti, but the role of pyers like Pizarro ata was crucial.

  Roma's disastrous defeat to Napoli st season artly due to Spalletti's misjudgment. He had focused on Totti as the key pymaker and Pizarro as the anizer, overlookita's role as a funal pyer in eg the py.

  One aspect of the strikerless formation that intrigued Gao Shen was the cept of positional rotation, something that Marcelo Bielsa emphasized heavily. Bielsa's teams were known for their intense pressing, which he achieved by rotating pyers within positions, allowing them to maintain high energy levels.

  For instance, if a forward started the press, he would eventually drop back, allowing a winger or midfielder to push up and take his pce, creating a stant cycle of rotation and positional switg.

  This rotation also created dislocation on offense. By pulling the forward bad allowing a winger or midfielder to advahe team could exploit mismatches and disrupt the oppo's defeup.

  Gao Shen saw simirities between Bielsa's methods and Roma's "wolf pack" approach, where Totti would drop deep while pyers like Perrotta or Mani would push forward to capitalize on defensive disanization.

  In the past two seasons, Maer United had also adopted a simir style under Sir Alex Ferguson, who was one of Bielsa's admirers.

  As Napoli's coach, Gao Shen had experimented with this system in Serie B, but he realized that Napoli cked a true pymaker like Pizarro or Carrick who could dictate py in midfield.

  That's why he had signed Parejo.

  As soon as the game hit the 60-minute mark, Parejo and several other substitutes began warming up. They had been doing this periodically sihe start of the sed half, so no ohought much of it.

  But after the 65th minute, Parejo went out to warm up alone.

  Shortly after, he returned a directly to Gao Shen, who began expining tacti, usiures and pointing to areas on the field.

  Watg this from the Juventus bench, assistant coach Christian Damia an uneasy pang. Gao Shen was clearly preparing to make a substitution.

  But without any signal from Ranieri, Damiano was at a loss for what to do.

  Where is Ranieri? Why hasn't he sent any instrus?

  Damiano looked around at the packed stands, uo locate his head coach among the thousands of fans. The stadium was too full, and he couldn't find Ranieri's position.

  Iands, Ranieri himself was in a state of ay.

  He had informed Secco of his location at halftime, and Secco had assured him that someone would be sent to rey instrus. But where was that person?

  Ranieri stood up, straining to see Gao Shen and Parejo on the Napoli bench, his stomach sinking. He knew Gao Shen reparing to make his move.

  This was the storm he had feared.

  Gao Shen had been waiting patiently, watg Juventus's energy wane, waiting for the perfeent to strike.

  Ranieri suddenly felt a chill down his spine. A dreadful realization hit him, what if the person supposed to rey his messages had been intercepted by Napoli's staff?

  Otherwise, how could he expin why no one had shown up to help him so far?

  "Damn it! We need a substitution, strehe defense!" Ranieri shouted, almost panig.

  As he yelled, all the surrounding Napoli fans turo gre at him with fierce eyes.

  If looks could kill, Ranieri would have been dead a thousand times over by now.

  "Sit down! Sit down immediately!" whispered the Italian Football Federation official seated o him, tugging him down urgently. "Are you crazy? This is Naples, not Turin!"

  Ranieri swallowed his frustration, but he wasn't about to give up. Desperate, he quickly stood up again, pretending to he restroom.

  As he stepped away from his seat, he noticed that several fans in front and behind him stood up simultaneously, shadowing him closely.

  Were they all really just going to the restroom too?

  Ranieri reached the bathroom, hoping he could somehow find someone from his staff to pass a message. But his mi rag, w about missing the game and leaving his team exposed.

  Just as he was steeling himself to stay hidden in the restroom for a few moments, he heard an impatient banging on the door.

  "Hey, is there anyone in there? What, did you fall in or something?"

  The tone was fierce, almost mog.

  Ranieri's frustration boiled over. "'t you use one of the other stalls?"

  "Every time I e to the San Paolo, this is my spot! Hurry up!"

  Ranieri almost exploded. Was this even real?

  At that very moment, he heard a thunderous roar erupt from the stadium, causing his heart to sink.

  Oh no…

  Ranieri flung opeall door and hurried back out, dashing down the hallway to the stands. As he returo his seat, he saoli's pyers celebrating wildly och, and the eadium was on its feet, ting and cheering in unison.

  He turo look at the scoreboard.

  1-0.

  Napoli had scored.

  Ranieri felt as if the ground had opened up beh him.

  He hadn't even mao get a substitution on before Napoli struck.

  By the time he returo his seat, the Italian Football Federation official beside him ractically buzzing with excitement. Seeing Ranieri's distraught expression, the official turo him and, with a hint of admiration, said, "That was some brilliant coag by Gao Shen."

  "Who scored?" Ranieri asked, barely taining his frustration.

  "Di Maria! Angel Di Maria!" the official replied, grinning.

  "How did it happen?" Ranieri asked, dreading the answer.

  The official enthusiastically expined, "Gao Shen's substitution worked like a charm. He brought on Parejo for Rakitic. Parejo immediately settled into a deep-lying pymaker role. He trolled the ball, effortlessly bypassing Almiron with a quick turn, drew Noo towards him, then passed it to Hamsik. Hamsik's movement forced Legrottaglie to step up, and Chiellini ulled out of position by Pelle, leaving a gap in the defense."

  "And then?"

  "Hamsik threaded a through-ball behind Chiellini, right into Di Maria's path. Di Maria slotted it past Buffon. It was fwless!"

  The official ractically gushing. "I have to say, Gao Shen's substitution was brilliant. It hit Juventus right in their ot."

  Ranieri slumped ba his seat, devastated.

  He realized he had walked right into Gao Shen's trap.

  Gao Shen had lulled Juventus into a false sense of security with a cautious approa the first half. But all along, he had been waiting for Juventus's energy to dip, pnning to unleash a decisive assault in the final 30 minutes.

  "Damn it, this is dangerous… too dangerous," Ranieri muttered to himself.

  In that moment, he didn't care about the hostile fans around him or evehreat of the "Mafia-like" presen Naples. His only thought was of his team on the field, desperately holding on.

  He had to do something, anything, to stop Napoli's momentum.

  He realized that if Napoli kept pressing like this, Juventus would be at risk of a plete colpse.

  And if that happened, he could envision the headlines and fallout waiting for him ba Turin.

  This 't be another Roma disaster from st season!

  He could already see the writing on the wall: if Juventus lost by a rge margin, his job might be on the line.

  Ranieri knew he had to act fast, but without direunication to his assistant, his options were limited.

  Juventus needed a tactical adjustment, especially to tain Parejo and regain trol in midfield.

  If they didn't stop Napoli soon, Ranieri feared that he would be the coach forced tn under Gao Shen's relentless, tactical brilliance.

  ****

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