After attending an advanced sports sce seminar in Europe, Gao Shen realized just how far behind domestipetitive sports were in every aspect.

  Of course, this is a plex issue, and a deeper dive would require a lengthy discussion.

  In European football, professional football is an industry.

  But what does it mean for something to be an industry?

  It means a field with highly specialized divisions of bor and cooperation, a high degree of professionalization, and top-tier stific research.

  Just how professional is it?

  Why does Bueura pce such importan recovery after games and training sessions?

  He expins that years of stific research have shown growing evidehat training itself doesn't actually enhance a pyer's skill level.

  Isn't this cept almost revolutionary?

  If training doesn't directly improve skills, why train at all?

  It's simple. The purpose of training is to fully stimute the athlete's body, and it's the recovery phase after this stimution that leads to improvement.

  These insights e not only from the long-term experience of coaches but also from extensive research ducted by uies and stifistitutes.

  For example, Gao Shen's alma mater, Loughbh Uy, is renowned worldwide for its expertise in sports sce.

  Gao Shen vividly recalled reading an authoritative article before he traveled through time, which presented some striking data.

  In 2018, Deloitte published a ranking of the wealthiest football clubs. In terms of personnel dedicated to coag and physical rehabilitation, Real Madrid, which topped the list, only had three people in these roles, fitness coaches and sports physiotherapists.

  Maer City, ranked fifth, had two fitness coaches. However, assistant coach Bueura was a reized expert in sports physiotherapy, so strictly speaking, Maer City also had three specialized professionals.

  The three clubs iween were even more ied. Bara, ranked sed, had ten people, including fitness coaches, sports physiotherapists, and rehabilitation doctors. Maer United had fourteen people, with titles such as fitness supervisor, masseur, intensive physiotherapy supervisor, physical rehabilitation supervisor, and sports sce researcher.

  Bayern Munich employed twelve people with simir roles.

  This clearly shows that in terms of physical fitness and rehabilitation alone, European football has already reached a very granur level of specialization.

  But much of this is hidden from the general fahe media rarely covers these aspects, and most people in these roles aren't eveed on the sidelines. Yet, their tribution to the team is unmistakable.

  From this, two major trends have emerged: "Body" and "Energy."

  "Body" refers to traditional physical ditioning, which is overseen by fitrainers.

  "Energy" refers to athletic performand focuses on helping pyers maximize their energy on the field, which falls uhe responsibility of physical fitness coaches.

  These are two distinct roles, yet in a, both are often lumped together uhe term "fitness coach."

  Gao Shen already had a world-css physical fitness coa Bueura, but now he wa on aop-tier fitness coach with equally outstanding skills.

  On December 27th, just after Christmas, Gao Shen, apanied by Bueura, flew to Min in northern Italy.

  Upon arriving at Min Airport, they picked up Zidane, and the three of them headed to Turin.

  …

  For the past six months, Antonio Pintus had been feeling an unpreted sense of panic.

  A midlife crisis!

  At 45 years old, he was finding it increasingly difficult to secure a job.

  He didn't e from a wealthy background and had received professional training in trad field since childhood. Unfortunately, he didn't have the natural talent to excel in athletics. After a few years, he transitioo studying courses on athlete ditioning and pleted a postgraduate degree in physical education, being a well-known coa trad field and judo circles in Turin.

  At 24, he became a fitness coach for a local amateur football team, Seddimo, in Turin. Though it was only a part-time gig, he excelled at it. Immersed in Italy's rich football culture, he began to duct researd devised personalized training pns for each pyer, achieving remarkable results.

  Five years ter, in 1991, he received an offer he couldn't refuse—from Juventus.

  At that time, Juventus was led by head coach Trapattoni, with Cudio Gaudin as their physical trainer, a respected figure in Italian football who ter tributed to Inter Min and the Italian national team, helping Italy win the World Cup.

  Pintus joined Juventus as Gaudino's assistant, giving him a fantastic opportunity to learn and grow.

  Gaudino had been with Juventus since 1981 and had a wealth of experience.

  The two worked together through the Trapattoni and Lippi eras, witnessing Juventus' golden peak in the 1990s.

  It could be said that the glory days of Juventus in the 90s were partly due to the silent dedication of these two men.

  In 1998, Pintus received araordinary opportunity. Italian footballer Vialli, then managing Chelsea in the Premier League, was well-acquainted with Pintus' skills from his Juventus days and invited him to join his coag staff.

  This allowed Pintus to finally step into a more promi role.

  When Vialli was dismissed three years ter, Pintus left Chelsea as well. However, he soon received a new offer to work as the fitness coach for Udinese in Serie A, though he only stayed there for a year.

  It wasn't due to a ck of performance. Rather, Deschamps, who was coag AS Mona France, extended an offer to him.

  Pintus spent four years in Monaco, helping Deschamps lead the team to the Champions League final. Although they lost to Mourinho's Porto, Monaco's achievements were reized by all.

  Iember 2005, Deschamps was dismissed from Monaco, and Pintus followed him out.

  This time, Pintus voluntarily took a year off.

  During that year, he had ample time to rest, recharge, and further his studies.

  In 2006, Deschamps took the job as manager of Juventus in Serie B, and Pintus rejoined him, proposing a novel approach to physical training: "reduce strength-based drills and increase running."

  At the start of the season, this approach seemed promising, especially since Gao Shen's Napoli was making waves with their high-iy running, relentless pressing, and offensive py, sweeping through Italian football like a storm.

  Pintus's raining philosophy seemed to align well with Gao Shen's style. Both Deschamps and Juventus were eager to see the ges Pintus could bring, so he received strong support from the club.

  But Pintus' approach ultimately failed.

  Juventus not only suffered repeated defeats to Napoli but also saike in muscle strain injuries st season—a clear sign of issues in training.

  The Juventus pyers struggled to adapt to Pintus's methods.

  In 2007, after leading Juventus back to Serie A, Deschamps resigned.

  Initially, the club kept Pintus, but Ranieri soon repced him with his own fitness coach, Dr. na, a sports sce specialist.

  This alone wasn't too problematic. However, when captain Del Piero renewed his tract, he publicly requested his own personal fitness coach, g his ck of trust in Pintus. Simirly, Camoranesi frequently voiced pints about Pintus due to his persistent injuries.

  As a result, before the season even began, Pintus was dismissed.

  Since July, he had been unemployed, sitting at home.

  Initially, he had big ambitions, hoping to elevate his career to new heights st season. But instead, he entered a disastrous setback.

  The higher his aspirations, the harder he fell when he was dismissed.

  To make matters worse, the football world is a small unity with few secrets.

  Pintus' performa Juventus and the pyers' distent toward him spread through Italian football, leaving many skeptical of his abilities as a fitness coach.

  In Italy, there is no she of highly petent fitness coaches.

  And so, Pintus found himself jobless.

  At 45, with aging parents and young children to support, unemployment was a terrifying prospect!

  Since July, he had reached out to tless people but couldn't secure a new position. He even tacted fn clubs, but to no avail.

  He either found the offers unsuitable or the clubs found him g, leaving him stu a state of limbo.

  Six months of inactivity passed.

  Until, just before Christmas, Zidane uedly called him.

  "Someone's ied in you!"

  And so, oernoon of December 27th.

  While all of Italy, and even Europe, was still in the Christmas spirit, Pintus prepared for an interview.

  …

  Gao Shen, along with Bueura and Zidane, arrived at Pintus's home.

  His house was quite nice, situated in a good location in Turin.

  Football coaches, especially those w in top leagues, earn substantial saries.

  Yet Pintus's eagerness for this new opportunity alpable. He was still far from financial security, so the desire for a new job was unmistakable.

  Pintus was visibly excited by Gao Shen's visit, though he tried his best to tain it. Whether it was in his warm reception, his family's expressions, or his tone of voice, it was clear that he genuinely his job.

  Moreover, Napoli was currently in a promising position, ranked sed in Serie A.

  Gao Shen was now a rising star among young coaches in European football.

  There had even been rumors that Juventus sidered firing Rao recruit Gao Shen. If Pintus were to join Gao Shen's coag staff, could that mean a potential return to Juventus?

  Pintus could barely imagihat possibility.

  But ohing was certain, Gao Shen's future looked very bright!

  Gao Shen was no lohe rookie he once was. Back when he recruited Bueura, Borrell, and others, he was just starting out. But now he had made a name for himself in European football.

  Especially this season, his team had topped the Serie A standings three times aered the winter break in sed pce.

  Bringing a newly-promoted team to such heights, Gao Shen's aplishments had naturally garnered widespread reition.

  Now, fag Pintus, although Gao Shen maintained a friendly demeanor and treated him like a peer, there was still an unmistakable sense of a formal interview.

  ***

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