The versation began with Juventus.

  Gao Shen, Bueura, and Pintus discussed Juventus' situation from st season.

  Both Napoli and Juventus had been in Serie B, so Gao Shen and his team were quite familiar with the state of affairs at Juventus.

  Pintus' neroa itself wasn't fwed. In fact, Gao Shen strongly agreed with it, believing it was the dire of the future. With FIFA's reforms, all teams must expand their effective tre och, which requires more running.

  Gao Shen eve so far as to predict that teical midfielders would bee increasingly crucial and would py an even rger role.

  "I'm willing to bet that if a pyer 't run or pass iure, they won't even make it onto the pitch."

  Gao Shen spoke with such fidence. Zidane, Bueura, and the others, familiar with his style, didn't find it surprising. But Pintus was quite taken aback. He held a simir belief but hadn't dared to state it as firmly as Gao Shen did.

  This also gave Pintus a sense of kinship with Gao Shen.

  At Juventus st season, especially toward the end, no one believed in Pintus; even Deschamps had doubts.

  Gao Shen and Bueura both believed that the main reason for Pintus' failure at Juventus was that the pyers weren't suitable for his methods.

  "They were too old, and their styles had already bee. Many of their habits och didn't align with your training," Gao Shen shared his opinion didly.

  Bueura then provided Pintus with a more ih analysis from a professional perspective.

  Both men were experts in physical training, and as they discussed their craft, they went on endlessly. They threw out many unfamiliar terms, many of which Zidane and even Gao Shen had never heard of.

  What kind of training produces which effects? Why do muscle strains frequently occur? Why do veteran pyers sustain so many injuries despite a reduced schedule? Are there issues with the training pn? Is the recovery phase after training adequate?

  For a while, Gao Shen and Zidane became mere spectators.

  The two exged gnces and couldn't help but smile wryly.

  Who was the interviewer here?

  Yet, Gao Shely felt he'd made the right call by bringing Bueura along.

  Watg the heated discussioween Bueura and Pintus, it was clear there was a strong e betweewo. When Bueura introduced some advanced physical training cepts he had discussed with Gao Shen, Pintus already familiar with some of these ideas was visibly taken aback.

  At first, Pintus assumed these cepts were Bueura's inal thoughts, but when he learhey were Gao Shen's ideas, his gaze at Gao Shen ged noticeably.

  This also gave Gao Shen a bit of satisfa.

  Most importantly, the methods they were discussing wouldn't be unon in European football within ten years.

  But this was 2007.

  Sports sce would make signifit strides over the decade, evolving rapidly. Gao Shen could be said to be capitalizing on the advantage of his knowledge from the future.

  The versation gradually shifted to Napoli's current status and the refao Shen wao implement.

  First and foremost, it was about mi. Gao Shen romoting a running-orieyle at Napoli, which aligned well with Pintus's philosophy for Juventus. The two hit it off immediately.

  After the refao Shen envisioned Bueura taking charge of general physical ditioning, overseeing the big picture, while Pintus would be responsible for targeted training, tail intensive sessions based on each pyer's position and teical characteristics.

  At the same time, they would colborate with the teical coaches, masseurs, rehabilitation therapists, analysts, and other specialists to monitor and track pyers' physical ditions, adjusting training loads and programs as o ehe pyers were in peak form for every match.

  Under Gao Shen's leadership over the past year and a half, Napoli had established an analysis team renowned not only in Italy but across European football, providing robust support to the coag staff.

  Pintus was deeply impressed by Gao Shen's strategy of predig the oppo's tacti advance, allowing his team to duct targeted training sessions ahead of games to domiheir oppos on the field. This cept was even more advahan Pintus's own ideas.

  "This is simply a crazy idea! If it works, it would revolutionize physical training!" Pintus excimed, clearly amazed by the advanced cept.

  Sihis was an interview, Gao Shen asked Pintus about his own thoughts and approach.

  The Turin native expihat his trainihods were intense and predominantly without the ball. He aowledged that this likely tributed to the muscle strains experienced by Juventus pyers st season, but he argued that sutensity was necessary.

  Redug strength-based drills and increasing running was his training philosophy.

  He insisted that his approach was stifically sound and without issues, but it required pyer cooperation.

  Focus during training and adequate recovery afterward were both crucial.

  Additionally, he had numerous ideas for targeted pyer training, though he said specifis would o be tailored based oual state of the Napoli pyers, so he couldn't reveal too much at this stage.

  However, he did make one promise.

  "I looked at Napoli's schedule, and I see that the first game after the winter break is on January 12, which gives us roughly half a month. I think that should be enough time."

  Pintus's pn was to spend the first five days thhly assessing the pyers' ditions. He would then, in jun with the team's existing winter break training pn, devise a ten-day intensive and targeted training program.

  "My initial estimate is that we get into peak form by February and sustain it until the end of the season," Pintus said fidently.

  Gao Shen wasn't an expert in this field, so he looked over at Bueura, who nodded slightly.

  Clearly, their earlier discussion had vinced Bueura that Pintus was a coach with real talent.

  But Gao Shen thought it over and shook his head.

  This rea surprised not only Pintus but also Bueura and Zidane.

  Was it not good enough?

  "I don't want us to simply be in good shape. I want you, Lorenzo, and the rest of the staff to get the team into its best possible dition, ready to pete on two fronts."

  Gao Shen looked at Pintus seriously. "I want you to think it over carefully. oal at Napoli has never ged, and that's to win the Serie A championship! And now, we also want to win the Coppa Italia!"

  Hearing Gao Shen's firm and resolute decration, Bueura appeared visibly moved.

  Pintus was astonished, as anyone could see how strong Inter Min was in Italy.

  Napoli was just a newly-promoted team, and they wao challeer Min for the Serie A title?

  But this was Gao Shen they were talking about.

  When he managed Real Madrid, who could have predicted he'd lead them to overtake Bara and win the Champions League?

  Even at Napoli, who would have thought he'd turn them into a Serie A powerhouse in just one year?

  Yet here they were.

  Who could still call Napoli a newly-promoted team?

  Have you ever seen a newly-promoted team ranked iop two for a long period?

  In fact, if Napoli didn't dare to aim for such heights, then Serie A would truly be stagnant!

  With this realization, Pintus suddenly felt a surge of fighting spirit.

  "Alright, I'll give it everything I've got!" Pintus promised.

  Gao Shen smiled, reached out, and shook Pintus's hand firmly. "Wele, Antonio! gratutions on officially joining our future double-champion team in Italy!"

  …

  iating Pintus's sary was actually the easiest part, as it ended up being slightly lower than Gao Shen had anticipated.

  Eager to start, Pintus proposed to pack up right away and fly to Naples oh, ready to officially begin his duties.

  Clearly, his time off had left him with plenty of pent-up energy.

  As they left Pintus's home auro Min, Gao She quite satisfied with the results of this trip. He looked at Zidane, feeling a slight pang of guilt, knowing he had iently recruited someone who would have been a key asset for Zidane iure. It was...

  He couldn't help but wonder, with both Guardio and Zidane's future fitness coaches now w for him, would they still perform as well down the line?

  But Gao Shen wasn't poag indiscriminately. Regardless of whether Pintus worked at Real Madrid, Inter Min, or other teams iure, his role was always that of a fitness coach, and his expertise y in training pyers.

  "So, Zinedine, what do you say? Ied in joining my coag team?" Gao Shen asked with a grin.

  sider it his way of making it up to Zidane for "poag" his future staff.

  Zidane grinned back. "Did you fet our bet, future double-champion coach?"

  Gao Shen remembered then that he'd made a wager with Zidane.

  "Well, I'm serious here. If you join now, I'll give you a high sary and a good position. But if you lose the bet and join ter… haha, you'll be relegated to ing duty."

  "ing… You mean like ing toilets?" Zidane ughed and cursed.

  Gao Shen and Bueura burst into ughter.

  "But seriously, I've been so idle this past year, I feel like I'm rusting. I'm pnning to get back to training and work on earning a coag lise." Zidane shifted the versation.

  Gao Shen nodded. "Sounds good, but how's your academic performahink you pass the exams a certified?"

  Feeling Gao Shen's teasing gaze, Zidane grew indignant. "Who do you think you're

  uimating? Do I look like someone who 't get a coag certificate?"

  Uh, Gao Shen suddenly remembered wasn't there someone who still hadn't mao get their coag lise?

  Was this a subtle jab at Zidane?

  "As for you," Zidane tinued, "you'd better put in some serious effort in the sed half of the season. If you win the Serie A title, I'll admit defeat. But if you don't… well, I'll have to think about joining very carefully," he said with a smirk.

  Was that a challenge?

  But it was uandable. After all, Zidane's status in the football world was unique.

  If he joined Gao Shen's coag staff, it would definitely make waves across the football unity.

  Gao Shen was looking forward to it.

  When that day finally came, with Guardio on his left and Zidane on his right, it would be impossible fao Shen not to make a name for himself in world football!

  "Gao, you're smiling like that again. So sneaky, who are you plotting against now?" Zidane asked, feeling a shiver down his spine.

  Had he been trapped by Gao Shen's scheme again?

  ***

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