Starting With Real Madrid

Winter turned into spring, and before long, summer arrived. Time seemed to fly as Serie B progressed, and it became more evident to Italians that Napoli's loss to Inter Milan was not the disaster many had predicted. 

Instead, it appeared to be a catalyst for something greater Napoli's Nirvana, a rebirth.

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After their crushing defeat, Napoli experienced an almost manic resurgence.

When everyone expected Napoli to spiral into despair following their 0-3 loss to Inter Milan, the team bounced back immediately. In the 21st round of Serie B, they delivered a resounding 3-0 victory over Verona at home.

Then came the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final against Inter Milan. Although the match ended in a 1-1 draw, Napoli showed grit. The team was still on the back foot, struggling to control the game, but ultimately, it was Pellè's assist that allowed Gervinho to score, equalizing the match.

Despite the 1-4 aggregate loss and elimination from the Coppa Italia, Napoli managed to find some pride in their resilience. At the post-match press conference, Napoli made their intentions clear: they were fully focused on conquering Serie B, with an eye already on Serie A.

Gao Shen boldly declared that Napoli's next goal was the Serie A title.

"We are going to be the darkest dark horse in Serie A!" he said, a statement that caused an uproar in Italian football.

"I want to lead Napoli to completely overthrow the Inter Milan dynasty!"

Napoli's top brass echoed Gao Shen's words. Both Chairman De Laurentiis and General Manager Marino publicly supported the declaration, confident that Napoli would soon shake off the defeat and concentrate on securing promotion to Serie A.

De Laurentiis even went further, vowing that once Napoli secured their place in Serie A, he would spend heavily to strengthen the team particularly addressing some of the weaknesses exposed throughout the season.

One glaring issue was the right-back position, a vulnerability that had been exploited multiple times. Once they made it to Serie A, Napoli needed reinforcements in that area.

However, after initial contact, Marino was regretful that the transfers they had in mind were proving difficult. Sampdoria's starting right-back, Pietro Accardi, was a prime target, but Sampdoria rejected the inquiry. After all, they were in Serie A and had no reason to sell to a newly promoted team.

The next option was Dario Srna from Shakhtar Donetsk, a Croatian right-back. However, Shakhtar, being a Ukrainian powerhouse with Champions League football, had no interest in letting Srna go. Napoli's overtures were swiftly dismissed.

Despite the setbacks in the transfer market, Napoli's performances on the pitch were nothing short of sensational.

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From the 22nd round onward, Napoli went on a relentless winning streak. The team stormed through their opponents, collecting victory after victory in Serie B. They seemed unstoppable, sweeping aside every team that stood in their way.

By the 30th round, after a 2-0 home victory against AlbinoLeffe, Napoli had racked up ten consecutive wins.

This remarkable feat shook the entire Serie B and beyond. Even the Italian football world was astonished. After being thoroughly beaten by Inter Milan, Napoli vented their frustration on Serie B, playing some of their best football of the season.

The players continued to improve under Gao Shen's guidance. In those ten consecutive victories, Napoli had scored three or more goals in six games, while conceding only four goals total.

Napoli had become an attacking juggernaut.

Even Gazzetta dello Sport acknowledged Napoli's relentless form, saying the team had thrown the entire Serie B into chaos. All their opponents were wary of facing the Neapolitans.

Many believed that Juventus, who were also in Serie B following their forced relegation, were the only team capable of challenging Napoli.

The third match between Napoli and Juventus was scheduled for the 31st round, with Napoli traveling to face Juventus in Turin.

There was great anticipation before the game, with many expecting Juventus to stop Napoli's winning streak.

But it wasn't to be.

Juventus, who had Buffon in goal and had been in good form, crumbled. Napoli dismantled the Bianconeri, with Buffon forced to fish the ball out of his own net three times.

In the first ten minutes, Pellè's header opened the scoring for Napoli. Just before halftime, Hamsik doubled their lead.

The second half saw Gervinho put the game beyond doubt, scoring Napoli's third goal.

Napoli walked away with a 3-0 victory, marking their 11th consecutive win.

This result was the final blow to any hope that Serie B teams could stop Napoli. It was clear now that Gao Shen's team was destined for the title.

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Following the victory over Juventus, Napoli won four more consecutive matches, bringing their streak to 15 wins in a row. By the end of this run, they had clinched the Serie B title with two months of the season still remaining.

With the league title secured, Gao Shen began to experiment freely with tactics and lineups, using the remaining games to prepare for the challenges of Serie A.

In these final games, Napoli played with a sense of freedom. Gao Shen rotated players and tested various formations. Some games saw him utilize a 4-3-3 formation; in others, he switched to a 4-2-3-1 or even a 3-5-2 setup.

At times, Gao Shen would change formations between halves, all the while maintaining the team's core principle of high pressing and quick transitions.

Napoli's dominance and tactical flexibility caught the eye of many, including Sacchi. The legendary coach wrote about Napoli's progression in his regular columns, often analyzing Gao Shen's evolving tactics. What no one knew was that Sacchi frequently exchanged thoughts and ideas with Gao Shen over the phone after each game. 

For Gao Shen, Sacchi's perspective provided an invaluable, objective view of his team's performance. For Sacchi, the conversations offered a glimpse into Gao Shen's evolving thought process.

This constant exchange of ideas allowed Gao Shen to continually refine his team and push his players to their limits. He experimented with players in various roles Vidal played as an attacking midfielder, a holding midfielder, a center-back, and even a right-back. David Luiz was occasionally pushed up to act as a target man in the attack.

Some of Gao Shen's experiments were successful, while others weren't. In one game, he even pushed his goalkeeper, Handanovic, out of the penalty area to play the ball in Napoli's defensive half. Twice, Handanovic was dispossessed, leading to goals for the opposing team. After that, Gao Shen quickly adjusted.

In their 40th round match against Verona, the game ended in a 3-3 draw one of the rare times Napoli had dropped points. The experiment had gone too far, but Gao Shen remained undeterred. He continued to push his team's limits, believing that such experimentation would ultimately prepare them for Serie A.

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In the penultimate round of Serie B, Napoli played their final home game of the season and were presented with the Serie B trophy at the San Paolo Stadium. Team captain Montevino and vice-captain Cannavaro lifted the trophy to the cheers of the home fans.

Napoli followed the trophy presentation with a 2-0 win over Lecce, before rounding off the season with a 1-0 away victory against Genoa.

With that, Napoli were crowned Serie B champions.

Juventus, despite their loss to Napoli, also secured promotion as runners-up. Genoa, who finished third, claimed the third automatic promotion spot.

Gao Shen had successfully led Napoli back to Serie A as champions. Now, all eyes were on him as he prepared for his ultimate goal the Serie A title.