Guardio often said that his coag philosophy had been deeply influenced by many people.

  This was true not just in terms of tactics but also in how he mahe locker room.

  For instance, after Guardio took over as Bara's head coach, one of his first decisions was to overhaul the locker room culture by removing many outdated regutions.

  During Frank Rijkaard's tenure, many of these rules had beeaningless formalities, so Guardio decided it was better to abolish them altogether.

  Another troversial ge he implemented was the celtion of tralized aodations before matches.

  Traditionally, whether for home or away games, pyers were required to stay at a team-arranged hotel or training facility the night before a match. This system made it easier to mahe pyers, especially since being at home introduced variables, such as distras from family life that could impact game-day performance.

  But Guardio abolished this tradition.

  Why?

  "Gao Shen had already abolished it during his time coag Real Madrid, and ter when he coached Napoli. Yet, his teams didn't suffer. Instead, by trusting his pyers and relying on their self-disciplihey became even more disciplined."

  Many of Guardio's deirrored those of Gao Shen, so much so that some referred to him as Gao Shen's direct disciple.

  Gao Shen had repeatedly dehis. He maintaihat Guardio was an outstanding and innovative coa his ht, someone who analyzed, thought critically, and developed his ideas indepely. Gao Shen emphasized that Guardio didn't need a mentor.

  But Guardio himself often admitted to learning a lao Shen, even tacitly agreeing with the perception that Gao Shen had influenced him.

  This dynamic made for an iing story.

  On the eve of Bara's home match against Bayern Munich, Guardio, his assistant Tito Vinova, and the rest of his staff gathered at Bara's Ciutat Esportiva to watapoli's away match against Arsenal.

  Initially, they were expeg a thrilling, closely fought test. What they witnessed instead was…

  ---

  When the game reached the 22nd minute, Arsenal maintained possession in their defensive half, passing the ball around the bae.

  Napoli, meanwhile, eased off their tempo and maintained a steady pressing shape without overitting.

  Despite several exges between their defenders, Arsenal struggled to find a way forward. Spotting an opportunity, Gals advanced with the ball and attempted a straight pass upfield.

  Ahead, Adebayor had dropped deep to receive the ball with his back to goal. After trolling it, he id it off to Kolo Touré, resetting the py to Arsenal's defensive line.

  Kolo Touré pushed forward, crossing the halfway line. Spotting Adebayor further upfield he 30-meter mark, he attempted araight pass.

  Adebayor, closely marked by Thiago Motta, had no room to maneuver and was forced to py the ball wide to Walcott on the right.

  Walcott carried the ball through traffid threaded a pass into the box toward Van Persie.

  Receiving the ball with his back to goal, Van Persie tried to shield it and turn, but David Luiz held his ground and blocked him effectively. Uo find space, Van Persie dribbled toward the right before passing back to Sagna, who had pushed high up the pitch.

  Sagna took a touch past Vargas, created a bit of separation, and attempted a cross with his left foot. However, Biglia intercepted it before it could reach the penalty area.

  Napoli immediately seized the opportunity to unch a terattack.

  As with every ter from Napoli that night, the move was swift, direct, a-stopping for Arsenal's defense.

  ---

  "Arsenal are panig," Guardio said, shaking his head. He could already predict the oute of the match.

  Vinova nodded in agreement. "The pyers are too rushed, and Wenger hasn't stabilized the team."

  "He's in a tough spot now. They've ceded two goals at home, so he has to attack, but they just 't break through," Guardio said with a bitter smile.

  "You know, everyoalks about Mourinho, Capello, and Hiddink as masters of defensive football. But I'm telling you, Gao Shen's defeactics are just as strong and incredibly precise."

  The room fell silent.

  Back when Gao Shen coached Real Madrid, his name had bee synonymous with disciplined terattag football, earning him trophies and global reition.

  "Arsenal's biggest problem is still their midfield," Guardio tinued, visibly disappointed in the Gunners' performance.

  "Look at that st attack. Their bae passed the ball arouedly, but their midfielders, especially Song and Fabregas weren't dropping back to support. Instead, they were already pushing forward."

  He gestured to the s.

  "This breakdown in Arsenal's positioning and transition is gring. Without a clear outlet in midfield, their ball progression suffers. In the end, Adebayor had to drop all the way back to facilitate transitions, and then sprint forward to receive the pass. It's chaotic."

  Guardio sighed. "Both Sagna and Clichy are pressing high as full-backs, but when Arsenal loses possession, their midfield 't hold its ground or dey the terattack. That leaves their ter-backs pletely exposed."

  ---

  As Guardio spoke, Arsenal began atack.

  Once again, the py went through Walcott on the right. He drove the ball diagonally toward the penalty area, leaving the fnk open fna's overpping run.

  But as Walcott reached the edge of the box, Napoli's defense swarmed him. Thiago Motta, Biglia, and Vargas colpsed on Walcott, leaving Sagna unmarked. Vargas, abandoning his mark, joihe double-team, and together, the three successfully dispossessed Walcott.

  Walcott tumbled to the ground, but the referee waved py on, signaling no foul.

  Napoli immediately unched another terattack. The ball was quickly worked to Sanchez upfield.

  Fabregas hurried to close Sanchez down, but with no clear path forward, the Chilean winger smartly passed back to Rakitic, who was unmarked in midfield.

  Rakititrolled the ball and passed to i, who had dropped deep. The Uruguayan id it off to Biglia, who the the py with Thiago Motta.

  Napoli passed the ball around with precision, frustrating Arsenal's attempts tain possession.

  Before Arsenal could fully retreat into their defensive positions, Thiago Motta saening and unched a probing attack.

  Vargas advanced down the left, bining with Sao create a two-ouation. When Arsenal's defense adjusted, Napoli recycled possession through the midfield.

  Biglia, unpressured, spotted Sanchez sprinting behind Arsenal's defensive line. With a perfectly timed low lob, he sent the ball into Sanchez's path.

  ---

  "He's onside!"

  "Sanchez breaks free!"

  The Chilean winger sprinted down the left, catg Biglia's pass before Sagna could intercept. Cutting diagonally into the box, Sanchez faced Kolo Touré one-on-one.

  With a series of feints, Sanchez shifted toward the goal line, drawing Touré closer. Suddenly, Saopped, ged dire, aouré stumbling. With spaow open, Sanchez adjusted and curled a powerful shot with the outside of his right foot.

  The ball rocketed toward the tht er.

  Almunia, who had already made several excellent saves that night, reacted quickly, diving to his left. But Sanchez's shot erfectly pced, too fast and too precise.

  "GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!"

  "Three to zero!"

  "Unbelievable! Napoli has scored three goals in under 30 minutes!"

  ---

  As the Emirates Stadium fell silent, Napoli's pyers erupted in celebration.

  Sanchez, now with a goal to add to his earlier assist, sprioward the er fg, arms wide in celebration. His teammates rushed to join him, their fidence s.

  On the sidelines, Wenger's frustration alpable. He gestured animatedly, shouting instrus to his pyers.

  In stark trast, Gao Shen raised his arms high, g and smiling broadly.

  "Three to zero!" he excimed, turning to Zidane and the coag staff with a triumphant grin.

  "This game is ao Shen decred fidently.

  In his heart, he had always believed in this oute. With his pyers in top dition and their strategies executed to perfe, nothing could stop them.

  He gnced back at his celebrating pyers, then turo Zidane.

  "Semi-finals, here we e!"