After the first round of Serie A, the biggest surprise was undoubtedly the newly-promoted teams, who somehow mao domihe headlines for better or worse.

  First up was Genoa, the third-pce finisher in Serie B st season, who suffered a crushing 3-0 defeat at home against A. Ai's side shined, with Kaka sg twid Ambrosini adding a goal, showg a polished start to their campaign.

  Meanwhile, Napoli secured a 2-0 victainst Cagliari at home. Though the match itself was rather uful at times, the introdu of Pastore ied new life into the game, earning the young midfielder high praise from the media. It was clear that Napoli had uhed yet anem, reinf the notion that Gao Shen had a knack for spotting young talent.

  Last season saw the emergence of pyers like Hamsik, Sanchez, i, Biglia, and Rakitiames that have since bee crucial to Napoli's lineup. Even pyers like Pelle, once beled a stagnant talent ialian youth ranks, have found a new lease on life under Gao Shen's guidance, perf well enough that many are now calling for his inclusion iional team. The same goes for Bonucci, who was an afterthought at Inter Min's youth academy but has thrived since joining Napoli.

  Then there's David Luiz, who arrived from the Brazilian lower leagues and made a statement ich against Roma, attrag signifit attention. And now, Gao Shen has uhed yet aalent in Pastore, this time frentina's sed division. His reputation for cultivating young pyers seems only to be growing stronger.

  Di Maria, another young pyer, also made his mark in the Cagliari match by providing an assist, showing that Napoli's future remains bright. After Gervinho's departure to Arsenal, many had written off Napoli, thinking they were preparing for a relegation battle. How else could they justify selling their best pyer just before the season began? But with Di Maria stepping up on the left wing and the versatile Callejon as a backup, it's evident that Gervinho's exit hasn't left as big a void as anticipated.

  Now, with the emergence of young midfielders like Parejo and Pastore, the expectations for the squad have only grown. Could the new arrivals Mertens, Antonio Valencia, Nainggon, Dossena, and Thiago Motta make a simir impact?

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  The most impressive team in the first round, however, was undoubtedly Juventus.

  Yes, you heard that right: the Bianeri, uhe Tinkerman" Ranieri.

  In their home game against Livorno, Ranieri stuck to a cssic 4-4-2 formation, starting with Trezeguet and Del Piero as the striking duo. Del Piero assisted Trezeguet's goal ih minute, putting Juventus ahead.

  For a while, though, the game staghen, ih minute, Ranieri made a game-ging substitution by bringing on Iaquinta for Del Piero. The switch to two tall ter-forwards saw Juventus relentlessly pressure Livorno's defense.

  The impact was immediate: Iaquinta scored twid assisted Trezeguet for anoal. With Iaquinta's burst of form, Trezeguet also added two goals, and Juventus cruised to a 5-1 victory. Livorno managed a sotion goal in stoppage time, with Diego Tristaing up Loviso.

  The resounding wi shockwaves through Italian football. Fans and media alike procimed that the mighty Juventus was back, eager for reveer the Calciopoli sdal and a season in Serie B.

  Meanwhile, defending champions Inter Min had a disappointing 1-1 draw with Udi home, while Roma secured a 2-0 win over Palermo with goals from Mexes and Aquini.

  After the first round, Juventus topped the table, followed by A, Fiorentina, and Roma. But everyone k was too early to draw any clusions.

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  Gao Shen read Lucas' report on the first round of Serie A but didn't pay much attention to the standings. Rankings were meanihis early in the season; the true picture wouldn't emerge until ter.

  What ed him more were Napoli's uping fixtures: the third round of the Coppa Italia and a challenging sed-round Serie A away match against Udinese.

  After their win liari, the media had begun to heap praise on Gao Shen, dubbing him the most promising young coa Italian football. It was a savvy tactic by the media. If they simply criticized or dismissed him as a rookie, who would care? But by giving praise where it was due, they could ter retract it and appear insightful. After all, with Napoli's success, pretending otherwise would be absurd.

  Gao Shen was used to these media games. Praise or criticism, it all came a. What mattered was that the team's morale was high, something that was clear iraining sessions.

  The day after the Cagliari match, Gao Shen received an invitation to the annual Italian Professional Coag Summit.

  He had mixed feelings about it. Last year, Arrigo Sacchi had sung his praises a bit too much, and the media's portrayal of him as some sort of vilin had only made him more ehere were plenty of coaches who would love to make a name for themselves by defeating Gao Shen.

  And really, what could he gain from attending a summit dominated by the old guard of Italian football? If he were going to attend a coag fere should be something on a grander scale—like one anized by UEFA or FIFA.

  The summit's schedule was simir to previous years, with the event taking pce during the two-week iional break in early September. Gao Shen had the time, but the question was whether he wao go.

  Adding to his hesitation was the fact that Ulivieri, a highly respected coach, was one of the keynote speakers. Not only would Napoli face his team, Reggina, ihird round of Serie A, but Ulivieri would also be at the summit.

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  "What do you think I should do?" Gao Shen asked, his voice serious.

  The atmosphere in the coaches' office was tense. All eyes were on the invitatioer lying oable in front of Gao Shen.

  Not long ago, they had received the hat Napoli's oppo in Serie A would indeed be Reggina, coached by Ulivieri. And soon after that, they'd be at the summit together.

  "As you all know, I deeply respect the rules of the game and our senior coaches. I truly want to attend a professional summit like this, to learn from those who have paved the way and absorb their wisdom. It would be an invaluable opportunity for me," Gao Shen said early.

  The assistants could barely tain their ughter. Carlo even closed his eyes as if trying to maintain his posure.

  Respect for seniors? Wasn't this the same man who just questioned whether the Italian Football Federation would penalize him if he skipped the summit?

  "Seriously, do you think God is pying tricks on us?" Gao Shen tinued, shaking his head in mock disbelief. "First, we get Castori, theura, and now we're fag Ulivieri. I've already beaten the first two do I really o make it a hat trick?"

  He paused, raising his eyebrows suggestively. "And if I do, what are the odds that Ulivieri takes a dig at me during his keynote speech at the summit? Should I even boing?"

  The assistants burst into ughter. Someone pouhe table, struggling to catch their breath.

  "You guys have no sympathy at all! The man is 66 years old!" Gao Shen feigned indignation. "But for the sake of Napoli's championship ambitions, I guess I'll have to bear the burden. If the media and fans want to criticize me, so be it. I've already taken down Castori aura."

  "After all, if you've beaten two, what's one more? We'll call it a game of 'Three on the Spot.'"

  The assistants roared with ughter once again, familiar with the pame Gao Shen had taught them called "Three on the Spot." But beh the humor y a deeper truth: Gao Shen's feud with the traditionalists of Italian football was growing, and there was n back.

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