"Great performance, Gao!"
After the match, Mubarak, Gary Cook, and Manchester City's senior executives all came to the dressing room.
As club chairman, Mubarak was thrilled and encouraged by Manchester City's first-ever Champions League match—a 5-0 home win over Real Madrid. It was a result no one could have imagined before the game.
It could be said that Gao Shen always delivered surprises.
"Mr. Mansour called you just now, didn't he?" Mubarak was in an excellent mood and kept laughing.
Gao Shen nodded. "Yes, he was very satisfied with the team's performance and asked me to pass on his praise and congratulations to the players."
Gary Cook and the others were visibly surprised when they heard this.
As senior club executives, in theory, their status was more stable than Gao Shen's. The head coach's position was high-risk. If performance declined, Gao Shen would be the first to go.
The executives had greater job security and were less exposed to direct blame.
But among all of them, who else could receive personal calls from Mansour like Gao Shen?
And not just once, but again and again.
Even this past summer, Mansour had invited Gao Shen to visit the UAE again.
It could be said that Mansour had shown enough sincerity and invested heavily in Gao Shen.
People within Manchester City had even started to wonder: if the team underperformed, would they even be able to sack Gao Shen?
But if they made a wrong decision and ended up firing themselves instead, that would be a massive joke.
"After he called you, he called me as well and told me to come to the dressing room no matter what," Mubarak emphasized again to show how important Mansour considered this moment. "He's really overjoyed tonight."
Gao Shen was also quite satisfied.
Even though he made a living through his capabilities and had no intention of flattering his superiors, Mansour was, after all, the leader of a country.
…
When Gao Shen entered the press conference hall at the Etihad, the media gave him a standing ovation.
Manchester City had just played their first-ever Champions League match and defeated one of the most storied clubs in the competition, Real Madrid, 5-0 at home.
Was there any headline more sensational?
Gao Shen smiled and waved to everyone, expressing his gratitude for their applause and recognition.
After sitting down, Gao Shen opened up and answered questions from the media with patience.
He said he was very satisfied with the match but hoped everyone wouldn't focus solely on the score.
"I think what satisfied me the most was the way our team won."
Gao Shen believed that over the past year, Manchester City had gradually developed and reinforced its own tactical identity.
"Our style and characteristics are unique in the Premier League. Even Arsenal, once hailed as the most beautiful team, can't compare with us in this aspect. I think that's the most important thing."
"I hope to help the team establish a mature and stable tactical system here at Manchester City so that we can remain competitive over the long term."
However, Gao Shen also emphasized that Manchester City was still far from reaching its peak.
"We are not yet the best team in the world, which means we still have great potential. Everything we're doing now is part of our journey to becoming the best."
"I hope my team can play with more control and attacking power, because we really have a group of very, very good players. Every victory belongs to them, to the coaching staff, to the chairman, to the management, and to everyone in this team. They are the true heroes!"
Gao Shen's words once again earned him warm applause.
Everyone familiar with him knew that he never claimed credit for victories. Wins were always attributed to the players and staff, while losses were his own responsibility.
That's why everyone who had played under Gao Shen, even players like Gervinho who only spent a season with him, had great respect for him and praised him highly.
People also knew about Gao Shen's close ties with Real Madrid. Before joining Manchester City, he was always considered the most likely candidate to become Real Madrid's head coach. This made the match especially symbolic.
But Gao Shen dismissed such claims.
"It was just a football match, nothing more. It was the first round of the Champions League group stage. It was worth three points, and that's it. There's no deeper meaning to it."
Gao Shen also defended Real Madrid and Mourinho.
"I don't think the score reflects the real gap between the teams. It was full of random variables."
"To be honest, we never expected such a result before the match. Real Madrid is a very strong team. They have some of the best superstars in the world and an incredibly powerful attack."
"I think it would be premature to conclude that Real Madrid is weak or underperforming based on just this game."
Gao Shen said the match was over and should be put behind them.
"There's a saying: 'Humility brings benefits, arrogance leads to loss.' That means we must always stay humble, understand where we stand, and keep looking for our weaknesses. I hope my players do the same."
Gao Shen stated that, starting from the end of the match, he and Manchester City would no longer talk about Real Madrid.
It was a smart move.
Not only Gao Shen, but the club's PR and marketing departments agreed with the decision.
The match was won, and the benefits were reaped. Continuing to attack now would only appear petty.
Gao Shen generously praised his players, especially Robinho, who had been named Man of the Match.
He spoke very highly of Robinho's performance and his overall form since joining Manchester City.
"I hope he can keep playing like he did tonight. I believe he'll become an incredible player!"
Gao Shen also praised Robben, calling him Manchester City's most dangerous player.
In fact, in Gao Shen's view, Robben had been even more threatening and impactful than Robinho.
The right flank was the core of Manchester City's attacking build-up, and several key plays had started there.
But Robinho's two goals stood out, and he had an excellent game overall. So it was natural for him to be named Man of the Match.
…
After the press conference, Gao Shen led the entire Manchester City squad back to the Carrington training base, where they held a private celebration.
This game had extraordinary meaning for the club.
Gao Shen told the players that this victory was primarily about boosting confidence and morale.
"I believe that if we can maintain the form we showed in this game, we'll achieve great results in both the league and the Champions League—and we can even win the title!"
When Gao Shen mentioned the championship, everyone at Manchester City lit up.
What an unreachable dream that had always seemed.
Not just for them. For most professional players, winning the Premier League or the Champions League was a distant dream. But now, Gao Shen had shown them the possibility of winning the Champions League.
On the other side, Mourinho, Zidane, and Valdano returned to Madrid with the Real Madrid squad overnight, clearly disheartened and frustrated by the crushing defeat.
Reports said Mourinho admitted to his tactical mistakes in the dressing room and was willing to take full responsibility.
That much was already obvious.
Regardless of the reason, the biggest issue in this match had been the midfield. Mourinho's decision not to use three defensive midfielders was a major mistake.
When Real Madrid landed in Madrid, many Spanish reporters were waiting at the airport, hoping to interview Mourinho and the players. But all of them declined and boarded the bus back to Valdebebas.
After landing, Zidane and Valdano received a call from Florentino. Once the team dispersed, the two headed directly from Valdebebas to the Santiago Bernabéu.
(To be continued.)