For the Champions League final, the vast majority of fans and media only saw the 90-minute game that was broadcast live around the world.
But for the players of the participating teams, it was a very, very painful "torture".
It feels like you are preparing to take the college entrance examination. How many people are really not nervous?
The tension and anxiety caused by appropriate pressure can certainly make players perform better, but excessive tension can easily cause various physical discomforts.
Before the 1998 World Cup final in France, after lunch, Ronaldo suddenly had a convulsion and then fainted.
Then, everything happened, he was sleepwalking throughout the final, and Zidane led the French team to the World Cup.
Over the years, there have been various rumors and conspiracy theories.
No one was willing to recall what happened at that time, and no one could scientifically explain clearly what happened to him, even at the hearing held later by the Brazilian Congress.
Gao Shen and Ronaldo were quite familiar with each other, but the Brazilian never mentioned this matter.
However, based on the information obtained from various sources, he is more inclined to believe that this is the result of too much pressure.
Ordinary people can't imagine what it feels like for a 22-year-old young man to bear the expectations of countless people across the country and even the world.
Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo's roommate, said that Ronaldo already had many symptoms, including nausea and loss of appetite, even before the convulsions and fainting.
Of course, no one wants to talk about this.
Because it looks fragile and even unreasonable.
Anyone who is familiar with football behind the scenes knows that there are actually many cases like this.
For example, before a competition, you suddenly have a high fever for no reason, sudden diarrhea, sudden muscle soreness... It makes no sense at all, but it happens and it is very real.
Ferguson blamed the hotel for poor soundproofing before the Champions League final at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. In fact, it was because he had insomnia and the slightest movement would prevent him from falling asleep.
As Buenaventura said to Gao Shen, the human body is very, very strange.
Even with the current scientific level, there are still too many unexplained phenomena in the study of the human body.
Human beings are really not as powerful as most people imagine.
Compared to nature, and even compared to the human body, there is actually not much that humans can do.
Maybe, many people will be surprised, is there really no way?
In fact, in terms of preparing for games, techniques and tactics are only part of the game, and more is about adjusting the players' psychological and physiological state.
A long time ago, Gao Shen's team was equipped with a psychologist. Since then, he has discovered that players' psychological quality can be trained. This is true for the mentality on the court, and the same is true for the emotions off the court.
This kind of psychological counseling can be divided into long-term training and pre-match adjustments.
For example, before a competition, maintain normal training, life and rest habits.
Also, all things big and small should be streamlined, just like a factory assembly line. Various projects that are conducive to easing the players' psychological emotions should be inserted into the process, and guidance and sorting should be carried out in a subtle way.
In this regard, Gao Shen and his team cannot be said to be the best in the world, but they must be the first in the world to pay attention to it and implement it.
Today, fans and media around the world are still talking about what Gao Shen said to Real Madrid players before the Champions League final when he was coaching Real Madrid.
"You should eat, sleep, and have fun, but remember to get the Champions League back at night!"
This sounds so simple, like a daily meal.
But behind this, Gao Shen, his team, and the players have put in countless efforts and efforts to ensure that the team can maintain this seemingly relaxed mentality before the big game.
Of course, fans and the media cannot see the latter.
…
At noon on the final day, Gao Shen took Su Qing, Lucas, Borrell and others to the AXA Center to visit the class.
After fully considering the mentality of the players, Leeds United specially invited the players' relatives and girlfriends to visit the AXA Center around noon in the final. At the same time, they entertained them in the large restaurant and allowed them to dine and enjoy themselves with the players.
Let’s take a look at the family time before the game.
Gao Shen and his team also came to the AXA Center at this time. He chatted with many players in the team for a while and found that their mentality was basically still good.
Leeds United has always attached great importance to the psychological quality training of players, and the first team alone is equipped with two psychological experts.
It can be said that the mental state of Leeds United players is still very good.
After a long period of training and proper guidance before the actual competition, there will be basically no problems.
In this regard, Leeds United also has a complete set of systems and processes.
Gao Shen then met Pochettino again, and he was also accompanying his family.
"Actually, being the head coach of Leeds United is really a blessing, but sometimes it feels a little empty."
The two walked out of the restaurant side by side, overlooking the beautiful training base.
"How to say?"
"Happiness comes from the fact that I can get a lot of help that head coaches from other teams can only dream of."
"For example, in the morning, the team will give suggestions, including deconstructing Manchester City's tactics, reminding me that I must pay attention to their center when arranging tactics, because Guardiola's Manchester City uses more ribs and center."
"One deduction told me that Mahrez is unlikely to play, because Hazard on the left is not fast in depth advancement, so Sterling is needed. If Mahrez is used, both sides will lack speed."
"Also, according to our opponent's scout assessment, Gareth Bale should be a substitute. He has been injured a lot recently."
Pochettino couldn't help laughing until the end.
"I really feel that after this layer of analysis and deconstruction, I have basically guessed what formation and tactics Guardiola will adopt. I even have some expectations that he can create some surprises."
Gao Shen nodded, this is indeed the case.
In terms of logistics support and intelligence work, Leeds United and Gao Shen's teams are almost all engaged in dimensionality reduction.
It's not that they take it too seriously, but that their opponents don't take it seriously.
But Gao Shen has always believed that war is about logistics and intelligence.
"But sometimes, I also feel quite empty. I just feel that I am not that important. With the team's current lineup and system, if another head coach comes here, as long as the ability is not bad, he should be able to do what I am.
Right? This makes me feel very unfulfilled, and sometimes I even feel a little empty.”
Gao Shen smiled when he heard this.
"You are also under a lot of pressure now."
Pochettino was stunned for a moment and then smiled bitterly.
It seems to be true.
"Actually, what you are thinking is very normal, just like how much is this Champions League final worth?"
"At least one...two...three hundred million euros?"
"The direct and indirect income is about 300 million euros."
Pochettino is not surprised.
"You can imagine that two companies are going to grab an order worth 300 million euros. What do you think they will do? Will they bet everything on one person? Their awareness of risk prevention will be
So bad?”
Some people say that today's football is increasingly lacking in the spirit of adventure.
This is actually normal, because today's professional football is an era of big capital.
Not to mention the Champions League, the value of the Premier League is amazing.
Therefore, whether it is club management or the team's game tactics, they tend to control risks.
Why are Guardiola's tactics so popular?
Because of his strong risk prevention and control capabilities!
It doesn't matter whether you win the Champions League or not, what's important is that you keep the bottom line.
Isn’t this the business philosophy of the company?
"As I told you before, you have to change your role. The previous head coach needed to know technology, tactics, and communication with players... Anyway, you need to know a lot of things, but you don't need to know that now."
"The current head coach is a leader, with technical coaches and tactical coaches. You are working as a whole team, not as an individual."
"Yesterday, Wenger and Ferguson told me that in the past, their coaching staff only had a few people in total, but now? There are dozens of them. If you include others, there are at least hundreds of people."
"Leave professional things to professional people. You are the leader. If you change this concept, congratulations, you are already an excellent head coach with advanced ideas."
Pochettino burst out laughing when he heard this, "Your way of comforting people is really special, but it's very stress-relieving."
The head coach is the leader of a team, the technical director is the leader of a large team that is composed of more teams like the coaching staff, and further up, the club is a larger team...
This is industrialization in the era of big capital.
Many people will definitely ask, what are the benefits of this?
The answer is obvious, that is, the risk is controllable.
In fact, Gao Shen can be very sure that this is the future!
Especially after Manchester United lost Ferguson, the entire performance experienced such a disparity and huge decline, which would shock and scare first-tier teams across Europe.
In the era of capital, this is absolutely not allowed to happen.
If, in a company, a department manager leaves the company, the company's performance collapses like mercury, and the stock price and market value plummet, then there is something wrong with the company's operation and management.
In recent years, how many wealthy teams and how many Premier League teams have been thinking about this issue?
"Don't think too much. Tonight's game is not only a test for you and the team, but also a test of the reforms that Leeds United has insisted on promoting for the past seven years."
Last year, Leeds United lost, and that was because they lost to the sophisticated Real Madrid.
What about this year?
Without the big bug of Gao Shen, Leeds United once again made it back to the Champions League final, facing Guardiola's Manchester City.
This is a fair duel.
Gao Shen also wants to see if the investment he has invested in Leeds United in the past few years can achieve results?
What Guardiola admires is the technical and tactical system on the football field, while what Leeds United insists on is the management and operation system from top to bottom, both inside and outside the stadium.
