"What's the score in Germany?"

As soon as the match at Dragon Stadium ended, the Real Madrid players ran out of the tunnel, urgently asking about the result of the other match.

Real Madrid had beaten Porto, but everything depended on the outcome of the other game.

Carlos Vargas checked the live score immediately, but the match hadn't ended yet. Manchester City was still one goal behind, which left the Real Madrid players disappointed.

The game was close to finishing, but they were still trailing.

A call was made directly to Germany. Real Madrid had arranged for scouts to attend the match in person.

The report came back: the match was nearly over, Manchester City were still trying, but the situation looked bleak.

Everyone felt disheartened, and many sighed.

Actually, if you think about it, it wasn't surprising. Dortmund and Manchester City were both very strong, and it was normal for either team to win or lose.

Gao Shen stood at the edge of the group, silently observing the scene.

Real Madrid had really done their best.

Being drawn into a group with Dortmund, Manchester City, and Porto had placed immense pressure on everyone.

You have to consider, Dortmund would go on to reach the Champions League final this season, Manchester City were two-time defending champions, and Porto was no pushover either.

In such a group of death, Real Madrid had just undergone a restructuring. How easy was it to qualify?

Just as Gao Shen was about to say a few words to comfort the players, a sudden shout came from the phone speaker.

The Real Madrid players, who had been full of anxiety, were immediately drawn to the commotion.

"What happened?" Ramos was the first to shout.

"Manchester City's counterattack, Gareth Bale is so fast!"

"He beat another defender, cross!"

"Back post, Suarez, volley!"

"The ball is in!!!"

"Manchester City! Manchester City scored!!!"

Everyone at Dragon Stadium in Portugal was stunned. Then, a wave of ecstasy swept over them.

All of them wore expressions of disbelief. Then, Ramos and the others erupted in celebration, sprinting across the pitch, letting out all the excitement and emotion bottled up inside.

"1-1! Manchester City equalised!"

"Dortmund now has the same points as us, but we've overtaken them in the head-to-head record!"

"We're through!"

It wasn't just the players celebrating. Gao Shen clenched his fists and felt an overwhelming urge to cry.

It was unbelievably hard.

So unbelievably damn hard.

Before Gao Shen could react, Zidane, Carlo, Hierro, and the others had already surrounded him.

"Great! We made it!"

"That was intense!"

"It feels like a dream!"

Everyone spoke in a tone of disbelief.

Gao Shen even noticed Carlo's eyes were slightly red. The Real Madrid players were almost delirious.

The Porto fans in the stadium had also received the news, but they were filled with frustration.

We're not even going to the Europa League, and you're celebrating Champions League qualification right in front of us?

This is too much.

A chorus of boos erupted at Dragon Stadium.

The Porto fans wanted nothing more than to hurl abuse at the Real Madrid players.

The staff quickly rushed onto the pitch to maintain order, urging the Real Madrid players to leave immediately.

If this kept going, fans from the stands might storm the field and cause a riot.

Back in the locker room, the players broke into another round of celebrations.

…

When Gao Shen returned to the locker room, he found it in total chaos, which made him shake his head.

Seeing that the players were about to start cleaning up, Gao Shen quickly stopped them.

"It's fine. Let the staff take care of it later. Give them some money, and let them handle the cleanup."

As soon as he said this, the players burst into laughter and immediately gave up cleaning.

These guys were all pretending in the first place.

"Let me say a few words."

As soon as Gao Shen spoke, the players quickly returned to their seats and looked toward their head coach.

"First of all, on behalf of myself and the coaching staff, I want to congratulate all of you! We've qualified!"

The players erupted into cheers again.

Gao Shen raised his hand, gesturing for quiet.

"I know exactly how everyone feels right now. It was incredibly difficult for us to qualify. We faced two of the strongest teams in Europe. I said it before, both Manchester City and Dortmund are capable of reaching the Champions League final."

"We encountered enormous challenges, but we made it through. We showed our strength against both Dortmund and Manchester City."

"But it's not enough!"

Gao Shen looked each player in the eyes, his expression turning serious.

"Honestly, this is the most humiliating season I've had as a coach."

"Anyone who knows me knows I hate putting my fate in someone else's hands. I like to win. I like to take control. I like to eliminate all obstacles myself."

"But this time, we qualified thanks to Manchester City. Thanks to Suarez's goal. Thanks to Gareth Bale's assist. Thanks to David Luiz's long ball. Thanks to Rakitic's crucial tackle..."

"Do you like this?"

Gao Shen's rhetorical question sent the locker room into silence.

Yes, after the euphoria of qualifying, everyone had to reflect on what had happened during the group stage.

Real Madrid gave everything, but it still wasn't enough.

Professional football and competitive sports don't reward you just for "trying your best."

When you play at this level, when you wear this badge, you have to shoulder all the responsibility.

Just like Cristiano Ronaldo. If he doesn't score, he gets criticised.

So what?

That's what comes with the paycheck.

And Gao Shen was no exception. If Real Madrid had failed to qualify, he too would've deserved criticism, even sacking.

What is there to explain?

No one gets special treatment.

"As Real Madrid players, there's nothing to be proud of from the group stage. On the contrary, I feel deeply ashamed. As head coach, I can't escape blame, but I also hope each of you asks yourselves: have I done well enough? Have I lived up to this jersey?"

After a pause, Gao Shen continued.

"I'm not blaming you. On the contrary, I'm satisfied with your performance. But I want to say, qualification is in the past now."

"Everything is in the past. What we need to focus on is what comes next."

"We must learn from this group stage. We must clearly identify our weaknesses, as individuals and as a team. We must think about how to perform in the knockout stage."

In fact, everyone knew. If Marcelo hadn't been injured, if Arbeloa hadn't been injured, Real Madrid wouldn't have suffered such a blow in the two matches against Manchester City.

Taking just one point from those two games was the main reason Real Madrid dropped to second in the group and nearly missed out entirely.

Even the media and experts, including L'Équipe, wrote articles praising Gao Shen's timely adjustments. The reshaping of the right-wing attack was key to Real Madrid's win over Dortmund.

But so what?

Neither Gao Shen nor Real Madrid could be satisfied with that.

They needed to look ahead.

"As I said before, whether it's the Champions League or the Europa League, my goal is the same — to win the title. Not just for myself, but for Real Madrid."

"Now, we can continue to compete in the Champions League. This is the result of all our effort, but I hope you'll reflect carefully on how we can perform better in the second half of the season. How we can push all the way for the title."

"Our group stage performance was far from convincing. And in the knockout rounds, we might face Manchester City again. When that happens, will we have what it takes to beat them?"

"I've won four Champions League titles!"

Gao Shen raised four fingers to the squad. Among everyone in the room, he had the most Champions League trophies.

"What I want to tell you is this: on the road to the Champions League, never be complacent. Anyone who gets even a little complacent won't make it."

"Lastly, I want to say this..."

Gao Shen looked around at the players in front of him and grinned.

"Congratulations, Real Madrid warriors. Your hard work paid off. I sincerely hope you all hold yourselves to higher standards."

"Because from now on, we're fighting in the Champions League knockout stage. And yes, we're fighting for the Champions League title!"

His words stirred the whole locker room.

Who wouldn't be excited?

Real Madrid hadn't made it out of the Champions League group stage for a while. Now that they had, everyone was fired up, ready to push further and go all-in for the title.

If they held themselves to the same standard as before, how could they possibly go deep into the knockout rounds?

…

Gao Shen finally let out a long breath after walking out of the locker room.

This qualification had come dangerously close to slipping away.

He didn't want to experience something like this again.

But the Real Madrid players really had given their best. If Marcelo and Arbeloa hadn't been injured, the team would've performed more smoothly. But in football, there's no "if."

What Gao Shen had to consider now was the winter break.

How to make the most of that time to adjust and improve the squad was his top priority.

With that in mind, he walked toward the press conference venue.

On the way, he took out his phone and saw a flood of messages.

Opening them, he found a bunch of Manchester City players messaging him, asking for a reward, demanding he treat them to a meal.

Gao Shen burst into laughter.

Sure. No problem. I'll treat you later!

He didn't reply. But in his heart, he made a decision.

If the opportunity comes, I really need to thank those Manchester City players.

Without them, Real Madrid would not have qualified.

He had just heard a colleague in Germany describe the scene at the stadium. Honestly, it really moved him.

Professional football is cruel and pragmatic. People forget you the moment you leave. New leaders replace old ones. That's all normal.

People call it "professionalism."

But a team like Manchester City may not be professional in that sense, but it's full of heart.

At least, Gao Shen was truly touched.

This proved that the time and effort he had invested in these Manchester City players over the past three years was not in vain.

As a head coach, Gao Shen felt proud.

(To be continued.)