Starting With Real Madrid

Can money buy a championship?

This is a question that every football investor around the world has asked.

If it can, then why has Chelsea, despite years of heavy investment, still failed to win the Champions League?

They made it to the final last season, only to lose to Manchester United.

But if money can't buy championships, how did Chelsea win their league titles? Why do clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona invest so heavily every year in star players and their squads?

This is a deeply complex topic.

Football investors in London's financial district often say, "If you want to know the answer, just look at Chelsea."

The same team with the same huge investments—but they couldn't win the league under Ranieri, yet they triumphed under Mourinho. Why?

"Star players are rare, but even rarer are coaches who are born to win championships!"

This is what Manchester City's chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, heard when he first arrived in London and spoke with the city's football investors.

It had been five months since Mubarak had taken over Manchester City at the end of September. From knowing nothing about football to gradually taking charge of the club's affairs, Mubarak, a top graduate from New York University, began to gain a deeper understanding of the sport's professional world.

His academic background, coupled with being under 30 years old, made him dismissive of football figures he deemed outdated or unable to adapt to modern times, like the current Manchester City coach, Mark Hughes.

In Mubarak's eyes, Mark Hughes had become the biggest obstacle to Manchester City's progress.

The British coach constantly pushed for new signings. During the winter transfer window, Manchester City spent a massive £60 million. Including summer spending, the total investment was staggering.

Yet, the team's league position hovered around 10th, with little sign of improvement.

Despite spending so much, Mark Hughes failed to present a mature, stable tactical system or achieve competitive results. If this had been a business, Mubarak believed, Hughes would've been fired long ago.

In Mubarak's first meeting with Hughes, he had conveyed the long-term vision of the Abu Dhabi ownership: a ten-year plan to build and develop Manchester City. He had also promised that the club's approach would align with this vision.

At that time, Hughes had claimed that his coaching philosophy was inspired by Ferguson and Wenger, which fit Mubarak's vision. Since the season had already begun, there was no immediate plan to change coaches.

Even in December, when Manchester City briefly fell into the relegation zone, Hughes defended himself with empty rhetoric, blaming the team's poor results on the quality of the squad. The club responded by investing an additional £60 million during the winter window.

But despite the spending spree, the team's performance failed to improve.

It was becoming increasingly clear to Mubarak that it was time to change coaches.

What ultimately solidified his decision was the Kaka saga during the winter transfer window.

At the time, Manchester City made an astronomical offer to AC Milan to sign Kaka, including an unprecedented salary package. Everyone except Kaka was convinced, but in the end, due to interference from Florentino Pérez, the former Real Madrid president, Kaka stayed in Milan.

Outsiders speculated that Kaka stayed out of loyalty to AC Milan. However, Mubarak knew the truth: Kaka was waiting to join Real Madrid.

Reports suggested that Florentino Pérez would inevitably return to the Real Madrid presidency that summer. His first move would be to sign two superstars—Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka. Moreover, he planned to bring Gao Shen, the young coaching prodigy, back to Real Madrid.

Gao Shen had emerged in 2006, leading Real Madrid to a league and Champions League double. He later moved to Italy, where he orchestrated the remarkable achievement of guiding a newly promoted team to back-to-back Serie A titles. He was now regarded as one of the brightest coaching talents in world football.

Initially, Mubarak wanted to approach Gao Shen as a form of retaliation against Real Madrid for poaching Kaka. It just so happened that Manchester City needed a new coach, and Gao Shen was a viable candidate.

However, after deeper discussions with the club's advisor Brian Marwood and technical director Brian Kidd, both highly recommended Gao Shen. They described him as one of the world's best coaches, with a coaching style that emphasized team-building and tactical flexibility.

Napoli's success was proof of this.

Full of anticipation, Mubarak brought Marwood and Kidd to Stamford Bridge to watch Chelsea face Napoli, hoping to evaluate Gao Shen up close.

The result? To Mubarak, it was disappointing.

…

"Is this the so-called genius young coach?"

Mubarak didn't know much about football, but even he could tell that Napoli was trailing and struggling. Apart from a brief spell in the first half, they had been largely passive.

He began to wonder if the Italian and European media were just as prone to hype as the British media. Could anyone be turned into a "genius" with enough publicity?

Marwood and Kidd exchanged awkward smiles.

How could they explain this?

The situation on the pitch wasn't ideal, yet they were supposed to convince Mubarak that Gao Shen was doing a good job?

For someone with even a basic understanding of football, it might've been easier to explain. But Mubarak knew next to nothing about the sport.

He didn't even grasp the level of Hiddink's coaching prowess.

"Football is a 90-minute game, and the Champions League knockout stage is played over two legs," Marwood attempted to explain. "Sometimes, temporary setbacks don't determine the outcome. In fact, I suspect Gao Shen planned for this scenario."

Mubarak frowned. "You're saying he's losing on purpose?"

"No, no, Mr. Chairman. It's only the 60th minute, and he hasn't lost yet."

"Can he win?" Mubarak pressed.

Marwood was at a loss for words.

How could anyone guarantee victory in football?

Even the best coaches wouldn't dare make such a promise.

"If you keep watching, you'll see that the beauty of football lies in its unpredictability," Marwood said diplomatically.

Brian Kidd nodded. "It's been 60 minutes. It's about time for Gao Shen to make his move."

Mubarak remained skeptical, though a hint of amusement crept into his thoughts.

Is this just a sales pitch?

But then, in the 62nd minute, Gao Shen made his first substitution.

…

"Napoli has made their first substitution of the game."

"Italian full-back Maggio replaces Lichtsteiner."

"This looks like a positional swap."

"Maggio was Serie A's best right-back last season while playing for Sampdoria. Since moving to Napoli, he's been solid but has often lost the starting spot to Lichtsteiner."

"Could Gao Shen be unhappy with Lichtsteiner's performance tonight?"

…

Gao Shen used the substitution to call Thiago Motta to the sidelines, giving him detailed instructions.

As the game resumed, the adjustments quickly became evident. Napoli's formation had shifted.

Sanchez moved to the left wing, while Di Maria switched to the right, playing as an inverted winger.

Thiago Motta dropped deeper, joining David Luiz and Bonucci to form a three-man central defense. Vargas and Maggio were pushed higher into midfield.

Napoli now lined up in a 3-4-3 formation.

The tactical change was immediate. Napoli pressed high and aggressively, pinning Chelsea back.

Hiddink quickly ordered his team to retreat, but Chelsea struggled to adapt.

Just a minute after the substitution, Maggio's overlapping run created space for Di Maria, who cut inside and unleashed a curling shot with his left foot. The ball brushed past the top-left corner, sending a wave of panic through Stamford Bridge.

…

Hiddink's expression darkened as Napoli ramped up their attacks.

Standing on the sidelines, the Dutchman furrowed his brow, shouting instructions to tighten his team's defensive shape.

He considered substitutions but had limited options on the bench. Ivanovic and Ferreira were his only defensive alternatives.

Replacing Ivanovic might shore up the right side defensively but would weaken Chelsea's attack on that flank. As for Ferreira, his poor form in the match against Aston Villa made him an even riskier option.

Chelsea's left flank, guarded by Ashley Cole, was under intense pressure. Cole, clearly not in his best form, was struggling to contain Napoli's attacks.

Should he replace Cole with Ferreira?

Hiddink hesitated.

But before he could make a decision, a sudden roar erupted from the crowd.

Napoli's high press forced a turnover in midfield. Rakitic and Di Maria double-teamed Mikel, winning possession.

Di Maria surged forward down the right flank, drawing Ashley Cole out of position. As he reached the edge of the penalty area, Di Maria slipped a pass to the overlapping Maggio.

Using his speed, Maggio burst past Cole and delivered a precise cross from the byline.

The ball bypassed Cavani, who had drawn the center-backs toward him, leaving a wide-open space at the penalty spot.

Charging in from deep, Rakitic connected with a powerful left-footed volley.

Cech, scrambling back across the goal, could only watch as the ball flew into the right side of the net.