Casillas had been panicking over the past couple of days.
As the captain of Real Madrid, he had extraordinary connections throughout Spain, especially in the Madrid area.
The moment Gao Shen arrived in Madrid and checked into his hotel, Casillas got the news.
He had been waiting for Gao Shen's call.
To his surprise, the first person Gao Shen met with was Ramos.
Although they worked well together in the dressing room, Casillas knew very well that if anyone in the Real Madrid locker room could replace him, it would be Ramos.
From the moment this kid joined Real Madrid, he carried the aura of someone destined to become the best.
Even in his early days, he had the guts to go head-to-head with superstars.
Who would dare to challenge Ronaldo like that now?
Unfortunately, Casillas had been benched last season, and Ramos became the on-field captain. That momentum was no longer something he could suppress.
Casillas was anxious, like an ant on a hot pan, but there was nothing he could do but wait.
But what surprised him even more was that Gao Shen then met with Xabi Alonso and Benzema.
Old captain Hierro had also returned.
Casillas met with him and brought up the situation. But Hierro only gave him a gentle reminder.
"Don't forget, back then he was completely on his own. No power, no backing. Yet he still controlled the locker room."
"Now, the president is backing him, along with two vice presidents, the general manager, and the sporting director. Just imagine the level of support."
"And frankly, you didn't handle this situation well either."
Hierro didn't say much, just offered a few words of analysis, and Casillas understood.
There was no room for negotiation in this matter from start to finish.
If he kept resisting, there was only one outcome—he'd be forced out.
And it would be the most humiliating way to leave.
If it came to that, his relationship with Real Madrid would be completely severed.
Casillas didn't hesitate any longer and called Gao Shen directly.
On the phone, the Real Madrid captain started with an apology. He said he'd been busy and hadn't realized that Gao Shen had already arrived two days earlier.
As the captain, he should have welcomed Gao Shen and paid a visit to the hotel. There were many things he needed to discuss face-to-face.
Gao Shen was slightly surprised that Casillas had taken such an initiative.
With this level of self-awareness, how had the situation gotten so out of hand in the first place?
But regardless, he was still the Real Madrid captain, so Gao Shen immediately invited him over to the hotel.
Casillas arrived in just over half an hour.
…
"Hey, Iker."
"Hello, Boss!"
The two warmly hugged at the door, looking like a teacher and student reunited after a long separation, with no trace of past conflict.
Gao Shen affectionately put his arm around Casillas' shoulder and led him into the room.
After seating him, he poured water and even prepared a gift.
Casillas, on the other hand, felt a little uneasy.
He had rushed over and hadn't brought anything.
"Then you owe me one. Pay me back later," Gao Shen said with a grin.
Casillas laughed as well.
The boss's words were very clear—it wasn't too late to fix things.
He could always find another opportunity to return the gesture, right?
Gao Shen noticed Casillas' expression. Seeing the hint of relief on his face, he understood.
As a leader, this mindset toward subordinates was normal. On one hand, you enjoy the control that power brings. On the other, you're trying to create the most favorable situation for yourself.
Simply put, leaders have to get things done.
To do that, you need your people to work hard.
If everyone only pretends to follow orders, what can you achieve?
Even if Gao Shen fell out with Casillas today, and the Real Madrid keeper came back tomorrow to apologize, Gao Shen would still have to use him. At most, he'd give him a warning.
If Casillas were truly benched, would that benefit Gao Shen?
At that point, Ronaldo's situation would become even harder to manage.
After all, Gao Shen came to coach Real Madrid to win—not just to play power games.
Or rather, gaining control was also a means to achieve results.
So his aim should be to resolve conflicts, not create new ones or escalate existing ones.
…
"I've actually been meaning to talk to you. But I know you've been busy, having just won the European Championship. As Spain's national team captain, you must have had a lot on your plate."
Gao Shen sat down and offered a light-hearted explanation for why he hadn't reached out sooner.
It was all about showing attitude.
Even if the excuse was a little far-fetched, offering an explanation was a good gesture.
The worst is when someone can't even be bothered to explain. That's when it becomes truly difficult.
Casillas clearly sensed that Gao Shen was extending an olive branch and immediately admitted fault for not reaching out sooner as Real Madrid's captain. He followed with more self-reflection and apology.
"Boss, I'm the national team captain, yes, but outside of that, I'm still Real Madrid's captain."
Gao Shen looked into Casillas' eyes and saw the internal conflict.
This was a difficult balancing act.
When being national team captain conflicts with being Real Madrid's captain, how do you choose?
Gao Shen smiled, reached out, and gave him a firm pat on the shoulder.
"I get it. Don't I know you?"
"Honestly, I think the way you handled things wasn't all that bad. Actually, it was pretty good."
Casillas quietly let out a breath.
Even now, there were still many Real Madrid fans calling him a traitor.
But as long as Gao Shen still trusted him, everything would be okay.
"Truthfully, Iker, when I met with Florentino and the others, I asked about this. We were all on the same page. We understood the difficult position you were in, stuck between national team politics and the Real Madrid dressing room. We all felt you were wronged."
Casillas nodded again and again. That was exactly how he'd always felt.
Gao Shen noted his reaction, then suddenly changed the tone.
"But if you look back, the whole thing started with media coverage."
Casillas' heart skipped a beat. A cold chill ran down his spine.
"I understand, really. You meet someone you like, and she just happens to be a journalist. That's fine. It's freedom of speech. We've dealt with this before. We can't control what the so-called fourth estate wants to say, right?"
"Honestly, in England, dealing with the paparazzi was way worse. These days, professional football and the media are deeply intertwined. They're like conjoined twins."
Casillas lowered his head, trying to grasp what Gao Shen was really saying.
He was genuinely starting to worry.
"Boss, please, let me explain..."
"I know, I know. I believe you," Gao Shen interrupted with a smile.
"Don't worry. I spoke up for you during the meetings. I told them I believed in your professionalism. That you wouldn't intentionally leak internal matters through your girlfriend. I firmly believe you're not a traitor."
But the more Gao Shen reassured him, the more nervous Casillas became.
He felt like Gao Shen knew everything.
"But Iker, I really tried my best." Gao Shen sighed, his smile turning helpless.
"I was still in Cheshire when I called Adán. I told him that Casillas would remain the captain and starter this season. If he was willing, he could stay on as the backup. If not, we'd help him find a good loan move to get more playing time and improve, with a chance to return later."
"I convinced Adán to step aside."
Everything Gao Shen said matched what Casillas had heard.
Now he truly believed that Gao Shen had wanted to keep and trust him.
"But you know, Florentino was furious. You said you didn't leak anything, but they didn't believe you. Their initial plan was to sell you outright, but I refused."
"After I got Adán to back down, they went and signed Courtois. Ask around, you'll see—I had nothing to do with that. They chose to spend big on a keeper from Leeds. How could I stop it?"
Gao Shen painted himself as someone caught in the middle, pressured from all sides.
Casillas immediately realized that Gao Shen's situation mirrored his own—caught between the national team and the club.
"I'm sorry, Boss, I..."
"Don't apologize." Gao Shen interrupted him again. "From your performance in the Euros, it's clear you're still the best goalkeeper in the world. But now Courtois is here, and the board wants an explanation—or at least an attitude—from last season's chaos."
Gao Shen took a deep breath.
"This can't just be brushed under the rug."
Casillas was a little dazed.
Based on the intel he had, most of it supported what Gao Shen was saying. But there were still some pieces he didn't understand.
Maybe he wasn't in a high enough position to see the full picture.
After all, with the amount of turmoil at Real Madrid last season, it was reasonable for the board to want accountability.
"I'll be honest—I've done everything I could. But some things can't be undone. You can't pretend they never happened. So I hope you can mentally prepare yourself."
Casillas' mind was in a fog. Gao Shen had just hit him with a ton of information. It was hard to process everything or analyze it rationally.
But one thing stuck with him—Gao Shen seemed like someone who had truly tried his best to protect him.
"Boss, tell me. What do you want me to do? Should I give up the captain's armband?" Casillas asked, gritting his teeth.
It was clear he had made up his mind.
After all, he hadn't even been the captain on the pitch for most of last season.
(To be continued.)
***
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