There are actually several factors to consider when choosing hotels for teams participating in the Champions League final.
Take Real Madrid this time.
All first-team players, whether they make the matchday squad or not, will travel together to Lisbon. The players' families will also come along to cheer them on.
There will also be club staff, specially invited club legends and celebrities, as well as a number of special guests.
Add all of that together and you get a huge traveling party, which means the hotel must be large enough to accommodate them.
Of course, if there is no other option, the club can split people across different hotels, but that is more troublesome.
Especially for Gao Shen.
Based on his years of experience in Champions League finals and in-depth talks with the club's psychologists, giving players some private time with family and friends on the eve of the match helps them perform better.
Simply put, they will play with more hunger.
If everyone is split across different hotels, that plan is much harder to execute.
In that case, the best they could do would be to arrange a bus to shuttle players' families to visit, which would create additional hassle.
So from the start, Real Madrid placed great importance on the hotel's scale.
Ronaldo, who lived in Lisbon for years, recommended several hotels, but they were all rejected for being too small and not meeting the club's standards. The club was very picky. José Sánchez and Valdano even went to Lisbon in person to scout options and negotiate.
Yes, Real Madrid staying at a hotel for the Champions League final is also a form of cooperation.
In the end, the team chose the Tivoli Hotel on Avenida da Liberdade in Lisbon.
It is one of the most luxurious and expensive hotels in the city. Aside from another nearby Four Seasons, the hotels in central Lisbon are mostly either too small or lacking in quality and service.
After several rounds of selection, and with the hotel offering a strong cooperation package, Real Madrid set out their requirements and decided to book the entire property.
For the three days around the Champions League final, the hotel would serve only Real Madrid.
The hotel has three restaurants offering different cuisines. Real Madrid would bring their own chef, ingredients, and various supplies, and take over one of the restaurants to provide three meals a day for the players.
…
Lisbon is only about 500 kilometers from Madrid, but Real Madrid still took an Emirates charter flight.
They trained in the morning, had lunch and a short rest at Valdebebas, then flew to Lisbon in the afternoon.
Upon arrival, the team bus drove straight onto the tarmac.
Even so, many fans had gathered at the airport to welcome them.
Portugal and Spain are close, and both Real Madrid and Atletico fans were already in town.
As the team bus left the airport, the crowd outside descended into chaos.
Fans shouted the names of Real Madrid's players and Gao Shen, urging them to give their all in the final.
The enthusiastic supporters clapped and pounded on the side of the bus and the windows, which moved Gao Shen and the players inside.
They are Real Madrid's staunchest believers.
Even more fans were waiting at the hotel.
Fortunately, there were no Atletico fans at the scene. Otherwise, a confrontation might have broken out before the match, which would have been disastrous.
After checking in, the players, used to away routines, received their room assignments, dropped off their luggage, took a short rest, and then headed to the Estádio da Luz for the familiarization session.
Real Madrid's bus driver had arrived in Lisbon earlier and knew the city's traffic routes well.
Before departure, he briefed Gao Shen on the specifics.
The hotel is about six kilometers north of the stadium, bypassing Eduardo VII Park. But there are many traffic lights in central Lisbon, more than a dozen in total, which delays the trip and makes it about 20 minutes.
It was a bit frustrating.
Real Madrid had considered staying in the suburbs but could not find a suitable hotel.
Not only Real Madrid, Atletico were also based in the city center, close to Real Madrid's hotel.
Why?
Because most of Lisbon's hotels are concentrated around Avenida da Liberdade.
In that sense, the arrangements were equally fair for both finalists.
Security measures at the Estádio da Luz were already in place. When Real Madrid's bus arrived, many fans were shouting outside, but it was hard to get close. The team went straight into the dressing room smoothly.
Real Madrid's familiarization session was scheduled before Atletico's. After training, Gao Shen also had to attend the pre-match press conference, which is standard practice for a Champions League final.
Everything was routine, and Gao Shen knew it well.
This was his sixth Champions League final.
Just like in the past, there was nothing new about the session. The only interesting detail was that Gao Shen specifically arranged set-piece drills and penalty practice.
This was not a last-minute decision, but a deliberate plan.
Many fans from both teams were present, as were media reporters and even Atletico scouts. Gao Shen wanted them to see what Real Madrid were working on.
In modern football, set pieces have become a crucial source of goals. No team can ignore them.
Real Madrid are good at them.
For instance, Ramos once scored a hat-trick and netted twice against Bayern. His reputation as a sword-wielding defender is well known.
Pepe is also a threat on set pieces, another sword-wielding defender with strong scoring ability.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Benzema can both score from set plays.
For free kicks, Real Madrid currently have masters like Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, and Toni Kroos.
When it comes to set-piece attacks, Real Madrid have plenty of options.
This is one of the most daunting aspects of Gao Shen's Real Madrid.
They are so complete that it is almost impossible to find a weakness.
But Gao Shen still emphasized penalty practice.
He clearly wanted to send a signal that Real Madrid were mentally prepared for extra time or even a penalty shootout against Atletico.
The key question is, will Simeone dare?
Given Atletico's situation, if Real Madrid implement their tactics properly and force Atletico to expend enough energy, by extra time the Colchoneros' fitness could become a problem. Real Madrid might even beat them in extra time.
And if it goes to penalties?
Real Madrid are not weak there either.
Courtois is one of the best goalkeepers in the world and a strong penalty saver. He also has an extensive data analysis team behind him that has thoroughly studied the penalty records of every Atletico player across their careers.
So what is there for Real Madrid to fear?
On the other hand, Asenjo made a big splash when he first emerged, but he no longer has the sharpness he once had. He has even become a weakness for Atletico. Otherwise, why would the Colchoneros spend big to bring in Oblak?
So Gao Shen was very confident that Simeone would not want to settle things in a penalty shootout.
This was psychological warfare too.
Gao Shen learned from Ferguson and likes to play openly and directly, targeting the opponent's heart.
…
After the players finished their session and returned to the dressing room, Gao Shen went to the press conference.
It is worth mentioning that the route to the press room passes through the Champions League trophy display. This is common, and many reporters linger there to take photos.
Gao Shen could not remember who told him that no one should touch the trophy before the final.
Before the match, neither coach nor players are to touch it.
It feels like a curse.
Interestingly, although Gao Shen is not superstitious, he has always enforced this rule strictly.
When he passed the display, he simply stood and looked at it closely, then moved on.
The reporters' questions were much the same as usual, nothing new.
One point Gao Shen emphasized was that this was his sixth Champions League final, and he had won the previous five.
"I believe this time will be no exception."
He said it with confidence.
This too was part of his psychological game, built on a record that clearly favored him.
Moreover, Real Madrid's core players had already experienced a Champions League final. They had the experience.
By contrast, although Atletico had won the Europa League, most of their players were playing in a Champions League final for the first time.
Gao Shen offered high praise to his opponents, calling Atletico one of the strongest teams in Europe.
The referee for the final was Björn Kuipers of the Netherlands. Gao Shen was not very familiar with him, but he knew Kuipers tended to allow a more physical game. His assistant referees were also Dutch.
Many believed this would benefit Real Madrid because Dutch football emphasizes fluidity and attacking play.
Gao Shen disagreed, subtly suggesting that such officiating could encourage Atletico to adopt a more aggressive defensive approach.
"Everyone knows our opponents are very good at understanding a referee's limits," he said.
Atletico's physicality is known worldwide, and everyone understands it.
Gao Shen expressed hope that the referee would enforce the rules strictly.
"This is not just a Champions League final, it is also a city derby. We all know the special nature of a derby, especially on a Champions League stage. No one wants to lose. Everyone will give everything."
He believed that the referee needed to maintain firm control, otherwise the match could spiral out of control, which would be very bad.
"I hope this will be a classic, exciting, and smooth Champions League final."
This was also Gao Shen sending a psychological hint to the referee.
Do not be too lenient, or tempers will flare and no one will be able to stop it.
(To be continued.)