"This is a fantastic group!"
After the draw ceremony, Gao Shen was interviewed by reporters on site. He expressed high praise for the group with calm confidence.
"We're in a group with four very strong teams, champions of the Portuguese league, Premier League, and Bundesliga, not to mention Real Madrid, the most successful club in Champions League history. All four teams have won the Champions League."
When he said this, Gao Shen smiled confidently. "Yes, the competition will be very intense. I truly believe all four teams have the ability to advance, but the harsh reality is, only two teams can qualify."
"Manchester City will be one of them, no doubt!"
What made things even more interesting was that, based on the fixture schedule UEFA had arranged in advance, in the first round of Group D's group stage matches, the Pot 1 team would play away against the Pot 4 team. That meant Porto would visit Dortmund.
The Pot 3 team would host the Pot 2 team at home. In other words, Manchester City would host Real Madrid.
It was practically a repeat of last season's Champions League group stage—almost exactly the same.
In a later interview, Valdano also expressed helplessness over the draw.
"Facing such a strong opponent in the group stage for two consecutive seasons is really tough."
If there were still people last season who believed Manchester City was all hype and looked strong on paper but weak in reality, that illusion no longer existed.
Although Manchester City didn't bring in new signings during the summer, they extended contracts with several core players. This ensured that their overall strength had not declined. As the players gained more experience, the team would undoubtedly be even stronger than last season.
That alone made them a nightmare opponent for every team in the Champions League.
And the first to face this challenge would be Mourinho's Real Madrid.
Following the draw, another segment took place. UEFA's Referees Committee chairman, the renowned bald Italian referee Pierluigi Collina, made an important announcement.
Starting this season, players who crowd the referee would face heavy penalties, potentially even red cards and immediate dismissals.
This clearly demonstrated UEFA's determination to uphold referee authority.
The team most affected by this policy, of course, was Guardiola's Barcelona.
Everyone knew they were the team most prone to surrounding the referee.
But starting now, that bad habit would have to stop.
Gao Shen also took time to meet with his old friend Collina.
Back when he coached Napoli in Italy, he had interacted with Collina frequently. At that time, Collina had even subtly "helped" Napoli. Now, Gao Shen asked him about whether UEFA's new regulations would also lead to adjustments in officiating standards.
After all, Manchester City played in the Premier League, where the refereeing style was notably different from that of the Champions League.
Changing this wouldn't be easy, because the Premier League involves far more physical contact.
"There will be adjustments, no doubt. Eduardo da Silva's broken leg shocked the world. Ever since, we've been studying how to reduce that risk. Whether intentional or not, we don't want to see such serious injuries on the pitch."
Gao Shen fully agreed with Collina's view.
Injuries like that are highly damaging to the development and image of professional football.
"Still, we have to be careful not to overdo it," Gao Shen joked.
Collina understood what he meant.
If things swung too far in the other direction, Premier League teams would suffer.
"Don't worry, we will stay neutral," Collina replied with a smile.
Gao Shen got the message and thanked him with a grin. "If you ever come to Manchester, I'll treat you to Chinese food."
"Absolutely," Collina replied without hesitation.
That wasn't against the rules.
Su Qing hadn't fully followed the technical discussion between Gao Shen and Collina.
So Gao Shen explained it to her in detail. He even pointed out that if a referee really wanted to manipulate a match, the disadvantaged side wouldn't even be able to tell in a high-level competition like the Champions League.
Sound absurd?
Football is full of physical contact. A referee who wants to intervene doesn't need blatant misjudgments. Just subtle decisions are enough to affect the rhythm.
Blow the whistle during a promising attack. Stop play just as a counterattack starts. Call a foul at a critical moment.
It would make your attacking play disjointed and completely ruin your rhythm.
"Maybe we don't need favoritism from referees, but it's still very important to build good relationships and treat them well," Gao Shen reminded Su Qing.
Being kind doesn't mean you'll be taken advantage of, right?
Su Qing, with her background in public affairs, immediately understood Gao Shen's point.
"I get it. I'll make improvements in that area. We'll redesign the referee's lounge at Elland Road, and also upgrade the matchday hospitality."
Gao Shen smiled and gave her a thumbs-up.
Talking to smart people really does make life easier.
In fact, Fernando Lucas already understood this and was acting on it.
Thanks to Lucas's strong relationships with mainstream media outlets in continental Europe, Leeds United now had a great media reputation. Otherwise, any news from Leeds would've triggered a media storm.
Running a football club, especially one with big ambitions, isn't easy.
August 26, evening. Stade Louis II, Monaco.
European Super Cup: Manchester City vs Porto.
Unlike most venues, the player tunnel at Stade Louis II exits from a corner. The organizers lined the exit with flag bearers holding the team banners and laid a red carpet on the grass.
The two captains, Kompany and Helton, carried the Champions League and Europa League trophies, respectively, leading their teams out onto the pitch.
There were only 18,000 spectators, mainly because of the stadium's limited capacity.
The crowd was small but the stands were packed and the atmosphere electric.
After Villas-Boas left for Chelsea, Porto promoted his assistant coach Vítor Pereira to head coach. The team still maintained the tactical system from the Villas-Boas era.
Porto starting XI:
Goalkeeper: Helton.
Defenders: Fucile, Otamendi, Rolando, Sapunaru.
Midfielders: Belluschi, Souza, Guarín.
Forwards: Cristian Rodríguez, Kléber, Hulk.
Among this lineup, Gao Shen was most familiar with Otamendi and Guarín, not to mention Hulk, who had become quite familiar over the years. Hulk now played as a right winger.
This posed a major test for Manchester City's left side.
Given Hulk's strength and speed, Gao Shen didn't start Leighton Baines. He gave the start to Felipe.
Also on Porto's bench were Fernando, who would later join Manchester City, and Belgian midfielder Steven Defour.
Defour had just joined from Standard Liège for €5 million, down from a valuation of €11 million.
Back then, Defour, Witsel, and Fellaini formed a dominant Belgian midfield trio for Standard Liège, winning the league and rising to prominence overnight.
But having just arrived, Defour had yet to earn Vítor Pereira's trust and remained on the bench.
Manchester City starting XI (4-3-3):
Goalkeeper: Neuer.
Defenders: Felipe, David Luiz, Kompany, Lichtsteiner.
Midfielders: David Silva, Javi Martínez, Rakitic.
Forwards: Gareth Bale, Suárez, Robben.
After missing the Community Shield and the first three rounds of the Premier League, Robben was cleared by the team doctors and traveled to Monaco. Gao Shen didn't hesitate to start him.
Players like Robben don't need warm-up time. Their presence alone creates danger for the opposition.
It was also worth noting that Porto's top scorer from last season, Falcao, had moved to Atlético Madrid.
Without the prolific Colombian striker, Manchester City's defense would be under less pressure.
Gao Shen didn't start the match with his usual aggressive pressing but opted for a more cautious approach.
Even though this was a clash between Champions League and Europa League winners, the strength gap wasn't always massive.
In fact, in many previous Super Cups, Europa League champions had pulled off upsets.
Though Porto had lost Falcao, this was Manchester City and Gao Shen's first appearance in a European Super Cup. Caution was wise.
Porto, continuing with the aggressive tactics of the Villas-Boas era, took the initiative from kickoff, pressing hard, trying to seize control and gain the upper hand early.
But the absence of Falcao left a gaping hole. Most of Porto's attacks came from the wings, with little support through the middle.
They tried to build through the center early on but failed.
Javi Martínez held firm just in front of the penalty area, making it extremely difficult for Porto to create opportunities.
They then shifted their attack to the flanks, taking a few narrow-angle shots, but none posed a real threat.
Especially in the eighth minute, Hulk muscled past Felipe on the right—City's left—receiving the ball, turning, and shaking off the defender. He then cut into the box, slipped past David Luiz, and attempted a lob.
But David Luiz had read it well and positioned himself just right, causing Hulk's shot to miss wide.
After two fruitless attacks, Porto's momentum faded slightly. Manchester City took the opportunity to settle down, control the midfield, and slowly shift the tempo in their favor.
The balance of the match began to tip.
Manchester City soon created their first real opportunity. After intercepting the ball in midfield, Rakitic chipped it over the top into the penalty area.
Suárez timed his run perfectly, shaking off his marker and darting forward.
(To be continued.)