The referee finally blew the whistle to end the game.
A wave of boos erupted around the Allianz Arena.
One to four. That was the final scoreline in tonight's Champions League quarter-final clash.
Most of the boos were aimed at Bayern head coach Van Gaal and his players.
The fans were clearly not satisfied with such a result.
It essentially meant Bayern was eliminated from the Champions League early. After missing out on the Bundesliga title and the German Cup, the team had now lost their last shot at silverware. Bayern was destined to finish the season empty-handed.
As the commentator put it: Van Gaal can finally step down with peace of mind!
Gao Shen was still somewhat surprised by the result.
What stood out most was Van Gaal's mentality throughout the match.
In the first half, he went toe-to-toe with Manchester City. But in the second half, his approach changed.
One clear sign was his decision to bring on Toni Kroos for Altintop at halftime.
Thomas Müller moved to the right wing, and Kroos played as the attacking midfielder.
But to be honest, it didn't work out well.
Toni Kroos is an interesting player. He's a strategic type.
When people watch him play, the first impression is often: "What's the big deal?"
He doesn't look technically dazzling. He's not quick on the ball, not fast in general, and doesn't seem particularly active in his running. His movements always appear a bit stiff.
For someone once hailed as a prodigy, his development has been underwhelming.
Or perhaps it's better to say he doesn't match people's ideal image of a footballing genius.
So what does a midfield genius look like in people's eyes?
Modric, Pogba, David Silva, even Rakitic.
Is Toni Kroos a genius?
Maybe he was once, but now... he doesn't fit the profile.
This reflects the awkward position Bayern and German football have placed Kroos in.
What is his role supposed to be?
Take Van Gaal for example. He played Kroos as a No. 10. But that put him directly up against Javi Martinez, and Kroos couldn't find his rhythm there. That's just not where he belongs.
In Gao Shen's previous life, many Real Madrid fans and neutrals often debated who was more important: Modric or Kroos?
Many leaned toward Modric, especially after he won the Ballon d'Or—and rightfully so.
Leading Croatia to the World Cup final secured his legendary status.
But does that mean Toni Kroos is less important?
Modric's style and qualities make him essential in vertical play.
His ability to escape pressure and drive the ball forward, combined with excellent passing and strong defensive awareness and work rate, make him incredibly valuable.
If Modric represents precision and control, then Kroos represents simplicity and ingenuity.
The German midfielder is more about horizontal play—his quick and accurate long balls stand out.
It's these differing traits that make both players so rare and valuable. Even now, not to mention in the future, few teams know how to use them properly.
At Tottenham, Modric carried too much responsibility. Van der Vaart's arrival helped ease that burden, but the Dutchman was already past his peak.
Kroos's situation at Bayern was even more awkward. No one knew quite how to use him.
In his past life, as a die-hard Real Madrid fan, Gao Shen deeply admired Kroos and Modric. He even tried many times to sign Modric, but failed.
Sometimes, Gao Shen wondered, times have changed. Could that legendary Kroos-Modric midfield ever reunite at Real Madrid?
…
Although such thoughts swirled in his mind, Gao Shen kept smiling as he walked over to greet his players coming off the pitch. He also shook hands with Bayern players—Ribery, Schweinsteiger, Lahm, and Thomas Müller—all players he admired deeply.
But the one he really wanted to meet was Toni Kroos.
"What a pity! I couldn't see you fully unleash your talent," Gao Shen said sincerely as he shook Kroos's hand.
Only Kroos could hear these words. To others, Gao Shen treated him no differently than anyone else.
In fact, he was more visibly enthusiastic when greeting Schweinsteiger and Ribery.
Kroos looked at Gao Shen in disbelief, stunned.
At Bayern, he had always felt stuck and awkward. He couldn't even explain why himself.
But Gao Shen's sudden comment hit a soft spot.
"Keep working hard. Don't get discouraged. I hope we get a chance to work together in the future." Gao Shen smiled, shook his hand again, gave his shoulder a gentle pat, and turned away.
Kroos stood frozen, clearly still processing the words.
Did he… rate me?
The young German was confused.
That's Gao Shen—the world-renowned manager!
It's said that every player he liked ended up a superstar!
Does he really think I have that potential?
But Kroos quickly tucked away his excitement and regained his usual composure.
He always had that calm, expressionless face.
That was also his style on the pitch—steady, mechanical, consistent.
…
Gao Shen had no doubt—he was sick.
And not just mildly sick. It was a terminal illness.
Every time he saw a player he liked, especially the young and good-looking ones, he couldn't help himself, he just had to flirt.
I'm in my early thirties. Is this some middle-aged man's bad habit?
There were several times when he nearly marched from Manchester City's Carrington to United's youth academy, just to watch Pogba train with the Red Devils.
In this regard, Gao Shen was actually a lot like Van Gaal.
The whole world knows Van Gaal is known for developing young players.
But the unlucky Bayern boss might soon become Gao Shen's next casualty.
German media had already speculated—if Bayern crashed out of the Champions League, Van Gaal would likely be sacked early.
And now…
Strangely enough, when Van Gaal came over to greet Gao Shen after the game, his demeanor was noticeably better than before. He even chatted more about football—defensive positioning, players, tactics.
Gao Shen pointed out that Bayern had committed too many passing errors, especially in the final third.
Gomez and Altintop had major issues. When the ball reached the front line, there was rarely any threat. Ribery had to rely on individual effort to make anything happen.
Van Gaal agreed, but felt helpless.
At this point, Gomez was the only true center forward in the squad. Replacing him with Klose might've been even worse.
As for the right wing…
"Actually, back in 2009, the player I wanted was Robben."
Gao Shen thought to himself, I know.
But he feigned surprise. "Really? Then how come…"
No action was taken?
Van Gaal shrugged, shook his head, and sighed helplessly.
Sometimes, Bayern's management was just too calculative.
Not that it's a bad thing. Bayern is one of the healthiest clubs in Europe financially. That's also one of Gao Shen's goals with Leeds United.
From beginning to end, Van Gaal never mentioned the defeat. It was as if the result didn't bother him.
Or maybe, for Van Gaal, losing was just another opportunity for growth.
"He's a pure football coach," Gao Shen said after watching Van Gaal walk away.
Carlo and Sarri both nodded.
Van Gaal had a strong reputation in that area.
Gao Shen had been mentoring Sarri carefully. Often, he gave Sarri complete freedom to manage certain aspects. He even encouraged him to express his views on games and lineups, then offered corrections.
As someone who never played professionally, Sarri lacked experience in many areas.
One simple example—many of his tactical ideas weren't actually feasible for players to execute.
But over the last three years under Gao Shen, he had grown significantly in this regard.
Gao Shen never stuck to any rigid framework when managing. He had his own philosophy, but adapted tactics based on the opponent. Sarri had benefited tremendously from this.
Truth be told, entrusting Sarri with the task of getting Leeds United promoted to the Premier League was Gao Shen's greatest vote of confidence.
Watching Van Gaal's figure disappear, Gao Shen couldn't help but offer one final reminder.
"There's no universal method in coaching. Don't let yourself fall into rigid thinking."
In Gao Shen's past life, Sarri had been a stubborn coach who struggled to adapt. That wasn't acceptable.
Sarri wasn't young anymore, but he was beginning to understand these things more deeply.
He clearly understood what Gao Shen meant.
Just like Van Gaal tonight.
If he had played more cautiously not overly defensive, just a bit more stable the outcome might not have been so bad.
Of course, Van Gaal could argue that he was staying true to his footballing ideals.
But the outside world isn't obliged to sympathize. Professional football is a results-driven business. Success and failure define you.
No one will pay for someone else's ideas, especially in a commercially run sport.
This wasn't just a victory for Gao Shen over Van Gaal, it was a valuable lesson for Sarri.
He was about to take charge of Leeds United. Gao Shen was telling him clearly—without strength, a stubborn man won't survive.
Even a top coach like Van Gaal can't do whatever he wants at Bayern. He still faces all kinds of restrictions.
That's the reality.
(To be continued.)