Night had fallen over Gelsenkirchen, Germany, just north of the Veltins-Arena.
In the head coach's office at Schalke 04's training complex, Magath and his trusted assistant coaches were carefully analyzing Schalke's current situation.
Because right now, things were looking bleak for Magath.
How bad?
After six rounds in the Bundesliga, Schalke 04 had one win, one draw, and four losses. They were sitting 17th in the table.
Keep in mind, the Bundesliga only has eighteen teams.
And this record was already an improvement. After four straight losses to start the season, Magath was almost sacked. As the person in charge of the team's overall performance, he bore full responsibility for the poor results.
The root of the problem lay in Schalke 04's transfer window this past summer.
Despite finishing second in the league last season, the club underwent a massive squad overhaul, letting go of key players like Kuranyi, Westermann, and Rafinha, while bringing in names like Raúl, Huntelaar, Metzelder, and Jurado.
Fifteen players left and fourteen came in. The scale of the rebuild was staggering. The level of upheaval was on par with what Gao Shen had done in his first season at Manchester City. The difference, however, was that Schalke was no Manchester City.
A closer look at the players sold by Schalke 04 revealed something peculiar.
Kuranyi left for the Russian Premier League on a free transfer. Asamoah, Grossmüller, Vicente Sánchez, and others also left on frees. Core players like Westermann and Rafinha were sold for just €7.5 million and €9 million respectively.
Why?
Because those out-of-contract players had reached critical points in their renewal negotiations. Westermann, Rafinha, and others all wanted to leave.
Magath only became Schalke's head coach in 2009, so how much blame he should shoulder is still debatable.
Everyone knows that the more crucial a player is, the earlier their contract should be renewed. Waiting until the final year is too risky and leaves the club in a weak position.
It was the departure of this group that forced Schalke 04 into a major rebuild.
The club earned €17 million from those fourteen sales. They then signed fifteen players, spending only about €30 million. The net spend of €15 million wasn't much for a Bundesliga runner-up.
Among the new arrivals were free transfers like Metzelder and Raúl, as well as proven talents like Huntelaar and Jurado. All of them had solid track records in European football.
Still, some wondered—why go through all this trouble?
Wouldn't it have been better to simply build on last season's foundation?
That's why, after four straight losses to start the season, Magath came under intense criticism and was nearly sacked.
But the truth was, Schalke 04 was weighed down by massive debt—€250 million worth.
That was why the club couldn't renew contracts with Kuranyi, Rafinha, and the rest. It couldn't afford big spending in the transfer market. And it was why Schalke 04 gave Magath full control as both manager and head coach.
From the moment Magath took over, he knew it was a gamble.
If he won, he'd be hailed as a savior and reclaim his place among Germany's top coaches.
If he lost, he'd be the scapegoat, dismissed in disgrace.
He boldly proclaimed his goal: win the title by 2013!
But the problem was, with the club buried in debt and no money to spend, what could he do?
Simple. Make money.
And how do you make money?
The Champions League!
Magath was clear about his objective from the start of the season—qualify for the Champions League.
So in the Bundesliga, his goal wasn't to win the title but to secure a top-ten finish. The Champions League was his real battleground this season.
Why was Raúl willing to join Schalke 04?
Because he knew how much Magath valued the Champions League. And Raúl was the key figure Magath was relying on in Europe.
Schalke wanted revenue. Raúl wanted goals and to maintain his title as the all-time leading scorer in the Champions League. It was a perfect match.
The plan made sense and was entirely feasible.
Schalke's 0–0 draw away to Inter Milan in the first round of the group stage gave them a big morale boost.
But their form in the Bundesliga had spiraled far beyond Magath's expectations.
He had overestimated the strength of his bench and reserves.
In truth, Schalke 04's squad still lacked cohesion.
Now, Magath's whole plan had reached a critical juncture.
Whether they advanced from the group stage depended on the match against Manchester City—especially the home leg.
Magath's plan was simple. Beat Inter, Real Madrid, and Manchester City at home. Try to draw away. That would be enough to get through the group.
But Manchester City's 5–0 demolition of Real Madrid in the first round shocked Schalke 04.
They had all expected that Manchester City would be worn down after facing Chelsea. But no one anticipated that Gao Shen would rotate his squad, switch to a 4-3-2-1 Christmas Tree formation, and still beat Chelsea.
This was the match that best showcased Gao Shen's coaching ability!
At least, Magath knew he couldn't pull that off.
Look at what a mess he'd made of the Bundesliga.
Now, at home, he would be facing Manchester City's strongest lineup.
And that was the most terrifying part.
…
"I spoke with Raúl."
Magath looked at the three trusted assistants sitting before him. Some had worked with him for years. Others had followed him from Bayern Munich. All were people he relied on deeply.
"Raúl said Gao Shen doesn't have a fixed lineup strategy. He always adjusts based on the opponent. If there's anything consistent, it's that he prefers to take the initiative. He doesn't like being reactive."
"Of course, that only works when you have the strength to do it."
Magath didn't need to say it out loud. Everyone knew Manchester City had that kind of strength now.
"So…" Bernard Dreyer seemed to sense where Magath was heading.
Magath adjusted his glasses. His gemstone-like eyes, hidden behind the lenses and set in his round face, glinted faintly.
"I want to attack right from the kickoff!"
"Are you crazy?" Dreyer blurted out.
The other two assistants exchanged glances, stunned by Magath's words.
"Are you serious?"
"Against Gao Shen?"
Everyone knew what Gao Shen was famous for—early attacks!
That was his signature tactic. And now Schalke wanted to go head-to-head with Manchester City from the first whistle?
Wasn't that suicide?
Going all-out on offense?
Even Real Madrid and Chelsea wouldn't dare try that!
Magath shrugged and spread his hands. "What else can we do?"
The assistants all fell silent.
Yeah, what else could they do?
"Defend? Do you think we can hold off Manchester City's attack? Metzelder, Papadopoulos, Matip, and Uchida from Japan—even if they work well together, they might still struggle against that kind of firepower. And they haven't even developed real chemistry yet."
That 0–0 draw with Inter Milan happened because Inter weren't strong offensively either.
In the Bundesliga, Schalke 04 had conceded twelve goals in six games. That was an average of two goals per match.
With that kind of defense, who could realistically stop Manchester City?
Magath certainly didn't believe they could.
Dreyer and the others agreed with his analysis. Schalke was clearly at a disadvantage. But that didn't mean they had to go for all-out offense.
"This is too risky. If we concede early, we could suffer a devastating defeat. That might even ruin our entire group-stage campaign. Have you thought about that?" Dreyer cautioned.
He believed attacking Manchester City head-on was the worst possible idea.
"Come on, Bernard. From the moment I took over Schalke 04, you, me, everyone—we all knew this was a gamble. There's no turning back. Once you sit at the table, you play until the end!"
Magath's face was set in a determined scowl.
People were often fooled by his round face and glasses, but in reality, he was one of the most ruthless characters in the Bundesliga.
Kill and rob and they'll sing your praises. Build bridges and roads and no one remembers your name.
"Either I win and the world praises me, or I lose and everyone curses me."
Magath was clearly ready for whatever outcome awaited him.
Managers are always the ones who get blamed.
But so what?
To succeed, you need a platform.
If you're not willing to take the fall, why would any club give you the opportunity?
Unless you're already one of the elite, you're just a scapegoat waiting to happen.
The only difference is who takes the hit.
Gao Shen?
Hmph, he's just a lucky guy who showed up at the right time.
Magath firmly believed that if he had been in charge of Real Madrid back then, he wouldn't have done any worse than Gao Shen.
With a La Liga and Champions League double, who couldn't look good?
As a former top player, Magath, like many ex-players turned managers, had a deep sense of pride. Especially when dealing with managers who had never played professionally—he simply didn't respect their achievements.
Football is incredibly complex. Outsiders can never truly grasp it.
Only by enduring twenty or thirty years of grueling training and competition can one understand the soul of the sport.
"Bernard, I'm not discussing this with you. I'm telling you what I'm going to do!"
Magath's tone grew sharper, showing that he was clearly annoyed by his assistant's doubts.
If even your closest aides don't believe in your plan, how can the players?
"I will prove that my decision is right with a victory in three days!"
"Just wait and see!"
(To be continued.)