Old generals should be selected carefully. Not just anyone old can be selected.

Mazzarri first thought of the outstanding German veteran Klose, who had performed so well in this World Cup.

The thirty-two-year-old Klose scored four goals in four games in this World Cup, leading the young German team all the way to the semi-finals. If it hadn't been for a back injury that kept him out of the final third-place match, the title of all-time leading scorer in World Cup history might have gone to someone whose last name started with a "K" instead of a "R."

Even so, Klose's fourteen goals in three World Cups rank him second in World Cup history, behind only Ronaldo's fifteen. And Klose is thirty-two years old. When the next World Cup arrives, he will be thirty-six. It's not entirely impossible for him to play in another World Cup and surpass Ronaldo on the all-time scoring list.

This striker isn't particularly tall, only one meter eighty-four, not even as tall as many defenders. But his specialty is heading the ball.

Early in his career, heading was his main scoring weapon. The most famous example was probably the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, where Klose scored five goals, all with his head. In the group stage match against Saudi Arabia, he scored a hat-trick, with the three goals being headers scored in three different ways...

From this point of view, his technical characteristics are very similar to Chen Hero’s. If he comes to the team, he can quickly integrate into Napoli's current tactical system.

Moreover, he is not only good at heading the ball now. After so many years of experience, he also has excellent footwork. Many of his goals are scored with his feet, and his ability to score in front of the goal is outstanding.

In terms of footwork, he is better than Chen Hero.

At Bayern Munich, due to injuries, increasing age, and disagreements with coach Van Gaal, he has long been reduced to a substitute. He wants to leave Bayern Munich.

But the question is whether Napoli can attract him, and whether Bayern Munich is willing to let him go. Bayern Munich's contract with him expires in one season, and Klose will definitely not renew his contract with Bayern Munich. In other words, if Napoli is willing to wait another year, they will get Klose for free. But if they wait another year, Napoli won't need Klose...

At this juncture, when they need people, it is obviously impossible for Napoli to poach Klose from Bayern Munich without spending money. But if they spend money, it's a bit uneconomical... He's just a substitute for Chen Hero. This kid is in good health and rarely gets injured, and he rarely misses games. Is it worth spending millions of euros to buy a substitute, and then paying at least one million euros a year in salary, just for half a season of Champions League group stage matches?

It's not worth it, not worth it at all.

Even if De Laurentiis doesn't care, Bigon cares. He is the team's veteran, and he is also in charge of the economy. They can't become a wealthy club and expand impatiently, dragging the entire club's economy into the quagmire.

Napoli wants to take a path of sustainable development.

In addition, Klose himself is not very interested in joining Napoli. He would rather go to Rome, he likes that city.

It must be said that Napoli's bad reputation for public security affects the players' choices. Many people hear, what? Naples? I heard that the mafia is rampant there, and men are robbed of their money and women are robbed of their virtue on the streets... I'm not going!

So Napoli just contacted Klose briefly, and the matter ended.

Klose is not interested in joining Napoli.

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Ruud van Nistelrooy is also a world-class striker, known as the "King of the Penalty Area" when he was young. You should know that Romario is known as the "Emperor of the Penalty Area." From this nickname, you can see his power. He is a striker with height, skill, and a great ability to seize opportunities.

Now that he is old, he won't demand a starting position, and he has rich experience in European competitions, which is very much in line with Mazzarri's requirements. But Napoli is destined not to get him. Because he had already transferred from Real Madrid to Hamburg in the German Bundesliga in January of this year.

His performance in Hamburg has been okay. Hamburg would definitely not sell Ruud van Nistelrooy to Napoli after he had only been with the team for half a season.

It was hard enough to get a wife from the wealthy family of Real Madrid, and she hasn't even warmed the bed yet...

So Ruud van Nistelrooy was actually the first option to be rejected.

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This one won't work, that one won't work. Who will work?

David Trezeguet is also an old gun, but he has always been Juventus's main striker, and he has a very high reputation in the hearts of Juventus fans. And Juventus and Napoli are bitter rivals. How could the main striker of a bitter rival, even if he is just a washed-up main striker, join Napoli? If he really comes, not to mention whether Juventus would agree, the Napoli fans wouldn't agree either...

So he can't be considered.

Inzaghi?

Absolutely impossible.

Crespo?

His problem is the same as Ruud van Nistelrooy's. He just transferred to Parma in January of this year. That is a club he has a lot of affection for, and neither he nor Parma would be willing to leave.

...

So who is suitable?

At this time, something that happened overseas attracted Mazzarri's attention. In fact, not only Mazzarri was paying attention to this matter, but many fans around the world were paying attention to it.

This has to start with Mazzarri's nemesis Mourinho transferring to Real Madrid...

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After Inter Milan won an unprecedented treble in Italian football history, many Inter Milan fans cried with joy and shouted "Long live my great Inter." As a result, before they had been happy for two days, news came that stunned them—Mourinho, the meritorious coach who led the team to win the treble and made them vaguely see the shadow of Great Inter, had abandoned them and gone to Real Madrid...

This news was like a bolt from the blue to the hearts of many Inter Milan fans. Although there had been rumors about this for a long time, many people still couldn't accept it when it actually happened.

Many people immediately condemned Mourinho for being ungrateful and betraying his promises... Anyway, all kinds of nasty words were used. Moratti showed great tolerance, expressed his understanding of Mourinho's departure, thanked him for everything he had contributed in his two seasons at Inter Milan, and wished him good luck at Real Madrid.

Mourinho's departure also made many Italian media feel lost. Although they had often criticized this arrogant Portuguese man before, when this madman really left, they felt uncomfortable and lonely... The media is just like women and villains, really difficult to serve.

Let's put aside the reaction in Italy for now.

Let's just say that when Mourinho came to Real Madrid, he naturally wanted to carry out sweeping reforms, establish his own direct line, win over a group, divide a group, and attack a group. He used these methods of building a harmonious dressing room with superb skill.

In Real Madrid, he demanded absolute authority, and even Florentino, the big boss, was not allowed to interfere in the team's affairs. In order to fight for power, as soon as he arrived at the team, he clashed with the club's general manager, Valdano.

As a result, the position of another important person in the club and team who could speak up suddenly became awkward.

Who is this person?

Raúl González Blanco.

The dual flag of Spanish football and Real Madrid, the number one idol in the hearts of Real Madrid fans, and the well-deserved leader in the Real Madrid team.

Mourinho's arrival threatened his position.

Mourinho didn't need a leader in the dressing room who could sit on an equal footing with him, or even subtly surpass him, and have a huge influence in front of the club president. For him, the dressing room needed a leader, but this leader had to be a "dog" who listened to him. He, José Mourinho, was the undisputed number one in Real Madrid, and no one could be bigger than him, not even Valdano, let alone Raúl.

The media naturally knew this, so almost from the beginning of the rumors that Mourinho was going to coach Real Madrid, news about Raúl's unstable position came out.

Last season, under the leadership of Pellegrini, Raúl basically became a substitute in the second half of the league, but at least he was still a mascot in the dressing room, and he could still play his role as a spiritual leader. When the team fell behind Barcelona, he stood up and called for unity and a desperate fight with Barcelona, which was still very useful, and everyone could unite around him—at least on the surface.

But if Mourinho came, Raúl would lose not only his position on the field, but also his position in the dressing room...

Since last season, due to the fact that he was often unable to play, Raúl's captain's armband had been transferred to Casillas. Although Raúl was nominally the first captain, many people knew that the changing of the guard within this wealthy Real Madrid had already begun.

In addition to Mourinho's demand for absolute control over the team, there was another thing that made Raúl criticized.

That is, with him on the field, Real Madrid played horribly. Anyone with eyes could see that Raúl was completely unsuited to the current younger Real Madrid. His existence would not be conducive to the team's progress. On the contrary, it would greatly hinder the team's development.

This is a cruel and slightly ironic reality. The former flag of Real Madrid, the immortal legend, and the spiritual leader, has now become an obstacle to the team's progress.

In fact, for more than a season, the Madrid media has not spared Raúl from criticism. The legend they once worshiped is now more often seen in the headlines as a scapegoat for the team's defeats.

The team lost because Raúl's tactics on the field were incompatible with the team's overall tactics. He would only run away, squeeze Kaka's space, and force Ronaldo to not dare to shoot himself, but only pass the ball to "honor" the old man...

The team lost because of internal discord. Why was there discord? Because the Spanish local gang led by Raúl squeezed out the Portuguese-speaking gang led by Cristiano Ronaldo and looked down on the Argentine gang composed of Higuain, Gago, Garet and others... "Ball bully" Raúl has become a tumor in the dressing room!

Similar remarks have appeared in turn over the past year or so, bombarding the people of Madrid. The power of public opinion is enormous. In the media's unremitting noise, Raúl, the name that once symbolized unquestionable, symbolizing glory and legend, has also lost its brilliance, and many Real Madrid fans also feel that what the media said may be right—Real Madrid, this behemoth, is really time to change blood...