Starting With Real Madrid

In Gao Shen's past life, whenever fans or the media discussed Guardiola's Dream Team III, one name would inevitably come up: his so-called godfather.

That person was widely believed to be UEFA President Michel Platini.

Back when he was just a fan, Gao Shen had thought the same. But as he gained a deeper understanding of European professional football, he realized that this was a simplistic view of a far more complex situation.

Think about it logically: If Platini really were Barcelona's godfather, why wouldn't other top clubs push back? Why didn't they file complaints or lawsuits?

People often said Platini had the final say at UEFA. But anyone familiar with the organization's operations knew that was impossible. Platini had come to power by building alliances with smaller football nations, toppling former UEFA president Lennart Johansson. His influence was broad but not absolute; power was inherently decentralized.

It was no different from how major football clubs operated. Unless you were someone like Florentino Pérez, who wielded extraordinary influence, you'd always have to share authority. Presidents like Joan Gaspart, Joan Laporta, Sandro Rosell, or Ramón Calderón, they all had to delegate power after winning their elections.

Platini was no exception. He couldn't simply bend UEFA to favor one club.

So, if Platini wasn't the source of Barcelona's preferential treatment, who was?

Barcelona had undeniably benefited from controversial refereeing decisions. And UEFA couldn't have been entirely unaware.

This pointed to one key institution: the UEFA Referees Committee.

---

Fans who followed the Calciopoli scandal would recall a revealing phone conversation. In one recording, a UEFA official informed Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi about which referee would oversee their match against Ajax.

That official was Paolo Pairetto, then the vice-chairman of the UEFA Referees Committee.

Pairetto was forced to resign when the scandal broke in 2006.

After his departure, the Italian Football Federation nominated a new representative to UEFA's referee committee: Pierluigi Collina, the iconic bald-headed referee.

Collina had retired after endorsing Opel, AC Milan's sponsor, a conflict of interest under Italian regulations. But after Calciopoli, Italy turned to Collina as a figure of integrity to restore trust.

At the top of the committee was Ángel María Villar, the president of the Spanish Football Federation.

Villar was a remarkable figure. A former professional player and Spanish international, he became head of the Spanish FA in 1988 at just 38 years old. Over the years, he climbed UEFA's ranks to become its First Vice-President and head of the Referees Committee.

His influence was substantial.

Gao Shen recalled how Villar's relationship with Real Madrid had deteriorated during Florentino Pérez's first tenure.

In fact, when the Spanish FA celebrated its centenary in 2009, the event was originally scheduled for the Santiago Bernabéu. But after Pérez was re-elected as Real Madrid president, Villar abruptly moved the celebration to Atlético Madrid's Vicente Calderón Stadium.

That move said it all.

Still, even with all these facts laid out, many people would struggle to connect the dots.

Godfather?

Where's the connection?

Well, they needed to zoom out further.

---

Gao Shen had always believed that tactical evolutions in football often stemmed from rule changes.

Take the rise of technical midfielders, for example. Their success was partly enabled by offside rule changes that created more exploitable space.

That was a major rule shift. But the game's evolution also came from subtle tweaks to the laws, like the rules around tackling.

Many fans knew about the ban on tackles from behind. Fewer understood how deeply tackling rules had been tightened over time.

The initial ban on tackles from behind was introduced at the 1997 Confederations Cup and enforced fully during the 1998 World Cup in France. The driving force behind that rule change? Michel Platini.

It was a pivotal decision.

Football in the 1990s had been notoriously brutal. Tackles were often aimed at the player rather than the ball, and the careers of many stars like Ronaldo Nazário were plagued by injury as a result.

After 1998, the rules kept evolving.

By the 2002 World Cup, defenders could be penalized if their studs were visible during a tackle. By 2006, referees were instructed to caution players who didn't keep their feet close to the ground when sliding in.

These adjustments might seem minor on paper, but collectively, they radically altered defensive play.

Imagine being a defender who could no longer:

Tackle from behind

Show their studs

Leave the ground during a challenge

Meeting all these requirements simultaneously made tackling an art form, one that demanded caution. Defenders began hesitating, adjusting their bodies more carefully, and missing split-second opportunities as a result.

As tackling became more difficult, attacking players gained more freedom to express themselves.

Yes, these changes protected players from career-threatening injuries, a positive development overall.

But the tactical side-effect was undeniable: Teams that prioritized technical, possession-based football benefitted immensely.

Barcelona, with their tiki-taka system, fit that mold perfectly.

Many fans mocked Sergio Ramos and Pepe as butchers. But compared to defenders from the 1990s, even hard-nosed players like Alessandro Nesta often celebrated for his elegance had been far more aggressive.

In 2007, after Platini became UEFA president, Villar took over as the Referees Committee chairman. Together, they continued introducing policies that favored fluid, attacking football.

The official reasoning behind these rule changes was to better protect technically gifted players and enhance the viewing experience of football matches.

Everyone knew that refereeing standards varied across Europe's top leagues. The same challenge that might go unpunished in the Premier League could earn a yellow card in La Liga.

Beyond player protection, these differences also extended to how referees handled physical confrontations.

Take the Premier League, for example. Defenders often prioritize using their bodies to jostle, squeeze, and apply pressure on the ball carrier, what's known as a fair shoulder-to-shoulder challenge. Physicality is a core element of English football, demanding exceptional strength from players.

Without that strength, you'd be knocked off balance and dispossessed. The referee wouldn't even bat an eye.

Now compare that to La Liga.

In Spain, even slightly aggressive contact can result in a foul. A stronger shove might bring a yellow card. A mistimed collision? Potentially a red.

This reality influences defensive tactics. Rather than engaging physically, defenders in La Liga often try to anticipate the ball's path, gambling on interceptions instead of direct confrontations.

Want proof? Rewatch Messi's famous solo goal against Getafe.

Time and again, Getafe's defenders tried to poke the ball away rather than body-check Messi.

Were they slow? Not likely. With multiple players surrounding him, someone could've stopped him if speed was the issue.

After the game, Getafe's coach at the time, Bernd Schuster, attributed the goal to his defenders' overly passive approach. But why were they so passive?

Because they feared committing a foul.

Messi's low center of gravity, rapid changes in speed, and exquisite ball control made guessing his next move a nightmare. Opponents second-guessed themselves, hesitated, lunged in the wrong direction, and Messi danced past them.

Now imagine Messi facing that same scenario in the Premier League.

If two defenders closed in, muscled him off the ball, and left him on the ground, play would likely continue. The ball might squirt loose, but Messi wouldn't get far.

Which begs the question: Why does Messi struggle to replicate his club form for Argentina?

The answer lies in the differing officiating standards.

International tournaments like the World Cup allow more physicality, closer to Premier League norms than La Liga's. And in that environment, Messi loses a critical advantage.

The two competitions most protective of technical players?

La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.

And who oversees those competitions?

Michel Platini, UEFA president, and Ángel María Villar, UEFA's First Vice-President and head of its Referees Committee also president of the Spanish FA.

They're the architects of these enforcement standards.

That's why some argue Messi wouldn't thrive in Serie A or the Premier League. There's some merit to that claim.

---

By now, anyone following this thread would have grasped what a "football godfather" really was.

The tackle rule changes Platini introduced were ostensibly about safety and, to be fair, fewer players suffered career-ending injuries after the reforms.

But while the rules protected talent, they also tilted the balance of power toward technically adept, possession-based teams.

Barcelona became the most conspicuous beneficiary.

Was this bias intentional? That remained an open question. Outsiders could only speculate.

The Calciopoli scandal had laid bare how powerful a single referee could be. Juventus' former general manager, Luciano Moggi, tried to influence referee appointments because the official in charge could effectively dictate how a match unfolded.

That wasn't unique to Italy. Refereeing controversies had plagued football long before Platini and wouldn't end with him either.

Subtle adjustments to rules could cause seismic tactical shifts.

And in high-stakes matches like the Champions League final referee selection wasn't just a procedural formality. It involved layers of politics and behind-the-scenes maneuvering.

Take Napoli's situation, for instance.

Weeks earlier, the club's management had quietly approached the Italian FA, hoping to leverage Collina's influence within UEFA's referee committee. The request was simple: get someone neutral.

Napoli didn't want preferential treatment. They just wanted to avoid a referee who might favor Barcelona.

Because if the official applied the usual Champions League standard with even more leniency toward Barça, Napoli might as well not show up.

That scenario was easy to picture:

Messi dribbles forward. Foul. Yellow card for Napoli.

Iniesta gets tripped. Free kick near the box.

Alves goes down after contact. Another card.

It would become a slow, tactical dismemberment.

Napoli needed a referee who'd apply a balanced standard.

---

The pool of referees qualified for a Champions League final was small.

They couldn't assign an Italian or a Spaniard, given the teams involved. That left only a handful of experienced officials from other countries.

Which brought Pierluigi Collina to Napoli's hotel.

Such visits were standard procedure.

UEFA required referee committee representatives to brief both teams before major finals. The officials would clarify how the match would be officiated, what behaviors would draw immediate punishment, which situations were left to the referee's discretion, and how players could expect fouls to be interpreted.

Collina, as UEFA Referees Committee vice-chairman, personally handled this task for Napoli.

He arrived with a small delegation of UEFA officials, presented the guidelines clearly, and answered the players' questions with his trademark calm precision.

Everything followed official protocol. No irregularities. No subtle hints.

But as the meeting wrapped up, Gao Shen lingered by the door.

"Pierluigi," he said softly as the others shuffled out. "About tonight… what should I expect?"

Collina's pale blue eyes locked onto his. His expression was inscrutable.

"Don't worry," Collina replied, tone measured. "The referee tonight is Howard Webb. Experienced, fair, and highly regarded. He's officiated plenty of intense matches in the Premier League. You'll get a top-level performance."

The words were straightforward, something he could comfortably repeat in any UEFA review.

But Gao Shen caught the slightest flicker in Collina's eyes. A fleeting signal.

A silent message: It'll be fair. Play your game.

Gao Shen held out his hand. Collina shook it firmly.

"Thank you, Pierluigi."

Collina gave him the faintest nod of approval before leaving.

The moment the Italian stepped out of the hotel, Gao Shen returned to his room and immediately summoned his coaching staff.

His confidence surged.

Tonight, they had a real chance.

***

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