Football Dynasty

UEFA Champions League.

The only hurdle that stopped Zinedine Zidane from joining Manchester City was the club's absence from Europe's highest stage.

Thanks to that, Zidane chose to remain with FC Girondins de Bordeaux — and with him, Patrick Vieira and Claude Makélélé also decided to stay.

No wonder Marina had called it bad news.

"Can you guarantee it?"

"What if a team from Serie A or La Liga suddenly extends their hand and they decide to join them instead?"

Premier League was a much bigger stage than the First Division, drawing the eyes of Europe. But above even the Premier League stood France, Spain, and Italy — where the lights were brighter, and where even the smallest achievement could result in a flurry of transfer interest and a significant wage increase.

The world of football is inherently cruel; the best resources are always drawn to the giants of the game. A perfect example of this is Ajax who were already being drained of their talent following the implementation of the Bosman ruling currently.

Richard understood the harsh reality that City had to face this season. They were, in essence, a small temple. To keep the gods, one must offer gold. Only with shining glory can admiration — and loyalty — be earned.

That's why next season, qualifying for international competition wasn't just a goal. It was a necessity. Zidane, Makélélé, and Vieira had already made it clear.

City had to rise — or be left behind.

Though disappointed, Richard also sighed in relief. At least the door wasn't completely closed.

Lying in bed, O'Neill was already watching him carefully. Richard didn't bother to hide any of it — no secrets this time. He sat down again and asked O'Neill for his opinion.

"To be honest," O'Neill said, "if I were in their shoes, I'd make the same choice. The Champions League is a bigger stage — who wouldn't choose that?"

The career of a professional footballer is short. From maturity to peak performance, the window can be less than ten years. Within that limited time, to build a lasting legacy, a player must compete with and against the very best — and that means joining a powerful team.

If Manchester City couldn't provide that environment, Richard couldn't blame any player for walking away — or for choosing not to join at all.

Then O'Neill narrowed his eyes slightly, curious. "But why are you so obsessed with them? Are they really that good?"

"…"

Richard could only stare at O'Neill, speechless — as if he had just asked the most ridiculous question in the world.

"Tell Karren to reject any transfer offers involving those three. Next season, when City qualify for the Champions League, I'll personally remind them of their promise."

"Understood."

Just as Richard ended the call — RING~ — his phone rang again.

This time, it was Miss Heysen.

"You asked me to follow the result of the Everton friendly match," she began briskly. "It ended in a 2–2 draw. Our goals were scored by Henrik Larsson and David Trezeguet. Do you want me to fax you the full match report? If yes, I'll ask Ramm to forward the ProZone analysis to your email."

"No need," Richard said, shaking his head. "I'm at the hospital, visiting Martin. But help me with something else instead."

The current Manchester City in-house scouting database focused primarily on Europe, with particular attention to England and Ireland. That was no longer enough.

"I need you to contact external scouting firms," Richard continued. "Find one willing to sell access to their player databases — especially in regions we don't cover. Asia. Africa. South America, and others too. We'll pay for full access."

With the loss of Roberto Carlos and Cafu, that leaves City with only Ronaldo and Javier Zanetti occupying the foreign player quota. Now, with Zidane, Makélélé, and Vieira turning down the move, perhaps that quota can finally be put to good use.

Over the next three days, Manchester City would face heavyweight opponents, including Nottingham Forest.

Once again, Richard didn't bother to attend the match, as he immediately held an urgent meeting regarding the sudden burst of transfer activity to strengthen Manchester City's midfield.

Marina Granovskaia had already returned to Maine Road.

The moment Richard saw her, curiosity got the better of him. "How did you manage to convince Zidane, Makélélé, and Vieira to give a gentleman's agreement to choose City over the other clubs?"

"It wasn't me," she said, shaking her head. "It was Karren. She reminded them that she had the ability and influence to freeze them out of any competition next season."

Richard stared at her, dumbfounded. "What kind of nonsense is that? That can't possibly still work in this era. Not with the Bosman ruling in effect. Players have rights. They could sue her!"

"I reminded her of that too," Marina sighed. "But she said she wasn't threatening their careers — just... reminding them that reputation matters."

"She really said that?"

"She really did," Marina replied dryly. "And the crazy part? It worked. All three agreed to wait until next season."

Marina paused for a moment before hesitantly asking, "Richard, are you sure you want to work with a woman like her? She's… crazy, you know."

Yeah, just from hearing all that, Richard already knew. But for now, at least, her strategy was effective.

'And in football, that's what matters,' Richard thought to himself.

Thankfully, before he could answer, the moment was broken by the arrival of Miss Heysen, who entered the room accompanied by Robertson.

CLAP.

Richard immediately clapped his hands together, loud enough to grab everyone's attention — a deliberate move to steer the conversation away from Karren.

"Perfect timing," he said, flashing a tight smile. "Let's switch gears, shall we?"

Miss Heysen, ever the professional, handed Richard a folder.

"These are the updated reports on the scouting inquiries you asked for," she said briskly. "I've also contacted two external firms — both are willing to sell partial access to their databases, particularly in Africa and Southeast Asia."

"Good," Richard nodded, flipping open the folder.

The meeting, naturally, wouldn't happen just once or twice — especially since Richard had also involved John Robertson in the search for players who fit his profile. Together, they combed through countless scouting reports, expanding their focus — specifically to South America, Africa and Asia, where the talent was raw, hungry, and still relatively untouched by the spotlight.

Soon, two names began to rise above the noise. Strangely, they were unfamiliar to most in the room — but not to Richard.

The first was Augustine Azuka Okocha, a 22-year-old Nigerian midfielder playing for Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany.

The second was even more obscure — Hidetoshi Nakata, a young Japanese midfielder from Bellmare Hiratsuka in the J-League.

Was it really just a coincidence?

Richard was taken aback as he saw both names circled in bold black ink.

"Interesting," he murmured, tapping a finger on Okocha's file.

Okocha, along with teammates Tony Yeboah and Maurizio Gaudino, was currently involved in a well-publicized feud with manager Jupp Heynckes — and all three were reportedly intent on leaving the club at any cost this season. As for Nakata, there wasn't any controversy surrounding him. But he was undoubtedly shining in the J-League.

At the end of the day, after discussing more and more, the meeting finally concluded with three names — players City needed the most to patch up their weaknesses.

The first was Augustine Azuka Okocha, the second was Hidetoshi Nakata, and the third was a left-back option — a backup to fill the void left by Roberto Carlos departures. The name that emerged was Joan Capdevila, who was currently playing for the Spanish team Tàrrega.

After the match against Nottingham Forest — which Manchester City edged out with a narrow 1–0 victory — the mood at the club was cautiously optimistic. The performance wasn't flawless, but it was enough to get the job done.

The final whistle had barely finished echoing through the stadium before Marina Granovskaia was in the back seat of a waiting car, headed straight for the airport.

Her destination: Germany.

Her mission was clear — to secure Augustine Azuka Okocha, who would become the first African player ever to play for Manchester City, and only the second in Premier League history after Peter Ndlovu, who joined Coventry City in 1992.

After securing Okocha, their next target was Joan Capdevila.

At just 17 years old, Capdevila had yet to sign a formal contract with Tàrrega, which allowed City to acquire both players without spending a penny on transfer fees.

Richard was satisfied with the names on the list. Joan Capdevila, in particular, showed immense promise. Though still young, he would later rise to prominence as a vital figure for the famed Galácticos, celebrated for his versatility—capable of playing both as a center-back and a left-back. Most remarkably, he would go on to become the only player not affiliated with Barcelona or Real Madrid to win the World Cup with Spain later, cementing his legacy on football's grandest stage.

And finally, the third target: Bellmare Hiratsuka — which proved to be an easier piece for Marina Granovskaia to secure. The deal with Nakata's camp went smoothly, as the name and prestige of European football were far more tempting than anything Asia could offer.

After securing the three names, it didn't take long for Manchester City to officially announce another trio of signings.

At first, fans were thrilled — excited whispers spread across City as supporters awaited the names of the new arrivals. But when the club revealed the signings, the reaction was... stunned silence.

What kind of transfers were these?

An African player? Well, at least Augustine Okocha had been playing in Europe for Eintracht Frankfurt — that helped ease the shock a bit. Joan Capdevila? The young Spaniard, and a defender at that — also understandable.

But Hidetoshi Nakata? Who? A player from Japan?

No one had expected that.

Nakata, who would become the first-ever Asian footballer to wear a Manchester City shirt, caught everyone completely off guard. While confusion rippled through the fanbase, one thing was clear — Manchester City had gone bold, maybe even crazy, this time.

On fan forums, pubs, and radio talk shows across Manchester, the news was the main topic of conversation.

"Okocha? He's got flair, no doubt — but will he survive English football?"

"Capdevila? Who even is that? A teenager from a town most of us can't pronounce?"

"A Japanese midfielder? Seriously?"

Meanwhile, the media was divided. Tabloids ran dramatic headlines:

"City Roll the Dice with Foreign Names"

"From Tokyo to Manchester: Who is Nakata?"

"Capdevila, Child of Spain, Joins English Grit"

Some pundits didn't hold back in their criticism, calling the signings "reckless gambles" by a club "desperate to punch above its weight."

They questioned whether Manchester City had prioritized exposure over logic, suggesting the club was more focused on making headlines than on building a cohesive team.

When the midweek match of the third pre-season against West Ham United began, Manchester City finally released their final squad for the season — all under the watchful eyes of the public.

Goalkeepers (GK): Jens Lehmann, Gianluigi Buffon

Defenders (DF): Javier Zanetti, Joan Capdevilla, Lilian Thuram, Rio Ferdinand, William Gallas, Marco Materazzi, Gianluca Zambrotta, Steve Finnan

Midfielders (MF): Mark van Bommel, Robbie Savage, Neil Lennon, Jackie McNamara, Theodoros Zagorakis, Augustine Okocha, Hidetoshi Nakata

Forwards (FW): Ronaldo, Henrik Larsson, Andriy Shevchenko, David Trezeguet, Thierry Henry

Manchester City are set to begin the new season with two historic firsts: their first-ever African player and their first-ever Asian signing.

Will they succeed?

Only time will tell whether these bold moves will prove to be inspired masterstrokes — or simply desperate gambles driven by hope and ambition.