Football Dynasty-Chapter 529: The Clash Between Two Eras Officially Began

In 1996, Paul Gascoigne scored a memorable goal in the quarter-final against Scotland—a stunning curling shot from outside the box, widely regarded as one of the most spectacular in European Championship history. Though subjective, the goal is still remembered and celebrated, igniting the excitement of Three Lions fans.

When Gascoigne became a national sensation and moved to Italy, the BBC actually sent a film crew to follow him around 24/7, capturing snippets of his life to air back in Britain, which garnered decent ratings. This alone demonstrated his fame and influence. Wherever Gascoigne went, there was always a crowd of friends—speeding in cars, drinking, and partying to excess, even handcuffing himself to a chair and spending a night in a hotel like a convict.

In the following season, after that memorable World Cup, he joined Rangers F.C., who were in pursuit of a record tenth consecutive league title. Unfortunately, Gascoigne’s performance that season was unimpressive. At thirty, he felt more like forty. Many thirty-year-old veterans in the Premier League seemed more threatening—not to mention Cantona, who was leading Manchester United to victory at the same age.

People were disappointed after that season. Fans sighed in unison: Gascoigne was finished. This was the pain felt by England supporters—an emotional scar they didn’t wish to revisit.

This season? Middlebrough.

Though Gascoigne’s performance for Middlesbrough that season was promising in flashes, by May he had barely accumulated playing time—not even reaching 100 minutes on the pitch!

Richard looked at Mourinho before nodding. After that, his indifferent eyes fixed on Ronaldo as he spoke in a low voice:

"Ronaldo, if it were the others sitting in your seat today, I probably wouldn’t be this sad and angry. What makes me deeply saddened is that you have stopped progressing after reaching the pinnacle of individual honors. You are the winner of the Ballon d’Or! It’s you! You’ve not only failed to set an example but have also led others astray. I don’t expect every player to become a saint, but you must understand that your life and profession are interconnected and mutually influential. If your personal life is a mess, it will undoubtedly affect your work!"

"Sir, I—"

Richard quickly interjected.

"Let me finish! We’re all men here. There’s no need for pretense; it’s normal to like women. But I don’t endorse treating women as mere sources of amusement, especially when you decide to involve your teammates. This not only damages your own image but also severely tarnishes the club’s reputation. I won’t tolerate this! The damage has been done; your lives are your own. If this ever happens again, be ready to strip off the Manchester City jersey. As for today’s punishment, all three of you will face a two-week fine."

When it came to their personal outings, he had never interfered. If a player wanted to enjoy a wild night, that was their business—as long as it didn’t affect their performance on the pitch. But when several players’ actions combined, creating a pattern of recklessness, it was a different story. That kind of behavior didn’t just stay personal; it thrust the club into the spotlight, attracting scrutiny and criticism no manager wanted.

Turning his gaze to them, he continued, "Your penalties will be enforced by your head coach. If reports show that your performance isn’t satisfactory after a month, you’ll remain under scrutiny. Also, a piece of advice: if you don’t learn from this, ten or twenty years from now, when you see some of your former teammates becoming superstars and legends, don’t be envious."

The three were utterly dejected.

With that, they all stood up to leave, followed by Baltemar Brito.

After a night of debauchery, it was time to face the consequences. Not only fined them but also made them ineligible to play for the first team for a month, which indirectly led to a reduction in their income—a double blow.

Only Mourinho stayed behind.

"At times like this, I think it’s important for us to create a proper reserves team," Richard said, sharing his thoughts with Mourinho.

The issue isn’t just discipline—it’s about safeguarding development. Training with the U17s is simply too far removed from the intensity of first-team football. A structured reserves squad would bridge that gap. They can’t be coddled, but they shouldn’t be thrown to the wolves either.

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Richard called.

When he saw the last person enter, he rubbed his temples. The final player to arrive was Richard Wright, the third-choice goalkeeper. Richard didn’t push too hard with him, as he was already a marginal figure; it’s very difficult for goalkeepers to move up the ranks. His sense of crisis wasn’t as strong as that of the others.

"I think it’s better to sell him to another club, right? With Vítor Baía coming, as you requested, he’ll be fourth choice—there’s no way he’ll get playing time."

At only 21 years old, Richard could only think about the young keeper’s future. To be honest, he was concerned about what lay ahead for him as a professional goalkeeper.

"You have the news about Vítor?"

Richard nodded. "I’ll try my best to hold off Buffon first. But if he pushes for a move, then I’ll have no choice but to prepare myself."

He continued, "Vítor Baía’s situation at Barcelona isn’t good. When Louis van Gaal took over from Bobby Robson, he was dropped from the team in favor of the manager’s compatriot, Ruud Hesp. It’s said that Porto has already made an offer to loan him in during this mid-season."

The situation at Porto was almost ironic. After Vítor Baía left the club for Barcelona, it was said that he had "haunted" them ever since his departure. So, Porto want him back.

As for the others, he said, "I’ve already done an analysis. So far, out of the 13 names you recommended, these four are the ones I will pass on to you:"

Vítor Baía

Ricardo Carvalho

Paulo Ferreira

Christian Vieri

There was no need to question the choice of goalkeeper—Vítor Baía was obvious.

As for Ricardo Carvalho, Richard remembered that during Chelsea’s best years in the early 2000s, he had been partnered with John Terry. And now that Terry was here, wasn’t he perfect to take that role again?

Paulo Ferreira was the same—he had been a key part of Mourinho’s squad during the Abramovich era. As for Christian Vieri, you didn’t question Bobo Vieri.

"Christian Vieri is also a bit difficult now. He just recently signed for Atlético Madrid, and I believe his performance means Atlético isn’t likely to sell him."

He had scored 15 goals in 15 games, and in October, he netted back-to-back hat-tricks—a 5–1 win at Real Zaragoza and a 5–2 home victory over PAOK in the quarter-finals of the European competition.

So yes, he’s a little bit difficult.

Mourinho thought for a moment before nodding. "Fair enough—four is acceptable. Not getting them in the winter isn’t a problem either. Winter transfers are a bit difficult."

Richard nodded.

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

There was another knock at the door.

This time, it was Miss Heysen, Marina, Karren Brady, and Sadie Carpenter. All of them were essentially there to guide Mourinho on how to handle the press tomorrow against Arsenal regarding the Christmas incident.

Richard allowed them to use the office for preparations.

The next day, at the pre-match press conference ahead of Manchester City’s visit to Highbury, no reporters asked about the upcoming game; all attention was focused on the Christmas party incident.

The call girls later sold their firsthand accounts to the tabloids, flooding the media with negative stories about Manchester City.

Detailed reports about which players preferred particular positions—or even bizarre personal habits—surfaced, with some players generous with tips and others stingy enough to leave none.

Mourinho appeared calm during the press conference, but inwardly he was pressed by the sharp questions from reporters. One player chasing women wasn’t a big deal—but when a whole group got involved, it clearly pointed to managerial negligence. For the first time, Mourinho felt exposed and humiliated as a manager.

Thankfully, he had been briefed the day before.

Feeling slightly despondent, Mourinho maintained a serious tone as he said, "I will not allow events like this to occur under my management, as it is detrimental to the players’ professional development. Internal penalties have been issued: some players are demoted, some are temporarily barred from playing, and their return to the first team will depend on their performance while in the reserves."

The reporters in attendance remained unfazed. One pressed further: "What if something similar happens again? Will they still be sent to the reserves? Perhaps some players are just tired and want a break—they could use this as a reason to relax there."

Mourinho scoffed quietly, then raised his head sharply. "If something like this happens again, I don’t care who the player is—whether it’s the first or second offense—Manchester City will permanently part ways with that player."

"Oh, well, that simplifies things. Any player wanting to transfer only has to throw a party and invite the press to achieve that, and they won’t even be seen as traitors—just discarded by the club, huh?"

Mourinho found himself at a loss for words. He then saw Richard in the back; at his signal, Mourinho stood up and left the press conference.

As for Richard, he exited shortly after. Once in the corridor, he turned to Karren Brady, who had been following him, and asked, "Where did those reporters come from?"

"Daily Star and The News of the World. Most were from the tabloids," she replied.

"Permanently revoke their access to our press conferences. Remember my words: permanently!"

Richard had never felt so publicly humiliated. The press conference had been livelier than usual, but the prominent reporters from respected outlets like The Times or Daily Mail hadn’t asked a single question. They knew the tabloids would step in like clowns to get the scoop, and they preferred to distance themselves from City’s clashes, recognizing that Richard was likely to be at the club for a long time.

Several tabloids were placed on Manchester City’s permanent blacklist, losing their press privileges indefinitely.

The first-team players learned about the Christmas events through the news. They felt no sympathy, only shaking their heads. Seeing their club attacked and ridiculed by the tabloids only fueled their anger toward the media.

Richard thought that in the future, when the new stadium was completed, he would need to dedicate part of the surrounding area to leisure facilities. Players would need outlets—like golf or snooker—where stars such as Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Trezeguet, and others could enjoy each other’s company in ordinary times.

Under the shadow of the scandalous party, Mourinho led his depleted City team to Highbury to face Arsenal, who were far ahead of them in the standings.

Wenger was eagerly awaiting the match, looking forward to a battle between the Gunners and the Cityzens. This clash between their two eras—the Wenger era and Mourinho’s—was officially set to unfold.