Football Dynasty-Chapter 550: Chaos

Although Manchester City has its own medical department, in cases of serious injuries—especially acute injuries during matches—the first priority is always to send players to a hospital. So Richard, along with Miss Heysen, immediately exited the director's box. They waited in the tunnel for the physios, who, with the help of staff, had already placed Woodgate on a stretcher.

They would accompany Woodgate directly to the hospital. The best choice is Wythenshawe Hospital, a major general and specialist hospital in South Manchester.

"Go with my car. I'll follow them," Richard said immediately to Miss Heysen, his words clipped and decisive. He was already striding away, urgency written across his face as he headed for the ambulance without a second thought.

After finding them, he didn't even bother with his own car or bodyguard as he followed behind. Trailing the physios, Richard soon saw familiar faces—Dave Fevre and Andreas Schlumberger.

"How is it?" Richard asked immediately.

"… "

Fevre remained silent at first. After conducting a preliminary assessment, he finally delivered a conservative estimate—one that dealt a heavy blow to Richard.

A torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus, accompanied by sprains and joint dislocation. Further examinations would be needed to determine whether the ligaments were torn or completely ruptured. If it was the latter, a major operation would be necessary.

Richard sighed deeply as he looked at the young Woodgate. When he was carried away on the stretcher, he was already wearing an oxygen mask. His face was pale, slick with cold sweat, unable to speak, and he was close to losing consciousness.

Arriving at the hospital, Richard sat in the corridor, looking utterly despondent and sorrowful.

The club's specialist doctors arrived promptly to assess the situation and collaborate with the hospital's specialists on treatment plans. Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway, the sharp clatter of high heels ringing out.

Marina, having heard the news immediately, went straight to Wythenshawe Hospital from Maine Road, rushing there as quickly as she could. Upon seeing Richard seated in the corridor, she slowed her pace and approached him, cupped his face, and softly reassured him.

"He'll be fine."

"I know…" Richard said helplessly, his voice barely above a whisper.

The two of them waited in silence as the minutes stretched into an agonizing hour. The corridor felt unbearably cold, every passing footstep making Richard tense. He didn't move, didn't speak—his eyes fixed on the closed doors at the end of the hall.

Eventually, word reached the hospital staff about who Richard Maddox was and that he was waiting in the corridor himself. Realizing the situation, they quickly escorted him away from the public area and into a quieter room before formally informing him of the latest updates.

Jonathan Woodgate would require surgery for a torn ACL.

KNOCK~KNOCK~KNOCK

The sharp sound echoed through the room, breaking the heavy silence.

A moment later, the door opened, and two figures stepped inside—Dave Fevre and Andreas Schlumberger. At their arrival, the hospital representative quietly excused himself, offering a brief nod before closing the door behind him.

Fevre and Schlumberger looked at Richard before silently taking seats in front of him. Then, solemnly, they informed Richard of the situation in greater detail.

In short, this kind of surgery was difficult, and the risk of failure was high.

"Can I see him?" Richard asked quietly.

The two exchanged a glance before finally nodding.

Richard was soon escorted to the room where Jonathan Woodgate was being treated. Seeing him there—sedated and unconscious, his face deathly pale, his leg grotesquely contorted and secured in a splint—pierced Richard's heart.

The immense pain was unbearable for this 18-year-old prodigy. He was only nineteen years old!

Would this end his future?

Would this destroy his career?

He had no idea.

He couldn't demand that everyone be like Zanetti—who seemed almost immune to serious injury—or even like Larsson, who, after breaking his leg at Celtic, had managed to stand strong again and maintain a high competitive level well into his mid-thirties.

While Richard remained at the hospital on Main Road, from the moment the conflict erupted, the stadium was filled with uproar as Manchester City fans grew increasingly furious.

The Blazing Squad.

Once given a reason, they were never the type to submit quietly.

"We don't give a damn! If someone hurts us, we'll never let it slide!"

Chaos quickly erupted in the stands. Neutral supporters were caught between assaults from both sets of Manchester fans, while security and police struggled to maintain order. They formed protective rings around elderly supporters and children, shielding them in the middle while resisting the onslaught of Manchester City supporters.

Many fans were injured by projectiles thrown from the stands, and a little bit number suffered wounds as riot police rushed into the stadium to escort away the injured and the most agitated fans.

The match remained suspended for nearly twenty minutes before order was finally restored.

Commentators Andy Tyler and Martin Gray were left speechless at their microphones, and Sky Sports abruptly cut to commercials, avoiding the chaotic scenes unfolding in the stadium.

This was clearly not a positive image for the Premier League.

Manchester City fans had gone completely out of control.

Before the match resumed, the referee issued two additional red cards—to Thuram and Neville.

Roy Keane's dismissal was clear-cut; although he went in head-on, the challenge was malicious and reckless. Gattuso was sent off for irrationally shoving Keane, an act that ignited the wider player confrontation. Thuram and Neville were quickly drawn into the chaos, trading shoves and words as tempers flared, forcing the referee and officials to intervene to restore order.

With this result, both sides felt aggrieved.

Manchester United claimed that during the stoppage of play in the first half, several Manchester City players had assaulted them, with Trezeguet allegedly head-butting Denis Irwin.

At this point, the referee likely regretted his decision to take charge of the match. Determined to bring the game back under control, his officiating suddenly shifted, becoming far more stringent. Just before the first half ended, he handed out three yellow cards—all to Manchester City—for excessive fouling.

Throughout the conflict, Zidane played the role of peacemaker, helping the referee separate the two teams. But that didn't mean he wasn't furious inside. He understood better than anyone what the team needed: victory. Only victory would make the opponent's dirty tactics look disgraceful and foolish.

On the Manchester United side, Ferguson chewed his gum with a grim expression. No one knew exactly what he said during the team talk, but when the United players returned, everyone suddenly became very serious. No one spoke.

If Richard had seen this, he would have known.

Hairdryer treatment!

It seemed that in the locker room, the Red Devils had received the famous "hairdryer treatment" from Alex Ferguson. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

They would not back down in the face of violent tactics.

PHWEEEE—

Throughout the entire second half, Zidane's performance was impeccable. He single-handedly organized the attack with precise passing, sharp dribbling, and timely, powerful shots. However, how could he alone fight against the well-organized Red Devils?

Taking advantage of Manchester City's emotional instability, in the 57th minute Scholes set up Andy Cole for the opening goal.

This goal made City even more unstable, and three minutes later that collapse led to Trezeguet receiving a second yellow card and being sent off.

Mourinho substituted Ronaldinho and Okocha for Lúcio and Gallas in an effort to bolster the back line, but even that defensive adjustment offered little hope of victory at Maine Road, especially with the team reduced to ten men.

In the final thirty minutes, United firmly took control, with Beckham scoring again from a free kick to secure a 2–0 victory.

After each goal, the Manchester City players refrained from celebrating, quietly returning to the center circle for the restart. One by one, they all followed suit, walking back to their half without any sign of celebration.

PHWEEEEE—

As the game concluded, small clashes erupted outside Maine Road. Groups of strangers wearing balaclavas, with clear intentions of violence, emerged in the streets. City fans unwilling to engage formed small circles, whispering and pointing at the unfamiliar figures who seemed to be seeking out supporters of the Red Devils.

Most of the older, law-abiding Manchester City loyalists solemnly warned the younger fans and United supporters: take the main roads—don't go through small side streets or an alley!

Such events were common in the 1970s and 1980s, and now that chaotic scene of hooliganism had returned to British football.

Meanwhile, Miss Heysen, who had originally planned to follow Richard to the hospital, was shocked to discover that the intensity of the chaos was beyond her imagination. With no other choice, she decided to stay behind to deal with the situation.

"How is the situation?" she asked one of the police officers and the head of security.

"Don't worry, we—"

After hearing the explanation, she sighed in relief. Thankfully, it was not as severe as the infamous Kenilworth Road riot, when football fan violence in England erupted during the FA Cup quarter-final between Luton Town and Millwall.

Millwall's supporters—including the Bushwhackers firm—and freelance hooligans engaged in pitched battles both on and off the pitch, ripping out seats and hurling objects. Dozens were injured, and the chaos was so severe that it forced interruptions to the match. The injuries were far more extensive, with over 90 percent of those hurt reportedly being neutral supporters at the time.

"Thanks to the assistance of the Manchester City police. Now, what we need to do is—"

Of course, at a moment like this, the priority was clear: protect the neutral supporters. Without police assistance, many of them would struggle to find their way home, with hostile City fans lurking in the surrounding neighborhoods, ready to ambush anyone who stood out.

Stranded United supporters were forced to hurriedly strip off their jerseys, hiding their club colors just to avoid being targeted as they tried to escape the area.

After issuing a series of serious instructions, Miss Heysen paused for a moment. She gathered her thoughts, then reached into her pocket, picked up her phone, and called Richard to brief him on the situation.