Football Dynasty-Chapter 563: Your Journey has Begun

UD San Fernando received a staggering offer of £25,000, sending shockwaves through the amateur club. The few administrative staff gathered in the club’s cramped office, curious about which wealthy benefactor would spend such a fortune to buy a player and eager to catch a glimpse of him.

"A woman?"

One employee was taken aback when he saw her shaking hands with the coach and the club officials.

In the reception area, after a short private conversation behind closed doors, Marina laid the documents neatly on the table. The coach read them twice. The president read them three times.

After making sure everything was in order, the deal was finally completed.

It was a turning point.

Of course, Richard could have approached young David Silva directly, but he chose to remain professional and follow a legitimate path to acquire him. It was safe business, handled properly inside and out. After all, if the media later ever tried to dig up controversy once David became successful, what could they possibly accuse him of?

The next morning, Richard and young David Silva left Maspalomas together. Carrying their travel bags, they set off as companions. Now that David no longer needed to come to San Fernando for training, Richard decided to take the boy with him on his journey to Barcelona.

With players like Xabi Alonso — and now David Silva — by his side, Richard felt confident and buoyant as he traveled, enjoying each small success along the way. Of course, he wasn’t the one who persuaded David directly, but circumstances left the boy with little choice.

The problem was simple: if David waited any longer, he would be forced to continue as a goalkeeper, something he absolutely did not want. With Richard guaranteeing that David would continue his education in Manchester, his mother — and especially his father — reluctantly agreed to let him go.

With this result, he eagerly continued scouting for more promising stars from Spain.

La masia!

While Richard was busy in Spain, and so were Mourinho and his background staff. After Aston Villa, they immediately set off to face Derby County in the sixth round proper of the FA Cup.

PHWEEEE~

Half-time.

0–0.

In this match, Derby County got lucky. To be honest, the City players were already exhausted because they had previously played an away match against Aston Villa.

As everyone knows, in this era of the FA Cup, before neutral venues for quarter-finals became common — ties were almost always played at the home ground of one of the teams, not at a neutral stadium like Wembley. So Pride Park became the place where Derby County fought an on-fire City side to the limit.

In the away team’s locker room, the City players rested as the masseurs came by to help relax their muscles, asking how they felt physically.

Mourinho lingered outside the restroom, talking about whatever was on his mind with Villas-Boas, Mylvaganam, and Baltemar Brito. They didn’t need to go into the locker room to know that the players were exhausted.

Even though this first half wasn’t the longest they had run or the most intense 45 minutes they had played, it was certainly their most tiring half. Besides the physical fatigue from the long journey, the psychological pressure had also noticeably drained their energy.

The situation was worse than he had anticipated. With the desire to avoid losing, their tactical approach couldn’t be too reckless.

Although Manchester City employed a formation with three defensive midfielders to control the center and patiently create opportunities, they failed to apply effective sustained pressure. This led to fierce struggles in midfield toward the end of the first half.

After finishing their conversation, they finally had an inkling of what to do. Mourinho was the first to walk back into the locker room, and the players unanimously looked up at him, the quiet room filled with anticipation.

All the players understood that if City played their usual attacking football, they would inevitably become disjointed and be destroyed by counterattacks from their opponents.

In such circumstances, they had successfully limited their opponent’s chances in the first half, but to win, they needed to remain determined. The second half would be the crucial tipping point.

Mourinho clapped his hands and said, "Okay, I won’t be verbose. We need to make some adjustments in the second half. Everyone remember my words: when attacking in positional warfare, be simple. Don’t hesitate to take any chance with the ball, but this is not the point. The key is to contain their counterattack when they switch from defense to attack. If we can stop their counterattack immediately, then in the subsequent attack we can use the space left by their high position to attack directly. We have to fight back against their counterattack."

Strike back against their counterattacks?

The players understood what he meant and nodded in agreement.

This season, in the second half of the campaign, against teams that relied on counterattacks and a low block, several goals came from similar tactics that broke through the opponent’s defense. This improvement happened because in the first half of the season they had drawn too many matches due to struggling against that style of play.

When they turned from defense to attack against City, during those few seconds, a mistake from the opponent or a successful defense from City allowed them to swiftly initiate a secondary attack that directly cut through them.

Manchester City would not only look to capitalize on the opponent’s counterattack mistakes but would also employ a strong offensive force to keep pressure on their opponent’s nerves. The moment they made a mistake, City would pounce on the opportunity.

"Can you do it?" Mourinho asked as he looked at each one of his players.

Today, Manchester City failed to apply continuous pressure. A sustained effort required supreme fitness and precise interceptions from the midfield and defense. The players’ energy was limited today, and they needed to use it wisely to maximize their effectiveness.

"Yes, boss!"

"Good!" Mourinho nodded before arranging the tactical board as he began assigning tasks while reminding the defenders of potential changes they might encounter in the second half.

Derby County would certainly make some adjustments. He didn’t believe their manager, Jim Smith, would be satisfied with just a draw at home, especially since they had clearly seen that City was being cautious because of stamina issues.

PHWEEEE~

When the second half began, the atmosphere shifted dramatically on the field. The cautious style seen in the first half disappeared, replaced by a more aggressive intent to attack.

But the real question was: how easy would it be to break past defenders like Zambrotta, Cannavaro, Thuram, and Ashley Cole?

City players had just refilled their stamina tanks during the halftime break. The defensive partnership of Thuram and Cannavaro immediately showed its value, calmly breaking down Derby County’s early surge.

After Thuram recovered the ball, he passed it quickly to Makélélé. Makélélé didn’t hesitate — one touch to settle, another to release the ball forward toward Larsson, who had dropped deep into the attacking midfield area to receive.

Larsson controlled it smoothly. He sidestepped Rory Delap with a sharp lateral move but couldn’t shake Igor Štimac closing from behind. Sensing the pressure, he laid the ball off to Zidane.

Zidane pivoted away from his marker with a subtle turn, buying half a second of space. It was enough. He unleashed a long-range shot before another defender could step in. The strike dipped dangerously, forcing Russell Hoult to parry. The rebound spun wildly back into play, landing at the feet of a Derby defender.

Derby County reacted instantly.

Horacio Carbonari collected the ball on the left near the halfway line and drove diagonally toward the center. After two quick strides, he slipped a pass wide to Darryl Powell, who surged up the flank. But just as Powell tried to push the ball forward, Stanković stepped in with a perfectly timed challenge, knocking it out for a throw-in.

PHWEEEE—

Powell restarted quickly, throwing to Carbonari, who had peeled wide to create space. The speed of the restart caught City off guard. With one touch off his chest, Carbonari floated an early cross into the box.

Paulo Wanchope, drifting unexpectedly from the edge of the area, rose for a header!

It lacked power, but the sudden movement disrupted the defensive line.

Defenders hate when the forward they’re marking suddenly disappears, replaced by an unknown player charging toward the goal. It was same with Thuram and Cannavaro who had been tracking different runs.

The ball bounced awkwardly in front of goal before being cleared at the last second by Paul Robinson.

Both teams were starting to play in a way that defied logic.

The match had turned into a knife fight.

Rory Delap reached the rebound, but before he could bring it under control, Ashley Cole slid in with a perfectly timed tackle, sending Delap sprawling.

"Hey!"

The Derby fans roared in anger, but the referee didn’t blow his whistle. City immediately launched another counterattack.

Ashley Cole pushed forward, trying to penetrate Derby County’s high line. Each time he looked ready to burst toward goal, his path was cut off at the last moment by Derby right back Tony Dorigo, who held his position well.

With no other option, Cole spotted Larsson drifting into space and slipped him the pass.

Larsson controlled the ball just outside the box and, with surprising audacity, unleashed a spectacular long-range shot from nearly forty yards out.

Russell Hoult managed to deflect Larsson’s thunderous strike, and Zidane surged into the box to chase the rebound. Horacio Carbonari dove in to clear the danger, and after getting back to his feet, he and goalkeeper Hoult appeared to exchange a few heated words through their gestures.

Hoult felt frustrated. City had broken through twice, and Larsson’s latest shot had been unpredictable — he couldn’t control where it might land.

Goalkeepers always feared erratic long-range strikes like that.

"Oh, tempers flaring here! Carbonari and Hoult exchanging words after that clearance. You can see the frustration boiling over in Derby’s defense. That shot from Larsson caused absolute chaos, and Hoult is furious with how exposed he’s been left."

"You can’t really blame him. That’s the second time City have sliced through them in minutes. When a goalkeeper starts shouting at his defenders like that, it tells you the pressure is mounting. Derby are hanging on."

Time ticked by, and both teams battled back and forth, appearing eager to rely solely on individual ability to decide the outcome.

Larsson, up front, had almost vanished from sight, constantly running to create chances for his teammates.

Twenty-five minutes into the second half, City had yet to find a single clear chance — nothing.

Derby County didn’t try to play quickly. Even after winning the ball, they stabilized possession and pushed forward slowly. This made it impossible for City to find opportunities to strike against their counterattacks.

After the seventy-minute mark, the pace of the match began to quicken. Derby could no longer contain themselves. Seeking victory at home was their goal, and as the game progressed, the situation became increasingly unfavorable for them.

Larsson was dispossessed while attempting to advance with the ball, and Horacio Carbonari quickly passed to Rory Delap on the left side.

Delap pushed forward, and just as Zambrotta closed in to block him on the wing, he slipped a pass toward the center, where Tony Dorigo was waiting.

"Wait — Dorigo? What is he doing there?!"

Unfortunately, the defenders’ mobility was limited, and Dorigo, who had pushed too far forward and seemed to be enjoying the attack, forgot his defensive role. He was stripped of the ball from behind by Makélélé. Dorigo stumbled and fell, appealing for a foul, but the referee ignored him.

In that moment, Makélélé passed the ball to Stanković, who had already begun making a forward run.

Stanković brushed past Delap, leaving Derby County’s left side completely exposed.

Dorigo hadn’t recovered yet.

This was the opportunity City had been waiting for, and the forwards understood they could no longer rely on individual brilliance alone. They needed to function as a coordinated unit.

Stanković surged forward with the ball, sensing Delap closing in behind him. He nudged the ball ahead with precision, while Zidane made a sharp supporting run to the side, drawing Igor Štimac’s attention.

"Here!"

Zidane raised his hand.

Seeing this, Stanković delivered a precise pass behind Derby County’s defensive line. Zidane, perfectly attuned to the team’s rhythm, slipped away from Igor Štimac and timed his run exactly as planned.

Once he received the ball, he turned as Derby’s defense collapsed inward. Calmly, he laid the ball back to the edge of the penalty area, passing first to Henry, who returned it with a quick touch before darting toward the center, where Pires was positioned perfectly, shadowing and distracting the Derby defenders.

Pires’ agility completely caught Derby County off guard. He turned and chased, becoming their main focus — but in doing so, they abandoned the one player they should never have ignored: the striker waiting to strike.

Larsson!

As the main striker, he was never going to stay in midfield.

Zidane immediately understood. With sharp awareness, he slipped a pass forward the moment he saw Larsson bursting into space.

Larsson sprinted onto it, breaking past Derby’s defensive line with ease and charging into a one-on-one.

Goalkeeper Russell Hoult rushed out. Everyone expected power — Larsson was known for thunderous finishes — but instead he surprised everyone, delicately flicking the ball with his toe.

It rolled softly along the grass, past Hoult’s outstretched hand...

...and into the back of the Derby County net.

"Seventy-nine minutes on the clock, and the visiting Manchester City take the lead! The goal comes from Larsson! A brilliantly executed counterattack, a perfect display of teamwork! Can Derby County find an equalizer? The two sides had been evenly matched all game, but it’s City who strike first!"

After scoring, the players rushed toward Larsson. The Swede didn’t run to the sidelines to celebrate; with only a handful of away fans present — and mindful of conserving energy — he stayed near the center and celebrated briefly with his teammates.

Mourinho reacted immediately after the goal.

Gattuso, who had been warming up for twenty minutes, came on to replace the exhausted Makélélé. Lampard was also introduced in place of Zidane.

The arrival of Gattuso and Lampard allowed City’s midfield to reorganize, with Stanković pushing slightly ahead of them to support the attack.

In the stands, hundreds of City fans cheered wildly, waving their flags with unabashed joy.

Derby County’s fans, meanwhile, were growing frustrated. Aside from that recent spectacular goal, they hadn’t seen any signs that City had dominated them from the first half. In short, City’s play had involved minimal risk and posed little threat.

City had simply taken their one clear opportunity. If they had missed it, there might not have been a second chance in this match.

Right after the substitution, Derby went all out in search of an equalizer, pushing forward their defensive midfielders and defenders — everyone surged ahead.

But with the pitch becoming crowded, precise passing was crucial. City’s midfielders and back line, together with Stanković, grouped themselves about thirty yards in front of their goal. Whenever Derby’s attack reached a dangerous area, City’s aggressive interceptions took over.

Gattuso, Lampard, and Stanković — each of them defended like warriors.

Rather than relying on Makélélé alone, the three of them now shared the defensive burden.

Derby County struggled to find an outlet; they weren’t used to committing so completely to attack. The players swarmed forward, the front line chaotic and disorganized. City were not outnumbered, and their defensive structure was far more disciplined.

After Rory Delap worked his way onto the wing, he had no option but to send in a hopeful cross.

Most of the time Cannavaro and Thuram didn’t even need to touch the ball — goalkeeper Paul Robinson punched it away first.

The ball bounced outside the box, and Gattuso moved in to collect it. Paulo Wanchope immediately pressed him, but just as he tried to steal the ball, Gattuso anticipated the challenge, nudged it aside, and burst forward, neatly spinning past him.

Horacio Carbonari, who had been marking Larsson, suddenly found himself isolated at the back. Seeing Gattuso charging straight at him, he abandoned his mark.

Out of nowhere — luck turned.

Just as Gattuso surged forward, he didn’t try to dribble past Carbonari. Instead, for the first time all night, he chose the smarter option. With a perfectly weighted through pass, he released Larsson behind the defensive line... splitting the offside trap by a fraction of a second!

Larsson had held his run, leaning backward just enough to stay onside. The moment the ball left Gattuso’s foot, he exploded forward. Derby’s defenders threw their arms up, appealing, but the assistant referee kept his flag down.

He was through.

The stadium gasped.

Larsson took one clean touch to push the ball ahead. Russell Hoult rushed out again, narrowing the angle, his boots tearing into the grass. This time there would be no delicate finish — Larsson adjusted his stride and struck low and hard across goal.

The shot skidded off the turf.

Hoult stretched with his fingertips... but he was late. The shot wasn’t powerful, but he couldn’t reach it — the angle was too tight. It clipped the inside of the far post and bounced into the net.

The ball slammed, and the away end erupted.

2–0.

A textbook counterattack.

"See how they play? That’s how you answer a counterattack with another counterattack!"

Richard jabbed a finger at the small television mounted high in the airport lounge. The screen flickered slightly — satellite delay, washed colors, English commentary buzzing under the hum of the terminal. Manchester City had just scored again, and the replay rolled in slow motion.

Marina laughed softly. "You’ve said that three times already."

"And I’ll say it again," Richard insisted. "Look at the movement. Nobody panics. One touch, two touch — boom. Space opens."

Between them sat young David Silva, legs swinging above the carpet, eyes glued to the screen. He didn’t blink during the replay. His lips moved silently, tracing the pass sequence like he was memorizing a spell.

A sudden chime cut through the lounge.

Ding-dong.

The announcement crackled over the speakers:

"Atención pasajeros con destino Barcelona... embarque en la puerta B12 en quince minutos..."

Marina looked up. "That’s us."

Richard glanced at the clock, then at the screen — one last replay still rolling. He sighed dramatically.

"Fine then."

David stood immediately, but his head kept turning back toward the television as they gathered their bags. The players on screen were still celebrating, arms raised under stadium lights.

The boy memorized the image.

Outside the wide terminal windows, their plane waited on the tarmac, sunlight flashing across its wings.

Barcelona was calling.