Football Dynasty-Chapter 48: Frustrating Italy

After failing to sign Alessandro Del Piero, Richard certainly didn't go home right away. The word "failure" wasn't in his vocabulary—he refused to return empty-handed.

His next target was "Pippo"—the young striker who would one day be known as Filippo "Pippo" Inzaghi.

Piacenza Calcio 1919, commonly referred to as Piacenza, was an Italian football club based in Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna. At the time, they were playing in the lower divisions, and this was where Inzaghi was honing his craft.

Richard had seen enough. The skinny young striker from Piacenza wasn't the strongest, the fastest, or even the most technical, but he had something that couldn't be taught—an uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time. With the right polishing, he could become a goal machine, just like the Inzaghi of the future.

Determined, Richard made the trip to Piacenza, arriving at the modest Inzaghi household. Unlike some families he had dealt with before, there was no immediate hostility, no suspicion—just polite curiosity. Filippo's father, Armando Inzaghi, and his wife, Marina, welcomed Richard into their home.

Richard laid out his pitch. "Filippo has a big future ahead of him—bigger clubs, better contracts. With my help, he won't have to worry about anything except scoring goals."

This was essentially his message.

Armando, Filippo's father, leaned back and asked, "And how many young players have you said this to, signore?"

Richard smiled. He had expected resistance. "Many. But not all of them have your son's instincts in the box."

Armando sighed. "Filippo is still in school. He plays football, but he's also thinking about university. He's not going to risk everything for something uncertain."

Finally, Filippo himself spoke. "I appreciate the offer, signore, but I'm happy at Piacenza. My family supports me, and I don't want to go to England. I don't want to rush into something I might regret."

In other words: "You English people play football like barbarians—both players and fans. I don't want to come to England!"

Richard chuckled. "Filippo, I understand that, but I'm here as your agent, not to convince you to switch clubs. Those are two different things. Piacenza is a good place to start, but you need someone to handle your career."

Marina, Filippo's mother, shook her head. "I've heard too many stories about young players getting swept up by big promises. I don't think he needs an agent right now."

Three against one.

Richard knew when he was beaten. He could push harder, but it wouldn't change anything. The Inzaghis weren't the type to rush into decisions, and Filippo wasn't about to break away from that mindset.

With a polite nod, Richard stood up. "Fair enough. But when the time comes—when you're ready to step onto the bigger stage—I'll be waiting."

Armando rose as well, shaking his hand firmly. "Grazie, signore. But for now, we do things our way."

As Richard walked away, he accepted that he had lost this round. But something told him this kid would go far—with or without him.

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After failing to sign two players, Richard immediately headed to Stadio Romeo Menti, the home of LR Vicenza—an Italian football club based in the city of Vicenza. The club was currently playing in Serie B, part of the Italian football league system.

The past two seasons had been a major blow for Vicenza. After securing a third-place finish in Serie B, it seemed like they had reopened the doors to Serie A. However, the CAF annulled their promotion due to the club's involvement in a betting scandal. The setback was so devastating that Vicenza plummeted back into Serie C1. It was only this season that they had managed to climb back to Serie B.

Richard, while not yet considered a super agent, had already established himself in the industry. He had his own network of contacts—and he knew how to use them.

This time, his target was a rising star: Roberto Baggio.

A technically gifted and creative playmaker, Baggio was renowned for his dribbling skills, curling free-kicks, and goal-scoring ability. In the future, he would be regarded as one of the greatest players of all time—but for now, his fate was uncertain.

Baggio had suffered a devastating injury—shattering both his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the meniscus in his right knee while attempting a slide tackle against Rimini.

This injury occurred just two days before his official transfer to Fiorentina was set to be finalized. With serious concerns from team doctors, Fiorentina was now hesitant to proceed with the deal, fearing that Baggio might never play again.

For Richard, this was an opportunity. If he could make the deal happen, Roberto Baggio would be in his bag. However, Richard underestimated his luck this time.

Seeing no chance of signing Baggio, Fiorentina's manager turned to the Italian media for support. His statement to the public was simple:

"The angels sing in his legs."

That changed everything, though. The situation quickly became more complicated. In the end, Fiorentina's board gritted their teeth and retained their faith in him, agreeing to commit to the transfer and fund the required surgery.

Yes, they not only honored the transfer but also agreed to fund his surgery. This was similar to Richard's philosophy when running his agency—nurture first, reap later.

Talent was like a fragile seed. You couldn't just pluck it the moment it sprouted; you had to water it, protect it, and give it time to grow strong.

Only then could you reap the rewards. It wasn't just about signing players and making quick deals—it was about investing in their future, ensuring they had the right support, and guiding them toward greatness.

Del Piero: Rejected

Inzaghi: Rejected

Roberto Baggio: Too late

Richard still couldn't believe he would be returning from Italy empty-handed, so his next targets were goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca and the talented attacking midfielder Gianfranco Zola.

Pagliuca's club, Sampdoria, was on the rise, with a squad filled with young talent and experienced leaders. One of the emerging figures caught in the storm was none other than Gianluca Pagliuca.

At just 22 years old, Pagliuca was already showing signs of becoming a world-class goalkeeper, but he was still the backup to Sampdoria's trusted No. 1, Gianluca Bistazzoni. This decision reportedly led to quiet frustrations behind closed doors.

Different from Pagliuca's situation, Zola was still an unknown talent outside the lower divisions. He played for Torres, a club based in Sardinia that competed in Serie C1.

While his passing and playmaking abilities stood out, the club itself had limited resources and struggled to rise through the ranks.

While waiting for the train to Sampdoria, Richard held a copy of La Gazzetta dello Sport, the most famous and widely read sports newspaper in Italy. Richard flipped through the pink pages one by one.

The first article covered one of the darkest moments in football history—the Hillsborough Disaster.

After that, the proud La Gazzetta wrote about AC Milan, especially their dominance in Europe.

Managed by Arrigo Sacchi, AC Milan's squad truly made people die of envy. With Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta, Francesco Toldo, Marco Simone and Franco Baresi, why not just hand them the trophy already?

Because of AC Milan's success, especially with three of its key players being Dutch, the newspaper paid special attention to the Netherlands. They even made the headline, "Dutch Football on the Rise," led by Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, and Frank Rijkaard.

Still in Italy, Diego Maradona led Napoli to their second-ever Serie A title and won the 1990 UEFA Cup, defeating VfB Stuttgart in the final with a 5-4 aggregate score, marking the peak of his time in the country.

Outside Italy, Barcelona won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup—Johan Cruyff's Barcelona defeated Sampdoria 2-0 in the final, with goals from Julio Salinas and Luis López Rekarte.

Then, in England, Arsenal's last-minute title victory made headlines. They won the First Division in dramatic fashion by defeating Liverpool 2-0 at Anfield on the final day of the season.

And finally, as a closing highlight, two equally important stories:

The Political and Economic Instability of the Soviet Union—Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and the Baltic states were pushing for independence, making it clear that the USSR wouldn't last much longer.

Richard closed the newspaper before standing up. His train was coming. However, before that, he couldn't help but think about the Soviet Union.

If he remembered correctly, the 1990 FIFA World Cup would be the last major tournament for the Soviet Union before Russia was officially recognized as its successor in football.

Richard arrived at Stadio Luigi Ferraris, home of Sampdoria, with confidence. But by the time he reached the hotel the next day, he was deflated, filled with disappointment.

He knew that at the peak of his career, Gianluca Pagliuca would soon join Inter Milan for a world-record fee of £7 million for a goalkeeper.

This was precisely why Richard remembered him so clearly—he saw Pagliuca as a golden opportunity, with the potential financial gain only fueling Richard's desire to sign him.

However, there was a crucial factor at play. The Italian football system deeply valued tradition, and aligning with a foreign entity could feel like a betrayal of the very culture that had nurtured their talent.

For Pagliuca, it was no longer about money or career— it was about staying true to his Italian roots. He rejected Richard's offer because he didn't want to lose that identity.

Moreover, it was widely known that foreign agents often misunderstood the intricacies of the Italian market. Many were seen as more interested in making money than advancing the careers of players, rendering Richard powerless.

The next is Stadio Acquedotto, the home of Torres in Sasari. Richard come here for Gianfranco Zola. This time he was polie and cautious to make his first impression better.

"You don't even understand football. What makes you think you can guide my son's career?"

it was a slap.

Ricahrd took a deep breathe.

"Sir--"

"enough!"

this time zola's father looke toward richrard trasnlator and ask him to ranslate it clearly.

" "I've heard enough stories of foreign agents. Some flashy deal with foreign clubs? You don't even understand the market here in Italy. Even if zola leaves, it will be on his terms, not because of some deal you've cooked up."

Italians have a strong sense of national pride, especially when it comes to football. their robust domestic football, making all of them feel superior especially from a country like England, which might not have been held in the same esteem as Italian football.

English football was seen as less refined, more aggressive, and focused on physicality rather than the technical mastery that Italian football emphasized.

There was skepticism and a strong sense of self-reliance, where footballers were fiercely independent and preferred to handle their own careers or stick with local agents, especially in this case.

The "Foreign Agent" stereotype, or the idea of an Italian player being represented by a foreign agent, was unheard of and, to be honest, a controversial concept.

They feared that being associated with someone outside of the local environment could harm their career or even make them seem less genuine to their fans.

This perception was reinforced by the fact that Italian clubs were dominating European competitions, while English clubs were still recovering from the ban after the Heysel disaster.

So, just like Pagliuca, Zola—despite coming from a smaller club like Torres—may have felt that he was better off sticking with a more familiar environment rather than joining forces with an outsider.

Richard didn't say a word. He glanced at his translator, muttering something under his breath, before standing up and walking away without bothering to bid farewell.

He also had his own pride.

Italy? Serie A? Let's see then.