Football Dynasty-Chapter 582: Once Upon a Time, When ’City’ Was Raided

Manchester City has now spent almost five years under his management, and Richard believes that nothing in previous years compares to this one, where it seems like every club wants to sign all of their players.

Most professional footballers rely on agents because transfers are complex, time-consuming, and require legal and financial expertise. Although some players take a more active role, most still prioritize training, performance, and their personal time.

From his perspective, players in a team will come and go, and it is very rare for them to remain loyal to one club. Cannavaro is simply too much of a superstar for the current English league, and the same goes for Thuram. The fact that they have requested leave from Mourinho is something Richard expected to happen sooner or later.

This is why he invested in John Terry, the recently injured Woodgate, and Lucio.

But the next day, when the news came, it was suddenly three of his best midfielders. Richard and Mourinho were shocked.

Richard did not expect that, rather than Serie A clubs, the one making a move and posing the biggest threat would be Real Madrid.

The Spanish giant was considered a favorite for the 1998–99 season. There were also new arrivals such as Edgar Pacheco, Robert Jarni, and Perica Ognjenović. Despite these transfers, manager Hiddink was sacked in February for criticizing several players. They targeted Fabio Capello and Marcello Lippi then, but failed to sign them, and the club eventually re-appointed John Benjamin Toshack... until the embarrassing semi-final exit, a 2–7 aggregate loss to eventual cup winners Valencia.

This embarrassment led Lorenzo Sanz, the president of Real Madrid, to personally take charge of the club’s transfer plans—and their targets were none other than Zidane and Makélélé.

And as if things couldn’t get worse, Pirlo also requested a meeting. Based on a call he had with Marina Granovskaia, Inter Milan were now approaching him as well.

What made Richard thankful, though, was that, from a future perspective, many star players tended to distance themselves from their clubs during transfers and let their agents handle the negotiations. However, the three players always came forward to discuss these matters directly with him and Mourinho.

So, late the next afternoon at the camp, Richard and Mourinho were waiting for them to discuss these matters directly.

"I don’t understand, though," Mourinho suddenly said as he looked in Richard’s direction.

"What’s wrong?"

"I mean, if there are already signs that they are going to leave the club, why include them in the camp? Wouldn’t that be a waste?"

He talked about Larsson.

The first to leave City in the 1999/2000 season was Joan Capdevila, who had already reached an agreement for £21 million with Deportivo La Coruña. In Larsson’s case, Richard apologized beforehand as the owner of the club and said that he had made an agreement with O’Neill earlier, and Larsson was part of that deal.

O’Neill seemed to be playing a puzzle after getting the Celtic job, wanting to reunite most of the players who had been under him at Manchester City, such as Larsson, Neil Lennon, Zagorakis, and even Savage.

Richard clicked his tongue softly. "You’re looking at it from the wrong perspective."

He leaned back slightly before continuing, calm but firm.

"If I leave them out because of the transfer situation, the clubs interested in them will assume they’re no longer needed. That only drives their offers down."

Mourinho stayed silent, listening.

"That usually happens when a player is officially transfer-listed," Richard went on. "But I’m not giving them that advantage. I made a promise to O’Neill, but I didn’t make any promise to Dermot Desmond. As long as they’re still part of the squad, their value stays intact."

He glanced toward the players training.

"There’s a release clause. If other clubs want them, they’ll have to meet it. No discounts."

Soon, it was time to face the most important agenda of the day.

The maestro, Pirlo, was the first to arrive. At first, they maintained silence as the three sat in the living room, their gazes wandering for about five minutes.

"Andrea, do you want to go to Inter because of Mircea Lucescu?"

Sitting in 8th place in Serie A made Richard think that Pirlo’s desire to join Inter was not driven by competitiveness, but by a wish to reunite with his former manager at Brescia.

"I’m not, boss," Pirlo said, shaking his head as he denied it.

"Then why?"

Pirlo hesitated for a moment before answering.

"To be honest... I just feel that my value doesn’t match my current contract."

Richard’s eyes lit up. So that’s what it was—his contract.

"Of course, of course," he said quickly. "I’ll tell Marina to offer you a better contract—as long as you stay. What do you think, José?"

Mourinho let out a short breath, almost amused.

"You’re kidding me, right?" he said, before turning to Pirlo. "I want you to stay."

He knew exactly what kind of player Pirlo was becoming. It had taken time to uncover his potential as a deep-lying playmaker—but thanks to Richard’s, that transformation had come sooner than expected. There was no way he would let him go now.

The negotiation with Pirlo went perfectly, and now it’s time for Makélélé and Zidane

However, the negotiations did not go as smoothly as they had expected.

"I understand your ambitions—it shows your professionalism. It has been an honor working with you over the past two years," Richard said sincerely, without any hint of pretense.

Mourinho felt the same. There was a sense of regret, but he knew there was little he could do. If the player truly wanted to leave, forcing him to stay would only create problems later.

Makélélé nodded calmly."These two years in England have been tremendously beneficial for me as well."

And he meant it.

Playing in a different league had helped him grow—physically, tactically, and mentally. The pace and intensity of the Premier League had sharpened his defensive instincts and discipline.

But deep down, he felt something was missing.

The challenge, the technical, the tactical freedom. Zidane, too, had his own reasons.

Richard then said earnestly, "Zinedine, Claude, I understand that you want to leave, and I won’t stop you. However, I hope you can leave the club on good terms."

Both looked puzzled and frowned. "Boss, I don’t understand what you mean."

Richard turned to Zidane first. "Two years ago, I brought you in from Bordeaux, and now Real Madrid wants to take you for twenty-five million. Do you think that’s fair to us? I see you as a top player—the best—and you know that you have the potential to become the best player in the world, right?"

Zidane didn’t answer, but he knew it was true.

Richard then turned to Makélélé. "And you, Claude—two years ago, I personally brought you from Nantes. I see you as a top defensive midfielder. There are very few ball-winners who can run, dribble, and pass like you. You should be valued as one of the very best in your position."

Richard spread his hands before continuing, "You are key players for Manchester City. You’ve helped the team win the Premier League and a European title, and you are also mainstays of the French national team. Are you really worth only fifty million combined? I can’t accept that. It’s not just about money—it’s about respect. I can’t allow the outside world to see us make such a deal, nor can I allow your departure to set a precedent for other players. If Madrid truly wants you, then they need to show sincerity. That’s also a form of respect—for you."

After a moment of silence, both Zidane and Makélélé nodded, acknowledging Richard’s perspective. In the end, although he couldn’t keep them both, they reached a mutual understanding regarding the transfer situation.

In the following days, Manchester City and Real Madrid became locked in intense back-and-forth negotiations over the deals.

The first agreement to be reached was for Makélélé.

With "El Príncipe" Fernando Redondo no longer in his prime, it was expected that Real Madrid would go all out to secure Makélélé’s transfer.

Richard took full advantage of the situation.

Lorenzo Sanz grew increasingly frustrated. Under pressure, he was forced to push Real Madrid’s finances to their limits. In the end, Sanz had little choice but to agree to a structured deal—spreading payments over the next twelve months and accepting additional clauses tied to appearances, assists, and even trophy-related bonuses.

It was a tough negotiation, but one that Richard had carefully engineered—pushing the deal from an initial £25 million to £35 million upfront. With the added clauses, the total value could rise to nearly £50 million!

The next case was Zidane—but as the negotiations progressed, something unexpected happened.

The Makélélé transfer had already given Real Madrid a massive financial headache. Their budget was stretched thin, forcing them to structure the deal through installments. If they pushed further for Zidane, it was clear they wouldn’t be able to make any additional signings.

And that was a serious problem.

Real Madrid didn’t just need midfield reinforcements—they were also looking for a top-class striker. The squad still had gaps, and committing everything to Zidane would leave them dangerously unbalanced. As a result, negotiations became increasingly tense and complicated.

Just as the two sides were locked in talks, a third party suddenly emerged—something even Richard hadn’t anticipated.

Juventus had just endured one of their worst domestic seasons since 1990–91, largely due to a wave of injuries to key players. The biggest blow came when Del Piero suffered a serious knee injury in the final minutes of a 2–2 draw against Udinese.

Their target?

Zidane.

With their star sidelined and the season unraveling, their new head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, grew increasingly concerned. In a surprising move, Ancelotti even reached out to Mourinho.

Richard was the one who benefited the most from this situation, as he could drive the transfer fee higher. He wanted to include players as part of the cash deal with Juventus; he proposed including Inzaghi or Enzo Maresca in the trade talks, but both were reluctant to leave Italy.

Richard did not budge—until Zidane reached out to him personally. He hoped that Manchester City would not stand in the way of his transfer. When asked for his reasons, Richard remained silent.

Here, he would not take much pride in winning one-on-one battles against players like Tony Adams or David Seaman. He longed for Italy, where he could not only improve himself, but also face a completely different level of competition.

There, he could face Maldini one day, Nesta the next, and Ferrara after that—Serie A was filled with elite defenders, each with their own unique strengths.

Richard remained silent for a moment, studying Zidane carefully.

As a former player himself, he understood. More than anyone, he knew that feeling—the quiet restlessness, the desire to test yourself against something greater, something different.

This wasn’t about money.It wasn’t even about trophies.

It was about completion.

Richard exhaled softly, the tension in his shoulders easing. There was no point holding him back. A player like Zidane didn’t belong in a cage.

Slowly, he stepped forward and placed a hand on Zidane’s shoulder.

For a brief second, neither of them spoke.

Then Richard pulled him into a firm embrace—just like the one he had given Makélélé earlier.

A quiet, respectful farewell.

"I understand... take care."

Zidane nodded, saying nothing, but the meaning was clear.

No resentment.

No regret.

Just mutual respect between two men who understood the game—and what it demanded from those who dared to master it.

As Zidane walked away, Richard remained where he stood, his gaze steady.

Another key piece was leaving.

But this was football.

Was he sad? yes—definitely.

Losing players like Zidane and Makélélé was never easy. They weren’t just key figures on the pitch, but pillars of the team’s identity. For a brief moment, Richard allowed himself to feel that loss.

But only for a moment.

Because as quickly as the emotion came, reality followed.

The money.

The transfers had completely transformed his financial position. Previously, much of the cash from Buffon’s deal had been used to cover Manchester City’s heavy investments—player acquisitions, the renovation of Maine Road, and even early funding preparations for a new stadium project.

There was little room to maneuver.

But now?

Now, things were different.

Losing stars was a setback—but it also created opportunity.