CHAPTER 441: SLAVIC COUNTRIES TALENT

Manchester City, by contrast, remained a club of humble roots. Their achievements, while admirable, lacked the depth to instantly transform them into football royalty. One championship doesn’t erase decades of history; it’s a moment, not a legacy.

This season illustrated that contrast vividly. While Manchester United continued to compete for titles even amid a period of transition, City’s rise still felt fragile — driven more by momentum than by maturity.

That champion’s mentality — that fierce, unbreakable Red Devils spirit — was something City simply did not yet possess.

"Impossible!!"

Richard denied that thought instantly.

If he had become a ghost for so many days, months, and years—only to end up a loser, forgotten after reaching the peak—then all of it would have been meaningless. He might as well sell Manchester City rather than let its future slip away into nothingness.

Hadn’t he come back to this time to make a change?

So Richard refused that notion instantly. Then, he began giving out critical instructions.

Miss Heysen and Marina Granovskaia were immediately told to contact the players’ agents and finalize their transfers as soon as possible—at the best possible value, as high as they could get. As for the rest, Richard instructed Karren to coordinate with O’Neill to arrange a press conference.

"Now," Richard said, a faint smile forming on his face, "let’s use the transfer news to divert the public’s attention from that leaked logo."

Thanks to becoming champions of both the Premier League and the Champions League, Manchester City had already captured massive media attention. So when the club announced that a press conference would be held, every reporter rushed straight to Maine Road, eager to uncover what secrets City was about to reveal.

On the day of the conference, the room was packed. The air buzzed with anticipation as cameras flashed and microphones crowded the table. Reporters filled every seat, their murmurs fading as O’Neill stepped forward to the podium.

He cleared his throat and calmly began,"Today, I’m announcing several player transfers. Manchester City’s recruitment efforts are still ongoing, with many details yet to be finalized, but we can confirm that a few players will be leaving the club."

The room stirred instantly. Dozens of cameras clicked at once.

O’Neill glanced at the sheet of paper in his hand before continuing, his tone steady but cautious."These decisions were made after careful discussion between the management, coaching staff, and the players themselves. We respect every individual’s choice and thank them for their dedication during their time with the club."

The first question came almost immediately.

"Mr. O’Neill, are these departures related to internal conflicts within the team?"

"No!" O’Neill replied firmly, without hesitation. "This is simply football. Players come and go—it’s part of the game."

Another reporter quickly jumped in."What about the European Super League? We’ve heard rumors that Richard Maddox was also involved in one of the meetings!"

O’Neill’s expression froze for a split second.

’What does that have to do with player transfers?’ his mouth twitched slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

Of course—this was the media. Reporters loved to stir controversy, to twist stories into headlines that sold papers and fueled debates.

"There is absolutely no truth to those rumors," O’Neill said firmly. "Manchester City has no involvement in any proposed European Super League. We remain fully committed to the Premier League, the Champions League, and the traditions of English football."

The reporters exchanged glances, some whispering as they scribbled in their notepads. A few looked disappointed that the answer wasn’t explosive enough.

O’Neill straightened the papers in front of him. "Now," he said, his tone returning to businesslike calm, "let’s move on to the transfer announcements."

The room instantly quieted again, cameras focusing back on him as everyone waited for the next bombshell.

"Shevchenko is transferring to AC Milan for €33 million; the deal is done."

Thirty-three million!

But he wasn’t finished.

"Neil Lennon is moving to Celtic for £18 million, and Joan Capdevila will go on loan to Deportivo La Coruña."

The reporters were stunned.

Wait—are all of last season’s stars leaving?

"And then, Steve Finnan and Mark van Bommel — both are leaving for Fulham and PSV Eindhoven for £29 million."

For the last two names, the player sales were not surprising. In fact, for Van Bommel, outside speculation had long debated whether he or Makelele should occupy City’s main defensive midfield role — a debate that no longer needed to be raised, as Makelele proved superior in many ways, solidifying his status as irreplaceable while forming a midfield partnership with Pirlo.

The reporters quickly jotted down notes, and some of them immediately began calculating the total, arriving at a surprising figure.

Goodness — Manchester City had already netted £80 million, and the transfer market had only just begun!

Adding up the figures from recent years, Manchester City had accumulated over £100 million in profits within just three years under Richard’s management.

And the man in question — while all the City management staff were busy, Richard was busy too.

He boarded a first-class jet to Belgrade, Serbia.

Richard had decided that for this transfer window, he would personally step in to recruit players for the next season!

His destination: the iconic Rajko Mitić Stadium, home of the once-mighty European giants—Red Star Belgrade.

Just years earlier, Red Star had reached the height of their ’imperial phase.’

Their phenomenal rise throughout the late 1980s culminated in a legendary European Cup triumph in 1991, with a squad boasting the Balkan brilliance of Robert Prosinečki, Dejan Savićević, and Siniša Mihajlović.

They etched their name into football history by defeating Olympique de Marseille in the final, winning 5–3 on penalties after a tense 0–0 draw. It marked a historic achievement: Red Star became the first—and to this day, the only—Serbian (then Yugoslav) club to lift the prestigious trophy.

Their legacy was further cemented the following year, when they defeated Chilean champions Colo-Colo to become club world champions.

But the golden era would prove short-lived. Within a year of their greatest success, the team was dismantled. Most of the stars departed for Spain’s La Liga or Italy’s Serie A, leaving behind a void at the Marakana.

Compounding their struggles, FIFA imposed a European ban on Yugoslav clubs in response to the horrors of the Bosnian War. Forced to play their ’home’ matches in Szeged, Budapest, and Sofia, Red Star’s hopes of defending their European crown quickly faded.

As disastrous as the exodus was for the Crveno-beli, the upheaval opened doors for a new generation. With the spotlight now on the club’s youth ranks, several young talents were handed first-team opportunities that would’ve been unthinkable under normal circumstances.

Among them, one teenager stood out: Dejan Stanković.

Having impressed coach Vladimir Petrović in the youth setup, the fresh-faced midfielder earned his senior debut under manager Ljupko Petrović in February, during a match against OFK Beograd.

Coming on as a second-half substitute, the 20-year-old became the youngest player ever to don Red Star’s iconic red and white kit at senior level—a star in the making, emerging from the shadows of giants.

Richard stepped off the plane at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport.

The terminal was dimly lit—functional rather than welcoming—and the echoes of announcements in Serbian bounced off the concrete walls

Waiting just beyond the customs gate was a wiry man in a worn leather jacket, holding a crumpled newspaper under one arm. He was a local scout, tipped off by a mutual contact that Richard—an up-and-coming European agent—was in town chasing whispers of a teenage prodigy at Red Star.

Djecmout, his name, spoke with rough but serviceable English. He spoke quickly, naming the player, the youth matches he’d watched, and where Richard might catch a glimpse of him next.

After ten minutes of hushed conversation by the taxi rank, Richard handed the scout a folded £100 note and a crisp £10, nodding in appreciation. "For the tip," he said.

Djecmout accepted the cash without a word, tucked it into his jacket, and disappeared into the crowd.

One advantage of diving into the world of scouts and agents is that you gain access to unregulated agents and "fixers"—men with no licenses, but the right connections—that allow people like him to wander into the once war-torn regions and walk out with a teenage prospect under contract. It’s all about word of mouth, faxes, and backroom deals.

Back to Stanković.

Consistent though his performances remained, he was powerless to prevent the financial collapse that occurred at Red Star.

Desperate to balance the books, the club sought to offload many of their top stars, sometimes for just a fraction of the fees they had originally paid. Stanković reluctantly agreed to leave for Manchester City. Richard bought Stanković for £350,000 — a very high price for a 20-year-old player competing in a league plagued by political and economic turmoil in the region.

The deal had already been reached through faxed paperwork, and now Richard was here to finalize it personally, as he also had another business matter to attend to in addition to finalizing Stanković’s transfer.

To build a scouting network at Red Star Belgrade!

To be exact, the Slavic countries.

Dragan Džajić, the president of Red Star Belgrade, met with Richard to discuss a potential investment in the club.

This meeting was the culmination of weeks of behind-the-scenes negotiations.

In a private office overlooking the Marakana pitch, the two men laid the foundation for a strategic partnership that could reshape the future of both clubs.

Richard proposed an annual investment of £500,000 into Red Star for the next five years. In return, he sought more than just influence—he wanted access.

Access to Red Star’s extensive scouting network, access to the region’s rising stars, and access to a development pipeline that could quietly supply Manchester City with young, hungry talent. Of course, he couldn’t sign them, as almost all Slavic countries required a visa to enter EU countries, since they were not EU members and not part of any visa-free agreements yet.

So, the deal he proposed was to let City "park" players at Red Star, leveraging the club’s strong reputation to attract and develop them.

Dragan, pragmatic and deeply committed to Red Star’s survival in a volatile football economy, agreed.

Under the terms of the deal, City would be granted a maximum quota of four players, with an additional fee of £25,000 per player per year to be developed at Red Star before any official transfer took place.

This player would benefit from first-team experience in Belgrade before eventually making the step up to City. Furthermore, Manchester City would hold first-priority rights on any Red Star first-team player—giving them the option to match any transfer offer before the player was sold elsewhere.

Richard agreed to the deal and then slid a piece of paper across the table, a name written on it.

1. Petr Čech

2. Nemanja Vidic

"Help me find them—and when they’re ready, I’ll contact you."

Džajić looked down at the name, paused, processing it, then slowly nodded in recognition.

"A strong name," he said, slipping the paper into his coat pocket. "We’ll keep an eye on them."

He stood, extended his hand, and smiled—a firm, weathered grip sealing the start of their cooperation.

"Happy partnership, Mr. Richard. Let’s build something lasting."

"Happy partnership," Richard replied as he shook Džajić’s hand.