CHAPTER 515: RICHARD ULTIMATUM

Losing against Inter Milan naturally left the players with low spirits — frustration lingering like a heavy fog in the dressing room. The pressure had doubled overnight.

But still... there was no time to sulk. O’Neill reminded them of that immediately.

"Two matches remain," he told the room, voice firm but calm. "Two opportunities to put things right. Champions don’t collapse, they respond, remember that!"

They weren’t done. Not even close. Outside, the rain continued to fall over Manchester — but inside the dressing room, a fire was beginning to reignite.

Manchester City would move on. And the next opponent... would face the consequences.

The next day, Richard, O’Neill, and Mourinho stayed behind to watch the match between Sturm Graz and Spartak Moscow.

The "Magic Triangle", Mario Haas, Ivica Vastić, and Hannes Reinmayr attacked relentlessly, constantly stretching Spartak’s defense. By full time, Sturm Graz had convincingly defeated Spartak Moscow 3–0!

Group D had suddenly become anything but predictable. With this result, Sturm Graz moved up to third place, now just one point behind Manchester City and Inter Milan — turning the group into a three-way battle for qualification.

City’s comfortable lead had evaporated into thin air.

During the weekend match against Southampton at home in the League Cup, Richard remained seated in the director’s box for the entire game, observing closely.

Ronaldo was back. Okocha was still recovering, and Pirlo too — which meant the squad would soon be back to full strength. Based on what he had seen from their performances last season, the team had already reached an excellent level of cohesion. What they needed now was stability while waiting for their injured players to return. Naturally, City’s strength would rise again.

Richard also noticed that O’Neill had begun giving Ronaldinho plenty of playing time. However, he maintained a steady rhythm of one match per week for the Brazilian, adjusting his involvement based on the opponent and the schedule.

In that match against Southampton, Ronaldinho — deployed on the left flank — demanded constant attention from the opposition. His presence relieved City’s earlier attacking struggles and gradually unlocked their full offensive firepower.

"Ronaldinho cuts inside — Zidane slips a perfect through ball! Ronaldinho drags it past the defender... he could shoot here... but no! He squares it across the face of goal — and Trezeguet taps it in! 4–0! Seventy minutes played, and City have scored through Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Pires, and now Zidane! There’s still time left, but the result is all but sealed!"

Having already provided two assists, Ronaldinho wasn’t done. In the dying moments, he once again gave up a golden chance to score — choosing instead to lay the ball off for the arriving Zidane, who calmly guided it into the net.

"Ronaldinho again! A third assist! What a performance — a clear demonstration of his potential to become a global superstar! Manchester City’s talent development is unbelievable!Some names may still be unfamiliar today... but they could be the talk of Europe tomorrow!"

This victory, and Ronaldinho’s brilliant display, would surely boost City’s confidence ahead of their crucial Champions League fixture on Wednesday.

For Ronaldinho, the entire Manchester City coaching staff shared one clear objective — growth. They wanted him to stop merely reacting to Zidane’s movements and instead take initiative on the pitch.

Up to now, his positioning was largely dictated by Zidane’s role. If Zidane stayed higher as the primary playmaker, Ronaldinho would push into the box to provide a scoring threat. If Zidane surged forward into the penalty area, Ronaldinho would retreat into midfield, helping organize the attack and link play.

At Maine Road, the fluid interchange between the two caused chaos for defenders. Their rotations tore Inter’s shape apart, pulling markers out of position and opening dangerous channels through the heart of the defense.

It was a glimpse of what could be — a partnership with terrifying potential.

Manchester City demolished Southampton 5–0 to advance to the quarter-finals, yet O’Neill remained composed throughout — not a fist pump, not a cheer — only a brief smile and a round of applause after the goals.

Ronaldinho was named Man of the Match, but in the post-match interview, O’Neill poured cold water on the praise. Facing the cameras, he spoke sternly.

"Yes, he played well — but this is his standard. I believe he can do even better. We are a strong team, and this level of performance is expected from him. He shines because of his teammates, and if he becomes complacent or arrogant, he will quickly find himself falling behind the talented players around him."

Since the match against Inter Milan, Ronaldinho had become the new darling of Europe’s elite clubs. Scouts, agents, and executives were eager to tempt him away from City — but the Brazilian seemed unfazed by all the transfer noise.

The media, however, smelled drama. The moment O’Neill tried to temper the hype, journalists pounced, crafting headlines that hinted at friction between manager and superstar. But O’Neill held no grudges against any player. Every word he said was for one purpose — to keep his players grounded so they could become even better.

After the League Cup match, City would return to compete in the Champions League.

Home vs Sturm Graz

The match against Sturm Graz was set to be played at Maine Road. Richard expected it to be a much easier game since City would be playing at home.But he could not have been more wrong.

Sturm Graz 2 – 1 Manchester City. And with Inter defeating Spartak Moscow...

The corridors of Maine Road were silent that night. Usually, after a match, there would still be laughter, recovery routines, distant whistles, and chatter from analysts reviewing footage.

But tonight after losing, the stadium felt like a funeral hall.

Richard walked ahead with rapid strides, jaw clenched, his coat still soaked from the rain. O’Neill followed behind him, exhausted and irritable, while Mourinho and the rest of the coaching staff quietly trailed along. No one dared to speak.

A large meeting room awaited them. The tv screen showed one thing:

UEFA Champions League — Group D Standings

1. Inter Milan – 10 points

2. Sturm Graz – 9 points

3. Manchester City – 7 points

4. Spartak Moscow – 1 point

From confidently controlling the group...to barely surviving...to now potentially crashing out. Everyone took a seat. Richard didn’t. He stood at the head of the long table, palms pressed against the surface, eyes scanning every face.

Then he began.

"Three years."His voice was calm, but volcanic under the surface.

"That’s how long we’ve spent climbing to the top."

He jabbed a finger toward the screen. "And now? We are one match away from becoming a joke."

O’Neill leaned forward, trying to interrupt."Look, we’re missing key players, and—"

Richard cut him off with a sharp gesture. "I’m not here to discuss excuses."

Silence swallowed the room.

"We are Manchester City. We are defending champions."

His gaze locked onto O’Neill — cold, unwavering.

"I backed you. I defended you. I resisted the pressure to replace you after the ridicule we faced in Europe — and I still want to back you, you know that, right? To be honest, I still plan to. But I’m sorry — Champions League qualification is non-negotiable."

Mourinho, hearing this, shifted slightly — arms crossed — listening carefully.

Richard pointed. Match clips filled the screen — disjointed pressing, slow defensive reactions, wasted counterattacks. He pointed at the backline’s shape.

"We have Cannavaro, Thuram. Yet we concede twice on transitions because our midfield collapses every time we counter."

He turned toward Mourinho and the analysts.

"And preparation? Did nobody analyze Sturm Graz properly? They’ve been attacking through their ’Magic Triangle’ every single match!"

One coach murmured,"We analyzed it. The players didn’t execute."

Richard shook his head. "No. If players repeatedly fail to execute — then the instructions aren’t clear enough. Or they don’t believe in the plan."

His voice dropped lower.

"And fitness. Why do we suddenly fade after seventy minutes? Why can’t we sustain our tempo in this match? What exactly happened? Yesterday’s performance was perfectly normal!"

It’s not Manchester City as usual. The screen displayed several freeze-frames from the second half: heavy touches, late reactions, bodies jogging instead of pressing. Another clip rolled: Sturm Graz winning three consecutive 50–50 duels in midfield, launching a counter that nearly made the score 2–1.

"Sturm Graz — a club with a fraction of our resources — ran harder than us. Pressed smarter than us. Fought longer than us. Why? Why does a team that plays twice a week look fresher than we do?"

No one responded.

He continued, more forcefully now. "We have spent millions building this squad. We have Ronaldo, Zidane, Makelele, Pires, Cannavaro, Thuram... and yet, when pressure comes, we crumble like a team newly promoted from the Championship."

O’Neill finally pushed back, voice tense, "You know the injury crisis has disrupted rotation. The chemistry isn’t—"

"The chemistry?" Richard fired back. "The chemistry didn’t stop Vastić and Haas from tearing us apart on counterattacks. The chemistry didn’t make Cannavaro misjudge a clearance, or Thuram lose his marker."

His voice fell to a cold, cutting tone. "Champions don’t blame circumstance. Champions solve them."

He stepped away from the table, pacing slowly. "I’m not asking you to win the whole Champions League right now. I’m asking you to stop us from embarrassing ourselves. One match. Just one. Beat Spartak Moscow. Earn qualification. You still have my trust. That’s why we’re having this meeting instead of headlines tonight."

Richard pointed at the club crest on the wall.

"We win against Spartak. No alternatives. No excuses. Qualification is mandatory. Fight for the badge...or step aside for someone who will."

O’Neill took a long, steady breath — then nodded. "We’ll make it right," he said

Richard stared at him a moment longer... then finally exhaled. "For all our sakes," he replied, "make sure of it."

He grabbed his coat, turned, and walked out — leaving the room frozen, the weight of his ultimatum hanging over Manchester City like a storm cloud.