Football Dynasty-Chapter 536: Zidane for the Ballon d’Or!

"Umbro? Are they looking to collaborate? But we just signed a two-year deal with Rover this summer. If they want to partner up, we can discuss it in a year and a half," he said thoughtfully, raising an eyebrow.

"It seems they want to gauge your reaction through me," she replied softly.

"Hmm?" Richard frowned, confused. "What exactly are you implying?"

"No, I mean—you misunderstood. It’s not about the first team," she clarified. "They want to sponsor the reserve and U-17 teams—essentially all the squads except our first team!"

"Huh...?"

Richard fell into thought at her words. As was well known, having sponsors for reserve or youth teams was rare in football and had virtually no precedent in major European leagues. Traditionally, sponsors focused only on the first team, where exposure and prestige were guaranteed.

Still, he had to admit that everything could change. For example, in the future, Manchester United would have special sponsorship arrangements beyond their main first-team shirt sponsor. They once signed a unique domestic training kit sponsorship deal with DHL, which covered the training gear worn by the first team, reserve team, and youth players—something that was considered highly unusual in English football at the time.

Because of this, City could become the first club in Europe to generate substantial income from a reserve team. Heck, their total sponsorship revenue could even surpass that of some low- to mid-tier Premier League clubs!

Richard didn’t hesitate for long. If it could generate revenue, there was no reason to refuse. Moreover, Umbro’s current owner was someone he knew very well—the former major shareholder of Manchester City during Peter Swales’s era.

"You know what," Richard said at last. "As long as the price is right, City would welcome another partnership. However, we first need to speak with Rover to make sure there are no conflicts."

Even though Richard was technically the owner of Rover, when it came to sponsorship matters like this, he deliberately separated his roles and avoided excessive interference.

Hearing this, Miss Heysen nodded in agreement, appreciating Richard’s keen business sense. Most importantly, there wasn’t the slightest hint of greed in his demeanor.

January came to an end with Manchester United sitting at the top of the Premier League table. Arsenal, meanwhile, had dropped off since mid-January and now stood fourth, having been overtaken by Chelsea and Aston Villa. Manchester City, on the other hand, finished January with a perfect run.

Their form had been immaculate—and the backbone of the team was Zinedine Zidane.

This season, City were no longer dependent on a single star. You could take your pick: Trezeguet, Ronaldinho, or Zidane. When a goal was needed, the instruction was simple—get the ball wide and cross it to Trezeguet. When the match was locked in a deadlock, every pass instinctively found Zidane. And when the game needed a spark of magic, all eyes turned to Ronaldinho and his dribbling.

With this, the current table stands as follows:

1. Manchester United — 53 points

2. Chelsea — 51 points

3. Aston Villa — 50 points

4. Arsenal — 47 points

5. Liverpool — 47 points

6. Manchester City — 45 points

7. West Ham United — 42 points

8.Derby County — 41 points

9. Leeds United — 40 Points

January had come to a close, then. After dealing with the Derby County match and the unexpected sponsorship offer, Richard had been quite busy. Aside from training and matches, he was also invited to a "secret" meeting with sponsors and club management to discuss matters similar to those from last year, when he had been invited to the Super League meeting.

The Ballon d’Or.

With City’s form fluctuating—strong last season, inconsistent this year—they would normally not have been considered worthy of an invitation to a meeting like this.

But Ronaldo changed everything.

The Ballon d’Or winner of the 1997/98 season.

Being so strongly backed by a Ballon d’Or holder was more than enough to secure Richard a seat at the table. The season was still long, and while pundits remained divided, most of them had already fixed their gaze on Ronaldo—waiting for the moment he would be ready to drop a bomb in the Premier League.

Since his knee injury, Ronaldo’s goal tally had dipped, and he had begun the new campaign sidelined. In his absence, others stepped up for City—most notably the new stars: the powerful target man Trezeguet and the dazzling Ronaldinho.

It was becoming increasingly clear that City’s squad was built to endure. When one star fell, a thousand new talents seemed ready to rise in his place.

And this year?

Richard had already made his decision.

Zinedine Zidane.

Yes, City were currently eighth in the Premier League and had been knocked out of the Champions League. The club’s overall form was far from ideal. Yet paradoxically, it was Zidane who stood above everyone else—his individual statistics had surpassed every midfielder in Europe.

Number one!

Don’t forget France’s victory in the FIFA World Cup. Then there was his individual influence and performance in big matches, combined with his consistently high level of play. As of January, he had registered numerous assists and goals in important matches for City, scoring crucial goals across all competitions.

While his raw numbers were not as high as Beckham’s, when looking at the overall statistics and influence on the game, only Beckham and Shevchenko came close to matching his impact.

From that moment on, Richard fully committed to promoting Zidane as City’s Ballon d’Or contender.

City still had the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the League Cup to fight for.

Zidane’s market valuation had already surpassed thirty million pounds—an estimate that barely scratched the surface of his true worth. Any club willing to part with a player of his caliber would demand at least fifty million.

But after the Buffon sale, did anyone really think City would sell Zidane for the same price as a goalkeeper?

Not a chance.

One hundred million—or not for sale!

Following the same blueprint they had used with Ronaldo the previous year, City immediately stepped on the gas. Zidane’s annual achievements were aggressively promoted across both traditional and emerging media platforms. Carefully curated highlight reels showcased his elegance, control, and match-winning moments, while influential commentators were encouraged to dissect his performances and underline his importance to the team.

Slowly but surely, Zidane became the focal point of European attention.

From Piers Morgan to The Independent, from the Official Manchester City Magazine to BlueMoon MCFC and Blazing Squad, word spread rapidly by mouth to mouth: Zinedine Zidane was not just having a great season.

In the next round of the Premier League, Manchester City faced Sheffield Wednesday, a match that saw Richard come face to face with Dave Richards, the club’s owner.

Since Sheffield Wednesday was his former club, Richard felt a quiet ache in his chest as he watched how far they had fallen. This season, Sheffield Wednesday were truly struggling. Richard sighed.

They had spent the entire campaign in the bottom three. A disastrous start saw them fail to win any of their first nine league matches, and an 8–0 hammering at the hands of Newcastle United in September had led many to tip them as favorites for relegation.

The match left Richard feeling conflicted. Beyond facing his former club, he also saw how Danny Wilson had simplified his tactics against stronger opponents.

As always, it was park the bus.

Seven defenders. Three attackers.

How was anyone supposed to break through that?

Ironically, Sheffield Wednesday had performed impressively for two consecutive seasons before this one, drawing interest from several mid-table clubs and often causing managers like Danny Wilson serious problems when facing weaker opposition.

Despite this, chairman Dave Richards steadfastly refused to sack manager Danny Wilson, and his patience was rewarded with an improved run of form after Christmas, which saw just one defeat in five games. However, the team’s form slumped once again after that... and now facing City?

In the first half, City didn’t engage in pointless passing to kill time. Instead, they increased the tempo of their lateral movement, shifting the ball from side to side and forcing Sheffield to constantly adjust their shape. No matter how quickly they reacted, they could never quite catch the ball.

Each time Sheffield pushed themselves to the limit and began to tire, City responded with another sharp surge forward, creating increasingly dangerous chances.

When Sheffield finally attempted to transition from defense into a counterattack, fatigue worked against them. They struggled to build momentum, missing the window for a quick break and instead falling into slow positional play—exactly the kind of game City relished. Their impatience only played further into City’s hands.

The first half ended with Sheffield barely surviving, the whistle blowing on a tense 0–0 draw.

The second half, however, was different.

PHWEEEE—

The commentator’s voice rang out, "A substitution from Manchester City—number 21 comes off, and Andrea Pirlo is on for Hidetoshi Nakata!"

When Pirlo came on, everything changed.

As the tempo-setter, Pirlo began frequently directing play to the left, subtly tilting City’s attack in that direction. Sheffield’s defensive shape naturally compressed toward that flank.

City were set up in a 4–4–2, with Trezeguet partnering up front with Larsson—an adjustment meant to make breaking down a parked bus easier.

Ashley Cole, Zambrotta, and Ronaldinho, operating under Pirlo’s command, began launching wave after wave of effective left-sided attacks. Unfortunately, several of the resulting chances narrowly missed the target.

However, within ten minutes, City’s players began to fully grasp Pirlo’s true intention.

At first, the teams were evenly balanced. Pirlo patiently searched for pockets of space, looking for static openings without forcing the play.

But as City’s offensive focus repeatedly shifted to one side, Sheffield were forced to adjust their defensive shape to compensate—unintentionally creating gaps on the opposite flank.

In the 76th minute of the first half, Pirlo once again received the ball in the left half-space. Sheffield’s defense had clearly committed to shutting that side down. Suddenly, Pirlo unleashed a surprising diagonal long pass to the right wing.

Okocha, who had been deployed as a wide midfielder for the past two years, instantly recognized the opportunity. Spotting the opening, he surged forward with perfect timing, linking the play smoothly.

Bringing the ball under control, he delicately slipped a pass into the path of Zidane.

The moment everyone saw the ball at Zidane’s feet, Trezeguet and Larsson instantly peeled away, dragging the defense left and right to disrupt their positioning. It took only a split second—and that was all Zidane needed.

Thanks to the space they created, completely unmarked, Zidane took one touch before calmly firing a shot that rolled into the far corner of the net.

BOOM!

"City have finally broken through! And it’s Zinedine Zidane!"

"What a move that was—Okocha spots the run, slips it through, and Zidane just guides it into the corner!"

As his teammates swarmed around him, Zidane broke into a wide smile, the tension of the match finally easing from his shoulders. He pulled free for a second, then raised both hands to his ears, slowly turning toward the stands.

The response was immediate.

And he’ll burn through the dark like a fire (Puskás, Eusébio)

So much more than the world was dreaming of (Beckenbauer, Platini, Best)