PHWEEEEEE~
The refereeâs final whistle echoed through the Olympiastadion in Munich, and a wave of yellow erupted from the stands and the pitch alike. Borussia Dortmund had done the unthinkableâthey had defeated the mighty Juventus 3â1 and claimed their first-ever UEFA Champions League title in the 1996/97 season.
The players collapsed to the ground in disbelief, tears streaming down their faces, while others ran wildly toward each other, arms wide open.
Juventus were heavy favorites, led by Del Piero and Vieri, but it was Dortmund who won their first-ever European Cup. Goals from Karl-Heinz Riedle (2) and Lars Ricken sealed the victory.
"Hahaha!" Berlusconi clapped his hands, clearly satisfied with the result."I wonder how Agnelli reacted when his beloved club was beatenâbeaten
badly
âin the final."
He chuckled again, shaking his head in amusement.
The chat continued over drinks, filled with humorous anecdotes from the football world and shared complaints about players and UEFAâs Bosman ruling.
Itâs difficult to definitively say whether the Bosman ruling was right or wrongâthatâs a debate best left to football historians. However, one thing is clear: in the aftermath of Bosman, clubs that rely heavily on player development, such as those in the Netherlands and France, have faced increasing challenges. More concerning, though, is the financial falloutâover the past decade, hundreds of lower-league clubs across Europe have gone bankrupt, unable to compete in the new economic landscape shaped by the ruling.
After a long day of discussions, everyone was exhausted.
"Sorry, everyoneâI have to head back to Manchester," Richard said with a polite smile, gently declining the invitation from the other club owners.
Several of them tried to persuade him to stay a bit longer, offering another round of drinks or an after-dinner cigar. But Richard shook his head.
With a few final handshakes and nods of respect, Richard made his way out, leaving behind the fading laughter and hum of conversation as the evening at the private gathering continued without him.
"Wait a minute, Richard!"
Suddenly, someone called out to himâand to Richardâs surprise, it was Silvio Berlusconi of AC Milan.
"I was planning to reach out to you privately to discuss this, but since youâre leaving early, Iâll say it now," Berlusconi began. "To be honest, Richard, I came all the way here because I saw your name on the guest list. You know what I mean, right?"
Richard was surprised, but he feigned ignorance. "What do you mean?"
Berlusconi could tell Richard was pretending not to understand, but he didnât call him out on it. Instead, he got straight to the point. "Listen, I want two players from Manchester City."
Berlusconiâs words made Richard turn to him in surprise. "You know that if youâre trying to poach my players, thereâs no way Iâll allow it."
"Donât say that. Everything can be discussed," Berlusconi replied with a chuckle, patting Richard on the shoulder as he leaned in slightly to lower his voice and speak more discreetly.
"...Who?"
Richard was silent for a moment before he couldnât help but askâhe was genuinely curious.
"Pirlo and Lehmann."
"Oneâs my starter, and the otherâs my key substitute. Silvio, isnât that a bit much?"
Richard forced a laugh.
Berlusconi knew that making such a bold request upfront could easily backfire, which is why he came in person to make his case.
"How many seasons does Pirlo have to spend as a backup at City before he gets a real chance to start? That ladâjust promoted at the end of last seasonâis clearly your future midfield star, isnât he? As for Lehmann, Iâll admitâasking for your first-choice goalkeeper might be pushing it. But hey, the allure of Serie A is hard to resist."
Richard was speechless at this. He turned to glare at Berlusconi without answering."Have you been in private contact with my players?"
Berlusconi immediately interjected, "No! Really, no! We wouldnât engage in any dirty business!"
Richard rolled his eyes and replied coolly,"I have always respected my players. I will try to persuade them to stay. However, if Milan presents an appealing offer, I wonât hold them back. Just give me a satisfying bid."
"Iâm offering ten million pounds for the two together," Berlusconi said with a smile.
Richard shook his head."Thatâs impossible. They both have four years left on their contracts with Manchester Cityâone is 17, and the other is 27. Youâre trying to buy the backbone of my club for ten million pounds? Silvio, Iâm not exaggerating when I say this, but the rules of the transfer market have changed. Just wait and see. This summer, youâll witness what top stars are really worthâand this is only the beginning."
Since the league wrapped up in May, rumors had been rampant.
For example, Manchester United, flush with cash after winning the title, were in high spirits under Ferguson following SolskjĂŠrâs success. By mid-March, Ferguson had already made a secret ÂŁ10 million offer for Henrik Larsson.
Fortunately for City, Larsson showed no desire to leave and promptly declined the offer.
Richard knew exactly why Manchester United were so adamant, though.
Eric Cantona.
Meanwhile, outside rumors swirled around Brazilian sensation Rivaldo. Both Manchester United and Barcelona reportedly offered $20 million to PSV Eindhoven for the Brazilian forward.
Rivaldoâs first season in Eindhoven was remarkable, with over twelve goals and ten assists. However, he spent much of his second season injured and at odds with the clubâs coach, making his recent performances less impressive. Thatâs why the transfer fee doesnât quite reflect his true peak value, though the attention around the move is undeniably sensational.
âWait a minute!â
Richard froze mid-step, stunned, as if a bolt of inspiration had struck him. For a brief moment, everyone around him faded into the background.
He narrowed his eyes, mind racing. Something... something about PSV...
Then it clicked.
If he remembered correctly, many of PSVâs key playersâStam, Cocu, Nilis, and De Bildeâwere already attracting interest from top European clubs. Their +51 goal difference and 95 league goals underscored their attacking strength. On paper, Ajax might have seemed superior, but this season, PSV were truly the dominant force.
If only their defense had been able to keep up.
That was the missing link. The attack was lethal, the midfield fluid, but too often the backline cracked under pressure. If that imbalance couldâve been correctedâeven slightlyâperhaps the title race wouldnât have been so one-sided by the end.
And then came the thought.
His heartbeat quickened.
What if... just what if... they were willing to trade?
Van Bommel for Rivaldo?
His thoughts spiraled as the pieces began to align. His pulse surged with excitement.
It wouldnât be just a tradeâit would be the final piece of a long-standing vision. His trioâthe dream lineup he had once sketched out in privateâcould finally become a reality.