Chapter 473: Chapter 473
After the Champions League group-stage draw concluded, Richard hurried back to the Fairmont Monte Carlo Hotel with O’Neill in tow. There was no time to waste — now the focus shifted to the UEFA Cup.
This year’s UEFA Super Cup hadn’t drawn much attention. Being an all-English affair — Manchester City and Chelsea — let’s say it was less a glamorous continental clash and more a grudge match between two top English clubs. Fans outside England, or those indifferent to the Premier League, barely cared.
Only the Fleet Street journalists seemed interested, eager to hear O’Neill and Gianluca Vialli’s thoughts on their respective opponents for this match. The purpose was simple: to fan the flames, making the rivalry between the two clubs even more intense.
At the pre-match press conference, most questions had little to do with the game itself. Since taking charge of Manchester City, O’Neill had impressed in the Premier League — except against Chelsea. Those memories still lingered: the 1996 League Cup semifinal defeat, followed by the heartbreak of the 1997 FA Cup final.
Despite all his progress, O’Neill had yet to prove he could truly outsmart Chelsea.
O’Neill even Richard himself wasn’t interested in discussing Chelsea. Every year, someone would bring up how strong Chelsea had become, how much they had spent, and which world-class players they had signed.
In fact, Chelsea had made several big-name signings, including French World Cup-winning defender Marcel Desailly from A.C. Milan, Spanish international full-back Albert Ferrer from Barcelona, and, in a club-record £5.4 million move, Italian international striker Pierluigi Casiraghi from Lazio.
"Chelsea improves every year, that’s true," O’Neill said, "but I believe there’s still a significant gap between Chelsea and Manchester City. A truly powerful team isn’t built just by adding stars — it’s about chemistry, about whether the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Sure, Chelsea brought in familiar names for European football fans—World Cup champion Desailly, Ferrer, Laudrup Jr., Casiraghi... but so what? Football matches aren’t a one-on-one showdown across every position. Chelsea’s constant player turnover—where’s their identity, their tactical tradition, their team spirit? They’re still far behind us, especially when you consider how the club treated its own. Remember what happened with Harding, right?"
Finally, someone had dared to mention it!
When O’Neill said the last part, he deliberately coughed, softening the words so they wouldn’t sound too blunt—but for the hungry media, the meaning was clear. The reporters on-site were visibly pleased. He was talking big now, and it made for fiery, headline-worthy copy.
In fact, this wasn’t a spontaneous jab or an attempt to mock Chelsea.
Who doesn’t know the toxic nature of Bates’s ownership?
From his attempts to install a 12-volt, 12-foot-high electric fence to control the Head Hunters hooligan element in the Stamford Bridge, to sacking Chelsea manager Ian Porterfield—the first manager ever dismissed in Premier League history.
And then the fallout with Matthew Harding, a major Chelsea benefactor and vice-chairman, was another Chapter in the saga.
Harding clashed with Bates over the direction of the club and was eventually banned from the boardroom. Their feud only ended with Harding’s sudden death in a helicopter crash, though Bates continued to speak out, declaring, "I don’t believe evil should triumph, and he was an evil man."
The comments shocked the football world. Like, seriously?
Not to mention, Bates also banned Ron Harris—"Chopper," the legendary Chelsea defender known for his toughness—and Peter Osgood, another club icon often called the "King of Stamford Bridge" and a prolific striker in the late 1960s and early 1970s, from the grounds.
A lot of people also had a problem with him when he modified the Chelsea logo in a bid to modernize the club. Needless to say, this did not go down well with Chelsea fans.
That’s why, Richard had a plan.
Disrupting Chelsea wouldn’t come from on-pitch aggression alone — it would start long before kickoff, in the minds of the opposition. The strategy was simple: psychological pressure combined with meticulous preparation.
His goal was that when Chelsea stepped onto the pitch, they would already be on the defensive, unsure whether their new stars and big-money signings could truly make a difference. And that uncertainty, Richard knew, could be worth as much as a goal.
It made sense when you thought about it. City was already a Champions League–winning team, so why not look down on Chelsea?
Compared to a team that had just won a domestic cup, Chelsea didn’t have much to boast about when facing Manchester City anyway.
At least, that was what Richard wanted to convey. To provoke them, he made sure that during the press conference, O’Neill spoke freely and confidently, saying all the things that would get under Chelsea’s skin.
"Mr. O’Neill, but Manchester City also went through a major squad overhaul this summer," a reporter pointed out.
"That’s different, completely different," O’Neill replied. "We have tradition. Players like Solskjaer, Neil Lennon, and Materazzi have left, but we’ve already adapted. Most of our squad has returned from quarantine, and it’s been a long time. They know the team well and are stepping into key roles—there’s no issue with integration. Chelsea, on the other hand, still needs time to figure things out and build a new squad. Wel only needs a short adjustment period before we’re back at full strength. Even tomorrow, I don’t expect Chelsea to pose any trouble for us."
O’Neill’s words instantly excited the reporters. What a load of bullshit—but they liked it! ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by novel⚑fire.net
That’s the kind of confidence you get after lifting the Champions League trophy.
Arrogant, perhaps, but no one at the press conference challenged him. After all, he was a big deal—arguably the hottest young manager in European football—so who cared if he looked down on Chelsea?
O’Neill’s attitude now bordered on disdain for Chelsea, clearly seeing them as no threat. As the press conference veered off-topic, few cared about the upcoming match. So the focus had already shifted to the Champions League group-stage draw.
When asked about their group, O’Neill was more restrained. He sighed.
"Since the draw was announced, all I’ve heard is talk about Manchester City and Inter Milan. Yes, we are two of the favorites to advance. Inter Milan has a squad full of stars, and we are the defending champions. Even my players seem to think that if we just beat Inter, qualifying will be a formality. I think that’s a huge mistake.
"We have six group-stage games, and only two are against Inter. Winning both gives us six points, but if we lose or draw the other four games, we could drop four points—or more. I’m not saying Graz or Spartak Moscow are particularly strong—I’d be accused of being insincere—but the key to qualifying lies in how we approach every opponent. If we underestimate Graz and Spartak, even beating Inter might not be enough to see us through."
This was exactly what Richard had told him beforehand.
Richard had noticed a creeping complacency within the squad, especially since the draw. Around the team table, all the players could talk about was beating Inter Milan, ignoring the challenges that the other opponents would pose.
This wasn’t a good sign.
In reality, even if they wanted to qualify, all they really needed to do was avoid losing to Inter and focus on winning the other four games. This strategy—like "saving your best horses for the right race"—would guarantee enough points to advance, even if they didn’t top the group.
But Richard, of course, would never tell his players that. It wasn’t his place to say, "Hey, let’s forget about Inter and just crush the weaker teams for 12 points."
It might be true, but saying that would destroy their confidence!
After the press conference ended, Richard stood up from the chair and left early, strolling through the streets and taking in the sights of Monaco.
The city no longer felt unfamiliar to him. Sun-drenched promenades along the Mediterranean, watching yachts glide past the harbor, or taking in a quiet café without attracting too much attention—it was a place to think, to plan, and to unwind.
The next day, the UEFA Super Cup was set to take place. The Louis II Stadium was packed, with UEFA dignitaries and Monaco royalty in the VIP boxes, eagerly awaiting the spectacle.
Arriving early, Richard was immediately surrounded by photographers.
That’s because Ken Bates had also arrived.
The moment they met, they had no choice but to shake hands and embrace with the practiced smiles of old friends. But no one knew what they whispered to each other.
"Still running a circus, huh? Three draws? Let us show you how it’s done," Bates murmured, just loud enough for Richard to hear.
Richard’s mouth twitched instantly. ’Old man, I guess you still need to learn how to filter your words,’ he thought.
But Richard wasn’t the kind to back down. He countered, leaning in slightly: "How’s your Chelsea Village business going?"
Bates stiffened. Chelsea Village, their recent project, was a mixed-use development built around Chelsea F.C.’s stadium, combining retail, commercial, and residential spaces.
No one really knew the financial backstory: to make Chelsea Village happen, the club had racked up debts of £3 million, which ballooned to £50 million and, according to Richard’s estimates, could easily climb to £80 million once the project was completed.
In other words, the man who had once rescued Chelsea from debt had now, ironically, plunged the club back into financial risk with this property venture.
The two hypocritical club owners exchanged smiles for the cameras, but behind those carefully crafted expressions, it was a battle of subtle jabs.
After dealing with Ken Bates, Richard immediately retreated to his VIP room, flanked by Marina Granovskaia and Karren Brady, who had arrived alongside Manchester City Magazine’s head, Sadie Carpenter, ready for marketing plans.
Manchester City were still the defending Champions League winners.
Chelsea’s coach, Gianluca Vialli, now fully transitioned into his managerial role, no longer needed to swap his suit for a jersey. Soon, they spotted O’Neill, who strode onto the field and walked toward the Chelsea bench, extending his right hand toward Vialli.
They briefly shook hands, exchanging no pleasantries—just a quick pat on the arm—before parting ways.
O’Neill’s bold comments from the previous day had made headlines across major media outlets. Everyone following the Super Cup knew that City regarded Chelsea with complete disregard. Even though Chelsea’s lineup was impressive, after City’s own summer overhaul, respect for their opponents was minimal.
"The UEFA Super Cup is about to kick off at the Louis II Stadium. Last season’s Champions League winners, Manchester City, face last season’s Cup Winners’ Cup champions, Chelsea. Both teams hail from England, making this rare Super Cup clash a highly anticipated spectacle in European football."
As Manchester City and Chelsea players emerged from the tunnel, the commentator introduced the starting lineups.
Manchester City’s 4-4-1-1 formation:
Defenders: Zanetti, Cannavaro, Thuram, Ashley Cole
Midfielders: Zidane, Pirlo, Makélélé, Lampard
Forwards: Henrik Larsson, Trezeguet
Finally, their strongest squad had returned!
Manchester City’s tactical setup for this match was similar to what they had used in previous games. Be honest, from what Richard knew, O’Neill described it as a variation of his 4-4-2, a style reminiscent of Arsenal’s approach—solid at the back and lethal on the counterattack.
Arsenal’s 4-4-2 relied heavily on the wings, with Bergkamp and Overmars driving the offense, while Petit and Vieira formed a double pivot in midfield. Bergkamp, both a creator and a scorer, had partnered with Wright last season and was paired with Anelka this season.
City’s defense leaned on a Lampard–Makélélé double pivot, while their attack featured Zidane and Lampard on the wings. Zidane operated as a free man up front, capable of both scoring and creating opportunities. Lampard, with his box-to-box instincts and physicality, was expected to act as a tandem for the young Ashley Cole. Behind Trezeguet was Larsson, his experience and tactical intelligence made him the perfect shadow striker, requiring no special instructions from O’Neill.
Chelsea’s 4-4-2 formation:
Defenders: Ferrer, Desailly, Lebœuf, Babayaro
Midfielders: Poyet, Wise, Di Matteo, Goldbæk
Forwards: Casiraghi, Flo
Chelsea, on the other hand, stuck to a more traditional 4-4-2. Their attack combined the tall-and-fast pairing of Flo and Casiraghi, while their defense had been bolstered by the French duo of Lebœuf and Desailly.
As the enthusiastic cheers of the fans echoed through the Louis II Stadium, the referee blew the whistle to start the match.
Richard remained seated, his expression calm and composed, observing the game with the keen eye of a strategist.
Time to bring back the trophy — and give Ken Bates’ mouth to the nearest bin!