Chapter 484: Chapter 484

Richard frowned as he watched Manchester City concede the first goal. Thankfully, he had refused Moratti’s invitation to sit together in the same VIP room—if not, he could already imagine how smug the Inter chairman would be.

Seeing Richard suddenly turn serious, Marina looked over. "What’s wrong?"

Richard shook his head. "Inter Milan have completely abandoned the flanks today."

Richard pointed toward the pitch. "They’re focusing everything through the middle, and it’s working."

Indeed, Inter Milan had completely abandoned the wings—and it was proving highly effective.

Calling their system a 4-4-2 was misleading; in reality, it resembled a 4-2-2-2.

Simoni must have been prepared. He had clearly studied City’s recent performances. Although Lampard defended better than Pirlo, when City failed to dominate the midfield, they became vulnerable to pressure. And with City’s tactics, their wide players absolutely needed to track back during defensive phases. Follow current novᴇls on noᴠelfire.net

The Inter fans at the Meazza were ecstatic. After nine long years away from Europe’s biggest stage, this start felt like a dream.

After conceding, City quickly adjusted. O’Neill responded by narrowing both full-backs into the box. Zambrotta was instructed to cover Ventola’s runs and intercept passes aimed at Baggio.

From the VIP room, Richard noticed the change. City’s central defense had tightened, but their attacking rhythm worried him. They had underestimated Inter far too much.

As someone who knew the future, Richard’s expectations had matched what most people would think: with Zidane, Ronaldinho, and especially Ronaldinho on the left, City should

Especially that defender with the... unforgettable hairstyle. Richard could only stare speechlessly.

Jay-Jay Okocha’s national teammate, and Inter’s most expensive defensive signing at €10 million—before City broke that record with Cannavaro. After a season as a starter in Serie A, West had clearly sharpened his game. Facing elite attackers week after week had elevated him; though not perfect, his defensive level was now extremely high.

"Oh? What happened? It looks like there’s a scuffle!"

Richard’s thoughts were interrupted as he saw City players clashing with Inter players. And when he recognized the two involved, his heart skipped a beat.

Ronaldinho and Taribo West!

It seemed Ronaldinho had grown frustrated with West. After failing to beat Inter’s defense twice in a row, he became desperate to get past Taribo—no matter what. When he failed for the third time, Ronaldinho snapped.

Richard frowned. No wonder he were struggling. This single-minded frustration was severely weakening Ronaldinho’s influence on the pitch.

Having a strong mentality is crucial for a football player because football is not only a physical game but also an emotional and psychological battle. A strong mentality helps a player stay calm under pressure, recover from mistakes, and perform consistently even when the whole world is criticizing them. In short, big matches, hostile stadiums, millions watching — pressure can crush players.

Richard then saw how Taribo West mocked Ronaldinho, deliberately provoking him before teammates quickly pulled them apart.

Richard rubbed his temples.

For a defender, the most important qualities are anticipation and timing. For an attacker, it’s adaptability and unpredictability. West targeted Ronaldinho’s mentality. Once Ronaldinho lost his patience, he also lost his unpredictability. And without that spark, West could easily read and counter him. In short—Ronaldinho lost the mental battle.

Eight minutes after conceding the first goal, Ronaldinho tried cutting inside again, but West stopped him cleanly. Not only that—West immediately surged forward with the ball. Just as City were preparing to launch their attack, they were suddenly the ones being countered. Lampard sprinted back desperately, and Zidane also shifted over, trying to slow West’s unstoppable run.

Richard stood up instantly.

The Nigerian defender released the ball at the perfect moment, and Djorkaeff carried it forward before sending a brilliant long pass. Zamorano, playing with his back to goal, flicked it with a header. Ventola missed it—but behind him, Taribo West again!

He didn’t stop at all.

With a perfect first touch, West glided past Cannavaro as if the defender wasn’t even there. He was about to go one-on-one with Buffon when Zanetti came sliding in from the side—he got a slight touch on the ball but also brought West crashing down.

The referee blew his whistle and pointed straight to the penalty spot.

"Inter Milan has been awarded a penalty! Even though Zanetti touched the ball first, FIFA banned tackles from behind four years ago and enforced it strictly in the World Cup. UEFA also introduced new tackling regulations—side tackles are considered dangerous. This rule is now fully implemented in the Champions League and will also apply in the upcoming European Championship."

Manchester City’s players tried to argue briefly, but Zanetti, instead of protesting, checked on West first before standing with his hands on his hips. He knew the risk the moment he went in—it had been a desperate, instinctive decision.

The referee wasn’t changing his mind. Fortunately, Zanetti escaped without a yellow card, which showed the referee’s leniency.

On the Manchester City bench, no one protested. Unlike the chaotic penalty against Wimbledon, this decision aligned perfectly with UEFA’s new policy. If a player is tackled from the side or behind inside the box—even if the defender touches the ball first—the referee must award a penalty.

Rules are rules. Both sides are bound by them. Still, the situation was frustrating.

The ban on tackles from behind protected players, yes, but it also weakened the art of defending. Many of football’s great defenders—especially those who mastered the perfectly timed tackle—had their strongest weapon taken away. Over the next decade, such elite tacklers became rare in top leagues; the rules simply no longer rewarded their craft.

Despite the fall, West wasn’t angry at all. In fact—he looked delighted. He didn’t even care who would take the penalty. He simply called Baggio over, as if the situation had nothing to do with him. For Taribo West, the important thing wasn’t the penalty itself—it was that he earned it.

Roberto Baggio stood at the penalty spot, preparing for the shot—the focal point of the entire match. However, the commentators in the broadcast studio were facing a dilemma.

Down on the City bench, there was finally some movement.

Mourinho, especially, was focused elsewhere. The second person on City’s staff had called Ronaldinho over, barely paying attention to the penalty at all. It was certainly an interesting scene, but shouldn’t the broadcast focus on the penalty kick?

With no better option, the production crew decided to capture Aldrich’s interaction from different camera angles to replay later.

Ronaldinho walked over to Mourinho, distracted by the ongoing penalty shootout. He kept glancing back toward the penalty area, but Mourinho, sensing his lack of focus, poked him in the chest, grabbed his head, and locked eyes with him before saying firmly, "Hey, turn your head this way; I’m talking to you!"

Ronaldinho turned around and met José Mourinho’s serious gaze. He lowered his head unconsciously. Mourinho asked, "What were you doing just now?"

Ronaldinho didn’t look at him. He knew the question, but he was too embarrassed. Still, he replied hesitantly, "I just followed your advice. Didn’t you tell me before the game to try to dribble past the opponent more often?"

Mourinho’s mouth twitched. He crossed his arms, visibly annoyed. "Stop talking nonsense! You want me to guide every touch through a microphone? I know what you were thinking—you were angry about getting dispossessed, so you wanted to show off your dribbling right in front of them, isn’t that it?"

Ronaldinho was left speechless.

He wanted to defend himself but didn’t know where to start. If he admitted the truth, he’d be finished!

A player who can’t make the right decisions at crucial moments rarely has a successful career. Just kicking the ball around won’t cut it; not even great talent can save you.

Mourinho continued sharply, "When it’s time to pass, then pass. When you need to dribble, then dribble. Remember, football isn’t just about one-on-one duels. Everything you do should serve the team’s bigger purpose. Go back out there and play properly, or I’ll pull you off before the first half is even over!"

If this had been Mourinho’s early days—before City, before Ricahr’s backing—he would never have spoken to a player . But now, with authority over tactics and Ricahr’s trust behind him, it felt completely normal.

Ronaldinho nodded, and Mourinho turned him around, giving him a light push to send him back onto the field.

"GOOOAAALLL! Roberto Baggio!"

At that moment, cheers erupted from the stands. The commentary echoed through the stadium speakers just as the crowd exploded. The roar of thousands blended into a single, overwhelming wave of sound.

Baggio slotted the penalty home—softly struck, perfectly placed, the kind of finish only a master could produce.

After the goal, instead of heading toward the bench, Baggio sprinted straight to the corner flag, where Taribo West was already waiting. The Nigerian defender immediately dropped to one knee the moment Baggio arrived, bowing his head theatrically.

Baggio chuckled and placed his right boot gently on West’s chest, striking a pose like a king receiving tribute. In response, West exaggeratedly brushed imaginary dust off Baggio’s boot, as if polishing the shoes of a divine goalscorer.

The crowd loved it. Cameras flashed nonstop.

"Inter Milan leads 2–0 against defending champions Manchester City in the 45+1st minute of the first half. It seems Manchester City’s overall strength has been overestimated after losing several key players. They’ve barely created a threatening attack since the match began."

On the sidelines, Simoni let out a relieved sigh and allowed a faint smile to appear. With a two-goal cushion, Internazionale had secured a strong start.

Meanwhile, in Manchester City’s VIP room, Marina kept glancing toward the door. She couldn’t help it—anxiety had been gnawing at her for the past several minutes.

The reason was simple.

The person she was worried about was currently heading straight toward the Manchester City locker room.