Football Dynasty-Chapter 205: Fight for Promotion

January 30, 1996 — The press release announcing Richard’s acquisition of Adidas was everywhere: from Handelsblatt, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and Die Zeit to Manager Magazin.

Inside the Handelsblatt office, it could be seen that a senior editor had already submitted his content to the editor-in-chief.

[

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 01, 1996

Maddox Capital Acquires Majority Stake in Adidas

Herzogenaurach, Germany – Maddox Capital, led by British investor Richard Maddox, has officially acquired a majority stake in global sportswear giant Adidas from Bernard Tapie Finance S.A., in a landmark deal valued at approximately 2.8 billion francs ($500 million)

"This is not just a financial investment, it’s a long-term commitment to restore Adidas to global dominance," said Richard Maddox in a brief statement. "We believe Adidas is uniquely positioned at the intersection of sports, culture, and innovation."

Chairman of Pentland, Stephen Rubin, expressed enthusiasm: "With Maddox Capital’s strategic vision and our operational know-how, we see tremendous opportunity to rejuvenate the Adidas brand—especially across Eastern Europe and the U.S. market."

]

"Yes, that’s good—let’s release it," the chief editor said, his eyes scanning the final draft one last time.

With that simple nod of approval, the Handelsblatt staff and editorial team sprang into action.

Emails were fired off, final versions locked in, and the countdown to publication had begun.

The next morning, a sample of the Handelsblatt article landed in Richard’s email inbox.

The subject line was marked "Final Preview: For Internal Approval"—standard procedure for any major piece involving him.

He opened it without much thought, casually scrolling through the paragraphs.

Nothing seemed out of place. No explosive takes, no misquotes, no names mentioned that shouldn’t have been.

As long as there was nothing dangerous, controversial, or wildly inaccurate, Richard didn’t bother to read every word. He had more pressing matters on his plate.

As February draws to a close, Manchester City remains firmly at the top of the table. But it hasn’t been without pressure—Derby County continues to breathe down their necks, keeping the race for promotion tight and intense.

1️⃣ Manchester City – 78 pts - (Promotion)

2️⃣ Derby County – 74 pts - (Promotion)

3️⃣ Crystal Palace – 70 pts - (Qualification for play-offs)

4️⃣ Stoke City – 67 pts - (Qualification for play-offs)

5️⃣ Ipswich Town – 65 pts - (Qualification for play-offs)

6️⃣ Millwall – 64 pts - (Qualification for play-offs)

7️⃣ Charlton Athletic – 59 pts

8️⃣ West Brom – 55 pts

9️⃣ Leicester City – 50 pts

🔟 Sheffield United – 49 pts

The morning sun shone brightly—a rare treat for the perpetually grey skies of Manchester. Richard stood at the edge of the training ground, wrapped in the club’s official sportswear, a pair of dark thermal gloves on his hands as he clutched a steaming paper cup of coffee.

Around him, the coaching staff lingered in small circles, exchanging jokes and updates before the day’s session began.

"Damn British weather," Richard muttered under his breath. Even with the sun out, the cold still lingered.

O’Neill, hearing that, squinted at the sky as if unsure whether to trust it. "I almost forgot what shadows looked like," he joked, his breath visible in the crisp air.

"I’ll take sun over headlines any day," Robertson chimed in, watching as a gust of wind bent the goal net. "Even if it only lasts a few minutes."

Soon, the players began arriving at the training ground one by one, their footsteps crunching softly against the frost-tipped grass. Richard watched them with quiet satisfaction—nearly every one of these players had been personally recruited under his watch.

"How’s Ronaldo’s surgery? Is everything going well?"

"Yes, I heard from Dave that the operation went smoothly. Andreas personally represented the club and stayed to monitor Ronaldo’s condition directly at Wythenshawe Hospital. So everything is alright for now."

Richard nodded at the news. Knowing that Dr. Andreas Schlumberger was overseeing Ronaldo’s recovery gave him real peace of mind.

Soon after almost all the players had arrived, the last two to show up were the most recent signings from the January transfer window—Thierry Henry and Lilian Thuram.

Richard turned to Martin O’Neill. "Do you already have an idea of how to use Henry?"

Because of the agreement Marina made with Henry before his arrival, Henry expected his new role to be as a striker rather than playing on the left wing, as he had in Monaco’s 4-3-3 system.

"I can’t guarantee that," O’Neill said thoughtfully. "What you gave me was only the VHS tape—not the full picture of how he plays in a real match. I need to watch him closely in training and games to understand how he can fit into the system we already have."

Richard nodded. "Fair enough..."

February 2: For the next match, the atmosphere at The Valley Stadium, home of Charlton Athletic, was electric.

The fans knew how crucial every game was now—Manchester City wanted to maintain their momentum, while Charlton Athletic was fighting for a playoff spot.

This was also a special match. It marked Lilian Thuram’s debut, while O’Neill rested William Gallas.

The French center-back had joined in January, and now was the moment to prove why Richard had fought so hard to sign him.

From the opening whistle, Thuram made an immediate impact. His presence in the backline was commanding—barking orders, winning headers, stepping into tackles. Within the first 10 minutes, he had already bullied Charlton’s striker off the ball twice.

Larsson opened the scoring in the 24th minute, finishing off a cutback from Neil Lennon. Charlton Athletic then responded before halftime with a scrappy goal after a defensive mix-up between Thuram and Ferdinand.

"Do you think we need to make a substitution now to replace Rio or Lilian?"

O’Neill shook his head. "Conceding a goal is normal, especially since they’re both playing their first game. Lilian also isn’t yet used to playing in England."

In the second half, it was Trezeguet’s moment. In the 80th minute—corner kick.

Cafu whipped in the cross. Trezeguet rose above everyone, towering over the defense, and powered a header into the net.

Charlton Athletic 1 – 2 Manchester City

The next match: February 5 — Manchester City vs. Sunderland

Manchester City were set to face Sunderland, who had been on a losing streak in recent matches—something that gave O’Neill quiet confidence ahead of the fixture. Still, with back-to-back games piling up, O’Neill knew rotation was necessary to manage player fatigue.

Key Rotations:

Roberto Carlos was rested, with Richard Jobson stepping in at left-back.

Steve Finnan replaced Cafu at right-back, giving the Brazilian some much-needed rest.

Marco Materazzi partnered Rio Ferdinand in central defense.

In midfield, Jamie Pollock started over Neil Lennon, linking up with Robbie Savage and Steve Lomas.

Up front, it was David Trezeguet paired with Andriy Shevchenko.

Unexpectedly, the changes disrupted City’s flow. Without Neil Lennon’s creativity, the midfield looked disjointed—reduced to physical battles and long balls.

Most of the attacking responsibility fell heavily on Trezeguet and Shevchenko.

Sunderland capitalized on this.

In the 35th minute, they scored from a set piece to take the lead.

"That’s it—Sunderland breaks the deadlock. This could really boost their morale if they still have hopes of pushing for a playoff spot."

In the 67th minute, Shevchenko tried to close the gap with a stunning long-range strike, but the ball deflected off the post. Sunderland responded swiftly with a counterattack—and disaster struck for City.

Materazzi was shown a second yellow card after pulling down the opposing striker by the shirt.

With Materazzi sent off, it became an uphill battle. Just five minutes later, Sunderland struck again—once more from a set piece.

Manchester City not only lost—but also conceded two goals in a single game for the first time this season.

Sunderland 2 - 0 Manchester City

Post-Match Interview.

Reporter: "Why did you rotate the squad for this match?"

O’Neill: "Rotations are necessary to keep the players fresh. Depth means nothing if we can’t maintain our level."

Reporter: "What about Henry? Why hasn’t he featured yet?"

O’Neill: "He’s still adapting. He needs time to settle in."

Reporter: "What’s your take on Materazzi’s red card? Do you think it was justified?"

O’Neill: "It’s hard to say. From where I was standing, it looked like a tactical foul—but that second yellow changed the game completely. It’s something we’ll review, but at this level, you have to be more disciplined."

With momentum slipping, O’Neill decided it was time to bring out his strongest eleven for the next fixture.

The response? Pure domination.

The star of the show? Thierry Henry, with four assists.

February 10: Manchester City 4 - 0 Burnley

February 15: Manchester City 3 - 2 Watford

February 18: Bolton 1 - 3 Manchester City

However, just as City seemed poised to dominate their upcoming fixtures, they unexpectedly dropped points with draws against Derby County and Ipswich Town, allowing Derby County and Crystal Palace—occupying second and third place—to close the gap, turning the promotion race into a fierce battle.

1️⃣ Manchester City – 92 pts - (Promotion)

2️⃣ Derby County – 91 pts - (Promotion)

3️⃣ Crystal Palace – 91 pts - (Qualification for play-offs)

4️⃣ Stoke City – 84 pts - (Qualification for play-offs)

5️⃣ Millwall – 81 pts - (Qualification for play-offs)

6️⃣ Ipswich Town – 77 pts - (Qualification for play-offs)

7️⃣ Charlton Athletic – 71 pts

Skimming the current table, Richard nodded before turning his attention toward Miss Heysen, who briefed him about the upcoming schedule for March.

"In the League Cup quarter-final, we will face Leeds United."

League Cup quarter-final:

Coventry City vs. Newcastle United

Aston Villa vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers

Manchester City vs. Leeds United

Norwich City vs. Birmingham City

Richard couldn’t help but lament how fate had played a trick on him.

Clearly, they were a second-tier team, yet they found themselves facing a Premier League side for the fourth time this season.

To make matters worse, it was Leeds United who had just recently appointed George Graham, the former Arsenal boss famous for his pragmatic, super boring, ultra-defensive tactics.

The only piece of good news was that City had home advantage. This would surely add a nice sum of income to the club.

"Also, there will be an international break in early March for the Euros."

"How many days is the break?"

Hearing this, Miss Heysen began to check the schedule in the document she was holding.

"There’s an eight-day break before the league resumes."

"Hmm..." Richard paused, rubbing his chin. "Miss Heysen, get in touch with Harrod Sport—we need to revitalize the pitch at Maine Road. Also, who handles our gym equipment supply?"

"That would be Pullum Sports and Primal Strength. Do you want me to contact them?"

"Yes. I want to completely upgrade the gym equipment—training facilities, everything. Please contact them and allocate funds for it."

"Understood."