Football Dynasty

The youth team's schedule was tight, so the next morning Walford and Mourinho took them to the Maine Road youth training facility.

After a brief warm-up, the players took to the field for a light scrimmage, with plans to face Barcelona's La Masia the following day.

At the Maine Road training ground, which was surrounded by a single row of stands, local residents of Manchester gathered after hearing that Manchester City's U-17s would be facing the giants of Barcelona. Many came to watch, eager to see the youth team that would meet La Masia the next morning.

Football fans who followed mainstream European events knew that Manchester City could not be underestimated.

The senior team had established a remarkable winning streak in the top five leagues, achieving 25 consecutive victories in England and becoming a dominant force in the Premier League.

Their U-17s were similar in spirit, having put together an 18-game winning streak. Among them, one player stood out above the rest: Ronaldinho. This made fans even more curious to discover what made City's youth team so special.

Unfortunately, they left disappointed.

On match day, despite Manchester City's youth side being led by Ronaldinho—and featuring future stars like Eto'o and Ashley Cole—the overall quality gap with La Masia was as wide as expected.

During the match against Barcelona's youth team, City's U-17s performed poorly.

Mourinho was on the sidelines, jumping up and down in frustration, his anger plain for all to see, while Richard sat in the stands shaking his head.

A closer look at the players told its own story.

Ronaldinho, Joe Cole, and the others all had dark circles under their eyes as they trudged onto the pitch. Who knew how late they had been up, fooling around in their hotel rooms the night before?

By the time the first half ended, Manchester City already found themselves trailing 1–3.

The lethargic Ronaldinho and the other players knew their poor performance was the result of staying up too late the previous night. They felt their bodies growing heavier with every move. During the halftime break, Walford decided to substitute some of the exhausted players.

With each goal, Barcelona's coach, Rodolfo Borrell, and his players erupted in cheers, while the fans in the stands applauded.

Even though most of the locals had come to support Manchester City's U-17s, they couldn't help themselves. Barcelona's play was so dazzling that parents, residents, and everyone present rose to their feet, offering their loudest applause.

"What a beautiful play!"

The football Barcelona produced already embodied the philosophy that defined the club. Their game was built on possession, short passing, and constant movement—the blueprint of fútbol total adapted to Catalan ideals.

From the very first whistle, the difference was striking.

Barcelona's midfielders spread wide, offering passing lanes at every angle, while their defenders calmly played the ball out from the back instead of clearing it in panic.

Each player seemed to know exactly where the others would be; when one passed, he immediately moved into open space, and when one pressed, another covered behind him.

The ball rarely lingered on a single foot. Quick one-touch exchanges, with triangles forming and reforming across the pitch, drew applause from the crowd.

Even against stronger or older opponents, this structure allowed Barcelona's youngsters to dictate the rhythm of the match. They attacked not with reckless speed, but with patient inevitability—dragging City's players out of position before striking with a sudden burst into the final third.

And at the center of it all?

Even Richard, usually reserved and measured, found himself tightening his fist in excitement as his eyes fixed on the boy who dictated the game's rhythm.

Xavi Hernández.

Every touch was clean, every pass purposeful. He never rushed, never panicked—always two steps ahead, seeing options before they appeared.

Still a teenager, he played as though born with an invisible map of the pitch imprinted in his mind.

While others chased the ball, Xavi guided it, orchestrating the tempo with a maturity that belied his age. Although he scored no goals and made no assists, Richard could see that every move, every attack, began from him.

If it could be summed up, Barcelona's play was truly beautiful—efficient, effective, and convincing enough to make everyone present believe that Manchester City's youth team was utterly lacking in skill.

It also seemed to confirm a harsher truth: if this was the standard of their academy, then perhaps the senior side was not much better. No wonder English football had stumbled so often over the past decade. City, for all their domestic dominance, now looked like nothing more than a big fish in the small pond of the Premier League.

PHWEEEEE!

The referee's whistle cut through the air, bringing the first half to an end.

City players trudged toward the tunnel, heads bowed, shoulders heavy, their pride as battered as their legs.

After the halftime break, the second half soon began.

The moment Richard saw who was standing on the sidelines, waiting to be brought on, he immediately rose to his feet.

Andrés Iniesta and Carles Puyol.

Richard's mouth twitched—he had a bad feeling.

On the other hand, most of the key players in City's U-17s had been substituted. Watching how proud the Barcelona players looked—both on the pitch and on the bench—Ronaldinho and the others were filled with shame. Their pride had taken a serious hit.

When Iniesta and Puyol stepped onto the field, Richard could only sigh. Still, he did not regret agreeing to this friendly match. In fact, he was quite pleased. He believed that pitting City's U-17s against Barcelona had been a brilliant decision.

It was about time these young lads learned that above every sky, there is still another sky. Even if they dominated the FA Youth Cup and the youth league, there were still teams far above them. He hoped today's defeat would serve as a lesson, believing that any player with real pride would recognize the need to take such experiences seriously.

Sure enough, the second half showed no improvement. With Iniesta and Xavi orchestrating the midfield, Barcelona added four more goals.

Manchester City 1 – 7 Barcelona.

The friendly match against Barcelona turned into a brutal lesson for Manchester City's U-17s, with the Spanish side completely outclassing them.

The disparity was so severe that even in possession, the numbers told the story: Barcelona dominated 80%–20%.

In the afternoon, Richard left his office and made his way toward Maine Road. On the pitch, Manchester City's senior players were engaged in a light warm-up session, adjusting themselves to their home ground.

The weather, unexpectedly, had cleared. After a steady rain all morning, the skies opened to reveal a cool, crisp afternoon. It wasn't as warm as Barcelona, but the air was fresh, and the damp breeze made long-sleeved jerseys perfect for the evening match.

Once training was done, Richard joined the official press conference, attended by O'Neill and Mourinho.

The atmosphere inside the press room was strangely charged. Many journalists from across Northern Europe had turned up, along with those who regularly covered UEFA competitions. Among them, the English reporters—seated together in a corner—struggled to keep straight faces, exchanging knowing glances, as though they were waiting for the punchline of a joke.

When O'Neill finally took his seat, the questions began.

A Spanish journalist was the first to raise his hand. "Mr. O'Neill, did you watch this morning's match?"

O'Neill blinked, caught off guard. "What match?"

"The match between Manchester City's U-17 team and Barcelona's La Masia."

For a moment, silence hung in the room. O'Neill scratched his temple and gave a half-smile.

"…Oh, that. Yes, I saw it. But—" he leaned forward, a touch of impatience in his voice, "—does that have anything to do with tonight's game?"

The journalist didn't back down. "Your U-17 team lost 1–7. What's your take on that?"

The room stirred—pens clicked, cameras focused, and the English journalists could no longer contain their smirks. This was the question they had been waiting for.

"I don't believe the youth team's match holds any major significance," O'Neill began calmly. "It's normal for U-17 players to have ups and downs—especially when our facilities can't be compared to La Masia's. Still, it was a valuable experience. Even a heavy defeat can be a lesson, and in that sense, I think it's good."

A Spanish journalist pressed him further. "Is a 1–7 scoreline also good?"

O'Neill raised his brows. "I'm not sure what you're trying to imply by fixating on the 1–7 scoreline. What exactly is your question? In England, youth teams can lose by seven or eight goals in a single match. So what? Does that mean those players will suddenly stop playing football? Does it guarantee they won't succeed in the future?"

He paused, letting his words hang in the air, before adding with a faint smile, "Perhaps in Spain, you put more weight on the results of youth matches than we do."

The English journalists in attendance, especially those familiar with Manchester City, could barely contain their laughter. They had been waiting for O'Neill's sharp reply, and his retort landed exactly as they had expected.

Eventually, one journalist asked bluntly, "Mr. O'Neill, Barcelona's youth coach Rodolfo Borrell commented on this morning's match during his press conference. He suggested that the performance of your U-17s reflects the weakness of Manchester City's first team as well. According to him, Barcelona will eliminate any suspense in the tie and advance to the quarterfinals with ease—leaving City with no chance at all."

The room stirred. Pens stopped scratching, cameras shifted, and suddenly all eyes were fixed on O'Neill.

He blinked, momentarily taken aback. Rodolfo Borrell?

The name meant nothing to him. The youth friendly had been arranged by the management, not by him. And yet here was a coach—a newcomer, only recently entrusted with overseeing La Masia, barely known outside academy circles—speaking with the arrogance of someone who believed a youth match was enough to predict the outcome of a senior European tie.

"Inferring a first team's strength from the performance of a youth side?" O'Neill finally replied, his voice carrying a hint of disbelief.

That was all it took. The English reporters burst into laughter, nudging each other, clearly relishing the absurdity of the claim. They nodded vigorously, as though O'Neill had voiced exactly what they were thinking.

Across the aisle, the Spanish journalists shifted uncomfortably, their expressions souring. To them, the laughter was undignified, even disrespectful.

O'Neill's expression tightened. He tried to mask his irritation, but his eyes betrayed it.

Had everyone already forgotten that Barcelona had only just changed managers?

Transition was never easy, even for the strongest clubs. To treat it as if nothing had happened—to dismiss Manchester City, or English football as a whole, as though they posed no challenge—was arrogance of the highest order.

O'Neill knew the Spanish giants were formidable, but he also knew football had a way of punishing those who underestimated their opponents. Was this line of questioning born of arrogance, or sheer foolishness?

With a measured breath, he leaned toward the microphone.

"Oh, well," he said lightly, his tone laced with dry wit. "We came here with complete seriousness regarding this match. Tonight, I sincerely hope Barcelona field their very best side, so we can all enjoy a contest worthy of the fans."

The room fell silent for a moment, as his words settled.

And deep down, a flicker of defiance stirred. If Barcelona thought this would be easy, they were in for a surprise.