Chapter 340: The New Manchester United
On the morning of July 11th, local time in France, the Portuguese national team left Paris and returned to Lisbon on a chartered flight.
On social media, Cristiano Ronaldo posted two photos. One showed the entire Portuguese team sitting around the Henri Delaunay Trophy in the airplane cabin, and the other showed him sitting in his seat, tightly hugging the European Championship trophy. This was the first time in the history of the Portuguese team that they had won an international championship trophy. As the team's soul on the pitch and absolute leader in spirit, Ronaldo naturally cherished this Delaunay Trophy immensely.
The post received millions of likes, with many offering heartfelt congratulations to the captain of the Portuguese team. Numerous Ronaldo fans declared that the long-standing debate between Messi and Ronaldo had finally been settled. With Ronaldo winning a major international tournament, he was undoubtedly the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) in the current world of football. Some even shared edited pictures of Ronaldo with a goat's head.
Of course, there were also some envious comments under the post. Some claimed that Ronaldo was just lucky and won the European Championship without doing much, while others said he was riding on Bruno's coattails. After all, Bruno had won both the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball of this European Championship.
With 8 goals and 3 assists in 7 matches, especially with a hat-trick in the final, Bruno won the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball of the tournament by a landslide, beating out Ronaldo and Griezmann, who both scored 6 goals. Ronaldo and Griezmann shared the Silver Boot, and Ronaldo also won the Silver Ball.
Upon arriving in Lisbon, the Portuguese players paraded through the streets on an open-top bus. The parade was high-profile, with police motorcycles leading and police cars escorting the bus.
Thousands of Portuguese fans crowded the streets, eager to get close to the national heroes who had just won the European Championship. As the team captain, Ronaldo was in high spirits, even singing a song on the bus to celebrate with the fans.
In addition, the entire Portuguese team was warmly received by the country's President, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
Standing beside the glittering Delaunay Trophy, de Sousa shook hands with each player. He embraced head coach Fernando Santos, captain Ronaldo, and the key player in their victory, Bruno Fernandes. Surrounded by the Portuguese players and staff, de Sousa lifted the Delaunay Trophy and then posed for a group photo with the entire team.
From this moment until the next morning, the whole of Lisbon would be engulfed in celebrations. This joyous sleepless night belonged to Portuguese fans, the citizens of Lisbon, and Portugal itself.
While the European Championship had ended and Portuguese fans were celebrating, many transfers in international football were accelerating.
On July 15th, four days later, at Old Trafford in Manchester, a press conference was held.
Journalists from all over the world gathered in Old Trafford's press conference hall, waiting for the upcoming inauguration ceremony.
Since Manchester United officially announced its change of ownership on April 15th, everyone had been speculating about who would be part of the new management team. Over the past three months, many questions had been answered. For instance, the new head coach chosen by the Middle Eastern owner was the renowned Jose Mourinho. The youth development team was left unchanged by the new owner, Jassim. However, the most crucial position, the club's general manager, had yet to be announced.
However, the ever-resourceful media had already uncovered a lot of inside information, narrowing down the likely candidate to former Udinese general manager Cristiano Giaretta.
This choice surprised many, as Giaretta was not very well-known and had no previous connections with Manchester United or the new owner. Nonetheless, the media were well aware of Giaretta's outstanding work over the past few years.
Udinese had won back-to-back Serie A titles and had also claimed the Europa League and Champions League, making it one of the most successful teams in European football over the past three years.
During this period, Udinese had produced stars like Bruno, Kante, Salah, and Cancelo, injecting fresh talent into world football. Udinese's success on the pitch was matched by its prowess in the transfer market, earning millions of euros each year from player transactions and earning the nickname "Europe's new superstore."
Much of this success was attributed to head coach Francesco Guidolin, but Giaretta's role as general manager was also widely acknowledged.
Giaretta's excellent scouting and transfer work brought these young talents to Udinese, where they flourished. However, no one expected him to become Manchester United's new general manager after the ownership change.
Nevertheless, most Manchester United fans believed that Giaretta, who had excelled at Udinese and discovered talents like Bruno, could continue his outstanding work at Manchester United and lead the team back to glory.
During the three years since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, Manchester United had struggled both in terms of performance and transfer market dealings. Former CEO Ed Woodward was often criticized by fans and media alike.
While Woodward was considered good at commercial development, his player recruitment was seen as disastrous, often making poor decisions in the transfer market.
Now, with Giaretta, known for his keen eye for talent and ability to develop young stars, becoming Manchester United's new CEO, fans hoped the club's image in the transfer market would change, leading to a resurgence on the pitch. Giaretta's good relationship with Bruno was seen as a significant advantage in beating rivals like Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Barcelona to secure the superstar's signature.
With Giaretta in place, other key positions at Manchester United were also filled. In a notable move, former CEO Ed Woodward became the club's new CFO.
Woodward, who had significantly contributed to Manchester United's commercial development, joined Jassim's team after the ownership change. While no longer the CEO, he was placed in a role that suited his strengths, managing the club's finances.
Despite criticism of Woodward's transfer market dealings, his commercial acumen was widely recognized. Even during Manchester United's recent poor performances, the club's commercial revenue continued to grow, thanks to Woodward's efforts.
After Middle Eastern capital took over Manchester United, Jassim publicly stated that at least €200 million would be invested in new players. However, nearly a month into the summer transfer window, the only signing was the free transfer of Zlatan Ibrahimović.
Although the Swedish striker was a top star, he was almost 35 years old and was signed for free, which didn't align with the high expectations set by the initial promises.
With the general manager position now filled, what moves would Manchester United make in the transfer market?
Most importantly, would the much-discussed transfer of Bruno to Manchester United finally happen?
This was the question on everyone's mind.
After Giaretta's inauguration speech, the topic quickly shifted to Bruno's potential transfer.
A journalist directly asked about the possibility of signing Bruno this summer.
Giaretta smiled and nodded, "Bruno is one of the best players in the world. He has proven his abilities at Udinese, winning the Ballon d'Or at 21 and becoming the youngest recipient in history. Such a player is desired by every top team, and we are no exception."
"So, Bruno is indeed one of Manchester United's targets?" another journalist inquired.
Giaretta nodded again, "Absolutely, Bruno is our top transfer target this summer. However, transfers involving a superstar of Bruno's caliber are incredibly complex. Both Real Madrid and Barcelona are very interested in him, so we must be prepared for a long battle."
A journalist reminded Giaretta that Manchester City's new head coach, Pep Guardiola, had also expressed interest in Bruno.
Giaretta smiled, "This is not surprising. As I mentioned, every team wants a player like Bruno. But I believe we have enough appeal. I have worked with Bruno for four years and have a great relationship with him. I will do my utmost to bring the best player in the world to Old Trafford."
In the following interview, Giaretta emphasized that Bruno is a magical player who brings success to his team and elevates his teammates. He is exactly the type of player Manchester United needs for their revival, and the club will do everything possible to bring him to Old Trafford.
Giaretta also mentioned that Bruno had often expressed his desire to play for Manchester United someday, which was a significant advantage in their pursuit.
(End of Chapter)
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