Football Dynasty

Chapter 594 594: The New Youth Academy is Ready!

If we were to list the names of every football superstar in the world and trace their lives from start to finish, we would find that more than 90% of them share stories of perseverance and struggle.Ten years from now, names like Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi would be praised by people all around the world. However, before they rose to fame, their journeys were also filled with criticism, doubt, and hardship. That path alone deserves respect and admiration.

Now, in this era of intense scouting for talent, how could Richard possibly forget this kind of star?

The problem was…

"You still haven't found him yet?" Richard asked over the phone, rubbing his forehead.

Back when he was still an agent, he often worked closely with several scouting agencies. In Portugal, he quickly shared Ronaldo's name and some basic information with one of his contacts, asking for help in locating the boy.

Unlike Messi, who grew up in Argentina's second-largest city, Ronaldo came from somewhere far more remote—an island on the very edge of Europe, easy to overlook on a map and even easier to ignore in football scouting networks at the time.

The agency now found itself struggling to track down this raw gem, said to be living in harsh, modest conditions. It wasn't quite a slum, not in the strict sense, but from what Richard knew of the area, it was a place marked by poverty, narrow streets, and aging buildings pressed tightly together. Many neighbors were alcoholics, and the youth often drifted without guidance or hope.

This was not where scouts usually searched for the next great talent. And yet, Richard kept pushing the agency to find the future star he believed was waiting to be discovered.

"I don't care how long it takes. Just make sure you find him—and be quick," Richard insisted.

Historically, even in real life, Ronaldo's environment had its dangers. Some people around him struggled with addiction and hardship. Growing up in such surroundings made it easy for young people to lose their way.

Richard believed in Ronaldo's potential. But he also wanted to make sure that no twist of fate, no "butterfly effect," would prevent that potential from being realized.

"Sigh…" Richard exhaled, realizing it was never easy to track down a future Ballon d'Or winner.

He set that problem aside and turned his attention to the next agenda.

The Academy.

At the moment, the academy was still using Maine Road as its primary training ground. The arrangement was far from ideal. They had to take turns using the pitch, constantly adjusting their schedule around other activities at the stadium. Proper training sessions were often shortened or disrupted.

For official matches, they usually had to rent separate grounds, moving from place to place depending on availability. It was inconvenient, inefficient, and far from the professional environment Richard envisioned for developing young talents. If this academy was meant to produce future stars, it needed a home of its own—not borrowed grass and shared facilities.

East Manchester.

Plans for the new ground in East Manchester were ambitious. The stadium design was proving complex, not because of funding, but because it relied on the latest construction technology and ongoing consultations between multiple architects, each refining and challenging the other's ideas.

Progress was steady, but careful. This was not going to be an ordinary football venue—it was meant to be a landmark.

Back at Maine Road, the contrast was clear. Though considered modest by English standards, its nearly 30,000 capacity still dwarfed the national team's home ground, which held only around 8,500 spectators.

Richard led the squad first to the new Maddox Training Facility.

Beside him walked Xabi Alonso, David Silva, Sergio Busquets, James Milner, and Michael Essien, each carrying a large travel bag.

Many passersby greeted Richard warmly, some even mistaking the players for his relatives. As nearby residents, they were naturally fans of Manchester City.

When Richard acquired this land, the process had not been too difficult because most of it had previously been industrial property. However, there were still a few long-time residents living there. Richard decided to relocate them to housing to ensure that no one felt displaced or treated unfairly.

He also visited the site frequently to personally monitor the construction progress, so the locals had come to know him well. Several expressed concern about City's summer transfer plans, to which Richard could only respond with a polite smile.

Soon he found the man he was looking for.

"How is the villa coming along?" Richard asked.

He then led the youngsters toward the man overseeing the construction of the villa complex.

"The villa project is going smoothly. Construction is on track to be completed next year," the man replied honestly.

Richard nodded.

These villas were intended for players and their families in case they struggled to find proper housing after arriving. Rather than having them stay in hotels—which often made adaptation more difficult—Richard preferred to provide a comfortable, home-like environment from the start.

Done with that, Richard then led them on foot toward the training facility.

When all the youngsters stood at the entrance of the Maddox Training Facility, they were utterly astonished.

"This… this… this is even bigger than the club!" David Silva remarked first, eyes wide with disbelief.

A faint smile appeared on Richard's face. Of course it was bigger than Maine Road. This place had been designed with a completely different purpose in mind.

Maine Road was built for matches.

This was built for development.

The training facility was expansive, having undergone a recent round of renovations that summer. Richard planned to move the first-team training sessions there, as it currently featured two pitches designed for different training purposes. Further expansions were already planned to accommodate additional youth squads in the future.

The entrance to the facility was equally impressive, with the name of Manchester City and the club's eagle crest elegantly carved into the wall.

Inside the training facility, the atmosphere was lively. Members of various coaching teams stood along the sidelines, observing a chaotic mix of youth teams, reserve squads, and a few first-team players who had returned early, all engaged in friendly matches.

Richard called over a staff member to arrange accommodation for everyone.

When he led the football-obsessed youngsters to the sideline, it was as if a surge of energy ran through them—especially when they saw several first-team players already out on the grass, calmly warming up and testing the surface of the new training pitch.

Richard glanced toward the oldest of the group, Xabi Alonso.

"By the way, congratulations on being called up to Spain U18. How was it? Did you enjoy playing for the national team?"

Xabi kept stealing glances at the pitch where the first-team players were training before finally turning back to Richard.

"Not bad. Did you watch my matches?"

Richard smiled and shook his head. He was too busy.

Alonso's face fell instantly. The pride he had been carefully holding onto collapsed in a second. After all, he had just helped Spain beat Sweden U18 by 3–0.

He even made an assist!

Richard patted his shoulder with a serious expression. "Xabi, you have to understand. Winning a youth tournament isn't the same as winning at the junior level… and it's definitely not comparable to winning on the international stage."

Xabi blinked. "But… it is international."

Before Richard could respond, Sergio Busquets, who had been standing nearby in casual clothes, chimed in with a sulky tone, "Yeah! That still counts!"

Richard couldn't hold it anymore. He burst out laughing.

Both youngsters stared at him, offended.

"What?" Xabi protested. "I wore the Spain badge!"

Richard wiped the corner of his eye. "Alright, alright. I'm proud of you. But save that face for when you win something people have actually heard of."

He then looked serious. "Next year—the FIFA U-20 World Cup."

It was the biennial world championship tournament organized by FIFA for men's national teams composed of players under the age of 20.

With the next edition set to take place in Argentina in two years, Richard believed Spain had a real chance at glory. The squad, as far as he knew, was shaping up to be a golden generation, featuring young talents like Iniesta, Xavi, and Fàbregas.

Of course, even that was no guarantee though.

After that, they kept walking, looking around with wide eyes, until they finally arrived at the dormitory area.

Richard gestured ahead with a small smile. "The building on the left is for the youth team. Yes, all of you will be staying here."

For a moment, no one spoke. All of them were stunned into silence.

Clean pathways stretched neatly between the buildings. Shady trees lined the walkways, their leaves rustling softly in the breeze. The architecture was modern, with warm wooden accents that made the place feel both professional and welcoming at the same time.

David Silva nudged Busquets lightly. "Are we really allowed to live here?"

Busquets didn't answer. His eyes were still fixed on the large central building, as if trying to process that this place was meant for them.

Seeing this, Richard smiled and added, "Ah, the facilities in the center are also for your use. The first team will still train at Maine Road for now, so you'll have this entire training complex to yourselves."

That finally broke the silence.

Essien turned to look at each other in disbelief.

"To ourselves?" he repeated.

Then, this meant they no longer had to take turns or wait in line just to train? The pitches, facilities, and equipment were now fully available to them, so didn't that mean they no longer had to squeeze their sessions into leftover time slots or adjust their schedule around the first team?

Soon, they walked around the facility and were surprised by how extravagant the equipment was. You could find everything here. To make it even better, the roof was designed to open and close, meaning they could train outdoors under the morning sun or switch to a covered pitch when needed.

Before they could fully enjoy the moment, Rui Faria approached them with a grin, saying, "You arrived just in time—the players you brought in are fantastic! But let's also see what we've gained from these new trial."

The people around looked confused hearing this, but Richard nodded with a smile.

What followed next on the second training ground was an unusual scene. It felt like a pivotal moment for Manchester City—where permission to use the new facilities was not marked by celebration or speeches, but by a trial.

José Mourinho stood resolutely as Pintus, Baltemar Brito, and André Villas-Boas lined up, scrutinizing each young player as they walked past.

The young hopefuls were both nervous and excited, as if stepping onto a selection stage, eager to make a strong impression on the coaching staff. Being chosen for the first team felt like winning a jackpot.

Even Richard was slightly surprised by this trial. Some of the players were not on his recruitment list but had taken the initiative to come to City for a trial.

One name stood out immediately: Joleon Lescott!