Football Dynasty-Chapter 196: You’re not a Second Baggio; you are Andrea Pirlo!

Since the start of 1996, Richard had found himself unexpectedly busy.

First, there was Karren Brady and her mission involving Adidas and FC Girondins de Bordeaux.

Second, the Netscape IPO demanded his attention.

Third, he was targeting several Italian players for the next season, preparing for the worst-case scenario—that "City’s shop" might really open.

Fourth, there were ongoing negotiations regarding Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Keith Gillespie.

January had flown by, week after week, and Richard had already spent three weeks in Brescia.

He had come with the hope of watching Andrea Pirlo in action during a Serie B match for Brescia. But to his frustration, Pirlo never got on the pitch, leaving Richard restless and eager for answers.

In the next fixture, once again Richard waited—yet unexpectedly, Pirlo remained on the bench, leaving him feeling helpless.

Finally, after raising the bid from £1 million to £2 million, Brescia responded and granted permission for Richard to make contact with Andrea Pirlo.

To be honest, over the past few weeks, Richard’s name has been buzzing all across Italy.

The bureaucratic atmosphere within the Italian Football Association has been stirred up. After receiving Richard’s bid for Pirlo, they didn’t just scoff at it—they leaked the offer to the media, using Richard’s example as fuel for gossip and entertainment throughout Italy.

Basically, the association wants to use Richard to showcase just how valuable their Serie A and homegrown players are. Meanwhile, the clubs want to use Richard’s example to increase the value of their Italian players—either to earn money or to retain their key players.

In fact, Brescia even went so far as to send Richard an official invitation letter to attend the match against Salernitana, hoping he would take an interest in players beyond Pirlo.

Richard has even seen the coverage in Corriere dello Sport, where Italian football commentators harshly mocked Manchester City—an obscure English club with a history of spending millions on players like Marco Materazzi and Gianluca Zambrotta, who played in Serie B just last season.

It’s a well-known that national teams often recruit their youth players from domestic leagues. Coaches primarily scout within their own countries, so it’s only natural that the standout players in domestic youth leagues are chosen for national youth teams.

Marco Materazzi and Gianluca Zambrotta, though considered exceptional at their clubs before joining Manchester City, never played for the national team—not even at the youth level—making them completely overlooked by the national selectors and Italian pundits. freēnovelkiss.com

Richard even was mocked and dismissed as a "frog in a well" by Italians, implying he had never truly experienced Italian football. They thought that simply because he had a few Italian players, he mistakenly believed he had discovered exceptional talent.

Their disdain was unmistakable.

After finishing the article, Richard didn’t care. He set the newspaper down and said flatly, ’Let’s see who’s laughing in the end.’

Without wasting any time, Richard arrived at the stadium and immediately arranged a meeting with the young man destined to become Italy’s next midfield powerhouse.

For this negotiation, Richard’s main purpose wasn’t just to close the deal—it was to teach Marina how to handle footballers carefully.

A young man, or a future prodigy, he might say.

The tone, the pacing, the approach—it all had to be different.

Richard wanted Marina to understand that negotiating with young talents wasn’t about pressure or numbers. It was about vision, trust, and planting the seed of a future.

This is what makes handling footballers so different from negotiating with seasoned businessmen—whether it’s about promised minutes, a defined role in the team, or even emotional assurance, it’s a more delicate balance.

Richard knew this. That’s why he took a step back and let Marina lead, watching carefully as he tried to bridge the gap between strategy and sincerity.

As they stepped out of the taxi, Marina glanced up at the modest yet proud structure ahead of them.

"Is this Stadio Mario Rigamonti?" she asked, adjusting her coat against the chill of the Italian evening.

Richard gave a short nod, his eyes scanning the stadium’s façade. It wasn’t grand like the San Siro or as polished as the modern English grounds, but it had its own charm—humble, gritty, and full of stories.

The kind of place where legends quietly began.

"This is it," he replied, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "The home of Brescia Calcio... and maybe the birthplace of something much bigger."

They walked toward the entrance, boots crunching lightly on the gravel.

A local staff member waved them through the side gate, recognizing them from earlier inquiries.

Inside, the pitch gleamed under the floodlights. The stands, though far from full, echoed with the energy of the few faithful fans scattered across them.

Tonight’s match: Brescia vs Salernitana.

After skimming through the starting lineup, Richard shook his head. No one he particularly recognized.

According to Marina’s research on Andrea Pirlo, the young boy had started with Flero’s youth team, then moved to Voluntas, and eventually joined the youth academy of local club Brescia in 1992.

Now, in 1995, at just 16 years old, Pirlo had become the youngest player to make a senior appearance for the club.

It was a milestone that made the club—and its fans—place their hopes on him. However, in the current season, Pirlo hadn’t featured in the senior team, though he had helped win the Torneo di Viareggio with the youth side.

In fact, Pirlo had already made his debut earlier in the season under coach Mircea Lucescu, in a match against Reggiana—but he had left little impression on Lucescu or the fans.

In other words, it seemed like just another youth debut—nothing special.

Perhaps it was the club’s propaganda that inflated his profile, painting him as a prodigy for debuting at 16. But his performance hadn’t exactly turned heads.

And Richard knew exactly why Pirlo had looked so ordinary in his debut. It was basically the same case as with Gianluigi Buffon.

They still haven’t found the right formula for Andrea Pirlo.

After the staff guided them to the meeting room, Richard finally met the young boy—along with his father and a coach he didn’t recognize.

Richard shook his head. If it were up to him, he wouldn’t even allow a coach to handle a situation like this, let alone let Pirlo negotiate directly with another club. That would have been immediately prohibited.

His level, after all, was comparable to the likes of Cafu, Roberto Carlos, and Ronaldo.

"Don’t pitch the money," Richard whispered to Marina beside him. "Paint the picture."

Though Marina didn’t fully understand what Richard meant, she still nodded.

One important factor was Pirlo’s rich background—offering a high salary alone wouldn’t be enough to impress him.

Although City already had a number of midfielders, they were still missing a crucial piece: a masterful playmaker. While Neil Lennon possessed commendable organizational skills, Richard’s vision for City was not just to win—but to win beautifully.

Even if they couldn’t fully emulate Barcelona’s tiki-taka, he wanted their counterattacks to be elegant and fluid. To achieve this, he needed a midfield commander with a broader tactical perspective.

Such a player would allow the team to slice through defenses with incisive passes and launch sharp, coordinated attacks by breaking defensive lines—creating a dynamic and multifaceted offensive system.

In the meeting room, the young Pirlo looked bewildered. He had only signed his first professional contract the previous year, and now, suddenly being sold felt completely unacceptable to him.

His father, on the other hand, showed a bit more understanding. After all, £2 million was no small sum for a modest Serie B club like Brescia.

"Buona sera, signore," Richard said with a smile as he extended his hand toward Mr. Pirlo.

"Do you speak Italian?" Mr. Pirlo asked as he shook Richard’s hand.

"A little bit," Richard replied.

Of course, as a businessman, Mr. Pirlo was fluent in English, so their communication went very smoothly.

Richard then turned to the young man. "Can I call you Andrea? Have you ever heard of Manchester City?"

Andrea Pirlo shook his head honestly. "I only know about Manchester United. I saw some news about Manchester City recently. I know it’s a club from Manchester, but it doesn’t seem to be in the Premier League."

Richard didn’t mind. He explained patiently, "Yes, actually, we were promoted just last season—from the third tier to the second tier—and now we’re aiming for the Premier League next season."

Though Richard spoke with enthusiasm, Andrea’s only response was a quiet nod, silently urging him to continue. After all, promises of glory were common—Andrea had heard clubs boast about titles and ambitions many times before, only to see those words turn to empty promises.

But Richard wasn’t discouraged by the reserved reaction. He knew he couldn’t underestimate this young man. His goal was to convey his utmost sincerity and commitment.

"Andrea, before we continue this conversation, let me show you something," Richard said, pulling out a document showing City’s current performance in the second division.

"Twenty-goal difference?" Andrea Pirlo said, clearly taken aback.

City being at the top of the table wasn’t surprising to him, but a 20-goal difference was something else—it meant City truly dominated.

"Yes," Richard replied. "Here is the list of City players. We also have several players from Italy, so Andrea, you can rest assured. What I want to tell you is that City is an ambitious club. We don’t just intend to survive in the Premier League next season; we want to become the best team in England. And after conquering England, we’ll aim for Europe!"

Richard paused, then continued, "We aim for long-term dominance. That’s why, if City needs to quantify this grand goal, I hope you will become a part of City and leave a brilliant mark in our history."

Andrea Pirlo and his father exchanged glances. To be honest, Richard’s passionate words had struck a chord. Andrea, accustomed to the rigid and dogmatic world of Italian football, found Richard’s enthusiasm refreshing.

After a moment of silence, Andrea began to examine the documents in his hands. He was left with a strong impression—especially when Richard mentioned they had another Italian player on the team, which piqued his curiosity.

Gianluca Zambrotta and Marco Materazzi.

Both had made double-digit appearances, and the feedback and ratings from each match’s coaching staff were thorough and insightful.

City was clearly well-prepared, and the fact that the club owner himself had come to persuade him was flattering. It was something Andrea could seriously consider.

Andrea glanced over at his father, silently seeking his opinion.

Mr. Pirlo, however, simply shrugged. For him, the decision was up to Andrea. In fact, he and his wife had initially opposed Andrea’s pursuit of a football career. But at sixteen, in the rebellious phase of adolescence, they had decided to let it be for now.

In their minds, in five or ten years, when Andrea fully understood reality, he would likely return and take over the family business—putting football behind him.

If Richard knew what was going on in Mr. Pirlo’s mind, he might have patted him on the shoulder with pity. It seemed Mr. Pirlo would have to work hard quickly so that someone could take over the family business someday.

"Andrea, let’s talk about you. What are your expectations? What do you see yourself doing on the field?"

Seeing Pirlo remain silent, Richard decided to steer the conversation.

"Can you share your thoughts on the position you want to play and how you want to impact the game?"

With a slight frown, Andrea admitted, "Honestly, the coaches at Brescia say I have the potential to be the next Baggio."

"Roberto Baggio?" Richard’s surprise was evident, while Mr. Pirlo smiled knowingly at his son’s bold claim.

"Impossible, right?" Andrea added, noticing Richard’s reaction. He figured it sounded a bit far-fetched.

Even now, he had yet to secure a permanent spot in the first team—so how could he possibly be the next Baggio?

Unknown to both Pirlos, Richard didn’t want to dampen Andrea’s aspirations. Yet he was taken aback by the immense pressure placed on the young player just by being told he could become the next Roberto Baggio.

Such comparisons could be both inspiring and overwhelming for someone still finding his way.

Richard rubbed his chin in deep thought. In reality, Baggio’s career could be divided into two phases: before ’95, he was quick, nimble, and graceful on the ball; after ’95, as he aged, his speed declined, but his vision and ability to organize the game improved significantly.

He pulled out his notepad and circled the offensive playmaker/attacking midfielder position behind the striker on a simple football field diagram. "This is the position you play for the club, right?"

Pirlo nodded.

The current Andrea Pirlo aspires to be the first type of Baggio—quick, nimble, and graceful on the ball. That’s why Richard mentioned earlier that they still needed to find the right formula for him.

In fact, Andrea’s registered position at Brescia is offensive playmaker—just like Baggio, who played as an attacking midfielder for the club.

"Have you encountered any challenges?"

After a brief pause, Pirlo replied quietly, "The coaches say I can become like Baggio," then hesitated, "but I can’t dribble past defenders like he could. When I get near the box, I sometimes feel lost, spending a lot of energy trying to shake off defenders."

Richard nodded. "That’s right, Andrea. You can’t become a second Baggio; it’s simply impossible. Your unique qualities are the biggest barrier to copying Baggio’s style, and no matter how hard you try, that won’t change."

Pirlo’s gaze dimmed. He knew his limits—he couldn’t match Baggio’s speed, let alone his ability to combine speed with ball control.

"But you can become the one and only Pirlo! You’re not a second Baggio; you are Andrea Pirlo! If you stay at Brescia, you’ll gradually improve as a trequartista, but I can offer you a bigger stage where your talents can truly shine, where you can play to your strengths. And I will never ask you to do something beyond your abilities."

Richard’s eyes were sincere—a quality he could guarantee with his integrity.

Looking at the current City squad under O’Neill, he never expected Ferdinand to be heavily involved in ball distribution as a defender. In his mind, the only player truly capable of that role was Neil Lennon. But Lennon himself was a typical player who needed strong support from the back. He couldn’t do everything on his own.

Richard saw the current City team as somewhat similar to the future Manchester United that relied too much on Bruno Fernandes.

That was basically how Lennon operated at City right now—he often relied on creativity and ingenuity to create and finish chances, rather than working within a strict tactical system.

This couldn’t do.

How a manager combined these different talents into a cohesive unit was O’Neill’s responsibility. Getting the best out of players within their capabilities was key. If a manager demanded performance beyond a player’s skill set, it wasn’t the player’s fault for falling short—it was the manager’s limitation.

So, the current City squad urgently needs a tactical reset.

Later, when the system is effective, it’s not the club that should bend to fit the players—instead, both the players and the manager must adapt to City’s system and philosophy.

And for that to happen, first City needs players capable of executing the system flawlessly.

Without the right talent who understand and can perform within the tactical framework, even the best plans will fall apart. It’s a combination of the right strategy and the right players working together that will bring success.