The following day, all British sports newspapers were filled with coverage of Manchester City’s match against Chelsea. The articles revisited every crucial mont that had allowed City to overpower Chelsea by three goals to nil, accompanied by detailed tactical breakdowns and individual player analyses.
BBC Sport nad Zinedine Zidane Man of the Match, awarding him a 9.0/10 rating. Their journalists highlighted Zidane’s outstanding performance—his goal, his creative influence, and his control of the midfield—as the decisive factors behind City’s dominance and clean sheet.
City’s rivals also enjoyed a remarkable night of their own.
Manchester United recorded the largest away victory in Premier League history, demolishing Nottingham Forest 8–1 at the City Ground. Coming off the bench, Ole Gunnar Solskjær delivered a performance for the ages, scoring four goals as a substitute. It was the kind of result that made headlines across the country—a ruthless reminder that United were a terrifying force.
Just as the public’s attention was fixed on the unfolding Premier League title race, shocking news from Three Lions headquarters sent tremors through English football—Glenn Hoddle had been sacked.
The England manager had given an interview to The Tis in which he was reported as saying that people born with disabilities were being punished for sins committed in a previous life. The comnts were widely condemned as deeply insensitive and offensive.
Outrage followed swiftly. Disability rights groups, politicians, fans, and dia outlets reacted with anger, and mbers of Parliant even tabled Early Day Motions denouncing the remarks as "grossly offensive."
Although Hoddle insisted that his words had been misinterpreted, the forr Tottenham star—who coached England at the 1998 World Cup—was sacked within days by the FA, despite eventually apologising for a "serious error of judgnt."
Richard shook his head after reading this. He then turned toward the man in front of him—Stuart Olm, CEO of Maddox Construction and Property Managent.
"Is everything that I asked for ready?" Richard asked.
Stuart Olm nodded calmly.
The day after the Chelsea match brought yet another pleasant surprise for a very satisfied Richard, another item neatly added to his ever-growing agenda.
Ronaldinho was looking for a house.
Having received special approval based on his talent and work permit status, he had decided it was ti to move out of the club dormitory.
Richard chuckled and shook his head lightly. After exchanging a few words of casual conversation with Stuart, they went looking for Ronaldinho.
"Ronnie," Richard called out, stopping in front of him. "I’ve got so good news for you."
Even before the words were finished, Ronaldinho’s eyes lit up with curiosity, the corners of his mouth already beginning to lift.
However, Richard did not tell him that he had already discussed everything with Stuart beforehand.
"So," Richard said with a smile, "Stuart tells you have a villa you can recomnd. Could you give us the details?"
"I can do better than that," Stuart Olm replied with a grin. "I can take you there in person. Then you can decide for yourselves. It’s located on the eastern outskirts of Manchester, just a few kiloters from the site of the new stadium. We’ll be there in only a few minutes."
Of course, that also ant it was quite far from Maine Road.
Richard fell silent, subtly gauging Ronaldinho’s reaction. If the Brazilian was comfortable with the location, it would be a quiet but aningful sign—proof that he was thinking long-term about his future at City.
Sotis, it was the smallest details that revealed the biggest intentions.
"That’s even better," Ronaldinho said. "I’d like to see the house. But we need to hurry—I don’t have much ti."
"Alright," Olm replied, glancing at Richard. Seeing him nod in agreent, he added, "Let’s go."
Forty minutes later, the trio arrived at a detached villa for sale in Didsbury, Manchester. The house stood like a work of art upon the landscape—one of the elegant Victorian detached and semi-detached hos the area was known for.
The neighborhood itself spoke of quiet affluence: a leafy suburb in South Manchester, popular with professionals, businessn, footballers, and academics alike. It was safe, serene, and comfortably removed from the chaos of the city center.
At first glance, the villa was a stunning piece of architecture that captured Ronaldinho’s full attention. Its windows resembled shy eyes, wide enough to welco every ray of sunlight, while its stone walls looked as though they belonged exactly where they stood—as if the house had grown naturally from the earth itself.
"How is it?" Richard asked, glancing at Ronaldinho. "Does it suit your taste?"
Ronaldinho nodded after taking another look around. "I’m impressed by the exterior—the elegant driveway, the swimming pool, and the large gardens. It’s huge. It’s almost like a castle! How much does this place cost?"
Richard chuckled. "Easy there. Let’s see what it offers inside first. Then we can talk about the price."
"Alright," Ronaldinho agreed, taking a deep breath. "Let’s take a look."
Stuart Olm soon opened the door and led them inside. Once again, Ronaldinho was dazzled. The interior was magnificent and welcoming—from the grand entrance to the wide hallway—instilling in him an imdiate sense of calm and comfort.
It was very different from his ho back in Brazil.
No—different wasn’t the right word.
It felt like the difference between heaven and hell.
He fell in love with everything about it instantly, including the paintings adorning the walls, the old-fashioned parquet floor with its blend of deep, holy browns, and the walls painted in garden greens complented by bold white baseboards.
In terms of aesthetics, it was an impressive blend of uniqueness and magnificence from the inside out. But that was not all that captured Ronaldinho’s attention. He also loved the enormous interior space of the villa, spread over three levels.
On the first floor, there were two large kitchens: the first was visually pleasing, complete with a fireplace, while the second was a service kitchen with a functional terrace and an adjacent laundry room. There was also a grand dining room, a large hallway, a living room, and a spacious guest bathroom. Ascending to the second floor, one would find four enormous bedrooms with three bathrooms. Descending to the basent revealed a garage, a cellar, and a fitness area.
He was especially fascinated by the fitness area, as it was large enough to accommodate all the gym equipnt he could imagine. He could already picture himself spending many hours training there.
"So, what do you think?" Richard asked after they returned to the living room. "Do you like the villa?"
"Yes, I like it," Ronaldinho replied. "So, can you tell the price now?"
Richard looked toward Stuart.
"Two million pounds," Stuart said calmly. "You must rember that this villa would be much more expensive if the owners weren’t in a rush to sell. It would easily go for around four million pounds. So two million is a very fair price."
Ronaldinho frowned. "Why was I previously told that it cost 1.5 million? What’s wrong with increasing the price so suddenly?"
Richard instantly gave Stuart a look.
Stuart shot a helpless glance at Ronaldinho before saying, "They must have been guessing. 1.5 million is far too low. You’ve seen the property for yourself. It’s ideal for those seeking privacy and tranquility while still enjoying the comforts of the city. Don’t you think it deserves a two-million price tag?"
Ronaldinho shook his head. "I only prepared 1.5 million, and that’s the amount I’m willing to spend. Otherwise, I’ll continue house-hunting until I find sothing suitable and cheaper."
"This is a bit difficult," Stuart Olm said, sighing. "1.5 million is just too low. Alright, let’s do it this way—1.8 million, and the property is yours. That’s my final offer. I don’t want to waste your ti bargaining. et in the middle, and let’s conclude the deal."
Ronaldinho thought for a mont. "I’d like a day to consider this deal. I’ll give you an answer—"
"What are you saying?" Richard imdiately interrupted, making Ronaldinho look at him.
Richard then smiled. "Did you forget about the contract that was just offered to you?"
With his current inco and the new contract placed before him, two million pounds was a small amount for him.
Ronaldinho was taken aback. His eyes lit up, but then he frowned.
"I’ll let you know tomorrow by seven in the evening."
Richard was surprised, but he nodded before looking at Stuart.
"One in the afternoon," Stuart remarked helplessly. "That should be fine. But I can’t promise the house will still be available. I’ll do my best to wait for you."
"That’s okay," Ronaldinho said with a smile. "Thank you. You’ll have your answer tomorrow afternoon."
Richard was certain that Ronaldinho had already decided to buy the villa. The hesitation was not born of doubt, but of caution. Rather than rushing to finalize the deal, he was deliberately buying himself ti—ti to investigate the exact circumstances surrounding the property, its ownership, and the reason behind the sell.
Wealth and status did not make one immune to being cheated; if anything, they made him a more attractive target.
How did he know all of this?
Because he was the one who had taught him!
To be precise, Richard had drilled that sa lesson into every foreign young player who ca to City. He always warned them to exercise extre caution when buying property. No matter how eager they were—or how quickly they wanted to settle in—rushing into a purchase was never wise.
Even though Richard genuinely wanted Ronaldinho to sign the contract, he never allowed that desire to override his principles.
That level of care reassured Richard himself. He understood better than anyone that the smallest misstep could carry the heaviest consequences.
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