Chapter 150: A Dream Start! Goal of the Season! A Poaching Attempt from Manchester City
After conceding the first goal, Arsenal found themselves caught in a tactical dilemma.
If they wanted to equalize, they had to win back possession.
To win back possession, they had to press forward.
But Bayswater Chinese's ability to pass from deep was elite.
If Arsenal pushed too high, Bale, Walcott, or Džeko could break in behind at any moment.
Wenger had only two options:
Either follow Yang Cheng's example from last season's Champions League knockout rounds—grit his teeth and risk having his back line torn to shreds by sticking with high pressing and fighting Bayswater head-on.
Or… sit deep and play conservatively.
But Wenger had never been the conservative type. So, he chose to emulate Yang Cheng.
Only, he overlooked one thing.
AC Milan's aging defense couldn't handle a war of attrition.
But Bayswater's squad had an average age under 22—they could run all day.
Worse, nearly everyone in Bayswater's back line could pass like a playmaker.
They had been playing one-touch football for years, far more fluid than Milan.
Up front, Bale and Walcott were miles faster than Milan's old legs.
And then there was the all-purpose big man up top—Džeko.
In other words, Arsenal were facing an upgraded version of AC Milan: better passing and more speed.
In the 34th minute, a deep pass out of the back found Bale, who burned Sagna down the left. He crossed to Džeko, who outmuscled Gallas for a header that nearly went in.
Lloris made a fingertip save to push it wide.
Corner kick.
Rakitić stepped up to take it.
And when Gianni Vio walked to the edge of the technical area, the crowd of 80,000 erupted.
He was a fan favorite, after all.
Rakitić whipped it in quickly.
The box turned into chaos.
But shockingly, the ball wasn't lofted high—it dipped into the near-post area just outside the six-yard box.
The trajectory was low.
A mistake?
Absolutely not.
Out of the scrum, Yaya Touré emerged, unmarked, and lashed a first-time volley that curved just inside the post.
Lloris had no chance.
2–0!
Wembley exploded.
80,000 fans leapt to their feet, roaring and cheering wildly.
"Another goal from a set piece!"
"That's two matches in a row where Bayswater Chinese has scored from a dead ball!"
"And their set-piece routines are incredibly creative!"
"And look who scored—Yaya Touré!"
"The Gunner killer!"
On the Arsenal bench, Wenger watched Touré's volley bulge the net, and one thought echoed in his mind:
Why is it always him?
"Does he hate us that much?" he muttered, genuinely annoyed.
"Every time he plays us, he's possessed!"
Pat Rice could only shrug.
Those old "low-cost signings" from back in the day…
Now they were coming back to haunt them.
Touré's relationship with Arsenal was starting to feel like Eto'o's with Madrid—
every game, he turned into a demon.
"I may have misjudged him back then…" Wenger muttered.
Pat Rice laughed bitterly.
Misjudged? That's putting it mildly.
After a single friendly against Barnet, Wenger had dismissed him.
Back then, Touré was already playing professionally in Belgium. Barnet was a low-tier team.
It was just a friendly.
Which is why people always say—never judge a player based on one match.
…
After leading 2–0 at halftime, Wenger made the first substitution in the 54th minute.
He brought on Alex Song for Benzema, switching to a 4-3-3.
Technically, it was more like a 4-3-2-1, with Nasri and Arshavin drifting centrally to shore up the midfield.
It was a cautious shift, even a subtle admission of inferiority.
But it didn't help much.
Until the 72nd minute, when Arshavin dribbled down the right, muscled past Rakitić, and was fouled by Touré just outside the box.
Free kick.
Van Persie stepped up and curled a beautiful shot past Neuer.
1–2.
Suddenly, Arsenal saw a glimmer of hope.
The team's spirits lifted. They started pushing forward again.
But in the 79th minute, disaster struck.
Modrić was double-teamed by Muntari and Alex Song and passed it back to Touré.
At that moment, Arsenal's back line was high—nearly at midfield.
Touré played a long pass over the top.
And in a flash, Bayswater's front three launched forward, with Rakitić joining them.
4-on-1.
Yes—4-on-1.
Yang Cheng shouted in celebration.
Wenger covered his face in horror.
Gallas was left alone—trying to defend Bale, Walcott, Džeko, and Rakitić.
He was hopeless.
He stayed central.
Džeko laid it off to Rakitić, who passed to Walcott.
Walcott, cool as ever, slotted it home from the right side of the box.
3–1!
Wembley roared once more!
The fans went berserk.
That 4-on-1 was so absurd it was almost comical.
In the end, Bayswater Chinese beat Arsenal 3–1 at home.
…
"Here's a suggestion," Yang Cheng said after the match, generously inviting Wenger to the suite for a drink.
But the Frenchman looked like he was drinking something far more bitter.
His face was as sour as a lemon.
"Go back and study that 4-on-1 again—over and over," Yang Cheng said, grinning.
He couldn't help but laugh.
A single pass… and it turned into 4-on-1. Ever seen anything like it?
The craziest part? Arsenal's defense wasn't even bad.
But for a "big team" to be dismantled like that… it was rough.
If Yang Cheng had said anything else, Wenger might have snapped back.
But this?
He knew Yang Cheng was right.
Yeah, the tone was a little smug. A little salt-in-the-wound.
But still—he wasn't wrong.
That sequence perfectly exposed Arsenal's biggest weakness in recent years:
Defensive transition.
It wasn't that they didn't try to get back.
It's that they took too long.
Against a team like Bayswater Chinese, who attacked at lightning speed,
that delay was fatal.
And why did they take so long?
Because Arsenal's passing system depended on tireless running… and when you're exhausted, you just can't recover in time.
Wenger's demands for his players were even stricter than Yang Cheng's—passes had to be within ten meters, and there had to be at least two passing options nearby.
That meant Arsenal's players not only had to stay close together, but also had to constantly rotate out of position to maintain angles and outlets.
Especially the midfield and back line.
Possession-based movement was fine. But in transition, how do you ensure that players who vacated their positions get back quickly enough?
Attacks can be chaotic—but defense requires order, shape, and spacing.
And that took time.
Arsenal's transition recovery was just too slow.
Barcelona and Bayswater Chinese also used constant off-ball movement. So how did they make it work?
Two key things:
Immediate counter-pressing, and high-level midfield and defensive players.
At their Dream Team II peak, Barça could beat Real Madrid 3–0 both home and away because they pressed as a unit and had exceptional players—especially Puyol.
And Bayswater Chinese?
They also had excellent pressing and counter-pressing.
And their midfield and defense were stacked with talent:
Yaya Touré, Pepe, Thiago Silva—all high-level individuals.
That gave Bayswater Chinese the weapons to play this style.
By contrast, Ferguson preferred an approach where the front line had freedom and the back held steady.
Arsenal's biggest issue was the lack of elite defenders and midfielders.
Their forwards didn't press well either.
That meant defensive transitions were always a mess.
Hence the kind of disaster we saw:
Lose the ball, one long pass, suddenly it's 1-vs-4 at the back.
Building a strong team doesn't happen overnight.
And in recent years, Arsenal had simply gotten used to being poor.
Wenger had always been frugal in the transfer market.
But you get what you pay for.
And Arsenal's defensive quality reflected that.
"Give me two more years," Wenger said, sounding more like a stubborn cartoon wolf.
"I'll definitely build a team that can compete with yours!"
Yang Cheng burst out laughing.
"They say a man's confidence is measured by his wallet. Yours must be full these days!"
Wenger shot him a glare.
Strangely, whenever he spoke with Yang Cheng, he always forgot just how young he was.
The man was only 29.
Yet he spoke like a seasoned veteran.
He acted like a manager who'd been coaching for decades.
"You're one to talk," Wenger shot back.
"You're drowning in debt, yet your guts are bigger than anyone's!"
Everyone knew Yang Cheng was heavily in debt.
Bayswater Chinese had taken out massive loans to build Brent Training Center—and now they were building a 90,000-seat stadium.
Reports said they even had to dig an entire lower tier underground to meet central London's height restrictions.
The project budget was ballooning—£1 billion wasn't going to cover it.
"We surpassed your Arsenal's revenue last season," Yang Cheng said with a grin.
"And this season, the gap will only grow."
Wenger groaned.
Losing on the pitch was one thing—losing financially hurt even more.
Across Europe, everyone was praising Adam Crozier.
Why?
The man knew how to make money.
Back at the FA, he had doubled revenues in two years—enough to fund Wembley Stadium.
Now at Bayswater Chinese, he had launched them into Europe's top five in club revenue.
Just thinking about it made Wenger lose his appetite.
But Yang Cheng wasn't done twisting the knife.
"Professor, you'd better pick up the pace. We sold you last season's Champions League MVP. If you can't get results with him, the pressure's on you."
Wenger's expression turned even more bitter.
UEFA hadn't officially announced their awards yet, but everyone knew—
Arshavin would be named Best Player of the Champions League.
So Yang Cheng wasn't wrong.
Now Wenger had to integrate his squad and ignite that fire, especially in Arshavin.
He cost £50 million.
A fee comparable to Zidane's back in the day.
The thought alone made Wenger wince.
How am I supposed to make Arshavin play like Zidane?
Damn you, Yang Cheng…
…
Premier League Matchday 2.
Liverpool, at Anfield, came from behind to score twice in the final minutes and beat Middlesbrough.
The Reds missed out on Champions League football this season, and morale had suffered.
Chelsea beat Wigan 1–0 away thanks to Deco's goal in the second minute.
The Portuguese midfielder had now scored in both rounds.
Manchester United, thanks to a Fletcher goal, won 1–0 at Portsmouth.
After two rounds:
Bayswater Chinese, Chelsea, and Liverpool were all on 6 points.Yang Cheng's team led the table with +7 goal difference.Chelsea had +5, Liverpool +2.
Džeko, with three goals, was tied at the top of the Golden Boot race with Aston Villa's Agbonlahor, who had scored a hat trick in Round 1.
A dominant opening-day win over Hull, and a Round 2 victory over title rivals Arsenal—
Bayswater Chinese were earning widespread praise.
Their start to the season had been nothing short of phenomenal.
Preseason concerns about their squad were vanishing.
After all, they had sold Arshavin, Lass Diarra, and Koscielny—a major talent drain.
Especially Arshavin and Diarra.
One was the attacking linchpin, the other the league's top ball-winner.
How could the team possibly cope?
But in its review, The Times showered praise on Yang Cheng:
"In a season where everyone doubted him, Yang Cheng has delivered a stunning answer."
"He's shifted away from last year's possession-heavy style and instead built a rapid, incisive attack, leveraging the pace of Bale and Walcott to constantly hammer opposing back lines."
"Hull collapsed under their pressure. Arsenal couldn't hold them back either."
The Times noted that this year's Bayswater side was similar to last season's Manchester United, but more refined.
Last year, United played what fans jokingly called "chaotic fast attack."
Bayswater also played fast, but with structure—anchored by the versatile Džeko.
And in midfield?
With Modrić, Rakitić, and Yaya Touré, they had more control and creativity than United.
"Even in terms of work rate, often United's pride, Bayswater Chinese might be even better."
All told, this season's Bayswater Chinese was playing more aggressive, more devastating football than last year's champions.
"Yang Cheng has perfectly maximized the traits and strengths of his squad."
"His tactical mastery has filled the void left by outgoing stars."
And The Times concluded:
"This is the second time Yang Cheng has shown tactical brilliance on a world-class level."
The last time had been a mid-season tactical shift, when Yang Cheng adjusted Arshavin and Ashley Young's roles, completely revitalizing Bayswater Chinese's attack and laying the foundation for their competitiveness in the Premier League.
And this time...
"He seems to have set his sights even higher—with greater ambition!"
"Even before winning the Community Shield, Yang Cheng said he planned to win back everything they lost last season!"
It wasn't just The Times. Media outlets from across Europe were now turning their attention to Bayswater Chinese.
And their reviews of Yang Cheng's tactical setup at the start of the season were full of praise.
…
After Matchday 2 in the Premier League, Yang Cheng brought the team back to Brent Training Center for recovery.
On the morning of August 28, after training, the squad had an early lunch and departed for Monaco.
The UEFA Super Cup was scheduled for the evening of the 29th, but Bayswater Chinese would attend the UEFA Awards Ceremony and Champions League group draw on the 28th.
At this point, it was practically a formality.
UEFA's invitation had been enthusiastic—there was no way Bayswater could decline.
After all, they were going to win something.
Before the ceremony, many of the major awards had essentially been decided.
The Best Player award was all but guaranteed to go to Arshavin—a consensus pick.
He had been one of Bayswater Chinese's best players last season, the focal point of their attack.
Best Forward was also widely expected to go to Cristiano Ronaldo.
Some of the other positions were still up for grabs, but it was almost certain that at least one Bayswater player would win.
After all, they were reigning champions.
Back then, the Champions League seeding system was not the same as in 2024.
Despite being title holders, Bayswater Chinese didn't receive any special treatment.
All 32 teams were still seeded based on UEFA coefficient points.
But even so, Bayswater Chinese managed to land in Pot 2—already quite an achievement.
Other clubs were judged on their five-year coefficient.
Bayswater only had three years of European competition—three years ago they weren't even in the top flight.
That they had already made it to Pot 2 showed just how impressive their rise had been.
Pot 1 consisted of:
Manchester United, Chelsea, Barcelona, Arsenal, Lyon, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid.
Madrid, after consecutive exits in the Round of 16 and even group stages, were seeing their coefficient collapse.
If they didn't perform this season, they could fall out of Pot 1 entirely next year.
And then, the draws would get even spicier.
Pot 2 was stacked with dangerous teams:
Bayswater Chinese (reigning champs), Villarreal, Roma, Porto, Werder Bremen, Sporting CP, and Juventus.
Pot 3 had plenty of firepower as well—teams like Marseille, Zenit, and Bordeaux.
But the scariest one?
Pot 4.
Teams like Shakhtar Donetsk, Fiorentina, Atlético Madrid, Dynamo Kyiv, and BATE Borisov.
Either dark horses or nightmare away trips.
The draw placed Bayswater Chinese with:
Inter Milan from Pot 1 (Mourinho's team)Marseille from Pot 3Atlético Madrid from Pot 4
When the result was announced at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, there was an audible stir from the crowd.
Four top clubs from Serie A, Premier League, Ligue 1, and La Liga—
it was a true Group of Death.
Especially with Atlético Madrid, who had just smashed Schalke 04 4–0 two days earlier.
Everyone was stunned.
It was the kind of group where any team could qualify—or crash out.
But one thing was certain—it would be must-watch football.
Mourinho had just returned, now coaching Inter Milan.
It would be his first time facing a Premier League team since leaving Chelsea.
A clash between Yang Cheng and Mourinho?
That alone was box office gold.
But from Yang Cheng's perspective, this group wasn't the worst.
Drawing Inter from Pot 1 meant avoiding Barcelona, Madrid, and Bayern.
They didn't get lucky with Lyon, but Inter were manageable.
Mourinho's squad had issues.
In Pot 3, Marseille was one of the better outcomes—they were tough but not out of reach.
Avoiding Zenit's long travel was a win.
And in Pot 4, Atlético was the strongest team, but at least not a nightmare away trip.
If you asked Yang Cheng, the worst possible draw would've been Zenit + Shakhtar or Dynamo Kyiv—
those away legs were brutal.
So overall? This group was fine.
And hosting clubs from Serie A, Ligue 1, and La Liga would also boost home ticket sales.
Good news.
Most importantly, Yang Cheng believed in his team.
…
The awards and draw were interwoven throughout the night.
First up: Best Goalkeeper.
The nominees:
Čech (Chelsea)Van der Sar (Man United)Neuer (Bayswater Chinese)Reina (Liverpool)
All four had stellar seasons.
The award went to 22-year-old Manuel Neuer—his first major European honor.
When former United legend Peter Schmeichel announced his name, Neuer jumped out of his seat.
His teammates all rushed over to congratulate him.
He even ran over to hug Yang Cheng.
In his acceptance speech, Neuer expressed heartfelt gratitude to Yang Cheng, his teammates, and Bayswater Chinese.
He specifically recalled being contacted by Yang in January 2005:
"I never imagined it at the time, but that decision became the most important and defining moment of my career. It led me here, to this stage tonight."
The crowd burst into applause.
Back then, Bayswater Chinese were still in the Championship.
Who would've thought—in just over three years, they'd become Champions League winners?
And it was all under Yang Cheng's leadership.
Even the host joked:
"There should be an award for Best Coach—for guys like Yang Cheng, Ferguson, and all those working miracles on the touchline!"
Next up: Best Defender.
Former Milan captain Franco Baresi presented the award to Rio Ferdinand.
The United center-back had been the front-runner.
Bayswater's defense had been excellent too—Pepe and Thiago Silva were solid all year—but Ferdinand had outshone them individually.
Even Yang Cheng had to admit—Ferdinand deserved it.
Pepe and Silva still needed to mature further.
Best Midfielder went to Yaya Touré.
Sir Bobby Charlton himself presented the award.
The United legend gave Touré high praise, calling him a world-class midfielder.
Touré was visibly emotional.
Before going on stage, he, like Neuer, hugged Yang Cheng and his teammates one by one.
It was a display of the unity within Bayswater Chinese.
And during his speech, Touré made his gratitude clear.
"I never imagined I'd have a moment like this. There was a time when I doubted if I'd ever make it as a pro."
He suspected that moment of doubt had come after his failed trial at Arsenal.
"But at Bayswater Chinese, I found my confidence again!"
Yaya Touré also thanked his teammates Modrić and Lass Diarra, saying that without their support, he wouldn't have had the platform to truly express himself and showcase his abilities.
Yang Cheng, seated in the audience, joined in the warm applause alongside everyone else.
In his eyes, Touré fully deserved the award. No one could argue with his performances.
That said, if Yang Cheng had been the one choosing, he would've voted for Modrić.
But there was a problem with Modrić.
In the modern football environment, under prevailing trends, he was easy to overlook.
He didn't have flashy stats. He didn't produce obvious "wow" moments. Often, you couldn't even point to a specific highlight and say, "That was Modrić's impact."
On top of that, Modrić was humble and low-profile, rarely spoke out, and always remained cautious.
That resulted in shockingly low recognition.
At one point, a British outlet even claimed that among Bayswater Chinese's midfield trio, Modrić was the weakest link, saying he only brought "loyalty" to the table—not passing, not shooting, not dribbling.
In other words, they claimed he was in the lineup and even captain only because he had followed Yang Cheng loyally from League Two all the way to the Champions League.
They suggested if you replaced Modrić with Lampard or Gerrard, alongside Diarra and Touré, Bayswater Chinese's midfield would be perfect.
Anyone who had actually watched the team play would scoff at that take.
But it also showed just how invisible Modrić could be.
Not just him—players of his profile often flew under the radar.
That's why everyone wanted to poach Lass Diarra or Yaya Touré,
but almost no one tried to sign Modrić.
Outside of a few sharp minds like Ferguson, there wasn't much interest.
It was the same story for Michael Carrick, another player criminally underrated.
The third award of the night, Best Forward, went to Cristiano Ronaldo—no surprise there.
And finally, Best Player went to Arshavin.
He became the first Russian to ever win the honor.
Though he'd already moved to Arsenal, Arshavin still made sure to thank Yang Cheng and Bayswater Chinese.
"I used to be a striker, then a winger. But one day, my coach told me I should adjust my position to elevate my game."
"He told me a fable that inspired me deeply. He wanted me to take on more responsibility. That story gave me strength I'd never felt before."
"After adjusting my role, I found the best version of myself. It was the season of a lifetime."
He ended by politely thanking Arsenal and Wenger.
But as Yang Cheng listened from his seat, he couldn't help but sense something between the lines.
Arshavin's gratitude was sincere—but he was also clearly sending a message to Wenger.
He wanted to continue the free-roaming role he'd enjoyed under Yang Cheng. He wanted freedom and tactical license.
And that was likely Wenger's current headache.
From what they saw in Matchday 2, Arsenal's transition defense was still a mess.
If Wenger gave Arshavin full freedom, the midfield could become even more chaotic, and their transition issues could be magnified.
But this wasn't Yang Cheng's problem.
He sold the player—he didn't provide a user manual.
…
The day after the Champions League draw, Bayswater Chinese faced UEFA Cup winners Rangers at the Stade Louis II in Monaco.
This was the first match since summer camp where Yang Cheng had his full squad available.
Di María, Marcelo, Matić, Kompany, and Hazard—all Olympic participants—had now returned.
And they'd all performed well at the Olympics.
Kompany had been forcibly recalled mid-tournament by Hamburg, which prompted his angry departure to Bayswater Chinese.
Di María had scored the winning goal in the final against Nigeria, giving Argentina the gold.
Marcelo, playing for Brazil, had helped them beat Belgium 3–0 in the third-place match.
Matić had represented Serbia. They didn't make it out of the group stage, but he'd impressed individually.
The Olympics had ended on August 23, but after winning gold, Argentina celebrated back home, so Di María had only just returned in time for the Super Cup.
Despite Rangers not being on Bayswater's level, Yang Cheng fielded a strong lineup.
Di María replaced Bale,
Marcelo replaced Leighton Baines at left back.
The message was clear: Attack.
And just 2 minutes in, Di María—still red-hot from the Olympics—received the ball from Marcelo, beat his man down the left, and whipped in a cross to the penalty spot.
Džeko arrived late and drilled it into the net.
1–0!
After last season's grind and his Olympic glory, Di María looked brimming with confidence.
Bayswater kept pressing.
In the 13th minute, Modrić played a sharp through ball.
Walcott burst into the box on the right and shot just wide.
In the 20th, Walcott won the ball high, played a perfect pass to Džeko.
The Bosnian's shot was parried—but Di María was there to bury the rebound.
2–0!
In the 33rd, Marcelo and Di María played a lovely one-two on the left.
Marcelo reached the byline, crossed—but it was deflected out.
Corner.
Bayswater took it short, Marcelo received it just outside the left side of the box and crossed to the back post.
Thiago Silva, arriving late and surrounded by three defenders, slid in and poked it home.
3–0!
The gap in class was too big.
Džeko, Di María, and Thiago Silva all got on the scoresheet.
Bayswater Chinese cruised to a 3–0 win over Rangers, lifting the UEFA Super Cup.
…
Meanwhile, Premier League Matchday 3 continued.
Arsenal, behind Van Persie's brace, beat Newcastle 3–0 at home.
Chelsea were held 1–1 at home by Spurs.
Manchester City beat Sunderland 3–0 away.
Liverpool were held 0–0 by Aston Villa.
Due to the Super Cup, Bayswater Chinese and Manchester United's match was postponed, meaning both had played one game fewer.
After this round, Chelsea overtook Bayswater to top the table,
Liverpool were second,
and Bayswater Chinese, with a game in hand, sat third.
…
From Queensway Station at Hyde Park's north gate, walk east along Bayswater Road, pass the famous Marble Arch, and turn north on Portman Square Road…
At the Churchill Hyatt Hotel on the west side of Portman Square, luxury cars lined up outside the marble-covered, lavishly decorated entrance.
Concierges politely opened car doors and ushered distinguished guests into the grand lobby.
But every guest entering the hotel would immediately notice a striking notice board to the left of the lobby:
Meeting Room Temporarily Closed – Thank You for Your Understanding
Anyone staying at this hotel was either rich or powerful.
But upon seeing the sign—and the group of stern, black-suited security guards with "do not approach" written all over their faces—everyone instinctively kept their distance.
And naturally, the same question lingered in everyone's mind:
What kind of meeting could possibly require this level of security?
The closed doors didn't let a single sound of the heated debate within escape.
If any media reporter had managed to sneak in, they would've been stunned by the gathering.
David Gill (Manchester United CEO), David Dein (Arsenal GM), Adam Crozier (Bayswater Chinese CEO), Peter Kenyon (Chelsea CEO), Khaldoon Al Mubarak (Manchester City chairman)...
The twenty most powerful people in the Premier League—excluding club owners—were all in that room.
Chairing the meeting was Premier League CEO Richard Scudamore.
And the proposal that triggered the uproar?
A suggestion from Adam Crozier himself.
He proposed that Premier League clubs voluntarily conduct a financial health self-assessment.
Which instantly drew unanimous opposition—from United, Arsenal, Chelsea, City, Liverpool…
Practically the entire league.
Scudamore had to suppress a laugh, struggling to maintain composure.
Troublesome boss, troublesome manager... even his CEO is a troublemaker.
One proposal and everyone is against it. That takes talent.
But the whole world knew—if there really were financial audits, the only Premier League club that could pass right now would probably be Bayswater Chinese.
And even they wouldn't last long, since they were building a new stadium and would eventually need to take on more loans.
So why propose this now?
"Two years ago," Crozier began, "when Michel Platini announced his candidacy for UEFA President and came to London to campaign, he hosted a tea with influential Fleet Street media at a private club in Mayfair."
"He seemed harmless then."
"But now, two years later, he just submitted a confidential proposal to the European Union, co-signed by administrators from five other team sports, asking for greater self-governance—football included."
"We all know what this is about: pushing FIFA's 6+5 policy—limiting foreign players, banning U18 transfers, reducing broadcast matches, regulating agents..."
"And one more point—stricter financial controls on professional clubs."
Crozier didn't back down despite the backlash. In fact, he doubled down.
"Yes, the 6+5 policy might not pass. But the other proposals? The EU has already agreed to begin discussions."
"Take a closer look at the language. I can almost guarantee, every clause is aimed directly at the Premier League."
The room fell completely silent.
Did they know this?
Not all of them.
While all twenty clubs were shareholders in the Premier League, not every shareholder had the right to speak up.
For many clubs bouncing between divisions, they were here just as formalities.
But nobody was stupid.
They all understood exactly who UEFA was targeting.
The Premier League had simply become too dominant in recent years.
Capital had flooded in. Star players from all over Europe were flocking to England.
If there were no restrictions, the other leagues would never be able to keep up.
Crozier had discussed all this with Yang Cheng beforehand.
So now, he stated with absolute confidence: UEFA's suppression of the Premier League was already an open secret.
His proposal to self-audit finances wasn't about compliance—it was about getting ahead of the crackdown.
At first, everyone in the room had rejected Crozier's proposal outright.
But after his well-reasoned explanation, they all began to understand.
UEFA wasn't just another voice. It was the governing body of European football.
From that perspective, a Premier League monopoly wasn't good for the continent.
But for the clubs?
They didn't care about Europe. They only cared about their own bottom line.
And that was the core contradiction.
Crozier had simply laid it bare.
Even Scudamore had to admit—Crozier's proposal was both prescient and necessary.
After the meeting, many club execs—David Gill, David Dein, and others—came over to speak with Crozier about it.
The traditional big clubs, who regularly played in Europe, were naturally more concerned about UEFA's pressure.
Mid-table and lower-table clubs would be less affected.
But not unaffected.
They still needed to sign players from the continent.
And English transfer fees were sky-high.
After a few follow-up chats and scheduling future discussions, the room began to empty.
But just as Crozier exited the conference room and stepped into the hotel lobby, preparing to leave, a voice called out behind him.
It was Mubarak, the Manchester City chairman.
It was his first time attending a Premier League shareholders' meeting, and everything was still new to him.
He hadn't spoken during the meeting—but nobody could ignore this Middle Eastern billionaire.
Everyone knew—City's backers in Abu Dhabi had money to burn.
If financial audits were enforced, City would be hit the hardest.
The two men walked to the other side of the lobby, sat down in a guest area, ordered coffee, and began to discuss the meeting.
Mubarak was clearly eager to learn and understand the business.
"Honestly, Adam," he said, "my boss and I have done a deep dive on every manager in the Premier League and Championship. We know their resumes, backgrounds, and performance in detail."
Then he got to the point.
"We are deeply impressed by what you've achieved at Bayswater Chinese. Truly."
"You know our club is still in its early stages. Even though we've signed outstanding players, we still haven't found the right executive to run things."
"We've done our homework, and you fit our criteria perfectly. We would very seriously like you to consider joining Manchester City."
"With us, you'll have a broader stage, more resources than anywhere else, and complete support."
"We can guarantee that within two to three years, we'll build the most powerful, most luxurious football machine in the world."
"And you, Adam—we want you to be the one at the helm."
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