NOVPUB
Chapter 116: Personal Connections to Seal the Deal
Richard, listening to the match broadcast from across the Atlantic, frowned deeply as the commentator described the final minutes.
"A brawl?"
He paused, thoughts swirling. Something didn’t sit right.
He quickly searched for an image of Warren Barton.
As the photo loaded on screen, Richard’s frowned more. A few scenarios formed in his mind, but one rose to the top.
He didn’t waste time—he called coach McLaren immediately.
"A sudden brawl? Were there any signs the two had clashed before?"
A pause.
"No? Alright, I understand. Thanks for the information."
After ending the call, Richard rubbed his chin, staring at nothing in particular. The pieces were slowly clicking together. He didn’t know exactly what had happened, but if Cox—normally level-headed and quiet—had exploded like that, something serious must’ve triggered it.
The top possibility in his mind?
Barton had said something or something like that. And what, in that era, could hit harder than a racist slur? 𝖓𝖔𝖛𝔭𝖚𝖇.𝔠𝖔𝔪
The fact that Cox refused to talk about it spoke volumes.
Different Era, Different Culture.
In the football world of the past—especially during the 1990s—racism was often ignored, tolerated, or swept under the rug by officials, clubs, and even the media.
Players were expected to "get on with it," particularly if they were young, new to the league, or from lower-tier clubs like theirs.
There were no formal anti-racism protocols like today’s UEFA three-step procedure, which allows referees to pause or abandon a match in response to racist abuse. There was no VAR, and no network of microphones or cameras capturing every interaction.
That made acknowledging or proving such abuse incredibly difficult. Players didn’t have social media either—no platform to share their side or rally public support. Unless the press picked up the story—and many didn’t—the incident often went unnoticed and unaddressed.
Richard couldn’t say for certain what Barton had said. But the silence from Ian Cox said a lot. Maybe that silence was all he needed to know.
And sadly, it wouldn’t be the first time.
Legends like John Barnes, Cyrille Regis, and Paul Ince had all spoken about enduring monkey chants, racial slurs, and even having bananas thrown at them. And time and time again, they were told to ignore it and just keep playing.
And what about Vinicius Jr. in the future? Hah!
For now, did anyone ever fight back?
Occasionally, yes—some players did lash out or confront their abusers directly. But more often than not, it was the victim who ended up paying the price. Referees didn’t always understand the context—or worse, chose to ignore it.
Richard leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly.
"Forget it. Let O’Neill handle it," he muttered to himself.
The fifth-round FA Cup victory had put Manchester City in a jubilant mood. It was their first time reaching the sixth round in five years, and the prospect of advancing to the semi-finals—something they hadn’t achieved in over a decade—was enough to ignite hope throughout the club.
But their celebrations were quickly overshadowed by a wave of complications.
Captain Keith Curle suffered a knock late in the match, and the medical team feared it could keep him sidelined for months.
To make matters worse, defender Ian Cox found himself at the center of controversy after an on-pitch altercation drew disciplinary attention.
FIFA handed down a six-match suspension for violent conduct, citing video evidence of Cox’s challenge as "deliberate and dangerous."
The club immediately appealed the decision, with manager John pleading the case personally. "It was emotional, heat-of-the-moment stuff," he said. "Not malice."
But the appeal was swiftly rejected.
"We cannot tolerate violence in any form," read the official response from the disciplinary committee. "Regardless of intention, the safety of players must remain our top priority."
Now, with Cox banned and Curle injured, City’s defensive line was dangerously thin at a crucial point in the season.
"We’re going with a 5-4-1 formation. Given remains in goal. In defense: Cafu, Tony Vaughan, Sol Campbell, Nick Fenton, and Roberto Carlos. In midfield, we’ll have Jamie Pollock, Jeff Whitley, and Keith Gillespie. Up front, it’s Ronaldo playing just behind Solskjær."
O’Neill definitely opted for the most reliable and conservative tactic.
Back in the League, Manchester City stumbled again—first dropping two points in a 2-2 draw with Northampton, then losing more ground on the promotion chase with another draw, this time 1-1 against Mansfield. City were now winless in two consecutive league games—hardly the form of a team pushing for promotion.
Sensing that the current squad might not be strong enough to get the job done, O’Neill took action. He bypassed John entirely and went straight to Richard with a demand: get a real midfielder this time.
"Where’s John?" Richard frowned.
He remembered clearly—he had already told John to handle the Patrick Vieira transfer as soon as possible.
And with good reason.
AC Milan were rumored to be circling Vieira, and it was only a matter of time before they made a serious move. Richard knew he had to act before it was too late.
Seeing that John couldn’t be relied upon, Richard made his decision.
Without wasting another second, he picked up the phone and called AS Cannes’ sporting director, Jean-Claude Elineau, directly.
When you have connections, you use them—especially in moments like this. This was exactly the kind of moment where Richard’s past as a player agent paid off. In football, relationships could matter just as much as money—if you knew how to use them the right way.
His objective was simple: place the highest bid and ensure that AS Cannes slammed the door shut on any other club trying to sign Vieira.
If it had been any other player, Richard might not have stood a chance—Vieira could have rejected him outright. But the situation was more complicated.
He had been a major supporter of Vieira’s family, helping to pay for his brother’s and sister’s education. That made things personal—Vieira would feel uncomfortable turning him down.
Especially when Richard made a special call to Patrick’s mother.
"Don’t worry, I’ll call him and help you," she said kindly. Then, glancing around to make sure no one was listening, she leaned in and whispered, "I heard his club is under investigation... Can you tell me what’s going on?"
Richard immediately understood.
AS Cannes were indeed under investigation by the Direction Nationale du Contrôle de Gestion (DNCG), due to a series of questionable player transfers in the previous season. Among the names involved were William Ayache, Franck Durix, and David Jemmali.
The reason was clear: the club had allegedly facilitated transfers through personal contacts, bypassing official procedures and potentially breaching transfer regulations. Rumors suggested that manager Safet Sušić had personally handled some of the deals without informing the club.
This left Cannes’ sporting director, Jean-Claude Elineau, furious.
As a result, the team was left weakened and unable to properly replace the players they had lost. Instead of pushing for a top-half finish, Cannes now found themselves battling relegation. There were even whispers that relegation from Ligue 1 was a very real possibility for the club this season.
"It’s not exactly that they’re under investigation," Richard clarified. "It’s more like they’ve been asked to provide clarification about their previous transfers. It’s the same with Patrick. Last season, AC Milan made contact with AS Cannes, but when they realized Patrick’s contract would expire next season, they pulled out of the deal. They’d rather wait until his contract runs out."
He sighed, his voice growing uncertain. "I just don’t know what Patrick thinks about moving to City..."
"Can you guarantee that Patrick will actually play?"
"Of course," Richard said confidently. "Madam, to be honest with you, now is the best time for Patrick to move. I know AC Milan and some Italian clubs are interested too, but they’re choosing to wait until his contract ends—which is still a year and a half away."
He leaned in, his tone more persuasive. "If he stays at AS Cannes, there’s a real risk the club gets relegated—and that could seriously stain Patrick’s career records. But if he comes to City now and helps the club win promotion, it’ll be his name in the headlines. Isn’t that better than going down with Cannes?"
"Hmmm," Madam Vieira said, pausing and then hesitating, "But what if Patrick rejects the offer and insists on moving to Milan instead?"
"Madam, don’t worry. You just need to persuade Patrick, and I’ll take care of Director Elineau and the transfer," Richard reassured her confidently.
From what he understood about how the DNCG operated, they were likely to freeze certain financial operations within the club.
This could mean that the proceeds from the sales of players like William Ayache, Franck Durix, and David Jemmali, until clarification was provided, couldn’t be reinvested in acquiring new players, leaving AS Cannes unable to replace them with another high-profile signings.
As AS Cannes continued their battle to survive in Ligue 1, naturally, they were determined not to face relegation after finally returning to the top tier of French football.
Now, with AC Milan opting to wait until Patrick’s contract expired, it became clear that AS Cannes wasn’t willing to let him go for nothing. In their eyes, Richard’s proposal presented the best possible solution, offering them immediate financial relief while securing a deal that would benefit everyone involved.
Director Elineau immediately agreed to Richard’s proposal, and with 500,000 British pounds—equivalent to 5,265,000 French Francs—secured, the deal began to take shape.
Now, they were just waiting to see how Patrick Vieira would respond.
What will you choose, Patrick?
